His arms went around her, almost tentatively, as if he didn’t know where to place his hands. She snuggled closer, tried to still the random tremors coursing through her. After a moment, one of his big hands moved, smoothing her hair from the crown of her head to somewhere near her waist. Over and over again he touched her, all the while uttering soothing, nonsensical sounds. She’d never imagined he could be so gentle.
