Page 193 of The Night Shift

Trust isn’t something that comes easy to me. I don’t trust anybody. It’s my default setting. The more that I care about someone, the more sure I am they’re going to get tired of me and take off.

Then why does this feel different somehow? Why does it feel like he just handed me something rare and breakable and doesn’t care if I drop it?

“We should get some sleep,” I say, voice barely steady. “I’ll uh, see you tomorrow.”

I turn to leave, but his hand immediately finds my wrist, pulling me back to him. Chest to chest. His eyes are locked on mine like I’m the only thing in the world that matters.

Everything feels too loud and too quiet at the same time.

Slowly, he lets go of my wrist and cups my cheek instead, his thumb brushing across my skin like it’s his penance. His lips come next. Pressing against my cheek. One kiss, then another. Soft and careful. Erasing the tears I hadn’t even realized had started to fall.

It makes something in my chest crack open.

My heart feels like it’s on fire. I don’t ever want to pull away. I want to feel like this forever. Quiet and solid and…safe, maybe. Suddenly it doesn’t matter if my memories are made up of shards of glass. Iwantthem to cut me. I don’t care if they cuthim too. I want him to bleed without flinching and be thankful for it.

He presses a kiss to the corner of my eye.

It makes my pulse stumble. Everything in me clenches and softens all at once. His presence has always been overwhelming, but this feels like gravity.

I cup his face in both hands. And then I kiss him.

My whole world bursts in technicolor.

This kiss isn’t wild or feral or desperate. It’s not some power play disguised as affection. This kiss is slow. And deep. And intentional.

His lips move against mine with maddening precision. Almost as if he’s savoring the exact shape of my mouth. His tongue slips into my mouth, experimentally, and then a little deeper, tangling with mine. As if this is the first time he’s kissing me.

A thrill shoots down the front of my rib cage. He brushes his fingers through my hair, and each part of me becomes more sensitive than the next.

My heart keeps missing beats. My hands can’t bring him close enough.

Maybe it lasts a minute. Maybe an hour.

All I know is I want to stay like this forever. Next to Theo. Safe and sound.

To my dismay, he’s the one who pulls back first, still smiling playfully against my mouth. “Why is it that every time you’re nice to me, another man’s blood is involved?

I can’t help but smile a little too. “Be thankful it isn’t yours.”

“I’d rather it be mine.”

“MaybeLisacan help with that.”

His thumb brushes over my pulse point. “Poor thing. She seemed to really like me.”

“She didn’t likeyou.She liked yourface.”

“The two of you have that in common.”

“It amazes me how you can fit anything inside your head besides your oversized ego.”

Theo keeps smiling and I don’t like the way it makes my stomach feel. I like it even less that I don’t completely hate it.

“Goodnight, Hollister.” He steps back. “And once again, try not to moan my name too loud, yeah? The walls seem —”

“Pretty thin,” I finish flatly. “I’m aware.” I flip him off one last time before stepping inside my room. By the time I’m out of the shower and changed, it’s nearly four in the morning. My body is heavy with exhaustion, but my mind refuses to shut off.

I roll onto my side, my fingers drifting up to touch my lips, over and over again.