Page 53 of Hand-Fasting and Other Hazards
He crouched beside her sleeping body, his expression soft in the dim light. Slowly, he reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering against her temple. His touch was maddeningly gentle, like he thought she might shatter if he wasn’t careful.
Her sleeping form shifted slightly under his touch, her lips parting faintly as he traced the edge of her cheek. The look in his eyes was one she was getting used to—quiet wonder.
He gazed at her, his expression still and focused in a way that tugged low in her stomach. By the time Lochlan slid his arms under her and lifted her off the couch, she’d forgotten about Wulfric entirely. She drifted back into her body halfway up the stairs, the familiar weight of her limbs settling in sync with Lochlan’s steady movements. His clean, earthy scent filled her senses, and she couldn’t resist nuzzling against his chest, letting out a soft, contented sigh.
The sound made him stiffen, his breath catching.
“I can put you down, if you prefer,” he murmured, his voice low and rough.
“And miss out on being carried like Jade?” she teased, her arms looping lazily around his neck. “Not a chance.”
A soft laugh rumbled in his chest as he carried her into his bedroom, the sound pulling at the edges of her self-control in all the wrong ways.
“Too tired to clean up?”
“No,” she said softly. Leaning up, she kissed his cheek. “Thank you for today.”
For a moment, he held her tighter, his arms reluctant to let her go. Then, slowly, he set her feet on the ground. Nia stepped toward the adjoining bathroom, pausing to glance back at him.
His eyes were on her, dark and restrained, but the heat in his gaze was unmistakable.
The tension sent a ripple through her, made her wonder what would happen if he let go of that restraint. If she asked him to.
She finally felt unafraid to admit to herself that she liked that look—the way it made her feel like anything was possible.
Her gaze traveled to and then lingered on the faint outline in his sweatpants. For once, she decided not to hold back. “Did carrying me get that going,” she asked, nodding to the bulge in his pants, “or the idea of me naked on the other side of the door?”
Lochlan hesitated. He didn’t look away or ashamed, didn’t pretend she had no effect on him—but the intensity of a moment ago yielded to something deeper, gentler, but still heated.
“All of you, Nia.” His lips quirked into a small smile. “Even the parts you think no one can see or reach.”
Nia’s breath caught.
She hadn’t expected him to be so… honest. Part of her wanted to return that honesty. Another part was too afraid of what might happen if she did.
Heart pounding, she backed into the bathroom, the door clicking shut. She rested her forehead on the cool, smooth wood of the door.
All of you.
The words looped in her mind as she turned on the water, stepping under the spray before it had time to warm.
Even the parts you think no one can see or reach.
She was sure she washed her body, her face, maybe even brushed her teeth, but it was all a blur. His words lingered, filling and tangling in every corner of her mind.
By the time she climbed into bed, the room was dark, the air still.
Lochlan’s arm reached for her instinctively, gently pulling her against him. His warmth enveloped her, and she let herself relax into him as his breathing slowed and deepened with sleep.
All of you.
The echo of his voice was the last thing she thought of before sleep pulled her under.
CHAPTER 19
Lochlan
“AN UPTICK IN STRAY CATS - WHAT TO DO.” —THE STELLA RUNE GAZETTE
