She could feel his pause: the way his body stilled just before moving, the bob of his Adam's apple as he swallowed. The heaviness in his voice, too, told her things, but her mind was a muddle. The pieces were there, but she could not put the puzzle together to create the bigger picture, and she had no desire to. Hild had little desire in that moment beyond the circle of Derek's arms.

Humming into the kiss, Hild drew her fingers lightly along the line of his jaw, the rough rub of stubble on her fingertips. "Beautiful Derek," she murmured against his lips. "Stay with me tonight."