Page 64 of Riot

As soon as I’m in the safety of the kitchen, instead of going to the kettle, I lean my palms on the counter as if it’s the only thing holding me up.

What if he is sleeping around still? He doesn’t owe me anything, least of all his commitment.

“You okay?”

I jump out of my skin at his deep rasp behind me and press a hand to my chest to keep my heart from crashing through my ribs.

“Why are you sneaking up on me?” My fractured nerves make my words tense and tight.

His brow arches ever so slightly, the only hint he gives that he’s taken aback by my abruptness.

“Woman, I’m not sneakin’. What’s fillin’ your head so full that you’re not aware of anything happenin’ around you?”

About a hundred things, the main one prowling towards me. The counter bites into my back as he consumes my space yet somehow leaves me feeling comforted.

I tip my head back to look at him, and my anger simmers down. “Nothing. I just… considering those huge boots you wear, you’re surprisingly light on your feet.”

“First, your brother accuses me of spending my time in some kind of sex-fuelled orgy, and now, you’re calling me a creep. I’m not feelin’ the love, Vee.” My stomach flips at him using his nickname for me, just as it does every time.

“I never said you were a creep.”

He reaches over my head, my pulse skittering until I realise he’s grabbing a mug. His aftershave, the leather of his kutte, and something uniquely him assaults my senses, and I have to resist the urge to sniff him like a puppy.

He’s so close to me, I can’t breathe. It’s a strange kind of torment to want someone who doesn’t want you back.

He places the mug on the counter and dips his head. My heart stutters. We’re so close, he could kiss me.

And I want him to.

“I’m not fuckin’ anyone else, babe. I told you that.”

He doesn’t flinch or break eye contact with me, and I see the truth in his words.

“I believe you.”

“Good.”

“Is everything okay?”

He doesn’t flinch or give any outward sign that my question bothers him, but I notice a subtle shift in him. “Better now I’m here.”

The way he looks at me, like he’s boring into my soul, makes my body pulse. “You can talk to me, you know?”

That softness again creeps into him, and he moves closer. All I can see is him. All I can feel is my pulse rocketing.

“That’s the sweetest fuckin’ thing anyone’s ever said to me, but I’m good, Vee. I’m tired. The last few days have been hard.”

That melts my heart. “I know, and I’m glad you were with me.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” He reaches out, tucking my hair behind my ear, and everywhere he touches sends electricity racing through me. “You sleepin’ okay? You look tired too.”

It sits on the tip of my tongue to confess about my nightmares, but I clamp the words behind my teeth. He doesn’t need to hear that stuff.

“I’m fine. I need to get ready though.”

“Ready for what?”

I smile a little tentatively. “I’m meeting my friends.”

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