I nestled my face deeper against his chest. “I believe you.”
He snickered. “Yeah, that is strange. You know what’s even stranger?”
“What?”
“The fact that you haven’t thrown a shoe at my head for the last seventy-two hours.”
Both of us chuckled, and the anxiety that lingered in my bones started to dissipate. Little by little, I felt myself relax in his arms, embracing the security it offered.
“Ink.”
“Hmm.”
“How do you do it?”
“Do what?”
I glanced up at him from under my lashes. “Make me feel like I can breathe without it hurting?”
His arms tightened around me, squeezing me against him. “I dunno. But what I do know, if there’s one person in this world I want to be the air to…it’s you.”
My heart skipped a beat, my chest warm and insides coiled tight. I couldn’t remember the last time a man had me feeling this way, like I wanted his touch—needed it, even. For the first time in so long, my body felt alive, rather than frozen and numb.
He cupped my cheek, and I could feel his affection radiate from his touch through to my soul. “You’re everything to me, Neon. Everything and more.”
Sucking on my bottom lip, I leaned my head back down against his shoulder, curling into him. It made me feel safe, being so close to him. His arms, his presence, it became my barrier, my fortress against the world. It made me feel protected—untouchable, and it was a feeling I instantly became reliant on. Without it, I’d be lost, drowning in a world the ghosts of my past had created.
For the longest time we just sat there. He didn’t say anything. He didn’t have to. The silence around us was loud enough, saying everything that needed to be said. His hands didn’t still for a second. Soft and gentle fingertips caressed my skin in slow circles. The longer his touch remained, the more aware I became of how it seemed to affect me…my body. I was no longer numb, and it felt good.
Shifting on his lap, I placed a kiss on the skin of his neck. The familiar earthy scent that clung to him draped around me, and the subtle warmth of desire that pulsed through my blood made me bold enough to press my lips harder against his tattooed flesh.
“Neon, what are you doing?” His voice dipped low, soft and husky.
“I need you.”
His body tensed against mine, every muscle rigid. “What are you saying?”
I stilled, breathing against his neck. “I want to be with you.”
“It’s too soon.” He pulled back, yet I could see desire flicker in his eyes.
“It’s not too soon. I want to at least try.”
He wiped a palm down his beard, forehead creased with uncertainty. “Neon—”
“Please, Ink. I need to know how broken I really am. And there’s no one I trust myself with as much as you.”
He pinched his eyes closed, shaking his head. “I don’t know if—”
“Please.” Desperation dripped from my words, the need to feel whole again beating to the rhythm of my heart.
“Neon, there’s nothing I want more than to be with you.”
“Then be with me.” I placed my hand on the side of his face, a single tear slipping down my cheek. “Just try…please.”
I shifted, bringing my body closer to his, our lips hovering a breath apart.
Worry swirled in his cognac irises. “Are you sure?”