The trees closed around us as we left the road behind, the forest swallowing the last sounds of the cars until there was only the soft press of his boots against the earth and my own uneven breathing.
I became painfully aware of how close I was to him then, of the way his arms held me without strain like this was nothing new to him. Heat rose to my face before I could stop it, and I hated that my body reacted this way when my mind was still tangled in fear and anger. He was strong, painfully so, solid in a way that made me feel small and protected at the same time, and his warmth seeped into me through the thin fabric of my dress.
His scent surrounded me and it settled something inside my chest that had been shaking for hours. Where his hand rested at my waist my skin tingled, and ever
