Chapter Twenty-Seven
Josephine stood in the quiet hallway, her hand half-raised toward the closed door.
A single candle burned low on a side table, its light pooling gold across the worn floorboards, the flicker of the flame sending restless shadows along the walls.
She stared at the door as though it might open on its own and relieve her of the choice.
The memory of his voice echoed in the back of her mind.
She’s nothing. Not my woman. Never will be.
The words bit down like iron teeth, clamping tight around her heart.
She clenched her jaw, but it didn’t stop the sting that rose behind her eyes.
She didn’t want to care, didn’t want him to matter. And yet…
Here she was.
She reached for the door once more, her fingers brushing the knob. At the last moment, she pulled back, her pulse stuttering in her throat.
He didn’t deserve her thanks.
But he had earned it. Because whatever else he’d said or meant or believed, when the world went to hell, he’d gone straight into the fire for her. No hesitation.
Her heart gave an unsteady beat as she touched her knuckles gently to the wood. She closed her eyes, took a breath so deep it ached, then gave one light knock—a sound barely more than a breath in the dark.
Part of her hoped he wouldn’t answer.
Was it horrible that the rest of her hoped he would?
She counted to ten. Let out a breath. Took a step back.
The door opened.
Isaac stood backlit by the glow of a lantern behind him.
His half-buttoned nightshirt clung to damp skin, and wet hair curled loosely around his brow.
Heat rose to her cheeks as water dripped to his collarbone, ran a trail over his chest, and disappeared beneath linen fabric. She’d interrupted his bath.
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The air between them fairly crackled—thick with everything unsaid. Confusion bloomed, twisting the lines between words like rescue and rejection until they were indistinguishable. Her breath caught as her heart pounded a furious rhythm against her ribs.
They spoke at the same time.
“I—”
“Thank you.” The words escaped too fast, too loud, the moment unraveling before she could gather it. She flinched at the tremor in her voice, and dropped her gaze to the floorboards. “I just—I wanted to say thank you.”
She didn’t wait for a reply. She couldn’t. The words had cost too much already, scraping raw places she hadn’t known were still tender. With a hollow ache blooming in her chest, she turned and started down the hall.
“Josephine.”
She froze as he whispered her name. Her shoulders rose and fell with uneven breaths.
If she turned back, she might crumble. Might break in ways she didn’t know how to mend.
If she didn’t, she might never forgive herself.
With fists clenched, she swiveled, eyes on the floor.
The silence pressed in, thick and unyielding, stretching the moment taut between them.
“Look at me.”
Damn her, she did.
Her resolve to stay guarded fractured as the oceans within his eyes overtook her, crashing against the fragile walls she’d built until there was nothing left to hold onto.
He swallowed, then gave a subtle wave of his hand. “Join me?”
She could still walk away.
Except, she couldn’t. Like a moth to a flame, she found herself stepping forward, unable to resist the pull. The door clicked shut behind her with a soft finality, sealing them both into the space.
He took a step forward, his hand hovering in the space between them. “Are you…” His voice faltered, then steadied. “I mean, you’re not hurt, are you?” The question lingered, his worried eyes scanning her.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d…” She took a shuddering breath. “I—”
The memory of it all crashed into her, the overwhelming rush of fear and helplessness hitting her like a physical blow. A sob broke free, the sound raw and jagged as it tore through her chest.
He closed the space between them and pulled her into his arms. One hand dropped to the small of her back, the other curled behind her head, cradling it against his shoulder.
For a selfish moment, she soaked it in—his presence, his strength—letting the weight of everything melt away as she pressed her forehead against his chest.
Too soon, reality crept in. With a shaky breath, she stepped back.
His thumbs wiped tears from her cheeks. “It’s over. Everything’s going to be alright.” The gentle weight of his lips pressed against her forehead.
If only it were so simple.
If only she could forget.
With a shuddering breath, she took a step back. “I—I should go.”
A fresh wave of tears etched new paths from her eyes as she spun to the door. She reached out with trembling fingers, grasping for the knob through blurry sight, as though escape could offer her some relief.
“Josephine.”
She stilled, her name echoing through the room—through her soul. It traveled into the darkest and furthest corners of her being, entwined with a longing she couldn’t escape. Threatened to tear her apart.
“Before you go, there’s something I need to say. This morning… What I mean to say is, what you heard…”
Her eyes widened. He wanted to talk about it. What he’d said to Thorne. She wasn’t sure she could. She needed to leave. To start the process of forgetting this—all of this.
“I—” She had to take a breath. “I don’t want to hear excuses.”
“Fair enough. But I don’t want you to walk out of this room thinking any of it was true.”
Thump.
The thud of her heart drummed in her ears as the entire world narrowed to the charged space between them.
A single footfall came from behind her, the soft pad of a bare foot on the floorboards.
Moments later, his hands closed over her shoulders.
Her throat went dry as he leaned in, his breath hot against her ear.
“The things you said…” She trailed off as his lips brushed her neck, sending a violent shiver through her.
“I lied to Thorne.” Teeth grazed against her skin. “Don’t you understand? Everything I said, I said to keep you safe.”
Her heart crashed in her chest, each wild beat willing it to be true. Still, she shook her head. “It hurt.” Tears pricked her eyes anew. “Worse than anything I’ve ever felt before.”
“I’m sorry.” His hands slipped down her sides. “I couldn’t let him know how much you mean to me, couldn’t let him use you against me. I would have never said it if I had known you would hear.”
For a moment, his eyes burned into hers, raw with desire and desperation. He turned her, his grip firm on her hips. “I never meant to hurt you.”
Something broke in her.
Not her resolve, but something deeper. Something primal.
“Isaac.” His name came out in a whisper as her throat seized.
His mouth found hers, the soft crush of his lips sending a wave of heat rippling through her. Her knees began to tremble as he deepened the kiss. Searching. Tasting. As if his life depended on it.
His arms slid behind her, lifting her from the floor in one fluid movement. With a yelp, she clutched her hands behind his neck, her legs wrapping around him to stay steady. He groaned into her mouth as if the very act of holding her had set something wild loose inside him.
Staggering to the bed, he laid her down, his body following her with a kind of desperate precision. His weight settled over her, warm and steady, his mouth consuming her. She melted beneath him, her fingers clutching at his shoulders, pulling him closer.
His hands slid to the hem of her shift, lifting it slowly, deliberately.
The cool air from the room met her skin, a sharp contrast to the heat of his body pressed against hers.
His lips broke away, dark eyes finding hers with a raw intensity that nearly stole her breath.
With one swift motion, he yanked the fabric higher, exposing her to him completely.
A fractured breath shuddered from him as he sat up, eyes blazing. “You’re so damn beautiful.”
Her breath hitched as his hands slid over her exposed skin, tracing the contours of her body with a mix of reverence and need.
Each glide of his fingers set her nerves alight, the warmth of his hands leaving a trail of heat in its wake.
He shifted above her, his body pressing down on hers with an urgency that left no room for hesitation.
She could feel the hard press of him against her, a silent promise of what was to come.
His lips found the sensitive curve of her neck, his breath warm and uneven as he kissed his way downward, the gentle scrape of his teeth making her shiver.
She moaned as he reached the swell of her breast, his lips and tongue coaxing, teasing.
Every nerve in her body felt like it was alive, humming with anticipation, waiting for the next move, the next touch.
He paused, lifting his head to look down at her. His eyes were wild, burning with desire, but there was something else in them, something softer—tender, even.
“I need you.” His voice came out in a rasp, thick with emotion. “More than I’ve ever needed anything.”
The words sent a shudder through her, a deep, aching pull in her chest. She reached up, her hands finding the roughness of his jaw, the warmth of his face.
With a tug, she tried to bring his face back to hers but he resisted.
With a low groan, he shifted downward, his mouth grazing the curve of her belly.
Farther down. Until he kissed the valley of her hip, brushed his fingers feather soft across her curls.
His breath puffed against the sensitive skin there, creating a trail of heat that flushed her skin.
The aching pressure between her legs intensified, an unbearable pull that only he could ease.
She tilted her hips, instinctively pressing herself closer to him, the need within her becoming almost desperate.