Page 15 of Reaper

Savannah’s gaze was steady, her eyes searching his face.“And now?”

He met her eyes, something raw and honest passing between them.“Now, I’m not so sure.”

She swallowed, her throat working, and nodded slowly.“It’s hard to trust again. To let someone in.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, his voice rough.“But maybe it’s worth the risk.”

They sat there, the air between them thick with shared understanding. Reaper felt something shift inside him, a tether pulling him closer to her, to this fragile connection they were building.

“Thank you for telling me,” Savannah whispered.“About her.”

He nodded.“Thanks for trusting me. Even just a little.”

She smiled faintly.“You make it hard not to.”

Reaper’s heart kicked in his chest. He leaned back, trying to regain some semblance of control, but he kept his gaze on her. On the way her shoulders relaxed, the way her lips curved just slightly, like she was letting herself hope for the first time in a long while.

“Come on,” he said, voice low.“You need rest.”

She rolled her eyes, but her smile stayed. “Bossy.”

He stood, towering over her, and offered his hand. “Someone’s gotta keep you in line.”

She took his hand, her fingers warm and small against his. As he helped her up, they were close enough that he could feel the heat of her body, the faint scent of lavender clinging to her skin. For a moment, neither of them moved.

Reaper’s eyes dropped to her lips. The urge to kiss her was a low burn in his gut, but he held back. She was still recovering, still fighting off whatever storm was chasing her. He wasn’t about to add to her burdens. But damn, he wanted to.

“Get some sleep, Savannah,” he murmured, his voice like gravel.

She nodded, her eyes flicking up to his.“You’ll stay a little longer?”

He squeezed her hand gently.“Yeah. I’ll be right here.”

She released a shaky breath and nodded, disappearing into her bedroom. As the door clicked shut, Reaper sank back into the armchair, his heart pounding.

Chapter Seven

Savannah stared at her reflection in the full-length mirror, biting her lip in frustration. The soft blue blouse she’d chosen hung on her frame all wrong, or maybe it was her nerves making her feel that way. She huffed, tugging it off and tossing it onto the growing pile of discarded outfits on her bed.

“Why is this so hard?” she muttered, rifling through her closet again.

It wasn’t as if Reaper would care. He didn’t strike her as the type of man who paid much attention to fashion. But tonight felt different. After three days of replaying their moments together, after the way he’d taken care of her when she was sick, Savannah had decided to take a chance on him, on whatever this thing between them could become.

She pulled out a soft cream sweater, sliding it over her head before grabbing a pair of her favorite jeans. It was casual but comfortable, and she felt like herself in it.

“Okay, this’ll do,” she said with a nod, smoothing her hands over the fabric.

As she reached for her makeup bag, her stomach fluttered. The truth was, she hadn’t been on a proper date in, well, longer than she cared to admit. Not since everything had fallen apart. The thought made her pause, the familiar ache creeping into her chest. She shoved it aside and focused on the present. On Reaper.

By the time she finished applying a touch of blush and her favorite lipstick, the doorbell rang. Her heart leaped, and she quickly checked her reflection one last time.

“You’ve got this,” she told herself, then headed to the door.

When she opened it, the sight of Reaper stole her breath. He stood there in his dark leather jacket, a bouquet of red roses in his hand. His intense gaze softened when it landed on her, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

“Hey,” she finally said, her voice a little shaky.

“You look gorgeous tonight,” he said, his voice low and sincere.

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