Chapter 22. Love Heals

Evelyn

I woke up to the sensation of rough fingers tracing slow, featherlight patterns up and down my stomach. The warmth of small, lingering kisses ghosted over my skin, and for a moment, I just lay there, letting myself sink into the tenderness of it.

Blinking the sleep from my eyes, I looked down to find Jacob sprawled across me, his head resting just above my belly, arms wrapped around me in a possessive grip.

It took me a second to realize—he wasn’t actually putting any weight on me. He was simply listening.

A soft smile curled my lips as I tangled my fingers into his silky hair, scratching my nails lightly over his scalp. “What are you doing, silly?”

“Isn’t it weird that I can’t hear anything?” he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful. Without looking at me, he pressed his ear a little closer to my skin, as if trying to catch even the faintest whisper of sound.

“Holy shit! I heard one!” he suddenly exclaimed.

I bit my lip, stru