Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103552 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Chapter Twenty-Five
AVERY
Icame awake gradually, in warm, snuggly increments. My legs were twined with West’s, the rough hair on his thighs a delicious scratch on my skin. My head pillowed on his chest, his arm tight around me. I don’t think I’ve ever wanted to get out of bed less. He smelled so good—like West, pine, and spice and everything I wanted to burrow into.
A finger traced the shell of my ear, brushing my hair off my face.
“You awake?” His voice was low and husky, stirring me.
I would have thought we’d had enough sex the night before, but I was learning that when it came to West, there was no such thing as enough. I wondered if there ever would be. Maybe someday, after lots and lots of naked time. Maybe.
“No,” I said, answering his question. “I’m not awake.” I nuzzled my head into his chest, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “I don’t want to get up,” I admitted.
“I know,” he said. His chest rose and fell as he let out a sigh. “I’m going to clear your name,” he said. “Don’t worry.”
“I know you are, but I can’t help worrying.” I rolled to my side so I could stay pressed to West’s body, not wanting to leave our cocoon of warmth. I liked this—stretched against him, our feet tangling, my hair across his chest. I felt cherished and loved and safe.
It was that last word that snagged in my head—safe—but at what cost? What cost to who West was, to the heart of the man I loved?
I propped myself up on an elbow so I could meet West’s eyes, loving the sated, warm brown. I’d never seen him so unguarded. I loved that he didn’t just make me feel safe; he felt safe enough with me to be this West—relaxed and open. And it was that part that really got to me, forcing me to open my mouth and say, “I’m scared.”
“Avery, you don’t—” His hand came up to brush my cheek, and I caught it in mine, pulling it down between us, wrapping my fingers around his.
“Wait, West. Just listen to me for a second, okay?”
He pressed his lips together as if it took a force of will not to interrupt me. I loved him even more for trying.
“I’m scared about what happens next,” I said. “I don’t want to go back to jail. But I don’t want you to compromise who you are for me. I love you. That means I love all of you, West. Even when I think you’re being bullheaded, and you think everything is black and white. I get annoyed you won’t bend the rules, but I love that you won’t. I love your honor and your integrity. And I can’t stand the idea—”
My voice caught in my throat, my eyes filling with sudden tears. I swallowed hard, knowing I had to get the words out before he interrupted. “I don’t want you to do anything you’ll regret, anything that feels wrong, for my sake. But,” I said as his lips parted, “the other thing is—”
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a hot tear streak down my cheek. I hated crying, but I couldn’t help it, because the real truth was that as much as I meant everything I’d just said, I was also terrified of following in Ford’s footsteps. “I’m scared of what could happen to me if you don’t.”
I buried my face in his chest. Shame washed through me. I should have kept that last part to myself. If I didn’t let him see how scared I was, maybe he wouldn’t do anything he’d regret later. And I did not want to be a regret for West. I didn’t want to be the thing that pushed him into betraying who he was.
“Avery, no,” he said, brushing my hair off my cheek and wiping away a tear with the pad of his thumb. “Oh, baby, no. I won’t let anything happen to you. Do you understand me?”
“You can’t promise—” I began.
“Avery, look at me.”
I lifted my head up and saw the strangest combination of resolve and amusement swirling in his dark eyes. “Baby, I love that you understand who I am, that you know what this job means to me, what my integrity means to me.”
“West, I do, and I don’t want—”
“Just wait,” he said, pressing a fingertip to my lips. “I listened to you. Now you listen to me.”
I nodded and pursed my lips against his fingertip in a kiss.
“If you think there’s even a question that I’m going to protect you,” he said, the amusement draining from his eyes and leaving only resolve, “then you don’t understand what’s happening here.”
I raised an eyebrow. I didn’t have a response because he was right. I didn’t understand. There was always a choice.
West shook his head, seeing that I didn’t get it. “It’s important to me to have honor, to follow the rules, to uphold the law. I believe in it. I believe that if we do it right, it makes everyone’s lives better. All of that is true. But Avery, you’re not everyone. You’re mine. I love you. This isn’t some fling. I’ve known you for most of my life. I didn’t know we’d end up here, not when we were kids. But now that we are...” He shook his head. “For anyone else, yeah, the rules are the rules. The law is the law. But I’m not letting you go to jail for a crime you did not commit. You’re not your brother. Ford was innocent of killing your father—I’m sure of that—but Ford was not innocent. You understand?”