TABOO (Secret Seductions Book 1) by Kathleen Lawless

Author:Kathleen Lawless [Lawless, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Telegraph Bay Publishing
Published: 2019-10-24T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Bridge collapsed atop her, clearly as spent as she was. She could feel his body give the occasional shudder, almost like an aftershock. His arms cradled her in a pleasant way, strangely contrasting with the wild panting of his breath. Or was that hers? She held her breath for a minute, then let it out more slowly. Both of them, she decided. Still cradling her close, Bridge rolled off of her and pulled her with him. They lay there nested like two spoons in a drawer.

Bridge’s breathing slowed and softened into a regular pattern and she was afraid he might have fallen asleep. That would never do! What if she fell asleep alongside him? What if someone came upon them together?

“Bridge.” She gave him a prod with her elbow. “Bridge, are you asleep?”

“Not yet. Why?”

“You have to go. Quietly, so as not to wake Eloise.”

She felt the low rumble of his laughter stir her hair. “She’ll sleep through anything. That’s why I got her well and truly pickled.”

Fallon rolled from his embrace and turned to face him, mere inches away. “You didn’t... do it the way you said you would.”

“No.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“You’re not ready. Besides, you trusted me. That in itself was more than enough.”

Fallon fell silent, pondering Bridge’s words. Had he indeed earned her trust? What made him so certain?

And did Bridge trust her? Did he even feel a need to?

The very fact that she couldn’t bring herself to ask the question was an ominous sign, she thought. Fighting off panic, she rolled as far as she was able to her side of the bed, her back toward Bridge.

Surely he’d get the hint. Surely he’d get up and leave.

“This is not how it’s done, you know,” he said in normal, conversational tones. “From physical closeness, you’re supposed to move into talking and sharing.”

“Not if we don’t want to,” she said stiffly.

“Very well, then. I’ll go first.”

“Leave, you mean?” she asked hopefully.

“No, share a little bit of me. Something you can capture in your rendering of me.”

“I have more than enough already, thank you. Enough for an entire series.”

“You’re afraid of getting close, aren’t you?” he asked.

“No.”

“Remember, we pledged honesty between us.”

“Damn you,” Fallon said. “Yes, we did. But I don’t believe afraid is the right word. I’m uncomfortable with the direction of this conversation.”

“I hear fear,” he said, rolling onto his back and pillowing his arms comfortably behind his head.

“How would you recognize fear? I’ll wager you’ve never been afraid.”

“That’s one wager you’re doomed to lose. I smelled, tasted, and lived with fear every day I was in the war.”

“Were you afraid of dying?”

“No. I was afraid my mates’ deaths were for naught. And I swore that when I came back, if I came back, I’d never take anything seriously again.”

“Hence your frivolous approach to life,” Fallon said.

“Exactly. Now, your turn. Why are you so fearful of getting close?”

She was silent for a while. “Every time I allow myself to get close to someone, I lose them,” she said finally.

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