Perfect Fit: Book 4 of the Fated Hearts Series by Aimee Nicole Walker Page B

the gesture was anything more than Jag needing comfort from me.
    Tears burned the back of my eyes and my nose began to sting as I replayed what he had divulged to me. It broke my heart to hear all of the pain he had been carrying inside him for so long. I hated that he felt so alone with no one to share his burdens. I hated even more that he didn’t think he deserved to be loved and that he somehow felt the universe punished him by taking away his little brother because Jag had dared to love and dream. I was truly grateful that he trusted me with his hurts and turned to me in comfort.
    I had held my shit together when he was telling his story because I knew that he needed me to be strong for him, but I allowed myself to release my tears and cry for the broken boy he used to be. That wasn’t the man who held me in his arms though. He had moved so far beyond that kid and he just needed to see it for himself. Maybe then he would realize that he was meant to have so much more than a lonely, loveless life.
    I debated on waking him up and taking him upstairs to sleep once I gathered my composure and dried my tears. I worried that he would think I was upset that he stayed over and that wasn’t the case at all. He needed me and I was glad that I could be there for him. I decided to take a chance and kissed him awake.
    “I’m sorry I fell asleep.” Jag unwrapped his arms around me to stretch his body. “Just give me a few minutes to wake up and I’ll take off.”
    “I didn’t wake you up to leave, I woke you up so we could go up to my bed where there’s more room.” My statement was met with silence, but I swore I could hear that hamster in his brain running triple time in its wheel as he struggled to think through my offer. “You’re thinking way too hard, Jag.” I gave him a quick kiss and then climbed off the couch. “You know your way to my bedroom. My offer of a large comfortable bed and warm body stands. If you aren’t comfortable with that then you can stay down here on the couch instead of driving home in the wee hours of the morning with the drunks that just left the bars. No hurt feelings if you want to stay down here, okay?” I patted my leg a few times and Indy jumped down off the couch and followed me upstairs to my bedroom.
    I stripped down to my underwear and put Indy on the bed before climbing between the sheets. I laid there in complete silence as I listened to see what Jag decided to do. After several minutes, he was still on the couch and I squelched down the feelings of disappointment before they could take root. I was just about to fall asleep when I heard his tread on the stairs.
    I remained silent as he undressed in the darkness of my bedroom. I tried not to giggle when I heard him give Indy a good night scratch and a kiss on the top of his head. I attempted to keep my breathing even as if I was asleep, but the brush of his bare legs against mine ruined my efforts. I kept my eyes shut and laid still even though I wanted to curl into his heat. Luckily for me, I wasn’t the only one who wanted to cuddle because Jag rolled over on his side and curled around my body. I couldn’t resist relaxing into his warm strength and the broken sigh that escaped my mouth gave away just how long I had been holding my breath to see what he’d do once he climbed into my bed.
    “Thank you for being here for me, Bones. I think I needed to talk about my past more than I realized; I just needed to find the right person to listen.” Jag pressed a kiss on the back of my neck and let out a pent up breath.
    “Anytime, Jag, and I mean that.”
    I fell asleep wrapped up in his heat, but woke up alone. I always woke up alone, so it shouldn’t have bothered me. I should’ve been glad that we’d avoided any awkwardness and could just go back to fucking the next time we hooked up. Instead, I missed his heat and the smell of his skin. I pouted like a petulant child because I didn’t get the birthday sex that I had been