Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
Ender
I woke up warm.
Clove was curled against me, her body tucked into mine like it had always belonged there. One arm was slung across my chest, and her leg was draped over my thigh, anchoring her to me in a way that felt unconscious but intentional all the same.
She was asleep.
Really asleep.
Her breathing was slow and even, warm against my neck. Her hair spilled across my shoulder and chest, soft as hell, smelling faintly like whatever soap she’d used the night before. Something clean. Familiar. Something that made my chest ache in a way I didn’t have words for.
I stared at the ceiling, afraid to look down at her just yet.
I liked this.
That realization hit me harder than I expected.
I liked having her in my arms. Liked the weight of her. Liked knowing she felt safe enough to sleep like this, tangled up in me without hesitation. Liked that my body had shifted around hers automatically, like it knew where she needed to be before my brain ever caught up.
I’d spent the last few days telling myself I was doing what I was supposed to do.
Protecting her. Watching her. Being there because the club said she needed eyes on her at all times.
But that was bullshit, and I knew it.
I wasn’t here because Wrecker told me to be.
I was here because somewhere between the moment I realized she was missing and the moment I found her on the side of that road, something inside me snapped into place.
I wanted her.
Not in the casual, passing way I’d dismissed for years. Not in the she’s pretty, she’s sweet, she’s off-limits way I’d always filed her under. This was deeper than that. Sharper. More dangerous.
When she was taken, I’d felt it like a blade under my ribs. Panic. Rage. A certainty that if I didn’t find her, something in me would break beyond repair.
That wasn’t cousin shit.
That wasn’t protectiveness.
That was want.
Possession.
Need.
And now she was here, wrapped around me like I was the safest place in the world.
I tipped my chin down and finally looked at her.
She was relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen since before the kidnapping. No tension in her brow. No tightness around her mouth. Just soft and warm and peaceful. Her lashes rested against her cheeks, her lips parted slightly as she breathed.
God, she was beautiful.
She stirred, just a little, her fingers flexing against my chest. Her head shifted, and then her eyes fluttered open.
For a split second, she looked disoriented.
Then she focused on me.
A slow smile spread across her face.
“Morning,” she whispered.
My chest tightened. “Morning, baby.”
Her smile deepened. “I like it when you call me that.”
I didn’t hesitate. “I like calling you that.”
She didn’t say anything for a moment, just studied my face like she was committing it to memory. Her hand slid up my chest, fingers splaying over my heart.
“Sleep okay?” I asked.
She nodded. “Once I finally managed to, yes.”
We lay there, inches apart, breathing the same air. The room was quiet, sunlight spilling in through the window in pale gold streaks. Everything felt suspended, like the world had hit pause just for us.
“Ender,” she whispered.
“Baby.”
Her breath hitched.
“I’m gonna kiss you.” I didn’t move away.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
I hooked a finger under her chin, guiding her gently closer. I wanted to take my time with this. Wanted to remember it. Wanted to make sure she felt exactly what she meant to me without a single word spoken.
Our lips met softly.
It wasn’t rushed or hungry, not yet. It was careful. Exploratory. Like we were both learning something new.
Her lips were warm. Soft. She kissed me like she trusted me.
That trust damn near undid me.
I deepened it slowly, letting the kiss linger and build. Her hand slid up into my hair, and she moved closer without thinking. Her body pressed into mine in a way that made my breath catch.
I groaned low in my throat and rolled us, easing her on top of me without breaking the kiss.
Our bodies fit together like this was always how it was supposed to be. She shifted, instinctive, seeking more, and my hands came to her hips, holding her there.
“Clove,” I murmured against her lips.
“Hmm?” she breathed, clearly lost in it.
“Baby, we gotta slow down.”
Her eyes fluttered open, hazy and dark with want. She pulled back just enough to look at me. “We do?”
I brushed her hair back from her face, and my thumb traced her cheek. “Yeah.”
She glanced at my mouth, then back to my eyes. “But I like it.”
Christ.
I pressed a slow, deliberate kiss to her lips, one that promised everything I wasn’t letting myself take yet. “I know.”
She sighed softly, and her forehead dropped to mine. “More,” she whispered.
Every instinct in me screamed yes.
Instead, I held her there, breathing her in, committing the moment to memory. “We’ll have more,” I promised. “Just not like this. Not yet.”
She studied me for a long moment, then nodded. “Okay.”
A knock sounded at the door.
Clove startled, eyes going wide as she scrambled back like she’d been caught doing something illegal.
“Clove?” Carnie called through the door. “It’s half past eleven. Are you and Ender gonna eat breakfast?”
Clove stared at me, panic written all over her face. “I don’t know what to say.”
I bit back a laugh. “Are you hungry?”
Her gaze dropped to my mouth.
“For food,” I added dryly. “Remember your mom’s at the door.”
She snapped back to reality. “We’ll be right there!”
“Well, hurry up,” Carnie called. “I’ve had to fight Basil off the pancakes three times already.”
“Two minutes!” Clove yelled. “I’m getting dressed and Ender’s showering.”
I arched a brow. “I am?”
She pressed a finger to my lips. “Shh. You’re in the shower.”
I bit her finger gently. “You’re dangerous.”
Footsteps retreated down the hall.
Clove groaned. “You have two minutes before she sends my dad in here.”
“I do not want that man walking in,” I said, rolling off the bed.
“Me neither.”
I headed for the bathroom.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“To the shower,” I said over my shoulder. “Since you told your mom I was in there.”
She huffed. “Oh.”
“Get dressed,” I said, turning the water on. “I’ll meet you out there in five minutes, baby.”
She agreed, and I listened to the door open and close behind her.
I stepped under the spray, letting the hot water beat down on me, trying unsuccessfully to wash away the thoughts of her lips, her warmth, and the way she fit against me as if she’d always belonged there.
She wanted me.
And now that I knew that?
There was no going back.