Page 77 of The Sound of Silence

Unwillingly tearing my mouth from hers, I cradled her upturned face between my palms. Seeing the expression of pure contentment on her face was more than enough for me for tonight—just being with her in any way would always be enough.

“Come on, Sparky. It’s late. Let’s get you to bed.”

“Wait, what about—”

“Shhh…I made you a promise and I intend to keep it.”

Her eyes searched mine, and a hurricane of emotion swirled in her eyes, the sea of blue thrashing like waves in a storm. After a few moments, her eyes cleared, and she nodded.

“You’re right. Are you going to stay the night?” she asked quietly.

“Only if you want me to.”

“Yes, I think I’d like that.”

I helped Gianna out of the tub, then wrapped her in a towel. My arms banded tightly around her and I hauled her to my chest, lifting her petite body until she was cradled in my arms. Her warm hands slipped around my neck to hold on, even though I had no intention of ever letting her go. I kissed her softly, not removing my lips from hers until we entered the bedroom.

I slowly lowered her to the bed as if she might break—as ifwemight break. This moment was so fragile, and I didn’t want to do anything that could shatter it. Casting my eyes around the room, I looked for a pair of pajamas or anything else she may sleep in. If I was spending the night, my will power was only so strong. There was no way I could keep my hands off her for an entire night if she was lying naked beside me in bed.

“Do you have pajamas somewhere?” I asked.

“Over there. On the chair in the corner. The pink sleep shirt.”

I grabbed the shirt and stretched the hem to position it over her head.

“Arms up.”

“You surprise me,” she murmured. “I thought for sure I’d be sleeping naked.”

“Oh, trust me, baby, I’d much rather you that way. I just don’t trust myself to behave.”

After she was dressed and under the covers, I went around the apartment to turn off all the lights. Maisie whimpered. She didn’t like being left alone in her crate, in the dark, in a strange place. Scooping her up, I brought her into the bedroom with me and set her down on the floor next to the bed.

Stripping down until I was wearing only my boxers, I crawled into bed beside Gianna. She rolled onto her side and positioned her head in the crook of my arm. Using one finger, she traced small circles over my chest and abdomen. A few seconds later, I heard a brief scratching, and the bed shifted, signaling that Maisie had joined us.

“Is it okay if she’s on the bed?” I asked. I felt the curve of Gianna’s smile against my chest.

“She’s fine.”

I cocked my head to the side to get a look at her face. The curtains were drawn, but it wasn’t completely dark. Streetlight filtered in through the crevices, and I could just make out the outline of her features. She looked sated, as though she couldn’t imagine herself being anywhere else at that moment.

“If she annoys you during the night, just kick me to wake up and I’ll take care of her.”

I felt more than heard the low chuckle coming from Gianna’s chest.

“I’m sure Maisie will be okay. Thank you for tonight,” she whispered into the dark.

“You’re welcome, beautiful.”

We laid together in the quiet darkness. Maisie’s gentle sigh from the foot of the bed told me she was content and settling in for the night—as though she was right where she belonged. I smiled to myself, sharing her sense of peace.

“I think I want to get a tattoo,” Gianna revealed suddenly.

I quirked up an eyebrow in surprise, unsure of what prompted her announcement.

“That’s, ah… random. What brought that on?”

“My bucket list. Maisie made me think of it. Natalia and I used to add things to it all the time. We just started writing things on a cocktail napkin one day, and it grew from there. It was a joke between us that wasn’t really a joke,” she explained, and I felt her shrug. “Having a dog one day was on my list.”

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