Page 211 of No Need to Run
Except he does.
He belongs with me.
He just isn’t ready to admit it.
I toss the used wipe into the trash and open another.
“Does that bother you?” I ask.
His brows pull together. “No.” His gaze holds mine. “Not the way I thought it might.”
“Then why did it upset you?”
His jaw works.
I wait.
Finally, he says, “Because she’s moving forward like it’s so easy.”
Ah.There it is.
I soften my touch as I clean the scratch on his arm. “And you feel stuck.”
His eyes flick to mine.
I see the answer before he gives it.
“Yeah,” he says quietly. “Maybe.”
My thumb brushes the inside of his wrist. His pulse jumps beneath my touch.
“You’re not stuck,” I say.
He watches me.
“You moved into your own house. You adopted a kitten. You tried whiskey.” My mouth curves. “You became the worst stalker in Hollow Creek.”
He groans, dropping his head back. “Don’t.”
“It was impressive.”
“It was not.”
“No, you’re right.” I lean closer, lowering my voice. “It was terrible.”
His laugh slips out before he can stop it.
The sound settles in my chest.
Mine.
He’ll realize it soon enough.
I return my attention to his arm, dabbing another scratch. His skin is warm beneath my fingers, his body tense but no longer guarded in the same way.
This is what people don’t understand.
Control doesn’t always look like force.
