Page 130 of The Lineman

Warm and ragged.

I froze for half a second before closing my eyes and pressing my face into his shoulder.

“Goddamn it, Elliot,” he whispered, his voice wrecked. “I can’t—” He swallowed hard. “I can’t lose you.”

My chest tightened.

I let out a slow breath, steadying myself. “You won’t.”

He exhaled shakily, his arms holding me like he was afraid I’d slip away if he let go.

I didn’t think I’d ever been held like this.

Not withdesperation.

Not with fear.

Not like I mattered.

I swallowed hard. “Mike.”

He pulled back just enough to look at me.

And fuck, there was so much in his eyes.

So much I wasn’t ready to see.

So much I never wanted to unsee.

I forced a small, shaky grin. “You’re really into me, huh?”

Mike let out a breathy laugh, but his eyes were still wet, his face still too open. “Shut up.”

I smirked, though my chest felt too tight, my throat too raw. “No, really. It’s okay to admit it.”

He huffed. “You almost died, and you’re still running your mouth.”

“Almost,” I corrected. “That’s the operative word.”

Mike exhaled through his nose, his hand coming up to brush against my jaw. “Don’t do that to me again.”

The teasing drained out of me.

I searched his face.

He meant it.

This wasn’t a casual thing for him. This wasn’t something light, something easy to walk away from. I might try to break the tension, to make him laugh, to make myself feel less pressure, but this was real. There was no running or hiding. There was no dancing around, only charging through.

Neither of us had expected this.

But now that it was here, neither of us could ignore it.

I swallowed hard, my throat thick. “I’ll try not to.”

Mike’s eyes softened. His fingers traced lightly over my cheek. “That’s not good enough.”

I let out a shaky breath.

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