Page 60 of ’Til You Break

“You were waiting for me.”

My lips brush her skin, grazing her earlobe as I whisper. “Having you in my bed is the best part of my day.”

I trail kisses along her cheek before finally finding her lips. Kissing her is still so new. So exhilarating. It steals the breath from my lungs every time.

As our lips meet, I catch Hannah’s satisfied groan in my mouth.

“I could get used to this.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Hannah

Iwake the next morning with a smile already on my face.

My arm flails toward Vik’s side of the bed. It hits an empty pillow where his rugged, handsome face is supposed to be. I blink the sleep from my eyes.

“Morning, Princess.”

I turn toward his voice. Vik is sitting on the edge of the bed. He reaches down and picks Muffin up off the floor. Keeping the small bundle of fur loosely in one hand, he flops onto the bed beside me with the warmest smile I’ve ever seen on his face.

He releases Muffin to wander. However, the little kitten decides he’s perfectly happy where he is and drops onto his belly on Vik’s chest.

Yeah, I can totally get used to this. The tender moments, so sweet I can’t help but gush and swoon over the man at my side. Taking Muffin’s lead, I snuggle up to Vik’s side and rest my head against his shoulder.

“Why don’t we go out somewhere nice for breakfast?”

“Sounds lovely, but I think I should stay in today,” I say with a sigh.

I don’t want negativity creeping into how happy I feel right now, but that’s easier said than done. I’m loving every second of being with Vik, but I’m also struggling to accept this happiness completely. I still have my own sins to atone for before I can embrace a life of love with anyone. I could get used to spending my life in his bed, under his protection, but it comes at the cost of my own ambitions.

Helping the people who need it most. Trying to right the wrongs in this world by whatever means I can. It won’t happen if I keep hiding from the real world.

None of this is Vik’s fault. He hasn’t given me a reason to doubt his sincerity. Everything he does brings us closer together. But I can’t fulfill my own purpose if I keep letting him hand me happiness on a silver platter.

“Hmm.” Vik scratches gently beneath Muffin’s chin with the tip of his finger. It’s hard not to smile watching my two favorite boys together.

“Did I do something to upset you?”

“No, not at all. You’ve been perfect,” I say. “I’ve just been thinking.”

“Good things, I hope.” His tone tells me he’s trying to keep things light.

“Good. Bad. Depends on who you ask.” I hesitate. “I don’t think I want to stay in New York anymore, Vik.”

His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t answer straight away. Instead, he keeps his attention on Muffin.

“I’m not going to get another job here. My old boss will make damn sure of that. So, I’ve been thinking... maybe it’s time for a fresh start. I’ll pack my things and leave while I still have a chance to make something of myself somewhere else.”

The idea came to me last night, before Vik came home. It doesn’t have to mean the end of us. But I also know he isn’t going to walk away from everything he’s built just to follow me.

“Where would you go?”

“I don’t know yet. Some small town, probably. Somewhere with a real sense of community. Somewhere everyone knows everyone else’s name. Somewhere I can do some good without constantly looking over my shoulder.”

“From my experience, the past follows you farther than you’d expect.” He lays his hand over mine and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

“You can’t outrun your past, Hannah. You have to face it.”