In the Earth's Embrace: Kotahi Bay 2 by Iris Beaglehole & Nova Blake

Author:Iris Beaglehole & Nova Blake [Beaglehole, Iris & Blake, Nova]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-12-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Consciousness came slowly, like surfacing from deep water. First, the crick in Alyssa's neck from sleeping at an odd angle. Then the weight across her legs – warm, solid, and rumbling with a purr. Socks. Her eyes fluttered open to find morning light streaming through the curtains, painting golden stripes across the coffee table where empty beer bottles stood like soldiers after a long campaign.

Brendan was sprawled beside her on the couch, one arm flung over his face, the other wrapped around her with unconscious familiarity. He'd stayed. The whole night, apparently, if the throw blanket tucked around her shoulders was any indication. She couldn't remember the last time someone had tucked her in.

His shirt had ridden up in sleep, revealing a strip of skin and the trail of dark hair disappearing into his jeans. His jaw showed the shadow of overnight growth, making him look slightly wild, slightly dangerous.

His breathing was deep and even, punctuated by the slightest hint of a snore. Not the chainsaw variety Grant had subjected her to, but something softer, almost endearing. The thought of Grant gave her a pang of pain, especially after yesterday. But she didn’t want to think about that right now; the man beside her was a far more interesting concept.

She extracted herself carefully, not wanting to wake him. Her body protested the movement – couches weren't designed for all-night occupancy, especially not shared occupancy. But there was something about waking up next to another person, even fully clothed and cramped, that made her chest tight with an emotion she didn't want to examine too closely.

Alyssa paused before she left the room, taking in the sight of this man. All the burdens of daylight hours had been stripped away, and he looked younger, more vulnerable, but perhaps not as vulnerable as she had felt after everything she had told him last night. The ache in her head was from bad decisions, one way or another.

But he had stayed. She had told him her worst, the biggest horror stories of her life, and he was still here. If that hadn’t sent him running, maybe there was hope.

The floorboards were cold under her bare feet as she padded to the kitchen. Morning sounds filtered through the windows – seagulls arguing over territory, a car down the road, a neighbour’s pruning shears.

She put the kettle on, the familiar ritual grounding her in normalcy after yesterday's emotional hurricane. Kelly's betrayal stung like a sharp stone in her stomach, but it had dulled a little in Brendan’s company.

"Well, well. Look who finally found herself a proper man."

Alyssa nearly dropped the mug she'd been reaching for. Magnus stood by the window, translucent in the morning light but solid enough that she could make out the intricate braiding in his beard, the amused glint in his eyes.

"Damn, Magnus. A little warning?" She pressed a hand to her racing heart. "And he's not my man. He's just... a friend who stayed over. And, can I take this to

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.