“Baby –” he whispered, unamused.
“Sweetheart, don’t go down that path. I’ve been down it and, trust me, it leads nowhere.”
His eyes moved over my face then his fingers slid into my hair and he pressed my face into the side of his neck.
“Sorry, Duchess, you don’t need this shit, the demons you been battlin’ today,” he muttered, my arms slid around him and I kissed his neck.
Then I said, “You know, earlier today I wondered if it would have hurt less if I hadn’t been alone when Charlie died.”
His fingers slid through my hair and he asked, “Yeah?”
“I decided it wouldn’t have.”
“Probably not.”
“But, maybe, if I hadn’t been alone I wouldn’t have wandered down that path.”
“Probably not,” he repeated.
“So, since you’re not alone, will you let me guide you away from that path?”
He was silent a moment then he asked an impossible question, “Where we goin’, honey?”
“I don’t know, just not there.”
His body shook with silent humor, not a lot of it but it still shook.
“That shield you got, babe, like titanium,” he muttered and my arms gave him a squeeze.
“I thought we were going to enjoy being alive, breathing and alone?” I reminded him.
“Yeah.”
“We’re not really doing that.”
“Nope.”
“Let’s move onto that phase of the evening,” I suggested.
His fingers curled around my shoulder and gave me a squeeze.
“Good idea,” he murmured.
“Do you want a beer?”
“No.”
“I can make some hot chocolate,” I offered.
“Thanks, but, no.”
“Do you want anything?”
“Anything?”
My stomach dipped and my body grew tense.
“Max –”