Page 42 of Claim the Light
I’m greeted with walls coated in soft-green hues, the texture of them appearing like branches covered in leaves and vines. The short entryway opens into an opulent bedroom, larger than any I’ve ever slept in with an adjoining lounge area, and a closet the size of the bathroom, which is to say that it’s huge.
I pause just beyond the entryway, taking in the room from the gorgeous, wooden furniture to the plush bed and lounge suite, all the way up to the high ceiling, which has the appearance of a canopy of lush branches within a forest.
Micah’s arms slip around me from behind. “If I could give you a home like this, I would.”
I turn in his arms. I haven’t seen the Grudge clan’s hideout, but its location has remained secret for so long that it can only be underground somewhere. Far from the sky and fresh air. Far from the comforts I grew up with.
“It isn’t the walls that matter,” I say, reaching up to clasp his shoulders. “It’s the people.”
He gives me a nod, but I’m not sure he’s convinced as he releases me and prowls around our new room.
Within the closet, we discover more clothing of various sizes. The shirts are bigger and Micah quickly replaces the one he’s wearing. I choose a large tank top to sleep in, but I eye the smaller shirts and pants hanging in the closet, hoping some of them will fit me. Clean underwear is a dilemma I’ll face soon too.
Micah turns away while I get changed, and then the bed is beckoning.
Slipping under the covers, I reach for the nearest lamp and switch it off.
Micah takes a beat longer to join me, sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to me for a moment, rubbing his left shoulder.
“Are you okay?” I ask, slipping across the large expanse of bed to reach for him.
“Yeah,” he says, finally sliding under the blanket and into my arms.
We both end up lying on his pillow, but it’s huge enough to accommodate both of our heads. The bed is somehow just the right firmness and I’m immediately warm without being too hot.
“Fuck, this bed is amazing,” Micah murmurs, his eyes closing. He tugs me closer, whispering against my lips. “More so because you’re in it.”
I stroke his jaw before I lean forward to drop a kiss on his lips. Then I carefully reach across him to turn off the lamp on his side of the bed.
The room glows softly for a few seconds, as if moonlight is filtering between the branches overhead, before it settles into a comfortable darkness.
Micah pulls me back against the crook of his shoulder and I settle there, trying to smother the growing need in my core triggered by his nearness. I convince myself I can overcome it with the sensations of warmth in other parts of my body. My cheek where it presses to his chest near his heart. My lower arm cushioned neatly between us. My legs where they fit perfectly against his side.
This bed, this room, it isn’t my home, but right now, it feels like we belong here.
In this moment of peace. We belong together.
CHAPTERSIXTEEN
Iwake to find the bed beside me empty.
My heart lurches and uncertainty fills me until Micah’s shape moves in the early morning light. He’s quietly pumping out pushups beside the bed, his body partially hidden from my line of sight because of the bed’s height.
Somehow, this room is lit up as if the morning sun is glowing softly around us.
Turning onto my side, I listen to his inhalations and exhalations, noting the evenness of his breathing, before my focus is drawn to the slight sheen of sweat forming across his naked back.
He’s only wearing sweatpants—he must have changed when he first got up—and they’re slightly too large around his waist. When he finishes his push-ups and rises to his feet, he has to hitch the pants up to keep them from sliding down.
“I don’t mind if they slip right off,” I say without censoring my speech.
His light-brown hair is tousled and his cedar eyes are bright. “Good morning, Sophia.”
His gaze passes across what must be my very messy hair to my tank top, which has slipped to the side and reveals the curve of my breast. Then down to my legs, where the blanket has tangled around me.
I smile back at him. “Morning.”
He rubs his left shoulder for a second, and I’m about to ask him if it’s still causing discomfort, but before I can speak, he scoops me up into his arms, nuzzling my neck and sending delicious shivers to my core.
