“Peyton.” Not Adam’s voice. Boone. Strong hands shook her. “Peyton. Wake up.”
Her eyes flew open, finding the bedside light on, and she jolted herself up in bed, realizing she’d been dreaming. But even awake now, she felt Adam’s concern, his presence, and her heart ached to sleep again, to see him again.
“It’s all right,” Boone soothed, gripping her arms tight. “You had a nightmare.”
“Jesus,” she breathed, her heart beating a mile a minute. She dropped her head into her hands, feeling the slickness of sweat coating her flushed skin. “I haven’t had one of those in a long time.”
“Nightmare about Adam?” Boone guessed.
She nodded, brushing the hair off her face, glancing up at him. “I had them for months after Adam died.” And they were never happy dreams, where he sai
d he missed her. They were always cruel dreams where Adam was in distress.
A heavy sighed passed through Boone’s mouth as he took her in his arms, holding her tight. “It’s been a stressful couple of days.”
Yeah, it had. The murder. Justin had been in town. The car accident. And her helping the injured man. Plus Boone thinking maybe she was connected to the murder in her shop. She knew all those things would bring her back to the place she didn’t want to go. “Therapy helped quiet those nightmares.” Nine months and twelve days of therapy, to be exact.
Boone held her head to his chest, stroking her hair. “It’s good you did that…spoke to someone. I restored my house as my therapy. I didn’t like the silence. Probably would’ve been cheaper to speak to someone.”
“Whatever gets you through,” she said, exhaling deeply, trying to settle the racing of her heart.
“Yeah.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
Each stroke of his gentle hands through her hair made breathing a little easier, bringing her out of her dream and back to reality. Back to this new life she had with Boone. “Damn this dream, though, it felt so real. More than any other before.”
“What was it about?” Boone asked.
She lifted her head, missing his warmth, sliding her fingers into Boone’s to feel connected to this world. “Adam was telling me that I’m not safe.”
“Fear and worry can do funny things to a mind.” Boone gathered her in his arms and lay back against the pillows, pulling her close to him, regardless that she was drenched in sweat. “You are safe with me, Peyton.”
“I know,” she admitted, shutting her eyes, absorbing the warmth and strength he offered.
A pause. Then she heard the smile in his voice. “I’m glad you know.”
Minutes went by while she breathed deeply, slowing her heart rate, reminding herself the dream wasn’t real. “This dream just felt so different than any others before it.”
“How so?” Boone asked, brushing his fingers over her damp hair.
“Adam’s never warned me.” He always seemed angry and distraught, but never afraid for her, only for himself.
Boone’s deep inhale lifted his chest. “Maybe that’s just your own subconscious alerting you to danger.”
“Not a believer in the other side?”
Boone snorted. “The only ghost I’ve ever seen was a kid running down the street on Halloween with a bedsheet over his head. I believe in facts, in science, and in logic.”
“Me too…usually.” She couldn’t shake the eeriness about the dream. “I don’t know, this time it felt really different.” He tilted her chin, turning her gaze to him, and she added, “In the dream, Adam asked me to tell you not to stop looking.”
Emotion flashed in Boone’s eyes. “I won’t, not ever.” The light from the bedside table cast a warm glow over the side of his face. “You’re not alone in this. If there is something to find out, I’ll find it.”
She cupped his face. “Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me,” Boone said firmly. “I care about you, Peyton. I want you safe.” Then, not waiting for her reply, his mouth met hers.
She basked in the knowledge that he had feelings too and clung to Boone, needing him to warm those the icy spots in her heart the dream caused. The kiss quickly turned from gentle to frantic. “I need you,” she rasped against his mouth, pushing off his boxer briefs.
“You can have me,” he groaned as her hand grazed his hardened length. “Always.”