Page 46 of Shielding Aubree

She lifted her chin and lowered it as the breath rushed out through her nose.

He smiled. "Through your mouth. In..."

She followed along and the tension in her body eased with each circuit of breath.

Ruben lifted his hands to her cheeks and gently held her as they went through another cycle of breathing.

Aubree blinked back her tears. "Sorry," she mumbled a little under her breath.

"No apologies, baby. That one came out of the blue."

She shrugged one shoulder. "I should have seen it coming."

Ruben didn't agree with her words. "You can't always see it coming, Aubree. But you can deal with it when it comes."

She looked up at him. A soft smile on her lips. "That's experience speaking."

He nodded.

"And I know that, too," she admitted, "but it's sometimes hard to see it when you're in the middle of it. It's like I go stupid momentarily. It's not an excuse-"

"But it's the truth, baby."

His hands had moved to her back, gently rubbing away the tension that was still tied up inside of her.

"I feel like having you here," she felt her cheeks burning bright at her thoughts, "is a great step in the right direction. I know I have to do this on my own, but it... it's nice having help."

"You never have to do it on your own as long as I'm around."

She breathed in and caught the scent of his skin, warmed by the sun and it brought her mind back to the dream she'd had the night before. When she'd slept in his arms.

She slipped her hands around to his back and paused before she could touch his scars.

Aubree looked up into his eyes and saw the hunger that was gnawing at her reflected in his gaze.

"Aubree."

She licked her lips and saw the way his eyes chased after the movement of her tongue.

She wrapped her arms around him, bringing them flush against each other and even though she knew that she'd spend the night in his arms, this... this was so much more.

His lips pressed against hers and her whole body lit up from the inside.

The feeling of his body leaning into hers didn't set off any warning bells. Instead, it made her feel safe and protected.

She clung to him, opening her mouth under the coaxing pressure of his lips.

Fuck him.

Aubree was like wildfire in his arms. She made him burn.

It was a simple touch, her hands against his back, her lips seeking his, but together? And that breathy moan against his lips? He felt like his whole world had expanded and contracted at the same time.

His focus was on her like so much of the last few weeks had been, but this was different. Laser focused.

Every breath.

Each murmur that he drank down.

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