Never Leave, A Human Mate - (Book 2 The Mist Series)

~Chapter 25 - Lost in Feelings~

~Dawn~

The nightmare clawed its way back, a familiar beast rending my sleep. Nate. Behind the wheel. His face… God, his face. A crimson mask of blood and shattered bone. He turned, or tried to—the motion a grotesque parody of a loving glance. He opened his mouth, a silent chasm in the wreckage. The words wouldn’t come, but the scream did. Mine.

I bolted upright, lungs burning, the echo of that scream still ringing in my ears. My chest heaved, a frantic drumbeat against my ribs. Sweat plastered my hair to my forehead, cold and clammy. The sheets were twisted around me like a suffocating shroud.

“Dawn?” Reece said as he slipped up beside me. “Are you okay?”

I turned to him, my heart still racing. He was topless, his white hair brushed back from his face. The murky, rain muted afternoon light pierced through the open window, highlighting the streaks in his hair. He looked ethereal, almost otherworldly.

“Dawn?” he asked again, his voice laced with concern. He reached for me, but I flinched, Nate’s face still a raw, bleeding image behind my eyelids. He dropped his hand, a flicker of hurt crossing his features. “Have I done something?”

“Oh no, of course not,” I replied, forcing a shaky smile. I placed my hand on his, feeling the reassuring warmth pass between us. “It’s just…” I sighed, the weight of the memory pressing down on me. “You know how I mentioned my husband, Nate?”

He nodded, his gaze unwavering. “Yes.”

“It’s just… the nightmares. They’re getting worse. It’s always the accident.” I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat making it difficult to speak. “The car… it was… it was horrific, Reece.”

I closed my eyes, and the image flooded back, sharp and vivid as broken glass. The mangled metal, the smell of gasoline, the sickening crunch of impact. Nate…

“We were arguing,” I confessed, the words tumbling out in a rush. “About money. He’d quit his job. Said he couldn’t stand the corporate grind anymore. I was working retail, barely making ends meet, and I hated it. We both hated it. But… but it was a means to an end, you know? A way to survive.”

I opened my eyes, tears welling up. Reece’s expression was soft, understanding. He didn’t interrupt, didn’t offer platitudes. He just listened.

“The argument got… intense. We were both saying things we didn’t mean. And then… then it happened. A truck had stalled on the freeway. We didn’t see it until it was too late. I remember Nate swerving, trying to avoid it, but… we hit it head-on. The impact… it was like the world exploded.”

My voice cracked, and I couldn’t go on. I buried my face in my hands, the sobs racking my body.

Reece pulled me into his arms, holding me close. His embrace was firm, comforting, a safe harbour in the storm of my grief. “It wasn’t your fault, Dawn,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble against my ear. “Accidents happen. They’re cruel and senseless, but they happen.”

His words were simple, but they offered a sliver of solace. I clung to him, drawing strength from his presence. The guilt, the what-ifs, the endless replay of the accident in my mind… it was a heavy burden to bear alone.

After a few minutes, the sobs subsided, leaving me drained and exhausted. I pulled back slightly, looking up at Reece. His eyes were filled with compassion.

“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice hoarse.

He brushed a stray strand of hair from my face. “Anytime.”

I leaned in and kissed him, a soft, tentative touch. His lips were warm and gentle, and the kiss deepened, becoming more passionate, more urgent. It was a desperate kiss, a kiss that sought oblivion from the pain, a kiss that yearned for connection, for comfort, for something beyond the shadow of loss.

His arms tightened around me, pulling me closer, moulding our bodies together. His lips moved against mine with a fierce hunger, a mirroring of my own desire. The kiss was electric, igniting a fire.

We broke apart, gasping for breath, our eyes locked in a silent conversation. Desire flared in his gaze, mirroring the longing in my own. He didn’t need to say anything. I knew what he wanted. And I wanted it too.

Without a word, he lifted me, carrying me back down onto the bed. The sheets were still tangled, still damp with my tears, but I didn’t care. All that mattered was Reece, his touch, his presence.

He kissed me again, and again, his hands exploring my body with a tender reverence that made me shiver. His fingered moved fast as he unbuttoned my nightgown, exposing my skin to his touch, and I arched into him, craving his closeness. He trailed kisses down my neck, across my chest, his breath hot against my skin. I moaned, a low, guttural sound of pleasure. I reached out, running my fingers through his white hair, pulling him closer, urging him on.

The world narrowed, focusing on the sensation of his touch, the warmth of his skin, the rhythm of our breathing. The past faded into the background, the nightmares receded, replaced by the intoxicating reality of the present moment.

This had become second nature between us. A twisted dance of comfort and need, a silent agreement forged in the crucible of shared trauma. The lines between friend, protector, and something more had blurred long ago, leaving us adrift in a sea of unspoken emotions.

I pressed my hand to his chest, the solid thump of his heartbeat grounding me. I pushed him back, just enough to create a sliver of space between us. “Wait…” I breathed, the word catching in my throat. I needed this, desperately.

He allowed me to kneel before him, his eyes, usually so bright and vibrant, now clouded with suppressed desire, running over every inch of me. He didn’t pressure me, didn’t say a word, simply waited, allowing me to dictate the pace.

I leaned into him, inhaling the familiar scent of his skin, a comforting blend of sea salt and something uniquely his own. Then I licked his neck, a primal gesture that sent a jolt of electricity through both of us. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a sound that vibrated against my lips as he melted against me, surrendering to the rising tide of passion. I kissed a path across his collarbone, down his chest, each touch a deliberate act of claiming, of asserting my own agency in this desperate dance.

“Dawn,” he said, the word a plea, a raw expression of his own building need.

I licked up to his ear, nipping gently at the lobe, and whispered, “Take me, Reece! Make me yours!” The words were both a command and a desperate supplication, a release of all the pent-up emotions that threatened to consume me.

He turned me around, his movements surprisingly gentle despite the fierce intensity in his eyes. He ran a tentative hand down my back, tracing the curve of my spine, sending shivers dancing across my skin. I pressed back against him, seeking the solid comfort of his body, and another growl escaped him, a primal sound that resonated deep within my soul.

“You’re mine, Dawn.” He said, the words spoken with a low, possessive intensity that sent a thrill of both fear and exhilaration through me. It wasn’t a question, but a statement, a claiming of what we both knew to be true, even if we rarely dared to speak it aloud. Then, before I could respond, he pinned me gently against the headrest, his body a warm, solid weight behind me, effectively trapping me in his embrace.

“Yours!” I agreed, the word a breathy whisper, filled with a raw, desperate need that resonated from the core of my being. I wanted him, needed him, more than I ever thought possible.

He kissed the nape of my neck, a slow, deliberate exploration that sent shivers cascading down my spine. His teeth grazed my skin, a playful bite that made me gasp. My hands gripped the edge of the headrest, knuckles white, holding on tight as the anticipation built.

His hands moved down my body, tracing the curve of my hips, the swell of my stomach. He lingered there, his fingers dancing lightly across my skin, teasing me with their gentle touch. I arched my back, pressing closer against him, silently begging for more.

He seemed to sense my need, his touch growing bolder, more insistent. He cupped my breasts, his thumbs circling my n*****s, sending sparks of pleasure shooting through me. I moaned, a low, guttural sound that escaped my lips unbidden.

“Tell me what you want,” he murmured, his voice husky with desire.

The words were a release, a permission to voice the desires that I had kept hidden for so long. “I want you,” I breathed, the words ragged and desperate. “I want you inside me.”

He shifted, his body pressing against mine, and I could feel the hard ridge of his manhood against me. It was a shock, a jolt of raw, primal energy that made me tremble.

He reached between our bodies, his fingers finding the sensitive spot between my legs. I gasped, my hips bucking against his hand. He stroked me, slowly, deliberately, building the tension with each teasing touch.

“Are you ready for me, Dawn?” he asked, his voice low and urgent.

I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by the sensation. “Yes,” I whispered, the word barely audible. “Please, Reece. I need you.”

He positioned himself behind me, his breath hot against my ear. The tip of his manhood probed at my entrance, a moment of exquisite torture that made me arch my back in anticipation.

He pushed in, slowly, deliberately. I cried out, a mixture of pain and pleasure, as he filled me completely. Slow, deliberate strokes at first. I gripped the headrest tighter, my body rocking with each thrust. He deepened the kisses on my neck, his teeth nipping and tugging at my skin.

As the rhythm intensified, I lost myself in the sensation. The world narrowed, focusing on the feel of his body inside mine, the sound of our ragged breathing, the taste of his skin. I was no longer Dawn, the grieving widow, the woman haunted by nightmares. I was simply a body consumed by pleasure, a vessel for his desire.

He pushed deeper, harder, his movements becoming more frantic. I met his thrusts with my own, my hips bucking against his, desperate for release.

“Reece,” I moaned, his name a prayer on my lips.

He surged forward, his body shuddering with the force of his orgasm. My own climax ripped through me, convulsing my body with wave after wave of pleasure.

We collapsed against each other, gasping for breath, our bodies slick with sweat. The world spun for a moment before slowly coming back into focus.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes searching mine. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.

I nodded, a small smile playing on my lips. “I’m more than okay.”

He kissed me again, a soft, tender touch that spoke volumes. “I want to introduce you to my daughter.”

“What?” I asked, blinking back at him. “Right now?”

“Yep,” he laughed. “Once we’ve had a shower, I’ll take you to meet her.”