For a moment, Lana just froze. The words had slipped from his mouth so raw, so fragile, she thought she might have just misheard him.
Hug me.
Her arms were already around him, holding him upright in some desperate attempt to keep him tethered. But this—this was different. This wasn't just a hand to hold or a shirt to take off. This was an opening. A plea. Something he had stripped down to its bare bones and handed to her without hesitation.
She swallowed, her throat tight. Then slowly, carefully, she adjusted her arms, easing herself onto the bed so she could hold him properly. He shifted just enough to make space, and the next thing she knew, his body was curled against hers, trembling but slowly easing under the shelter of her embrace.
