Page 9 of Where You Belong

She grins against my mouth while her fingers grip the front of my shirt, pulling me closer to her. She opens her mouth, her tongue dragging along my lower lip. I take the invitation and run with it, lacing my fingers with hers.

She releases a soft moan just before her tongue brushes mine.

How is this happening right now? I’ll never know, but I’m too far gone at this moment and never want to come up for air.

I lean my forehead against hers when our lips finally break apart.

“What are you doing to me?” I whisper.

She pulls back, closing her eyes for a brief second. When her eyes finally meet mine, she flashes me an easy smile.

“You get your photos, Penny girl?”

“Yeah.” Madelyn giggles. “I couldn’t stop snapping them. I’ll, uh, give you two a minute to yourselves.”

I nod, not taking my eyes off Haelynn.

Madelyn’s heels on the floor grow faint, signaling she’s out of the studio, leaving me alone with Haelynn. She steps back, brushing her hand over her hair before tucking a strand behind her ear.

“You look perfect,” I assure her.

She rubs her lips together, smothering her smile. “Thank you.”

The way the words came out, genuine and sincere, made me almost want to ask when she was last told she was beautiful. I didn’t, though, because I wasn’t interested in bringing up the last person who told her, but she deserved to hear it every day.

“No thanks necessary, it’s the truth.”

“I heard Alex call Madelyn ‘Penny’ the other day. Is that some sort of nickname?”

“It’s her call sign.”

She nods, her eyes narrowing in confusion.

“Her dad, Maverick, is a former Army Night Stalker. He worked for Compass Security, which is how she and Alex met. He was visiting one of our friends, Gage, and helped with some work they were doing in the area. He started calling her Lucky Penny for good luck. I guess it sorta stuck with the rest of us.”

“What do they call you?”

“Raven.”

Her eyes widened, her brows shooting up in surprise. “What’s that look for?” I asked.

“Raven?”

I nod. She turns, taking a few steps and sitting on the edge of the bed staged in the center of the studio.

“They say when a raven visits you, it’s like a sign of a bad omen.”

I chuckle, strolling toward her and having a seat next to her. “You believe in things like that?”

She shrugs. “Kinda.”

“It also signifies recovery and healing. I guess it depends on how you choose to look at it.”

Her eyes widen, and she nods, a hint of a smile peeking through.

“Madelyn mentioned you moved in across the street from her and Alex,” I say, changing the subject.

“I did.” She runs her palms over her pant legs, crossing her arms in her lap. I lean in, brushing my shoulder against hers, wanting to be close to her.

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