as he found Holly sitting on her knees beside him, a beautiful look of concern etched on her face and her eyes filled with tears. A smile wobbled on her lips. Fleeting. Gone too soon. He ached with a need to cup her cheek, to comfort her, but he was so damned tired that he couldn’t move, could only stare at her and hope she wasn’t a figment of his imagination.
His beautiful Holly. His strong female. She hadn’t cried when he had taken her from the Creek, hadn’t cried when Knox had frightened her, hadn’t cried when he had kept screwing things up with her, but now there were tears in her eyes. Tears for him. Born of fear.
She was crying for him.
Another first. No female had ever cried for him before. No female had ever looked at him like that either, as if she was on the verge of dying too, as if the sight of him hurt was killing her.
His eyes slipped shut again and he had to force them open, desperate to keep looking at her, sure she would disappear on him if he didn’t. Sleep beckoned but he fought it, resisted the call of it as he stared at Holly.
Her grey-green eyes drifted down to his shoulder, turning solemn as her brow furrowed.
“I’ll heal,” he croaked, swallowed to clear his throat and added, “I’ll heal quickly… now you’re here.”
He was sure of that as he walked his fingers over the furs towards hers, as he claimed her hand and she didn’t tense. As she looked at him with soft, warm eyes. He pulled on her hand and she didn’t resist him. She sank onto her side on top of the covers and rested her head on his bare chest as if it was the most natural thing in the world for her to do.
Hell, it felt as if it was.
He couldn’t get over the fact that she was back with him—that she had come back to him. He had been sure he had lost her and would never see her again, but here she was.
“Are you really here?” he mumbled, afraid of the answer to that question, a small part of him still convinced he was hallucinating all of this and that any moment he would wake to find himself alone.
Or worse, would find Lowe standing sentinel over him, demanding he get better.
Her warm breath skated across his chest, teasing him. “I’m really here.”
She placed her palm over his heart and the tension that had been building inside him instantly dissipated.
“That’s good.” He placed his hand on hers, curled his fingers around and clutched it.
That warmth she stirred in him flowed through every inch of him as he held her, making him feel at peace, as if everything was right in the world again and now he could rest. He could heal.
“I’m sorry I said those things.” She tensed as she whispered that, stiffening against him, pulling him back up from the sleep that had been claiming him. Her head shifted against his chest, silken hair caressing his skin, and her gaze seared his face. “I just wanted them to stop hurting you. I didn’t mean to hurt you too.”
Saint pulled her a little closer, pressed his fingers into the soft wool of her jumper and held her a little tighter. The pain that had been a constant in his heart from the moment she had walked away from him finally eased, as if she had removed a thorn from it and kissed it better for him.
She reached up and feathered her fingers down his cheek. “Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake.”
He still tried to fight it, didn’t want to risk it in case he woke and she had been a dream. He wanted to stay here in this moment with her forever, holding her like this, feeling at peace.
His body had other plans though.
Sleep overtook him, pulling him back to the darkness.
When he woke again, the instant fear that claimed him was quick to wash away as he felt the light weight on his chest, one that was pleasant and warm, and offered him comfort as her scent of berries drifted around him. He held Holly to his chest and sifted his fingers through the gentle waves of her black hair as he dozed off again.
Someone growled.
Not him.
Not a bear.
Cougars.
A fight erupted outside, luring him up from sleep, and stealing the female from his arms. Cold replaced the warmth of her and he did