she felt safe enough to examine things. She allowed her mind to finally drift to the place from where she’d been continually trying to redirect it—the whole soulmate thing. Gabby allowed herself to think about how Liam had held her, the sweet things he’d whispered to her when they’d been on the volcano, and how he’d taken care of her. Could she be honest with herself and admit she ached for him? That she wanted him close and longed to have him make her feel like she mattered to him? She wanted to matter.
Gabby heard her phone beep, indicating a text message. More than likely, it was Shelly wanting to know that she was still alive. Oh, and wanting an update on the Liam situation.
Gabby debated responding, but before she could even move, she was pulled into the much-needed slumber her body craved.
Heat enveloped her. Gabby tried to push the blankets off, but they were heavy and wouldn’t release their restraint on her body. Her groggy mind tried to make sense of what was happening and wondered when she’d traded her normal blanket for a weighted one.
Gabby had no idea how long she’d been sleeping. She opened her eyes and blinked. No light filtered in through her curtained window.
She tried to roll over, but again, her blanket wouldn’t budge.
“Could you please be still, babe. I’m trying to sleep.”
Gabby moved before the voice finished speaking. She rolled to the left, away from the person in her bed, and reached between her mattresses. Her hand wrapped around the dagger she kept there. Bringing it out, she rolled back over. She ended up on top of the intruder, straddling his hips with the blade pressed across his throat.
She stared down into the bright eyes of Liam. They were swirling like the ocean—white, blue, and grey—and they were glowing. It reminded her of being under water and looking up at the sunlight shining down into it.
“Why the hell are you in my bed?” Gabby growled as she leaned closer and pressed the blade a little harder. She didn’t bother asking how he’d gotten into her room. There were any number of ways that could have happened, and Liam was powerful. He’d have no trouble getting into most places, locked or not.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Liam said, as he held her gaze. His eyes were so intense, and to her surprise, there was no playfulness in his demeanor.
“No, I haven’t,” Gabby denied. “I’ve been busy.”
“Busy hiding?” Liam asked. “You don’t seem like the type to run away from something difficult.”
“I’m not running away.”
“Can you remove the knife from my throat so we can have a conversation without you accidently slitting my jugular?”
Gabby continued to stare down at him, the dagger grasped firmly in her hand.
Liam began to slowly lift his shoulders from the bed. He gripped her upper arms and boldly pressed his neck into the knife. The second Gabby saw the blood running down his skin, she pulled the knife back and flung it across the room.
Her eyes were wide as she gasped at the harm she’d caused him. It felt as if she’d cut herself.
“I, that…” she stammered. She was shocked when she felt tears welling up in her eyes.
“You didn’t do anything, Gabby,” Liam said as he raised himself until he was sitting upright with her in his lap.
Gabby didn’t know what to do with her hands. She was suddenly acutely aware of the fact she was sitting in Liam’s lap, in her bed.
“That was all me, babe.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, and she realized she was shaking.
“I need to get up,” she said, attempting to push away from him, but Liam wouldn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her closer.
“No, you don’t. You need to let me hold you,” he said.
“I do not,” Gabby snapped. “I need you not to be in my bed uninvited. I need you to realize if a person isn’t actively seeking out your company, then they probably don’t want it.”
“Now, you’re just being mean.” He reached up and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. “We need to talk, and we are going to talk, now.”
She was surprised how stern his voice became. And judging from the hard look in his eyes, Gabby knew he wasn’t about to budge. And he was much too big for her to move. She could burn him, though.
“Don’t even think about it,” he growled. “I’m a water elementalist, my little firecracker. I am designed