Coffin of Hope

Chapter Twenty

Mal frowned in his sleep. He was moving. Why? He peeled his eyes open and tried to bring the room into focus. He felt the bed move and immediately thought Marcy was trying to leave.

He turned around, ready to catch her when he realized she wasn't getting out of bed, she was tossing and turning in it.

Her face was twisted in fear and her arms moved as if she were fighting off a specter. She kicked her legs and thrashed side to side randomly.

He frowned. She was having a nightmare. Her breath was coming out in soft pants and whines and every so often she'd whisper, "No!".

He reached out and touched her shoulder. She reacted as if he weren't there. He shook her gently. "Marce?"

She turned from him.

He shook her harder. "Wake up, Marce. You're having a nightmare. Wake up."

"No!" She whined as she rolled over. She almost fell out of the bed but he snatched her back. She just buried her face in the covers and moaned.

He hated this. She'd had nightmares constantly and consistently since they were children. He'd always helped her through them but they always came back.

He hated to see her in pain. He turned her over to her back and leaned over her. He murmured her name softly and brushed his lips against hers gently.

She made a noise and stilled.

He kissed her again, barely making contact.

She hit him.

He kissed her a third time, this time applying pressure.

Her eyelashes fluttered until her eyes opened. Her breath caught when she realized he was leaning over her.

"You were having a nightmare."

Her heart beat out of sync. She knew she'd had a nightmare. She wasn't so sure it was over. But now she had him to deal with.

"Are you okay?"

She didn't know what to say. Of course she wasn't okay. Her nightmares were the stuff of legends but she couldn't even drink to cope because she was pregnant. But what was she really going to tell him? They weren't good.

She took too long to answer for him so he kissed her again.

She tried to move her head but he just changed the angle. She stayed still, ignoring that her heart had started pounding for a different reason.

He dragged his lips from her mouth to her chin to her neck.

She gasped as he found her pulse. It was racing. She whined accidentally.

He licked the pressure point.

Her whine went up an octave.

He pressed another kiss to her flesh before lifting his head and staring into her stormy eyes.

Her chest rose and fell quickly, moving him. She could feel his heartbeat against her breast and it seemed to beat in time to her own.

This was crazy. They couldn't do anything. They were in their parents' house in the dark alone and had to get up in a few hours.

But as she stared into the warm pools of whiskey that were his eyes, she couldn't recall her nightmare or why this was such a bad idea.

She lifted her hand and trailed her fingers across his face, specifically his mouth. He kissed her fingers. That made them tingle and she made her decision.

It was only one night. It changed nothing between them. She could brave that.

She wrapped her hand around his neck and pulled him down, fusing their mouths together.