The warmth between them still lingered in the dim room when Mary suddenly jolted upright, clarity snapping back like a pulled thread.
This wasn't the moment to get carried away.
She pushed Ryan back with flustered urgency, her breath unsteady. "Hubby, wait… Olivia is still in the mindscape. We haven't handled that yet."
Ryan froze mid-movement, a tight breath leaving him as he reined himself in. The desire simmering in him didn't disappear, but he forced it down, steadying his heartbeat. He had made her a promise, and he didn't break promises.
Watching him pull himself back so quickly made guilt prickle through Mary. It was always him holding back. Always him taking the brunt of the restraint.
"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I make you wait every time."
Ryan lay beside her, voice low and patient. "I promised you. So I'll endure. It's simple."
