52. Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Two
Maximo
The storm continues to rage beyond the windows, but beside the fire, with Mia tucked against me, the chaos outside seems distant.
Since she built this nest of blankets and I drew her against me, she’s calmed considerably. While we were chatting, her shaking stopped, warmth returned to her body, and she no longer went rigid every time the tower shifted beneath us.
Now she’s cuddled against me, tired and worn out, yet fighting the pull of slumber as the silence makes her aware of the tower’s slight swaying again.
Still, her head grows heavier against my chest, and her eyelids remain closed longer each time they drift shut.
I press my mouth to the top of her head and bury my nose in her hair, breathing her in.
Stubborn little rebel, trying to cling to consciousness. I continue running my hand slowly up and down her back, willing the soothing motion to ease her into sleep.
I like having her in my arms, her body curled into mine.
It’s been a long time since I held a woman like this.
Not since…
My hand stops midway down Mia’s back. My stomach drops, and every part of me turns rigid.
What am I doing?
Startled by the sudden change in me, Mia lifts her head. Her warm brown eyes find mine, clouded with exhaustion.
“Max? What’s wrong?”
I see the moment her imagination takes over. The softness in her expression vanishes, replaced by the fear she’s been trying so hard to control.
“Did you hear something? Did the building move differently?”
She tries to sit upright. I tighten my arm around her before she can pull away and guide her head back to my chest.
“Shh. Everything is fine,” I say softly, beginning the soothing strokes again.
Her heart is racing against me as she releases an anxious breath.
“Then why did you suddenly tense up?”
I shake my head. “It was nothing.”
“But…”
I lift a finger to her lips, stopping the protest before it can form.
“I promise there’s nothing wrong. Try to get some rest. I’ll watch over you.”
She cranes her neck to study me for another moment, clearly unconvinced, before releasing another long breath. Gradually, her body relaxes against me again, though the contentment I felt only moments ago doesn’t return with it.
Mia is not her.
The fear in Mia’s eyes was real. So was the trust I’d seen there before panic took hold again.
Still, I can’t afford to blur the lines between us or forget what this arrangement is.
Mia has a purpose in my life.
What happened tonight changes nothing. Any decent husband would comfort his frightened wife.
That is all this is.
Nothing more.
I continue rubbing her back and holding her against me until her breathing finally evens out and the last resistance leaves her body.
Mia’s warmth presses into my chest while a cold tightness remains lodged beneath my ribs.
Pins and needles creep into my arm, yet the thought of loosening my hold makes my fingers tighten instinctively. I stare at the ceiling, my hand resting motionless against her back.
At some point, the stiffness in my neck begins to ache and exhaustion drags at my eyelids, but I remain caught between the urge to put distance between us and the stronger refusal to let her go.
Eventually, without resolving either impulse, I fall asleep with Mia still tucked securely against me.