CHAPTER SIX

LINDY

Unbearable heat.

The scent of fresh pine.

What happened last night?

Timber's heavy body rests on top of me. I'm covered head to toe by him. His head between my breasts. One tattooed arm curled up my side to wrap underneath my shoulder. A long, muscular leg trapping mine against the bed.

This man has me completely at his mercy.

A panic attack should be gearing up at his close proximity—especially when I haven't had a man in my bed since Dean—but Timber has never turned his strength on me.

All that brute power? He's used it to save me from potentially dangerous situations time and again, instead.

He's been the perfect gentleman. Except for being in this bed right now.

How did we end up snuggled together?

My brain is still fuzzy although my stomach doesn't feel like it's going to revolt again. For a minute, I search for details of the previous night, but nothing comes to mind, and frankly, I'm still tired. It's too early to try to piece together what happened at Rust after Martha disappeared.

Letting it go for now, my eyes flutter shut as I shift into a more comfortable position. My range of motion is limited with Timber anchoring me to the mattress, but strangely, I don't mind.

A part of me likes where he is.

I feel comfortable and safe, even if it's a little hard to breathe and his body is like a fucking furnace. It's a small price to pay for the feeling of security.

I inwardly laugh at myself. A burly military veteran who also rides with a motorcycle club should scare the hell out of me, yet he represents safety.

Maybe my head's broken after the stress and abuse my ex put me through. Or my sense of who's safe in the world is warped since Dean was a fucking cop.

Timber huffs like he knows my thoughts are wandering into bad territory, and I let it distract me. The man sleeps like the dead, despite my moving around. He hasn't readjusted the whole time I've been awake.

Must be nice being able to sleep that deeply.

I usually wake up a few times a night from tossing and turning and more recently bad dreams. They've improved with therapy and distance from Dean, but they still lurk in the depths of my mind, primed to emerge when I least expect it.

Maybe Timber's presence can protect me from those, too…