A Warrior's Second Chance (Faye and Alexander) novel Chapter 120

FAYE

My heart stopped when his lips met mine. I heard him inhale sharply like he was struggling to

breathe.

At first, it was barely a kiss…so light, so hesitant, as if he was afraid he’d break me by simply touching me. My breath caught in my throat, my heart stumbling in my chest. The world seemed to tilt on its axis, shrinking until there was nothing but him.

He was kissing me like I was something fragile.

But I didn’t want fragile. I didn’t want hesitation. I wanted him…all of him.

When he would have pulled back, I didn’t let him. My hand lifted, curling against the back of his neck, holding him to me. I pressed forward, answering his caution with certainty, telling him without words that I wasn’t afraid, that I wasn’t going anywhere… that I was his.

That was when the kiss deepened.

His lips grew warmer, firmer, and I felt the shift in him…restraint warring with something hungrier. His hand slid from my jaw to the back of my head, fingers tangling in my hair, pulling me closer until there was no space left between us.

A soft sound escaped me, unbidden, and it was enough to undo him. His body leaned into mine, his arm wrapping around my waist, anchoring me against him. Every part of me seemed to spark at once, alive under his touch.

For a man everyone thought was nothing but steel, he kissed with fire.

And yet… even in his fire, there was control. A tension in him that held back, a line he wouldn’t cross, even as his hand traced down my arm, tentative, almost reverent, as though asking for permission with every movement.

I gave it to him.

Tilting my face up, I whispered against his lips, “Don’t hold back.”

He froze. Just for a breath. His forehead pressed against mine, his breath ragged, his hand tightening at my waist as though he was fighting something.

“Faye…” My name came out hoarse, broken. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“Yes, I do.” I cupped his face, forcing him to look at me. His eyes were stormy, conflicted,

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< Chapter 120

shadows of the what he thought defined him. But I didn’t care. I never had. “You think you’ll hurt me,” I said softly. “But you couldn’t.”

His jaw clenched, his thumb brushing unconsciously along my cheek as though he was memorizing me. “There’s darkness in me, Faye. You’ve seen only a hint of it.”

“Then let me see all of it,” I whispered back. “Because none of it will drive me away.”

The silence after that was heavy, thick with everything neither of us had said before this moment. His restraint, my defiance. The pull that had always been there, now too strong to

ignore.

And then he kissed me again.

Not tentative this time…not cautious. This kiss burned. His lips claimed mine with a fierceness that stole my breath, and I answered with everything I had, my hands sliding against his chest, feeling the thrum of his heartbeat beneath my palms.

He groaned against my mouth, low and unrestrained, and the sound sent a shiver down my spine. His hand moved, splaying across my back, drawing me closer until I thought I might dissolve into him completely.

His forehead pressed to mine, his breath ragged and uneven, his body trembling with the effort of restraint. His thumb brushed over my cheek, lingering, tender in a way that made my chest ache.

“If I don’t stop now,” he said hoarsely, “I won’t be able to.‘

I saw it in his eyes…the need to hold on to control a little longer.

So instead of pulling him back, I whispered, “…you don’t have to.”

Something softened in his gaze, breaking through the storm. A sound escaped him…half a laugh, half a sigh…and he closed his eyes briefly, as if steadying himself.

“You undo me, Faye,”

When they opened again, he didn’t kiss me. He gathered me into his arms instead, holding me against his chest like that closeness alone was enough to quiet the fire threatening to consume us both.

And for once, it was.

I melted into him, listening to the wild rhythm of his heart as it slowed beneath my ear. His chin rested lightly against my hair, his hand tracing slow circles against my back. The silence that followed wasn’t suffocating anymore. It was warm….safe.

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I must have drifted off at some point, because the next thing I knew, morning light was pouring softly through the curtains. I stirred, still caught in that hazy in–between of sleep and waking, and it took me a moment to realize what was different.

Warmth.

His warmth.

Alexander’s arm was still around me. His chest was still at my back, steady, solid. I blinked fully awake then, my heart tripping at the discovery. He was already dressed, boots laced, shirt neat…clearly ready for the day…but he hadn’t slipped out like he always did. He was still there, waiting.

My lips parted in surprise, a smile tugging at the corners before I could stop it. I tilted my head to look at him well, and sure enough, his gaze was already on me.

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