One arm curled protectively around her waist, fingers splaying across her ribs. The other hand continued stroking her hair in long, soothing movements, over and over, a rhythm like a lullaby only she could hear, only she could feel.
"Sleep now," he murmured into her hair, his voice a low rumble that vibrated through her. "I've got you. Nothing will hurt you while I'm here."
But Zhou Yuxi shifted in his arms, pulling back just enough to look up at him. Her eyes, those beautiful, haunted eyes, searched his face with an intensity that stole his breath.
"Yunchen…" she whispered, and there was something different in her voice now. Something vulnerable but wanting. "I need… I need to know you're real. That this is real."
Before he could respond, she lifted herself slightly, wincing at the pull of her IV, and pressed her lips to his.
