Page 63 of Rook
He felt her breathing slow. Felt her body relax. Felt the moment she finally let go.
She fell asleep in his arms.
Noah stared at the ceiling, one hand stroking her hair, the other wrapped around her waist.
He’d held her once before — years ago, in a bakery after closing, when they were too young to understand what they were feeling.
But this was different.
This was everything he’d been running from. Everything he’d been missing. Everything he’d never stopped wanting.
He pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head.
“Sleep, Aves,” he whispered. “I’ve got you.”
And for the first time in years, Noah Carter fell asleep holding the only girl he’d ever loved.
Chapter 19
Rook
Rook woke before the sun.
He always did, years of military conditioning, years of club life, years of never letting his guard down.
But this morning felt different.
Because Avery was in his arms.
Her head rested on his chest, her breath warm against his skin. One of her legs was tangled with his, her hand curled over his heart like she’d claimed it in her sleep.
And he hadn’t slept this deeply in years.
He didn’t move. Didn’t breathe too loudly. Didn’t dare wake her.
He just watched her.
The soft rise and fall of her chest. The way her hair spilled across his shoulder. The faint crease between her brows that only smoothed when she exhaled.
She looked peaceful. Safe. His.
Avery stirred, her lashes fluttering before her eyes slowly opened. She blinked up at him, sleepy and soft and heartbreakingly beautiful.
“Morning,” she whispered.
His chest tightened. “Hey.”
She shifted slightly, realizing how close they were — how wrapped around each other they’d become during the night. Her cheeks flushed, but she didn’t pull away.
“Did you sleep?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Better than I have in a long time.”
Her eyes softened. “Me too.”
Silence settled between them, warm, intimate, full of everything they weren’t saying.
Avery traced a small circle on his chest with her fingertip. “Last night… I didn’t mean to fall apart.”
