Page 95 of Beyond the Badge: Nox

She hadn’t been wrong yet and apparently, she wasn’t finished.

“You’re a ticking time bomb unless you begin to release that built-up pressure. Friday was a start to that release. So, don’t apologize for it. You’re moving forward whether you took a step, or you stumbled.”

“You’re saying I stumbled with the way I fucked you?”

She locked eyes with him. “Yes.”

“Do you ever lie?”

“All the time. I have two kids.”

When he burst out laughing, she leaned back as far as his hold would allow, with her eyes wide and her mouth gaped. “Holy shit.”

For the first time in a long time, he didn’t feel the need to smother a laugh or his grin, or to cut it short. He let it go. It was that release she was talking about.

“The sound of that...” she breathed.

“It’s rusty.”

“No, Nox, it’s… the most amazing sound I’ve heard in a while.”

And it was all due to her.

ChapterTwenty-One

The joyon her face was genuine and all it took to put it there was for him to laugh.

A fucking laugh.

Jesus Christ.That was how much of a sad fucking sap he’d been. “I’m sorry.”

She frowned. “For what?”

Of course, now he just killed her joy. “For making everyone worry.”

“You need to tell them, not me. But if you ask me, I don’t think you need to apologize to them, either. If they are your true brothers, they understand. And whether you grieve for two months or five years, they would be there to help and support you for however long it takes.”

Again, she was right. This woman was so goddamn bright, it was blinding.

She pulled her hand from his grip and planted both palms on his pecs before sliding them up to his shoulders and squeezing him there. “You’re going to be okay.”

It was a simple statement, but he believed it now.

He would be okay.

He slid both hands along her jawline and tipped her face up even higher. She stared up at him as he brushed his thumb back and forth across her soft cheek. There wasn’t a big difference in their heights, since she was naturally tall and wore those heels tonight.

She could almost look him right in the eye.

Almost. But he still had to dip his head a little to meet her soft gaze.

She dragged her fingers from one shoulder, up his neck and the side of his face, making the fire in his gut burn even hotter. She popped his hat off his head and tossed it on the shelf behind her before turning back to face him.

She had a heated look in her eyes that continued to stoke that fire. “Liyah…”

“Hmm?”

He was about to tell her that they shouldn’t continue.

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