Page 25 of Ravaged Soul
“Em,” I manage to rasp out.
She gives a low, sleepy whine.
“Are you awake?”
“Mmm. No.”
Laughing quietly, I cease stroking her hair. “Don’t play games.”
“Why are you in my bed?” she whispers.
“You were having a nightmare.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Are you okay?”
“No. Not really.”
Her hand doesn’t stop, circling and teasing, undoubtedly feeling how her touch makes me tense. In the low light and peaceful silence, her proximity feels natural. Permissible. No one is here to witness my betrayal of Tom’s friendship.
“I’ve missed you,” she admits in a thick voice.
“I’m sorry, Em.”
“Why are you avoiding me?”
“I have a job to do.”
“But you can’t even look at me?”
Guilt strangles my windpipe, leaving me no choice but to swallow hard. “You should go back to sleep. I have to get back to work.”
“No,” Ember grouses. “Please don’t go.”
“I need to check in with Axel.”
Clearing the sleep from her voice, she peers up at me. “You need to rest too.”
Hah. Rest. Like I’d ever be able to do that while Tom is still out there, lost and alone.
I attempt to ease her back onto the mattress so I can slide free now that she’s calmed down, but she resists. I should’ve realised doing that would only poke the bear.
Ember sits up, rolls over then flings a temptingly bare leg over my waist. Within a second, she’s crawled on top of my lap, a thigh splayed on either side of my body. Her long, tangled hair flips over her shoulder as she assumes a position of control, pinning me with her body weight.
“Em—”
“Problem?” Her shadowed face is lit by dim light.
“I shouldn’t be in here.”
“Why not?”
“You know why not,” I reason calmly.
She stares at me through half-lids. “Then why did you come?”
“Because… you were crying out in your sleep. You needed me.”
