The room is empty.
“Don’t you touch her!” Brynna cries out and flops onto her stomach.
I shove my pistol into the drawer of her bedside table and immediately climb onto the bed, leaning over her. I pull her damp, sweat-soaked hair off her forehead and cheek as she tosses herself onto her back once more and my heart stutters at the look of absolute anguish on her gorgeous face.
“Bryn,” I call out to her softly, not wanting to scare the shit out of her.
“I won’t let you get them,” she shakes her head back and forth and tears leak out of the sides of her eyes and disappear into her hairline.
“Sweetheart, you’re dreaming.” I continue to caress her face gently. “Brynna, wake up.”
Her eyes open wide and her gaze immediately finds mine. “Oh, my god.”
She tries to pull away, but I ease her into my arms and pull her against me, tucking her sweet-smelling head under my chin and rock her back and forth as she softly cries.
“You’re okay,” I whisper and glide my hands up and down her back. I can feel her warmth through the light material of her little white tank top, and I want to rip it off her luscious body and feel her smooth skin. Her heart is hammering against my chest.
“I fucking hate nightmares,” she whispers against my chest, her breath tickling my skin.
“You and me both,” I agree. So much so that I don’t even sleep anymore. “Wanna talk about it?”
“I haven’t had it in a while,” she murmurs and sniffles. The tears have stopped, thank God, because seeing Brynna cry is like having my heart ripped from my chest. I can’t stand it.
“What is it about?” I ask and brush my fingers through her long, dark hair. The strands are soft and straight and fall all the way to the small of her back. I love it when she wears it down, whether she leaves it straight or puts those wavy curls in it, it doesn’t matter.
“My girls,” she whispers and buries her face in my chest once more and holds onto my sides with both hands as though the thought of what was tormenting her moments ago is too much to bear. “They were trying to hurt my girls.”
“Baby,” I whisper and tilt her head back until she’s looking me in the face. “No one will ever hurt the girls. Ever.”
Tears well in her big brown eyes again and it’s my undoing.
“Don’t cry, Bryn.” I brush my thumbs over her cheeks, wiping the tears away. “You’re all safe.”
“I’m so tired of being scared, Caleb.”
“Hey,” I whisper and run my knuckles down her smooth cheeks. “No need to be scared, baby. I’ve got you.”
Her eyes fall to my lips, the same way they did earlier on her couch and my gut clenches just as my cock springs to life.
Get the fuck out of here, Montgomery.
“Caleb?” She asks softly.
“Yeah.”
“Why won’t you kiss me?”
I can’t answer her. The truth fucking sucks, and I won’t lie to her. Ever. Instead I brush my thumb over her lower lip, loving the way it feels against the pad of my thumb and wish with all my heart that things were different.
As my thumb reaches the center of that pouty lower lip, the tip of her tongue peeks out and brushes my skin and I lose it.
I cradle her cheek in my hand and sweep my lips over hers and then sink into her as she moans in happiness, wrapping those strong arms around me and pulling me closer to her.
Her mouth is pure fucking bliss. My other hand glides up her side, over the outside of her breast and up to cradle the other side of her face and I hold her to me as I feast on her mouth.
I’ve fucking wanted to taste her for months, and here she is, finally in my arms. Her light, exotic scent surrounds me, intoxicates me.
She sighs deeply as I slowly back away, kissing her nose and cheeks and finally pull all the way back, watching her carefully.
Her eyes are still closed as she pushes those amazing hands of hers up my chest, where she rests them, swallows hard, and opens her incredible dark eyes.
“I guess you will kiss me,” she whispers.
“I couldn’t help it.” Sitting here with her, in the dark stillness of the middle of the night feels absolutely right.
“Okay,” she murmurs and offers me a smile.
“You should get some sleep.”
“Don’t go.” She grips onto my arms tightly, and her eyes are wide in fear. “Please? Not yet.”
“Lie down.”
“Caleb…”
“I’ll stay, sweetheart. Just lie down.”
She scoots down in the bed and lies back, moving over to her right to make more room for me in her bed.
My feet will most likely hang off the end.
I lie down on my side and pull her against me, kiss the crown of her head, and sigh deeply.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” she mutters and nuzzles her nose against my sternum. I grin against her hair. She’s so fucking sweet.
So fucking good.
“You didn’t.”
“You haven’t been to sleep yet?” She asks and yawns.
“Not yet.”
“Go to sleep, Caleb.”
She wraps her arm around my waist and presses herself against me from head to feet, twining her legs with my own and damn if she doesn’t fit me perfectly.
Her body is long. In the ankle-breaking heels she insists on wearing out with the girls, she’s only a few inches shorter than my own six foot three.
“Caleb?” She asks sleepily.
“Yes, Bryn.”
“Sleep. That’s an order.”
I chuckle and bury my nose in her hair, keeping the scent of her close.
“Yes ma’am.”
And to my utter surprise, I fall into the most restful sleep I’ve had in years.
Chapter Three
~Brynna~
I wake slowly, lazily and stretch out like a fat, lazy cat. I purposely keep my eyes closed and smile softly, remembering Caleb coming to my bed to comfort me from my horrific nightmare. I know he’s gone now because the bed around me is cold, but having him hold me, comfort me, in the middle of the night was just… amazing.
The man is incredible shirtless. In all the time I’ve spent with him, I’ve never seen him without a shirt, and even in the dark, it’s a sight to behold.
Jesus, even his muscles have muscles.
I scrub my hands down my face and then open my eyes and frown.
It’s light outside. Too light to still be before my alarm goes off. I whip my head around to look at the alarm clock and gasp when I see the time.