I’m not sure if it’s the gesture itself or the aftershocks of his climax or the heaviness of it all—but Brant breaks down. He falls on top of me, slightly to the side so I don’t bear the brunt of his weight, and lets out a ragged, painful sound near my ear. He gathers me into his arms, so close, so vulnerable, and he trembles beside me as emotion funnels through him and warm tears rain down on my shoulder. “It’s okay,” I whisper, my fingers twining through his air. “I love you, and I promise it’s okay.”
