Page 107 of Whispers of You
Tears filled my eyes as I let his words hit me—no walls or defenses. I let myself feel Holt’s love. It hurt in the best way. The kind that branded and would be with me forever.
I gripped his shoulders tighter as my muscles shuddered, and I edged toward the precipice that would change everything. “Every moment of every day.”
I let myself fall, spiraling with Holt, knowing we were losing control together and that nothing would ever be the same. But knowing that it would be better. It would be us.
37
HOLT
My hand skimmedalong Wren’s hip as I slid the plate of poached eggs and toast in front of her. My lips ghosted her hair as I breathed in the scent I loved above all others—mountain air and a hint of gardenia. I’d never get tired of it.
Wren tipped her head back to look up at me, a smile teasing her lips. “Are you gonna sit?”
I gave her a long, slow kiss, my tongue seeking hers. “I’m having a hard time not touching you.”
She smiled wider against my mouth, then reached over and pulled the second stool so that it was practically flush with hers. “Problem solved.”
“I like the way you think.” I slid onto the stool, and my thigh pressed against Wren’s. “How do you feel?” I hadn’t missed the ibuprofen and Tylenol next to her plate.
Wren made a face. “Like I took a tumble. But nothing too bad.”
My eyes narrowed on her.
She rolled hers. “Calm yourself, oh, overprotective one.”
With everything we’d been through lately, that would take time. The deepening bruise on the side of Wren’s face didn’t help.
“You know, it could give a girl a complex if you keep scowling at her like that.”
I circled a finger around Wren’s face. “I hate this.”
Wren burst out laughing. “Gee, thanks.”
The sound was the best thing I’d ever heard. She’d chuckled in my presence since I’d been back, even laughed some, but I hadn’t heard that full-out, from-the-soul laughter in ten years. God, it was heaven.
I leaned over and took her mouth. “You laughing at me?”
She nipped my lip. “Definitely. Your romanticism knows no bounds.”
I skimmed my fingers gently over the darkening skin. “This is what I hate. I’m so sorry, Wren.”
Her hand curved around my arm, squeezing. “The bruises will fade. My ribs will heal. I’d pay that price a million times over if it meant ending up here.”
My chest gave a painful squeeze. The good kind. “Love you, Cricket.”
“Love you, too.”
“Gonna need you to say that at least ten times a day for a while.”
She chuckled. “Don’t you think ten is a little extreme?”
“You’re right. Twenty is better.”
Wren’s laughter filled the air as my phone rang. I reached for it on the counter. “It’s Law.”
The laughter died on Wren’s lips. “Answer.”
“Hey. Everything okay?”
