He swallowed hard and shook his head again. “No, I’m not.”
“Then prove it.” She curled her fingers around his hand and lifted it from her other one. “How are you going to defeat the bad guys if you aren’t brave enough to feel a baby move?”
She ignored his glare and pressed his hand to her stomach. His body tensed. Part of him wanted to pull away, yet the curious part of him refused. Once he relaxed, his thumb swept a small section of her skin, where her shirt had raised.
A few minutes passed without so much as a flutter. Then the heat of his breath warmed her cheek. “Am I missing something, or did she stop moving?”
“I’m not sure.” She moved his hand above her navel. “She’s been kind of quiet today. I don’t think she likes being in such a tiny space.”
“I wouldn’t either.”
He examined her protrusion as he waited for some type of movement. The anxiety within him built, but after a solid minute of waiting, her daughter still hadn’t moved.
“I don’t think she likes me.” He cleared his throat to hide the emotion thickening it. She wanted to tell him he was wrong, that babies held no ill will, but before she could say anything, her belly shifted to the side.
“Holy shit!” His eyes widened but remained on her abdomen. He worked his fingers back and forth, teasing the skin they touched. “That was…amazing. I’ve never felt anything like it.”
“Do you see why it hurts like hell when she kicks me?”
He nodded and leaned his head closer to hers. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for sharing this with me.”
The intensity between them left her feeling breathless. His energy pulled at her. She fought the urge to wrap her arms around him, to thank him for sacrificing his happiness to make sure she was safe. There were other urges too. Nameless urges that increased the need in her soul.
The ache awaking inside her did the same in him. His lips parted further open. The sweet scent of his breath teased her nose. It intoxicated her to the point she couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, couldn’t do anything but stare at him.
He was about to say something, even opened his mouth to speak the words, but gazed across the room. When his muscles stiffened, she turned to see what caught his attention.
Time seemed to stand still. Dark eyes peered from the opening in the hallway. Dylan stood with his hand gripping the corner wall. He focused on her and Layne before glaring at her belly. But he wasn’t looking at her belly. He was gawking at Layne’s hand, the one still stretching across it.
As the tension grew thicker, she worried Dylan would demand Layne move. To her surprise, he came further into the room, offering them a tight-lipped smile.
“She’s a kicker, isn’t she?” He sat on the cushion he’d occupied earlier, on Heaven’s other side.
Layne nodded. He moved his hand back to his side and scooted to the other cushion. “Yeah, she is. She must have good reflexes. Maybe she’ll be a drummer, someday.”
Dylan chuckled. He started to say something else, but a series of beeps echoed from the TV. He turned in its direction. So did she. A red banner flashed across the screen, warning them of severe thunderstorms moving into the area.
“Guess we’re not getting rid of the rain anytime soon,” Dylan grumbled.
“Doesn’t surprise me,” Layne complained from her other side. “There’s always some type of shitstorm heading our way.”
CHAPTER 5
Rocks crunched under Layne’s boots as he walked down the gravel driveway, leaving the cabin behind him. He dodged the puddles forming in the dips, some spreading as wide as the driveway itself.
Rain beat the ground—and him. Each drop meeting his head ran through his brows and collected into bigger drops. Those drops blurred his vision. He swiped his arm across his face, but it didn’t remove the moisture. Maybe if his jacket weren’t as soaked as his hair, it would have.
The metallic scent in the air penetrated his nose. He scanned the grounds surrounding him, spotting areas of grass where water stood. The slope of the yard kept most of it away from the cabin, but he couldn’t say the same for the field below.
Once the sound of rushing water filled his ears, he stopped. The last three days of nonstop rain hadn’t been kind to the creek. It swelled beyond its banks, spilling over the main road, as well as the bridge at the end of the driveway.
Good thing they’d ran into town the day prior. There was no way in hell they were going anywhere today. If the rain didn’t stop soon, he didn’t know when they’d be able to leave.
At least the weather forecast predicted the rain would be gone by midnight. As long as the yard surrounding the cabin didn’t flood, they would be safe until the roads cleared. Their next check in with Delia was in two more days. With their luck, they’d get the okay to return to Brightsville while stranded. Heaven wouldn’t be happy, and he couldn’t blame her. The baby would be arriving in a few weeks. She needed to be with her family.
As he refaced the cabin, the wind whipped around him, pelting his face with rain. Each drop stung his skin, like he’d fallen into a beehive face first. He swiped at his eyes. It was time to go back. If he remained outside much longer, Heaven would worry. He’d satisfied his curiosity anyway.
Making his way through the yard, the sound of thunder rumbled in the distance. He’d picked the perfect time to go back inside. If the lightning in the approaching storm was anything like last night, he didn’t want to get caught in it.
Quick strides brought him up the porch steps and to the front door. He wasted no time entering the cabin. Heaven and Dylan sat on the couch in the same position as when he’d walked out the door. His arms were wrapped around her holding her close to his chest, where her head lay.
Both stared in Layne’s direction once the door clicked shut behind him. He parted his lips to speak, but the pitter-patter of water drew his attention to his feet. A puddle had formed around them, growing wider by the second. He’d better get a mop and clean up the mess. If he didn’t, Heaven would, and she didn’t need to clean up after him.
The pull of her soul stoked the fire in his, causing his body temperature to rise. He welcomed the warmth after standing in the rain for so long. Knowing she was the one responsible for the surge in his energy made his lips crook.
“Layne?”
He savored the sound of her voice. The moment he met her gaze, he raised a brow and blew a piece of hair from his face. “Think it will rain?”
Dylan’s shoulders shook as he chuckled. He scanned Layne from head to toe, but didn’t say anything else. He didn’t need to because Layne knew what he resembled—a wet dog. At least he didn’t smell like one.
Heaven sat up and trailed her eyes down his body before she eased off the sofa. “Let me get you a towel.”
“I can get it,” he blurted, readying his body to cut her off if she moved another foot. She looked tired. She had to be after all the sleep she’d lost since they’d arrived at the cabin.
“I don’t mind, Layne. If you go get it, you’re going to track water through the house.”
She made a good point. He would have told her as much, but the dampness in his clothes began to fade. He eyed the floor, where the puddle had formed, but the mess he caused had decreased in size. Heaven noticed too.
“Wow,” she whispered. “You’re already dry. You haven’t been standing here more than a minute.”
“Does this mean I’m getting stronger?”
“I’m not sure. You did this one other time, though I didn’t know about your abilities when it happened.”
He moseyed closer to the sofa, ignoring the way Dylan studied him. He wanted to be near her, wanted to know which incident she was referring to.
“When was this?”
“The day I went with my sisters and Delia to the bridal shop. You came over to get Dylan that morning, but I’m the one who answered the door.”
“I remember.” Images from that day flickered to life. “We had a crazy th
understorm come through. I’ve never seen it rain in L.A. like it did that day. But you’re right. I tracked water inside, made a mess on the floor, and then it was gone.”
She nodded, lowering herself back to the couch. “I thought I’d imagined the whole thing, especially when I saw the puff of steam, but it makes perfect sense now. You produce a massive amount of heat. The water evaporates.”
He wanted to give into the pull of their connection and go to her, but Dylan shifted against the couch. “What’s the situation outside?”
“Humph,” Layne grumbled, raking his fingers through his hair. “I hope you didn’t have plans to go anywhere today…or the next day. The creek flooded into the road. It covered the bridge too. If the rain stops tonight, we’ll be lucky if it clears up by tomorrow.”
“Great,” Dylan grumbled. He leaned against the couch and massaged his temples. “I don’t like the idea of being stuck here, but I guess we’ll be okay to wait it out. We’re not supposed to call Mom back for a few more days.”
“I don’t like the thought of sleeping on our mattress any longer. The last two weeks have been agonizing.” Heaven moved one hand from her belly to the lower part of her back. “I hope when you call your mom, she says we can come back.”
Her face pinched when she kneaded a section to the right of her hip, but it provided little relief. She winced. Their connection flickered, as if to mimic the spasms in her back.
The more it quivered, the more his energy tried to match the rhythm. So did his heartbeat. The thought of her in pain made him restless. Yet seeing it on her face left him feeling helpless. He hated feeling helpless. It was a sign of weakness, and she needed him to be strong.
He wanted to take her in his arms, focus on the fire inside him, and use it to relieve her pain. If he could get his hands hot enough without forming a flame, he could place them on her back and rub away the tension. It wouldn’t be any different than the heat therapy his mother used on her clients. Only he didn’t need the stones she used.
Before he made his way to the couch, Dylan lowered his hand, working it between the cushion and her body. When he pressed his fingers into her skin, her eyes fluttered shut.
“That feels amazing,” she whispered.
A spark of jealousy filled Layne’s heart. He should have offered to help instead of thinking about it. Dylan couldn’t provide her with the same relief he could, but there was no point in bringing it up. Not without pissing off his friend.
If he couldn’t provide her relief with the heat of his touch, then maybe he could offer something else. “Heaven, if your bed is hurting your back, why don’t you try sleeping in mine.”
Her eyes flew open, darting to his at the same time Dylan’s did. It wasn’t until his friend’s jaw flinched that he realized they’d misconstrued what he’d said.
“What I mean is, you should try it out and see if it helps your back. If it does, we’ll switch mattresses.”
“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” The frown on Dylan’s face disappeared. He swept his hand across her cheek as he leaned closer. “You should take some Tylenol and then hop in the shower. Let the hot water beat on your back. When you’re finished, you can take a nap. Layne and I will fix lunch in a bit and wake you when it’s ready.”
Layne nodded, even though he still wanted to use his fire to ease the ache in her back. He could provide three times the heat the shower could. Not that she could withstand that much heat from him. Then again, she was able to touch the flames he formed. Hell, she’d helped him form a few.
Once she stood, her shoulders rose and fell. “At this point, I’m willing to try anything.”
Her hand brushed Dylan’s shoulder as she rounded the sofa and made her way toward their room. Layne watched her until she disappeared from his sight, and then he faced Dylan.
“I hope your mom says we can come back soon. The longer we wait, the closer her due date gets.”
“Believe me, you aren’t telling me anything I haven’t been obsessing over.” Dylan leaned his elbows on his knees. He rubbed his hands together and concentrated on the floor. “The doctor in Jamaica said most first-time moms go past their due date, but as many contractions as she’s had, it worries me.”
Nodding again, Layne sat on the opposite end of the couch. He understood his friend’s concerns. He’d be just as worried if it were his wife and child. Heaven and the baby were neither, but anxiety flooded his body as if they were. He was responsible for her safety, most likely the baby’s too. If anything happened to either one of them—
A growl came from Dylan’s direction. He slumped further into the couch and clenched his jaw. Granted, he was stressing over Heaven and his child, but something else weighed on him. Layne sensed it a week ago, when he and Heaven came into the house—the same day Dylan announced they’d be staying longer.
“I, uh… I know we don’t talk like we used to, but I can still tell when something’s on your mind, like now. Whatever it is, it has nothing to do with Heaven’s contractions.”
He waited for Dylan’s response, waited through the awkward silence as his friend eyed the ground. It was a long shot to ask. They weren’t the same people they were a year ago. He missed hanging out with Dylan, but Heaven changed their friendship as well as their lives. Still, knowing what he did, Layne wouldn’t change anything. Not even kissing her. Everything that happened after the kiss changed him for the better.
Dylan cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something, and you give me the God’s honest truth?” His friend waited until he nodded before continuing. “How far would you go to save Heaven’s life? Would you sacrifice everything for her?”
Layne replayed the question as he dissected each word. Was this a trick, or some type of riddle? He wasn’t sure how to respond. Of course, it didn’t matter either way. Despite what Dylan thought of him or his connection with Heaven, it didn’t change the fact that he was meant to protect her at all cost.
“I would go as far as I needed to protect her. I would die in her place if the need be. Look what happened in Cleveland. I was willing to die for her when I stepped in front of the arrow.”
His friend held his gaze, not saying anything. Whatever was on Dylan’s mind, it wasn’t him. It couldn’t be with the way Dylan stared through him like he wasn’t in the room.
“Is there a reason you’re asking me this?”
“Sacrificing your life would be easy. Sacrificing yourself wouldn’t.”
The bizarre statement had Layne shifting against the cushion. He leaned his back on the arm of the couch, facing Dylan when he did. “You lost me, bro. Isn’t it the same thing? If you sacrifice your life, you’re sacrificing yourself.”
“No. It’s not the same. If I sacrifice my life, it would be over for me. My soul would leave this world and wait for Heaven’s to join it. It would be final. No worries, no fears.” He trailed his eyes across the room to the window, as lightning flashed in the distance. Once the thunder rumbled, he parted his lips again. “Sacrificing myself requires me giving up Heaven to keep her safe.”
A knot formed in Layne’s gut. He worked his mouth together, but no words formed. How could Dylan even consider giving up Heaven? It was crazy talk, the kind Layne refused to listen to a second longer.
“Have you lost your fucking mind? You can’t give up Heaven. Where the hell is this coming from?”
“My dad. He told me that if I walked away from Heaven and joined him, he’d make sure his people left her alone. She’d be safe for the rest of her life.”
Dylan’s jaw flinched. The flare of his nostrils hinted to the emotions he was hiding. Guys didn’t cry in front of other guys. It was just the way things were, no questions asked. To know that Dylan was suffering enough torment to cause him to slip from that rule said one thing for certain. He was terrified of losing his wife.
“You know better than to believe anything that comes out of your father’s mouth. I don’t know what’s going through your head right now, but I can tell y
ou this much. Forget it. If it involves you breaking your wife’s heart, it’s a bad idea.” Layne leaned forward, ready to stand, but he turned in Dylan’s direction once more. “And thanks for the vote of confidence, man. If you think you have to give yourself up to protect her, that tells me you have no faith in me or my abilities.”
“This has nothing to do with you,” Dylan seethed the words. He clenched his jaw tighter, gripping the edge of the couch. “It’s my one chance to guarantee her and my daughter’s safety. If I turn myself over to my dad, they’ll be safe. You know he’s going to be on a war path now that I beat the hell out of him.”
“And you think this will save her? Your dad is not a man of his word, Dylan. He lies and cheats to benefit himself. He will find a way to have her killed without it tracing back to him.” Dylan tried interrupting, but Layne jumped to his feet and pointed his finger in his face. “Shut up for a second and listen to what I have to say. Even if your dad spared her life, she’d never be the same if you walked away from her. You’re soulmates, for fuck’s sake. It would devastate her.”
“What if it didn’t? What if there was a way to keep her from falling into a depression if I left.”
Layne gripped his hand, fisting it. The longer he glared at Dylan, the harder he fought the urge to punch him. Did his friend not realize how lucky he was? Heaven was his soulmate. She was his wife, his lover, and would soon be the mother of his child. He had everything Layne never thought he wanted.
Until now…
“Damn, man. I was worried your dad gave you a concussion. Turns out I was wrong. You just have shit for brains.”
He shook his head and faced the window. The sight of Dylan made him sick. Fucking asshole. Why was it that the guys who had it all never truly appreciated it?
“Do you think I want to leave her behind? I don’t. All I want is for her to live, for my daughter to live. Dad said if I walk away, Heaven would be okay…because you’ll take care of her.”
“Excuse me?” He snapped his head in Dylan’s direction. “How did I get dragged into this?”
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