Page 30 of Under His Watch

Only I would be there for her. I would always come to her rescue. And as illogical and backward as it probably seemed as a plan, Ireacted with what I was sure could be a sharp jolt to her system and wake her the fuck up.

I leaned down and kissed her, hard.

12

TESSA

Ahard push against my mouth startled me. I was yanked straight out of my nightmare from the contact over my lips.

I jerked, sucking in a deep inhale through my nose. As I opened my eyes, my heart raced faster. My breaths became more labored. Stuck in this nightly loop of panic and terror, I wasn’t sure how much more I could handle.

Romeo’s face filled my view. The firm grip of his big hand held the back of my head as he kept us close together. His lips were smashed to mine, and with a click of awareness, of understanding thathewaskissingme, the remnants of my nightmare fell apart. The darkness of reliving that night faded. Shards of the bad dream scattered, giving me full freedom to experience Romeo kissing me.

The act of waking up seemed to jar him, too, because as I returned the pressure, arching up to keep my lips locked against his, he reared back and breathed hard. His hot exhales feathered over my face as he lifted slightly. As he retreated, the force of airso close to my tear-stained cheeks clued me into how badly I was trapped in the depth of those nightmares.

They came every night. Some mornings, I felt more tired than when I went to bed. But never before had I been rescued from them.

My hero.Romeo was my savior in so many ways.

I gazed up at him in the darkness of the room, hoping he could see that truth in my eyes. Shadows fell over us both, but in the dimness of light, the quiet of the fading storm, it seemed like we truly were the only two people in the world.

“Romeo.” I couldn’t take this silence, this gnawing tension that pushed me to press my lips to his again.

The desperation in my plea was all it took. He growled, lowering until he brushed his mouth over mine again. Insistently. Hungrily. And with so much need. I felt the power in his soft lips parting mine, and as his tongue swept in to taste and explore my mouth, I tilted my head back, letting him show me.

Before he could take his lips from mine again, I lifted my hands and threaded my fingers through his thick, dark hair, so soft and silky, almost delicate, and in such contrast to the rest of him. He was all hard muscles and tight skin, strength and masculinity exuding from him. Beneath him, I felt small and sheltered, so treasured with his touch.

My heart hadn’t slowed. I strained to catch my breath without letting him raise his face from mine. Now, it was desire and affection that triggered me to gasp and whimper, to mewl and pant.

Ever so slowly, as he kissed me so thoroughly and lit the fire of wanton need within me, he dragged his hand down, from the back of my head toward my back, then snaking his arm under me. Getting closer, he dipped over me on the bed. He didn’t break the kiss. I didn’t protest at all. Not his tongue against mine, his lips pressing mine open. I wanted it all.

It was a stark, sharp difference that I clung to for the sake of my sanity and security. In my nightmare, the now-dead trio of men chased me and reached out for me. They grabbed my clothes, their fingers scraping against my flesh. They were the predators, targeting me like prey to violate and discard.

Not once did they come near my face. None of them had tried to kiss me.

But Romeo did.

I didn’t know why he was here. I wasn’t sure what encouraged him to kiss me while I was sleeping when during the day, he remained distant from me, too busy to make time for talking me out of my fearsome and low moments.

Romeo’s mouth remained on mine now, and while I felt so clueless, I clung to his display of affection and intimacy. No matter how hard and brutal his kisses were, like he was starving for me, I relished the grounding experience of knowing I was here with him, now. Not in the past brought to me via nightmares.

As he followed me onto the bed more fully, his knee pressed against mine. It was still tender, the deepest cut from when I tripped, and I hissed instinctively at the press.

He jerked back, breaking the kiss.

“Romeo, no,” I begged as he moved to get back and stand again.

“I—”

“Please,” I insisted, extending my hand up toward him.

He caught it and pressed a wet kiss to my palm. “I heard you crying and tried to wake you. That’s all.”

I nodded. “Nightmares of…”

“I figured.” Still, he backed up, letting my hand drop as he knelt back to get off the bed.

“No!” He was already standing, too quick for me to reach him, so I kneeled to get more on level with him. “Don’t go.”

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