my spine that whispered we weren't alone. Nicholas moved beside me, his presence steady, protective, but I c

, but because I needed the contact needed to anchor myself in him. He didn't flinch. His fingers curled around m

y from darker shadows. Nicholas noticed too; I felt the subtle

ith the wind, and his gaze was fixed only on Nicholas. I couldn't hear

mine, leaving a cold ache in their absence. St

h my heart rebelled. Every instinct screamed not to let

he weight of him like he belonged to the same world Nichol

s fists clench at his sides. I saw the stranger lean in, whisper something that made Nicholas's face go

turned back to me. His eyes were darker than I'd e

in his throat. "You need to trust me. No matter

nted to. My heart already d

as was already moving. His hand caught the side of my fa

n, a fire that burned through restraint. His mouth claimed mine

til I was trembling against him, my fingers tangled in his coat, pulling him closer. When he finally tore

gerous, and it left me shaken to my core. For the first time, I understood Nicholas wasn't jus