"I think I finally get it."

"Get what?" There was something about the look in his eyes, the confidence, the surety, that had me swallowing hard.

"You." And as he smiled, it was almost smug. "I get you, Oz. You're a little, Aren't you?"

If only I had known at the time just how much those few little words were going to change my life.

The Little Of Oz Series

Heart manic and each breath painful, it took me longer than I should to make sense of what was happening.

/"It was just a bad dream, sweetheart,/" Deacon was saying. His hands cupped my face, much like he had in my dream, but his touch was gentle and kind. I still fought, but once I had managed to sit up and he had backed away, I managed to take in my surroundings.

We were in bed. The lamp on one side was on. Deacon was hovering, and I . . . was crying. Tears rolled down my cheeks and each breath I took was hindered with a sob.

/"Deek?/" I whimpered, holding my arms up to him. He crushed me to him before I had a chance to rethink that thought, pulling me against his chest, kissing the life out of my forehead and dabbing at my tears with the blanket.

/"It was just another bad dream, baby. You're fine./"

Chapter159