A gun was pressed to Alex’s temple.

Cold, hard.

He couldn’t see Cam, but he could hear her scream.

“No,” he shouted, twisting his arms, trying to get away from whoever was holding him.

But the arms held firm, digging into his flesh, and the barrel of the gun dug into his forehead, almost as if it were drilling into his skin.

He didn’t care.

All he wanted was to get to Cam.

To save her.

“No!”

He startled awake.

It took him a minute to orient himself.

And then he remembered.

Where he was.

Who he was with.

The arms holding him in his dream belonged to Cam. Those arms were wrapped around his stomach, though, not digging into his arms. And her chest was pushed up against his back, her head tucked close to his shoulder. He could feel her breath on his skin, the steady breathing of someone deep asleep.

The nightmare dissipated and all he could think of was Cam.

Cam snuggled against him.

Desire surged through him and his body immediately responded.

Shit.

He needed to create some distance between them. Immediately.

He tried to disentangle himself from her arms, but the minute he moved, she gripped him tighter.

“Cam,” he whispered.

She responded with a whimper and a sigh and latched herself even more firmly to him.

“Cam,” he repeated, a little louder this time.

Another sigh.

He wrapped his fingers around her arm, trying not to notice how soft and warm her skin felt. He lifted her arm and tried to shimmy out from under her. His bruised ribs protested, but he didn’t care. He’d made a promise that he wasn’t going to touch her, that she would be safe in the bed with him. And even though it was her who had initiated contact, it felt like his responsibility to put an end to it.

Her arm reached for him the minute he broke contact.

“Don’t,” she whispered.

“What?”

“Come back,” she murmured.

She had to be asleep. Dreaming. That was the only explanation that made sense. Of course, his gut tightened as he wondered who she thought she was talking to. Did she have a boyfriend? He didn’t even know.

“Go to sleep,” he said softly.

“Come back,” she repeated. She moved closer to him, so close that his only choice was to come back into physical contact with her or risk falling off the side of the bed.

“Cam.” He hesitated, then reached out a hand and touched her cheek. “You’re dreaming. Wake up.”

Her eyes opened. “I’m awake.” Her voice was a whisper.

Maybe she’d just had a bad dream, too.

“What…what are you doing?”

She ran her tongue over her lip. “I don’t know.” But her body stayed pressed against his.

He swallowed. “I can’t move away from you.”

“I know.”

“I mean, I physically can’t move. I’m on the edge of the bed.”

“I know.” Her hand ran up and down his arm, as soft as a feather.

He sucked in a breath. Her touch was like an electric shock against his skin. He wanted more. Her hands on his chest, his back…her mouth locked on his…

She trailed her fingers along his bicep.

And he couldn’t hold back. Not anymore. Not with her touching him.

“I want you,” he breathed.

Her fingers stilled.

“I want you.” His voice was thick with desire. “And I think you want me, too.”

She stayed still.

His body ached for hers. He wanted nothing more than to sink his hands into her hair and drag his mouth across hers and bury himself inside her. To lose himself in her.

But those weren’t things for him to take.

They were hers to give.

“Tell me you want me,” he said huskily.

Silence.

Agonizing silence.

Then, tentatively, she whispered, “I want you.”

His heart jumped into his throat. He swallowed hard.

“Show me,” he said. “Show me you want me.”

Her fingers skimmed his arm again.

He waited, his body vibrating with desire.

Slowly, her hand moved from his arm to his chest, her fingers barely grazing his stomach as she slowly made her descent.

He groaned. “You’re sure? This is what you want?”

She closed her hand over him just as her mouth found his.

That was all the answer he needed.