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I wanted to see her.
Needed to see her.
The door creaked softly as I pushed it open, the hinges groaning quietly in the silence of the corridor. Inside, the moon cast a silvery glow through the window, bathing the room in a ghostly, tranquil light.
Riley was fast asleep.
The moonlight glinted off her cheek, highlighting the gentle curve of her jaw and the soft flutter of her eyelashes. She really was so beautiful.
She would make another man very lucky someday.
My upper lip rolled at the thought. The thought of another man touching her sent a surge of possessiveness coursing through me.
I wanted to be that man.
No.
I couldn’t.
Right?
She was too young. Too inexperienced. But fuck, the thought of wrapping my arms around her lithe little body and taking care of her every need as she screamed my name was almost more than I could bear.
As if she could hear the turmoil of my thoughts, her brow furrowed, and her head tossed from side to side on the pillow. A soft moan escaped her lips, growing louder, more distressed. Her hands clenched the sheets, pulling them tightly around her as if trying to shield herself from whatever chased her in her dreams.
Then, with a sharp gasp that cut through the silence like a knife, she screamed—a sound so raw and terrified that it chilled me to the bone.
Instinctively, I rushed to her side, my heart pounding with a mix of fear and urgency.
“Riley,” I whispered as I reached out to gently shake her shoulder. “Riley, wake up. It’s just a dream.”
Her eyes flew open, wide and unseeing, and she screamed again, this time in shock at my touch. But as her gaze slowly began to focus, recognizing me in the dim light, her expression transformed from terror to relief. Her body visibly relaxed, though her breath was still ragged, her eyes shining with the remnants of fear.
“It’s okay,” I murmured, sitting down on the edge of the bed and reaching for her hand. “You’re safe, Riley. You’re safe.”
She looked up at me, her eyes searching mine for reassurance. “Maxim,” she breathed out, her voice shaky. “I—it was just so real.”
“I know, but it’s over now,” I assured her, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”
The tension slowly left her body, her shoulders dropping as she let out a long, steadying breath. She managed a weak smile.
“Let me tuck you back in and then you should try to go back to sleep. It’s late,” I whispered.
“Wait,” she pleaded, her soulful eyes looking straight up into mine.
“What is it, Riley-girl?”
“Stay here with me. Don’t leave,” she asked quietly, and my heart nearly burst out of my chest.
“I can sit over there and wait until you fall asleep,” I offered, not wanting to scare her any further.
“No. Not that. Please. Hold me.”
CHAPTER 12
Riley
I wasn’t sure he was going to stay, but I could still feel the cold hands against my skin from the remnants of my nightmare. Inside, it felt like I was going to fall apart from fear and the only thing that could keep my entire world from crumbling was if Maxim wrapped his arms around me right now.
