Chapter 87

“Do you think I don’t know how painful it is for you? Just thinking about what he did to you? How much you’ve sacrificed just by telling them what happened?”

I purse my lips and nod. It’s hard. But it would be so much harder without him in my life, and I tell him so.

“You make me stronger, Marcus. Don’t you see? I can tell them because of you. Because I know if things go bad—if the nightmares come back—you’ll be with me to fight them.”

The tears I’m holding back rise like a lump in my throat.

“As for what I’ve sacrificed, I’ll be sacrificing a hell of a lot more if I lose you. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“You shouldn’t have to protect me.” He still has me pinned to the wall, but his voice softens. “I dragged you into this.”

I shake my head. It’s hard to breathe, fired by the sparks that jump between us—his fierce need to protect me and, yes, the desire that flares from having his hard body pressed to mine.