Page 176 of Sage Haven
Our story.
A narrative I thought I’d burned to ashes long ago, only to find those ashes carried the seeds of something waiting to bloom.
And now?
Now she was standing in front of me, a fire and a vow.
As if the universe had finally stopped to take a breath, only to exhale her back into my life.
To place her right here.
Right where she belonged.
There was nothing accidental about this.
No coincidence.
She was meant to be here.
She was meant for me.
I could see it in the heavy drag of her lashes as her eyes devoured me.
In the way the air between us tightened, thick with the electricity of something neither of us could name but both of us felt.
And I saw something else, too.
Memories flickered on the edges of my mind of moments hidden. Shattered pieces of a past I thought I’d buried, rising up like smoke.
But they hadn’t been lost.
They had just been waiting.
Waiting for this.
I pushed up from the bed in one fluid motion.
I didn’t want to waste another second.
I met her halfway, right before she could climb in, my hand shooting out to catch her wrist and pull her flush against me.
But this time—this time I didn’t push.
I didn’t demand.
I let her.
I let her take what she wanted.
Take me.
Her hands slid over my chest, fingers splaying wide as she pressed me back—slow, sure, undeniable.
Her palm rested flat over my heart, smirking at me as if she felt the hard thrum of it beneath her skin and was ready to challenge me and make it beat faster.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, head tilting slightly. Her voice was a tease, but there was a steel edge to it. “Not used to someone else taking charge?”
I huffed out something that was half a laugh and half a threat, “Careful, Sage.”
