Chapter 0266 Chapter 0266 And in my current state, only one thought came to mind:
I need to get out.
Without thinking or realizing that I was just imagining things, I bolted from my bed and ran to Noahâs room next door. I pounded on the wood, not caring how the sound reverberated through the empty house. âNoah! Noah, please!â
The door flew open a moment later, and Noah stood there, his eyes glowing amber and his glistening white fangs dropped. With a low grow, he pulled me into one arm, his other raised to fight an invisible attacker.
âWhat is it? Whatâs wrong?â
I sobbed into his chest, my words muffled against his skin. âJake... he came back... in my dream... He was trying to take me again...â
It was only then that I realized that the figure I had seen was just a lingering hallucination from my nightmare, but it didnât make the terror any less real.
Noahâs body relaxed, but he didnât let go. Instead, his arm tightened around me, one hand stroking my hair.
âIt was just a nightmare. Youâre safe, Hannah. Iâve got you.â
As my tears subsided, embarrassment crept in. I pulled back slightly, wiping my eyes. âIâm sorry, I shouldnât have-â
âDonât,â Noah said, his thumb coming up to wipe away a stray tear. âDonât apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about,â
I swallowed, nodding and stepping back. Wordlessly, he led me downstairs to the kitchen, his hand warm on the small of my back the entire way. The house was quiet, our footsteps echoing softly in the hallway.
âLetâs get you some warm milk. Itâll help you sleep.â
As Noah busied himself at the stove, I sat at the kitchen island, watching him. So tender, so... loving. So unlike him. Maybe, while I had been having nightmares, he had been dreaming about happy moments. That was the only explanation I could find for his sudden kindness. 1 âNoah,â I said quietly, breaking the silence, âabout your proposition earlier...â
He turned, one eyebrow raised. âItâs late, Hannah. You donât have to talk about it now.â
shrugged, clenching my jaw. The gala had ended hours ago, the notes of the opera and the string quartet Tong since having faded in my mind, but his questionâand his promiseâhad lingered. Even in the wake of Jakeâs dripping corpse.
âI accept,â I said, cautiously meeting his gaze in the dimly lit kitchen. âIâll accept.â
Noah blinked at me for a moment, clearly surprised. âAre you sure?â
I nodded. âWhatâs another two months?â I asked. My hand moved to touch my belly, where his child was taking root, but I managed to push away the urge to reveal it now. âAnd after tonight.
+25 BONUS Chapter 0266 The memory of our kiss at the gala returned. His lips, so warm and soft against mine. The way he had dipped me low, and now, his tousled hair as he warmed milk for me on the stove.
Something had changed tonight. I wasnât sure what, or how, or when, but something had changed. Maybe I was just scared again, like that night at the hospital. Clawing at any sense of familiarity, nostalgia, yearning.
Without a word, he brought the mug of warm milk over, and as he handed it to me, our fingers brushed. Neither of us let go of the mug, our eyes locked. The air between us seemed to crackle with electricity.
âIf youâre certain,â he said quietly, tentatively. âI promise to uphold my end of the bargainâabout ending things amicably.â
Ending things. The thought made me shudder, and my fingers instinctively tightened around his.
Before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his.
Noah responded immediately, his free hand coming up to cup my cheek. The kiss was soft, tender, filled with unspoken emotionsâbut it was also harsh, necessary, intense. Clearly, he yearned just as much as I did. Was he scared, just like I was?
No; impossible. But he yearned. 1 When we pulled apart, both slightly breathless, I whispered in a trembling voice, âI donât want to sleep alone tonight.â
For a moment, Noah hesitated, his eyes searching mine. Then, without a word, he scooped me up into his arms, carrying me toward the stairs.
We left the milk untouched on the counter.
+25 BONUS