Page 117 of Thaw My Heart

“Do you feel it?” he asks again.

The thrum of his heartbeat vibrates under my hand. “Yes, of course, but⁠—”

“Focus on it. Focus on the steady rhythm. The way it feels under your hand.” His heartbeat feels strong, steady, and sure. “Now close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Close your eyes,” he smiles.

I don’t understand what he’s doing, but I close them.

“Now, tell me what you feel.”

I sigh with frustration. “This is silly.” And absolutely ridiculous. What is feeling his heartbeat going to prove?

“No, it’s not.” The cockiness of his tone sends warmth to my thighs. If I could see him, I’m sure he’d be smirking at me. “What do you feel, Sadie?” He asks again.

“I feel your heart, obviously,” annoyance laces my tone.

If it were possible to roll my eyes at him while they’re closed, I would.

“Is it warm?”

Of course, it’s fucking warm. “Yes.”

He grabs my other hand, fingers grazing my palm in soft, sweet strokes, slowly igniting a fire inside me. My annoyance dissipates in seconds.

Alright, now I’m intrigued.

“And now what is it doing?” he asks.

My breath hitches. “Beating faster.”

He places my other hand on his chest, wrapping his arms around me. Grazing my lower back so softly that my core clenches. “And how do you feel about me, Sadie?” Such a simple question, and yet there isn’t a way to describe it without using words I can’t say… “Is it a good feeling?” He asks when I don’t answer.

“Yes,” I whisper. Despite my panic and fear about intimacy, about my feelings for him, it feels good to be close to him. To be in the warm bubble of us.

“And do you trust me?”

My pulse accelerates. “Yes,” I say to my surprise, but it sounds unsure.

His lips caress mine. A soft kiss that takes my breath away, leaving me wanting more. “Do you feel safe?” His breath pulsates on my skin.

“Yes,” my voice barely comes out in a whisper.

His hand drifts to my jaw, and I open my eyes, meeting his, and I’m lost in the blue. “After all you’ve been through, Sadie… you test people. It’s something I noticed from the start. Though I didn’t quite understand why, but I do now. You push my buttons and get under my skin because you’re afraid I’ll hurt you. That I’ll turn out just like him.”

The depth of his words fills my eyes with water, sinking in deep. I don’t know how he can see me so clearly, understand me in a way no one else can. He only knew the surface of my past… but yet, he sees me. Despite how anxious it makes me feel, the soft look in his eyes confirms how much he cares for me.

“But let me be very clear, Sadie.” The soft caress of his voice is gone, turning to ice. “If any man puts his hands on you, I will break them.” My body shivers, recognizing the truth of his words. “I’ve been protecting you and keeping you safe since the start. I’m not going to stop now.” His hand moves over my heart, resting there. “Your heart is safe with mine. I don’t know what the future looks like, but I can promise you that.”

My arms wrap around him, pulling him in tight before the tears start to fall. Even with our height difference, I mold perfectly into the curve of his body.

He hugs me like he can fix the brokenness inside of me. Like he can fix all the pieces. We stay like that, for how long, I’m not sure. But somehow the panic and fear are gone, misplaced by the warmth of him—the sureness of his words and his embrace.

Later that night, I’m wrapped up in his arms with Bandit and Foxie lying at our feet. My back is to his front as he holds me close, and the story of my childhood comes pouring out of me. I’m not ready to tell him about Markus, but I could tell him about my family, or what was left of it. “My dad died when I was two. I don’t remember him, but his name was Marshall.” I pause, finding the words.

“My mom, Layla, drowned when I was six. She worked as a waitress at a diner near home. My brother, Jaxson, and I used to go there for dinner most nights.” I pause, preparing myself. “She had a terrible habit of dating toxic men… men that hurt her.”