Before I could say more, she reached me. Her arms slid around my neck, soft and firm all at once, pressing her body into mine. The shock of her warmth, her scent—it disarmed me completely.
I wrapped my arms around her waist, burying my face in her hair. The tension in my chest began to loosen. She always had that effect on me—turning chaos into calm.
"Do not let them see weakness. Hold steady." Her whisper brushed my ear.
I looked at her face. Her eyes—deep, fierce, alive—were steady. When had I started believing she was fragile? That she needed protection? The truth stung in the sweetest way: she was stronger than I'd ever been. The little woman I once thought I had to shield had become the shield itself. Who would've thought that beneath her grace and soft laughter lived a storm?
Without thinking, I pulled her in and kissed her. My hand cupped the back of her head, my thumb tracing her jaw as her lips parted against mine.
