[h2]Esme[/h2]
Before Duke wrapped his arms around Esme and ran his fingertips along her spine, she had gotten caught up in the emotions she felt radiating from him. The more she let herself take them in, the more transparent they became, causing her to inwardly sigh and push down the fear of losing him. She wouldn’t let herself think about that, even though she knew it was a possibility. The thought of losing him was just too much for her to think about right now. She also knew that he knew that even though Duke would do anything to keep her alive, she would do the same for him. When Duke acknowledged her embrace and muttered a response, she was pulled away from that horrible thought. A small smile came to her lips, and she softly nodded to his comment about Dean. She knew that to be a cold, hard fact.

As he lifted his head from her chest, the urge to hold him tighter was strong. When he wrapped his fingers around the back of her neck, pulled her close, and smiled brightly, Esme smiled back, seeing the message he was trying to convey. It did her heart good in that moment to know that everything was good between them, that they were on the same page, and that they were going into this together. It put her mind at ease, knowing nothing conflicting was between them as they dove head-first into what loomed ahead. Esme rested her forehead against his to tell him she got his message loud and clear. When he asked his teasing question with that signature bright smile still on his lips, she softly laughed, then lifted her head just enough to see his face with a thoughtful look. “Hmm, I’m afraid I don’t either.” Esme teased back. 

She shifted so she could get her legs out from under herself, then slid herself over to sit across his lap. Placing a gentle hand on his cheek, Esme brought his face closer so their noses touched. “But I’m sure we can put our heads together and figure something out.” She honestly didn’t care what they did for the next few hours. She’d be perfectly content just staying in his lap, holding each other, or even laying in bed wrapped up in each other’s embrace. Smiling more, she softly brushed her nose against his before kissing him passionately.