Page 67 of Never Trust the Living (Battle Crows MC 7)

I looked down at where his hand was on my belly, splayed so wide that he almost encompassed my entire abdomen.

I smiled.

Then reached for my phone to take a picture.

“My hand’s dirty,” I heard him say as I got my phone out.

When he started to pull away with a grimace, I snapped my free hand forward and squeezed. When he got his hand back down to my belly with his fingers spread again, I pulled away.

His curious gaze was on my face.

I shrugged and took the picture. “I don’t care. Not even a little bit.”

CHAPTER 18

Physically thick and mentally sick.

-T-shirt

DORY

Later that night, as I lay in bed with Bram behind me, holding me close, I realized that I was going to have to make the first move.

He was respecting my boundaries. He was being courteous and polite.

He was slowly killing me inside.

I shuffled my legs again, causing his soft snoring to stop momentarily before picking back up again just as softly.

I’d always loved hearing him snore.

The comfort of knowing he was there, even to protect me in my sleep? That meant the entire world to me.

And he didn’t even know it.

He didn’t know that, just by being around, he was slaying one of the many demons that Amon instilled in me.

Truthfully, in the months that I’d been away from Bram, there’d been a whole lot of not sleeping going on. Sure, some of it was likely due to the fact that I’d been pregnant and didn’t know it. But there was also the fact that every little sound startled me. A creak? Wake up. A strong surge of wind causing the house to settle? Wake up.

I battled for sleep every single night, and when I woke up the next day, I was never rested.

But now, with Bram? Icouldsleep.

And that meant the damn world.

I rolled, flopping over on my stomach, and felt the small bump of my belly as I did.

I wondered idly how much longer that I would be able to do what I’d just done and was so focused on my thoughts that I didn’t realize that the man beside me was awake.

Not until his hand settled over my back, moved to curve over my hips, and then he pulled me into his side.

“You’re restless.” His sleep addled voice made excitement pour through my veins.

Him being this close, touching me when we were practically naked, paired with my earlier thoughts of how much I wanted him… well, let’s just say that I wasn’t in a good place.

“Can’t turn my brain off,” I admitted, feeling the urge to open up a little bit. “When I left… I didn’t realize how shitty I was sleeping. Then tonight, for the first time since you came back to my bed, I was awake. But only because… anyway.” I felt my face flush. “I’ve always felt so safe with you when I sleep. But when you’re gone, all of those demons come out to feast in my nightmares.”

He pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

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