Finally sweet relief.
But I also see something else every time he looks at me. And I can抰 let myself get too wrapped up in it梩oo hopeful梠r I抣l never finish my story.
It抯 a little surreal, like I抦 describing a movie rather than a nightmare that actually happened.
揊ucking shit,?he whispers when it抯 over, sinking back against the couch. 揈ver since he showed his real face, I knew it was something like that. But to have all the missing pieces, thanks to you...?
He shakes his head fiercely, reaching out, urging me closer.
揑t抯 the least I can do, giving you some closure,?I whisper.
揑 needed it, Eliza, but there抯 something else I need a whole hell of a lot more than the gritty details about that backstabbing cock.?He inhales sharply.
My eyes search his. My blood runs so hot my goosebumps feel like tiny mosquito bites.
揥hat??I whisper.
揑抦 looking at it now. You, woman, were always my missing piece. Always the right shape to fill the gaping hole in my life. I抦 just sorry as hell it took me so long to come to my senses,?he rasps.
His soulful gaze is determined to burn me down.
With shaking fingers, I cup his face with my good hand.
揇on抰. Don抰 apologize, Cole. I抦 only here梐live梩hanks to you. You can抰 blame yourself for what Troy did.?
He leans closer, his breath hot against my lips.
揑 blame myself for a lot, Eliza. Not making sure he got put away after killing Aster. Not noticing his peculiarities. I hate myself for the bullshit I said to you. If I抎 thought harder about my words, he never would抳e hurt you. You wouldn抰 have been in his car that night. There抯 no way to slice this where it isn抰 my fault. You almost got killed because of me, and I抦 so fucking sorry. About as sorry as I am for ever hesitating to say how much I love you.?
Oh my God.
Butterflies swarm my stomach in force.
It抯 hard to look at the fraught honesty etched on his face without going to pieces.
揅ole, stop. You weren抰 too late. You...you saved me,?I whisper roughly, tracing my finger down his jawline. 揂nd I know you said some things you shouldn抰 have. So did I. You were worried about Destiny and knowing what Troy did now, you were right to be. You don抰 have to tell me how much you love me. You showed it. You risked your life...for mine.?I bite my bottom lip, hot emotion scratching my throat. 揃y the way, you can抰 do that ever again. You know that, right??
揕ike hell.?He blinks at me and his brow furrows. 揥hy not? I can抰 live without you, Eliza.?
揃ecause you can抰 leave Destiny an orphan, and I love you a lot, too, crazyman.?
His arms lock around my waist and his lips brush mine.
揋oddamn. You realize it抯 taking every ounce of self-control I have not to kiss you right now??
揇o it.?
揃ut棓
揇o it,?I whisper again, grabbing his shirt.
His hands sweep lower, stopping on my butt for a delicious squeeze before skimming up again.
Then he takes my face in both of his huge, worn hands. His lips claim mine with a low, sweeping growl like a desert storm announcing rain to the starving earth.
I gasp.
I tremble.
I fall for him a hundred more ways as our mouths go to war, desperate and hungry and so eager to be one.
When he tears himself away, he stands, taking my hand. 揙n my lap. Now. I抦 afraid I抣l fucking break you.?
揑抦 not that brittle,?I promise.
揘o, but with that arm...?
I laugh.
He pulls me down on him in one movement. My hips love the heat of his thighs. Almost as much as my face appreciates the roughness of his hands, his stubble, every time his skin rakes mine.
揑 don抰 deserve you,?he snarls in my ear. 揑 can never make up for the torture I抳e put you through.?
My heart sinks for a moment.
揟his better not be the 慽t抯 not you, it抯 me?speech??
He shakes his head, his other arm holding me tighter.
揘o. I抎 have to be a hell of a lot dumber to let you go again. This is the 慖抦 afraid I抣l hurt you again, or you抣l realize I don抰 deserve you and run away speech.挃
I purse my lips. 揟hat抯 so not happening.?
揧eah? Why are you so sure??
揧ou know why.?
He smiles. 揑 have a good idea, but I want to hear you say it.?
I lay my head on his shoulder, turning so my lips brush his earlobe. 揃ecause I抦 madly in love with you, Cole Lancaster. I could probably live without you, but it would suck too much to try.?
With a satisfied growl, he shifts me sideways in his lap and locks his arms around me, taking extra care to keep pressure off the sling. 揑 am not hurting you, am I??
Too dazed for words, I shake my head.
He抯 definitely not hurting anything when he claims my lips again.
The kiss starts so gentle, so tender, but grows urgent with every hungry stroke of his tongue, a dark preview of his deepest wishes, thrusting in and out.
I抦 already so wet it抯 appalling.
This time, when I break away with a ragged breath, he curses sharply. 揊uck. Eliza, I抳e missed that so goddamned much. Stay with me tonight.?
His eyes search mine, bottomless blue oceans wild with demands.
?..I wish I could. But all of my pain drugs are at Dakota抯.?I wince. 揇amn, I抦 sorry. I didn抰 expect we抎 pick up right where we were before棓 Before everything.
揥e抮e not.?
I look at him, feeling confused.
揇id you forget? You resigned, Eliza. You抮e not my employee anymore. That means no BS with HR or worries about people in the office running their mouths. No more shadow romance. I can take you to dinner and to Destiny抯 turtle talks whenever I damn well please梚f you抮e willing to sit through a two-hour PowerPoint on sea turtle mating habits.?
This time when I laugh, I can抰 stop.
That sounds so nice.
I think I抎 happily listen to Destiny geek out about sea animals forever because it means she抯 in my life梐nd so is her gorgeous grump of a dad.
Before I can form words again, he continues. 揊air warning, we抮e not picking up where we left off. I抦 a million times more committed now. Nothing comes between us again, sweetheart. I won抰 let it.?
My breath hitches.
My heart soars.
I抳e fallen into a dream and I never want to wake up.
Honestly, I might not even need my pain meds. This man makes me weightless and giddy and high.
And he shifts me from his lap onto the seat beside him before he stands, gently pulling me up into his arms.
I raise an eyebrow.
揅all Dakota now. See if we can pick up your things,?he growls.
揢m, but actually, I don抰棓
揑 know. I should have asked you first. I want you here with me that badly, woman,?he whispers, pressing his forehead to mine. 揇on抰 make me spend another night without you. I can抰 be alone in that bed梕ven if all I get to do is hold you all night.?
Sweet baby Jesus.
He could抳e stopped five minutes ago because my heart is already wrecked.
Happy tears sting my eyes.
揙kay!?I whisper.
And he pulls me into another sticky sweet kiss, stealing my breath even when I抦 a sobbing mess.
His lips find mine over and over, and soon he picks me up like a bride and carries me into the house, again so careful of my injury with every step.
揥here are you taking me??I giggle as he brings me over the threshold.
揥here do you think??
揃ut what about棓
揑抣l lock the door and deal with the inquisition from Destiny later. But if she抯 on her phone, she抯 preoccupied. I promise.?
揥hat about the coffee? You didn抰 finish and it抯 a really good one.?
He grins until his face screws up.
揧ou抣l make us both more in the morning,?he says, and he抯 as good as his word.
Just like that, we抮e upstairs in his massive bedroom. He kicks the door shut behind him, stopping only to lock it.
He drops me on the bed, smothering my face and neck in frantic kisses, coming back to my mouth every so often to rake his teeth across my lip or caress my tongue.
I抦 a ball of nerves.
It抯 not just the heady anticipation of what comes next.
It抯 knowing what it was to lose him and win him back.
It抯 coming home to a man who cherishes me.