The feeling in his chest was almost overwhelming. How could one person change his entire sense of purpose just by looking at him? How could a single touch make him forget everything he’d ever known? Could he even really fall in love in a matter of days?

As she lowered her mouth to his, he decided that he could, because he knew without even the slightest doubt that he had.

Chapter Forty

Leelo woke to the twittering of birds in the trees, realizing with a start that she was not home in her bed. She’d fallen asleep in Jaren’s arms.

She sat up abruptly, rousing him. “What’s wrong?” he asked, his voice thick with sleep.

“We fell asleep!” Leelo pulled her dress over her head and tied on her boots as quickly as she could. “I’m supposed to be Watching this morning.”

Jaren blinked blearily. “What time is it?”

“Nearly dawn. I have to go.” She glanced back at him, his cheek swollen and lined from where it had pressed against her in the night, his hair tousled from her fingers. She felt that swelling in her chest again, a feeling she knew now was love. She bent down to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

He grabbed onto her wrist, but it was a gentle tug. He knew she couldn’t stay. “I’ll miss you.”

She smiled down at him. “Me, too.”

Outside, the cool morning air helped clear her head. She started jogging toward home, telling herself that it would still be all right. She could sneak inside and change before Sage noticed she’d been gone. She could always lie and say she’d slept in Tate’s bed.

As she ran, she couldn’t help remembering last night. Jaren had been so gentle with her, like she was a girl made of glass, as Sage said. She’d had to be the one to take charge, to assure him that she would not break at his touch. She’d never asked him if he’d been with a girl before, and he had never asked her about her experience. She suspected they were both new at this, which had been comforting, in a way. There had been no pressure, only mutual wonder and desire. And even though she knew that she had just allowed herself to fall even farther toward some inevitable end, she had no regrets or doubts about her decision. In another world, she would have spent forever in his arms.

But here, in the real world, she was going to be late.

When she slipped through the front door, the house was quiet, the sun not yet risen. She breathed as quietly as she could, tiptoeing up the stairs to her bedroom. She was nearly there when she heard a creak from downstairs. She turned to find Ketty sitting in one of the armchairs, watching her.