Chapter 31

Chapter 31:

🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙 🍙

Held in place by his steady touch, she could only lie there while his fingertips traced the ridges of her scars.

Every brush over the raised tissue made her flinch. The potion burned at first, then cooled, leaving behind a slow, soothing relief that loosened the tightness in her chest. A soft, startled sound slipped from her throat before she could stop it.

That faint whimper pierced Andrew, coiling tight in his chest. His body went rigid, his breathing roughening.

“Mmm… it feels good…” The words escaped on a sigh, unguarded. The chill of the medicine sank into her raw skin like sudden rain after a drought, easing the constant burn that had haunted her for years.

That single, thoughtless word—good—nearly snapped Andrew’s last thread of restraint.