Slowly, my gaze lifted to meet Brody’s. I wanted to laugh at the look of pure bafflement on his face. But I was still wound too tightly. “I’ve had sex. But it wasn’t an altogether pleasurable experience.” I’d been young and so hungry for any kind of connection. I’d mistaken a boy’s lust for love. But I’d never shown him or anyone else my scars, not until Brody.

“Any kind of intimacy makes you vulnerable. But for me, the stakes are so much higher in every way. It’s not just the scars on my shoulder and arm. They’re all over my torso, too. So many I can’t keep track when I count. I’m not ashamed of them or embarrassed. But sharing them with another person means giving them a piece of me. I’ve never trusted anyone enough to be totally vulnerable with them. And that means there’s never been a reason to share a bed with someone.”

I watched as wave after wave of emotion passed over Brody’s face, one morphing into another. But under it all was pain. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his hand trailing down my neck. “I hate how alone you’ve been. What you’ve gone without. I hate that even walking in here makes you tremble—”

“I’m not scared of you.”

He stared intently at me as if checking for untruths. “Swear?”

“I promise.” I found his free hand and traced his fingers with mine. “Anything new is a little scary, and this just feels like one giant leap.”

Brody tilted my chin. “Then let’s leap together. I want you, Shay. In any way you’ll let me have you. As a friend. A companion. A lover. But we go at your pace. You just have to know one thing.”

My throat tightened but I managed to ask, “What’s that?”

“You’re never alone.”

My eyes burned as I took in this man and his solemn vow. “I’m a mess, Brody.”

His mouth curved. “Everything halfway interesting is. Look at my studio. What my paintings look like before they come together. A total disaster zone. But it’s all of those complex pieces in abstract arrangements that come together to create something uniquely beautiful. All of your pieces do the same.”

“If you make me cry, I’m going to be really mad at you.”

He grinned. “How about we try to sleep instead?” I nodded slowly. “You tell me if you need space. If you need to head to the guest room in the night, do it. But, Shay? I want you to stay in the main house until they catch whoever killed that man. I don’t like the idea of you being so far away.”