Page 58 of Heart to Heart

I waited until Luke and Rocky were out of earshot, but I had to ask. “Are we okay?”

“Yes. Well, we will be, but don’t worry about that right now. If you’re tired, get some sleep and we’ll talk in the morning.”

“I’ll sleep right here. You take my bed. You’ll be more comfortable.”

“You sure?”

“Yes, I’m about to crash anyway. Moving will only wake me up.”

“All right.” He leaned forward to place a kiss on my forehead. “Goodnight, sunshine.”

Sunshine.

I smiled as he walked away.

He was back.

With a sigh of relief, I drifted off to sleep.

I awoke what had to be hours later to a crash from upstairs.

Groggy, I threw off the quilt and headed up the spiral staircase to check on Liam.

I found him shivering in the dark. He’d kicked the covers halfway off the bed and it looked like he’d flung his arm out in his sleep and knocked the side table over. I righted it and replaced the lamp.

The part of the covers still on the bed rode low over his hips. He was half on his stomach and half on his side with one of his legs drawn up. I could see the deep V of his abs and the side of his muscular hip, and I gasped on a sharply inhaled breath when I realized he was nude. Moonlight shone over his bare skin, casting him in silver shadows. He was beautiful, and I wanted to be in that bed with him more than anything.

He trembled and moaned softly as he tossed to his side, and I felt my heart crack wide open as I watched him struggle.

I pulled the quilt up to his waist then gently placed a hand on his shoulder. “Liam,” I whispered gently. A squeal escaped when he swept me into the bed, and I ended up pinned halfway beneath his big warm body. Then I positively melted when he hugged me tight like a human body pillow and laid his head on my chest.

“It’s dark,” he mumbled into my neck. “Turn the light on, sunshine.”

“No, it’s okay like this.” I relaxed, letting myself settle into the pillows. “Go back to sleep.”

“But you don’t like the dark.” Sleepy eyes met mine and my heart turned over in my chest at the tenderness I saw in his gaze.

“I know,” I whispered. “But I like you.”

“Stay with me?” The thread of vulnerability I heard in his voice almost broke me and all I wanted was for him to finally get some rest.

“Yes, baby, I’m here,” I soothed as I stroked his hair back from his face. “Go back to sleep. I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

Like I could go anywhere pinned halfway beneath him like I was. And why would I want to be anywhere else but right here? I’d been fantasizing about being with him like this for months.

He squeezed me tight, sliding a leg between mine and snuggling his head between my breasts before I felt him finally relax as he fell back to sleep.

The rugged strength in his features had softened. He was gorgeous. I watched him while an array of expressions crossed his face as he dreamed. His jaw clenched, his eyebrows drew down, and his arms tightened around me as a shudder shot through his body. A hot ache grew in my throat and tears filled my eyes. I wished I could join him in his sleep and chase the nightmares away.

With a light caress, I stroked his jaw until it unclenched then worked my way down over his broad shoulders and upper back until he sighed against my chest and relaxed into peaceful dreams again.

“Holly . . .” he mumbled.

“Shh, you’re okay.” I smoothed his hair and kissed the top of his head, pleased when he relaxed even more until he was practically limp in my arms.

I watched him sleep until I couldn’t keep my eyes open anymore.

Sunbeams surrounded us when I woke up hours later. They sparkled through the paned windows to create our own golden little world up here, like we’d woken up inside of a sunny, yellow kaleidoscope. I felt just like I remembered when I was a kid, peaceful and serene, but it was so much better now that I had Liam by my side to share it with.

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