My legs become heavy, and it isn’t because I’m carrying Ava. I make it to my semi-abandoned car and deposit her carefully in the front seat, pulling the seatbelt across and securing it, giving it a tug as I raise my brows at her, as if emphasizing the need to wear it. She doesn’t roll her eyes externally, but I can tell she’s exasperated on the inside. Tough. Like I said, she’d better get used to it.

When I hop in beside her, my hand goes straight to her knee and remains there the entire way to Kate’s place. She’s quiet, and my mind is racing with what she could be thinking. But regardless of her silence, she seems . . . settled. Happy I’m here.

I pull up to the curb by her friend’s house and look up at the window. How long does she plan on staying here? Because I have a huge place with just me rattling around in it. Wouldn’t it make sense?

I’m snapped out of my thoughts when I hear her open the door, so I get out and round the car, swooping her into my arms again. Her weight is perfect. Her head at the perfect level for me to smell her hair. Her arms go straight around my neck, and I walk up the path, damning everything to hell and back. We shouldn’t be here. We should be at Lusso. In my bed. Naked. High on each other.

“I can walk,” she says over a laugh, but I ignore her, negotiating her body to take the keys from her hand. She doesn’t need to walk with me around. Look after her. Keep her safe. I open the door, kick it shut, and succumb to the inevitable, placing her on her feet and pulling her into me. My mouth finds hers. It’s like everything that’s ever troubled me drifts away into a haze of nothingness, and there is only me. Me, her, and this incredible kiss. I exhale happily, my eyes closing, feeling her welcoming tongue circling with mine. The way she holds me. Her peaceful sigh. Don’t tell me this is a dream. Don’t tell me I might wake up.

“Thank you for the book,” she murmurs around my mouth, and I smile, breaking our kiss and looking into her eyes. Does she know she’s my peace? Her touch is magic, the effect she has on me so settling.

“You’re more than welcome.” I kiss her again, her mouth a magnet.

“Thank you for saving me.”

My smile is unstoppable. “Anytime, baby.” But there will be no need to save her again. But what about from you? Can you save her from you?