Page 64 of Claws and Feathers

She sucked in a breath, the moment sweeping over her and warming her up. She fisted the front of her nightgown between her fingers, picturing him leaning against that same wall. It was an old house with shoddy structure and flimsy walls. Cooper could easily break right through.

But Abby knew this wasn’t the wall holding him back from her.

That wall was so much stronger.

He awoke to the sound of a scream.

Herscream.

Cooper bolted out of bed, grabbing his pistol off the nightstand, and charging into her bedroom. Abby was sitting up in bed practically hyperventilating. He looked around the room, not seeing anything to be concerned about, so he approached her bedside with caution. “Abby?”

She began to cry.

Oh, no.She’d had a nightmare.

Cooper placed his gun on her dresser and sat down next to her. Her hands were covering her face as her shoulders bobbed up and down, trembling with tears. “Shh. You’re okay,” he said, reaching out to her and pulling her against him.

Abby sniffled into her hands. “I – I’m sorry. I hate this. I hate this so much.”

“Don’t you dare apologize.” He moved her hands away from her face and lifted her chin with his finger, forcing her eyes on his. “Hey. I’m serious,” he said. “Don’t be sorry. Don’t be embarrassed. Especially not with me.”

She nodded her head, her eyes glazed over.

“Come here,” Cooper whispered, not stopping to think, and situating himself under the covers beside her. Abby laid down, and he pulled her into his arms, letting her cry for a few more minutes before they both settled into silence. He wondered if she’d fallen asleep until she raised her head to look at him. “Do you want to talk about it? Your dream?” he asked.

Her eyes darted across his features, and Cooper idly wondered what she saw. He wondered what he was giving her. He sure as hell didn’t know.

“I dreamt that he shot you. The Man. I thought you were gone.” Abby’s voice was low and brittle, cracking with each word. “My nightmares feel so real.”

Cooper cupped her face between his palms and leaned in to kiss her forehead. She reminded him of a butterfly. A beautiful, broken butterfly. It was not dead. No, it was alive, and just as exquisite as it ever was – but someone had touched its wings. It could no longer fly.

Goddammit,no– Cooper didn’t accept that. She was not doomed. She would do more than just exist. She would do more than crawl. She would flourish. Abigail Stone wouldfly. Cooper would make sure of it. He ran his hand through her hair, then over her shoulder and down her arm. “I’m not gone,” he said. “I’m right here.”

Abby closed her eyes and moved in close, pressing her trembling body against his. It was almost as if she wanted to slip inside him and burrow right into his heart.

Little did she know, she’d already done that.

Her nightgown was riding up her hips, her bare thigh pressing right between his legs. Cooper didn’t know if she even realized it, but regardless, it was happening, and now other things were happening. He thanked his lucky stars he was wearing jeans, otherwise those things would become rather noticeable rather quickly. He tensed his jaw, trying to ignore her soft curves molding against him.

Shit.Cooper inched his hips backwards, feeling like an asshole for even having such a reaction in a moment like this. Damn inconvenient timing.

Abby’s voice broke through his lusty fog. “Will you hold me until I fall asleep?”

The moonlight shone in through the parted drapes, casting an ambient glow across her face. Cooper could see the glistening tear stains on her cheeks. He could see the pain in her eyes. Abby looked lost and vulnerable, desperate for him to appease her request. He would, of course.

“I’ll stay with you,” he said.

Cooper ran his knuckles along her cheek, watching as the pain in her eyes shifted to something else. Relief, maybe. Possibly more than relief. Whatever it was shot right through him, and then it happened.

A feeling.

More than affection. More than attraction.

More.

It was an indescribable feeling that Cooper had never felt before – not with Maya, not with anyone.Fuck.He felt unhinged, frazzled, confused, as he inhaled a flimsy breath. Abby snuggled in closer, her face pressed against his chest. Only a few minutes ticked by before he felt her breaths become steady and rhythmic. She was asleep. She was finally at peace.

And despite the wayward emotions coursing them him, despite the frightening unknown, so was he.

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