Page 270 of Iced Up Love: Part Two
The night is far from over.
fifty-seven
Elijah
I know before they say anything.
I don’t need Jackson’s quiet comment, don’t need the way Zach moves beside her, don’t even need the way her breath still hasn’t fully settled.
I see it in her.
In the flush that hasn’t quite faded from her skin, in the softness of her mouth, in the way her body holds itself, looser, warmer, like something inside her has been eased and stirred all at once.
And the thing that hits me first isn’t anger.
It isn’t jealousy.
It’s relief.
It settles low and heavy in my chest, quiet but undeniable, because I know what that means. I know what they gave her out there, what she needed, what I’ve been holding back from her for too long.
She’s lighter.
I can see it.
And that matters more than anything else.
Jackson’s arm stays wrapped around her waist as they approach, his hand firm and grounding like he’s anchoring her in place while she finds her balance again. He glances at me as they reach me, something amused flickering in his expression.
“Our girl decided to have a little fun with Zach in the garden,” he says quietly, just low enough that it doesn’t carry beyond us. “But she’s still a little restless.”
My gaze drops fully to her.
I step in closer without thinking, my hand lifting to cup her face, my thumb brushing slowly over her cheek as I take her in properly. The heat in her skin, the softness in her eyes, the way she leans, just slightly, into my touch like she’s been waiting for it.
“Is that so?” I murmur.
Her breath catches. It’s small, but I feel it.
“Do you need more?” I ask, my voice low, steady, but threaded with something I don’t try to hide.
She looks at me. Really looks at me.
“Maybe.”
The word lands deeper than it should.
Something tightens in my chest, something that feels dangerously close to breaking loose, but I hold it where it is, keep it contained, keep it controlled.
“Then when we leave,” I tell her quietly, my thumb still tracing the line of her cheek, “we’ll give you everything you need.”
Her lips part slightly.
“I’m looking forward to that.”
For a moment, everything narrows.
Just her.
