Page 80 of Wildest Dreams

“Because I need you Dixie, I want to trace my fingers over every single freckle, mole, scar and blemish on your skin, I want to remember what it feels like to have you, to remember the way your skin melted against my fingertips, the way you taste on my tongue... I want to remember it all Dreamcatcher.”

My heart is weeping deep inside my chest. Because I want all of that too, but Lucian's threat is too loud in my mind.

“Why Dreamcatcher?” I ask, my voice a whisper as I try and change the subject.

“Because you take all the bad away, keep me safe in the storms Dix... you make me feel peace.” His hands are still cupping my face and I lean into him, “I don't feel haunted when you're here,” and his lips are back on mine and that's how we spend our evening until I fall asleep on his chest, comforted by the noise of a hundred soft galloping horses replacing his heartbeat.

The morning sunshines through the metal slated blinds and it takes me a moment to realise where I am. Slowly pushing myselfup, Tripp is still softly snoring. Creeping from the bed, his hand darts out and wraps around my wrist.

“You promised,” his voice is gruff, eyes still closed.

“I'm just moving off you,” I whisper through a smile.

“Okay, I’ll let you off,” his fingers uncurl and rest on his stomach.

“You feeling okay?”

He rolls his head to face me.

“Apart from feeling like a horny teenager, I feel great,” and I giggle.

“Well, I don't think you'll be up for any loving anytime soon,” I scrunch my nose.

“Oh don't you worry about that baby, I’m sure we can make it work... I remember the way those hips moved when you were on to?—”

“Woah!” Riggs bellows into the room and my cheeks burn red.

“Don't you darewoahme,” Tripp shakes his head, a soft laugh filling the room and it's up there with one of my favorite sounds, parked right next to Lainey's laugh. “I walked in and actually caught you eating?—”

“Enough boys,” Aspen walks in rolling her eyes. Hands full of coffees from Sunny's and two brown bags. “Who's hungry?”

“Famished,” Riggs groans as Aspen hands me a coffee cup and I lift the lid and smile, then shoves a brown bag in my face.

“You remembered my order?”

“I did,” she winks, “I mean if it was one of those fancy mojo dojo coffees then you would have had no hope in me remembering,” she laughs as she walks towards Tripp and kisses him on the forehead before dragging his bed table over him and placing a coffee and a breakfast bap down for him.

“This smells so good, so much better than the shit they serve here,” he smirks as he peeps inside the bag.

“Only the best for you Tripp Rivera,” she beams at him and Riggs coughs. “Yours is coming darlin, don't be getting jealous now big man,” she winks, patting Riggs on the chest before handing him a coffee and his own breakfast bap.

He grunts in response and Tripp’s eyes are on me as I grab my bag.

“Where you going?” the panic is evident in his voice.

“Nowhere,” I reassure him as I sit down and reach for my book.

“Oh,” he nods, then whistles to get Aspen's attention, brows raising towards me and what I am reading.

“Oh my god,” she jumps up and down as she watches me opening my book. “You're readingmybook!?” she screeches, and Riggs closes one eye, tilting his head as her screech pierces all of our eardrums.

“I am,” I smile at her, eyes glassy at how happy she is.

“And... are you enjoying it?!”

“Devouring it,” I nod, taking a mouthful of my coffee and licking my lips. “Must admit though... the cowboy is a bit of a grumpy ass isn't he,” I raise my brows as I look at Riggs through my lashes.

Aspen sighs, tucking herself under her fiancé's arm and pats him on the chest.

---