CHAPTER 7
GUILT AND DESIRE
ISLA
You know when they say, “Quiet comes after a storm”? That was the exact explanation of my situation. I was in the quiet after the storm.
Ellis’s breathing was a slow, steady rhythm I could get lost in. I lay in his arms, my chest pressed against his. I could feel the rise and fall of him, the heat of his skin, and the faint smell of cedarwood still lingering in my hair.
His finger twined in my messy hair, tracing the lines of my neck, and my mind refused to settle.
I wanted to speak, to say something, but the words were heavy in my throat, so I could only stare at the ceiling with hot cheeks and a heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from my ribs.
“Why are you so quiet?” His voice was soft and teasing, but with a vulnerability under
