Tethered Souls

Anna’s POV

I glanced at my phone as it buzzed on the counter. A message from Rowan lit up the screen.

"I know you're probably already asleep by now, but I just wanted to remind you that I’m thinking of you. I’ll be working late tonight, covering for a colleague, but I can’t wait to see you when I get home. Hope you’re having a peaceful night. Love you."

A small smile crept across my lips as I read it. He was always so thoughtful, even with his erratic hours.

I stood there, cradling a mug of tea that had long since gone lukewarm. The house was quiet, too quiet, and the weight of the Alaska transfer sat heavily on my chest. I’d been replaying Philip’s words all evening, trying to convince myself that leaving was the right thing to do.

The silence felt different tonight—heavy, charged with something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. When a sudden creak broke through the stillness, my body tensed, and the air in my lungs stalled.

"Rowan?" I called out, my voice steady despite the flutter of nerves in my chest. No response.

I straightened, setting the mug down on the counter, my fingers brushing the cool ceramic as I braced myself.

"Is someone there?" I asked again, louder this time.

Before I could move, strong arms wrapped around me from behind. A gasp escaped me, sharp and instinctive, my body stiffening.

“Thinking about me?” His low, teasing voice brushed against my ear, sending a shiver racing down my spine.

“Rowan,” I breathed, my heart pounding in my chest as relief flooded me, followed quickly by irritation.

“You scared me.”

“Good.” His breath was warm against my neck, and though his tone was playful, there was an intensity in the way he held me, a possessiveness that made my pulse quicken for an entirely different reason. “Maybe now you’ll stop staying up so late without me.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that slipped out, soft and breathless. “How does a male nurse manage to sneak up on me like this?” I teased, leaning back into his warmth, my body relaxing against him.

“Surprises are my specialty,” he murmured, his lips brushing against the sensitive curve of my jaw.

I turned slightly, catching the glint of mischief in his dark eyes.

“You’re impossible,” I said, though the words lacked any bite.

“You love it,” he replied, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth as his hands slid along my waist, grounding me in his touch.

Before I could respond, he turned me around, pressing my back against the counter, his body close enough to leave no space between us. His dark gaze locked onto mine, filled with a hunger that stole the air from my lungs.

“Do you have any idea what you do to me, Anna?” he asked, his voice rough, his thumb brushing against my cheek with a tenderness that stood in stark contrast to the raw intensity of his stare.

I opened my mouth to answer, but before I could, his lips crashed into mine, fierce and unrelenting. The world around us dissolved as I melted into him, my fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt, holding him closer, needing him closer.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathless, my heart racing as my mind tried to catch up. “What’s gotten into you tonight?” I managed to whisper, my voice shaky.

“Do I need a reason to want my wife?” he murmured, his lips grazing mine again.

His words hit like a jolt, sending a rush of warmth through me. But even as his hands slid lower, lifting me effortlessly onto the counter, I felt the unspoken words clawing their way up my throat.

“Rowan…” I whispered, my voice catching as I tried to speak.

“Shhh,” he murmured, silencing me with another kiss, his hands steadying me as though the world might fall apart if he let go.

But I couldn’t stop the words this time. They slipped out, shaky and urgent.

“I need to talk…”

He paused, his lips hovering just above mine, his breath mingling with mine. “Later,” he said, his voice low, almost desperate. “Just love me right now. Nothing else.”

“It’s about us, Rowan,” I said, my voice firmer this time. My fingers curled around the back of his neck, anchoring us together as I forced myself to meet his gaze. “It’s urgent… I don’t have time.”

He froze. I felt the shift in him immediately—the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands gripped my sides just a little too tightly.

“What?” he said, his voice low, almost like he hadn’t heard me right.

“I’m moving to Alaska,” I said, the words tumbling out before I could second-guess them. My chest tightened as I watched his expression change, the warmth in his eyes cooling into something unreadable.

His hands dropped to his sides, and for a moment, he just stared at me, the weight of my words sinking in.

“Alaska?” he repeated, his voice hollow, like he couldn’t quite believe it.