Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83777 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 419(@200wpm)___ 335(@250wpm)___ 279(@300wpm)
I reached over, brushing my thumb along her jaw, letting it linger just long enough to see her eyes soften as I told her, “I’m not here to hurt you. I’m here to finally get it right.”
Her lips parted, and for a second, I thought she would argue, but she didn’t. She just looked at me like she was seeing me for the first time, and I swore to God, I’d wait however long it took to see that look again.
“Okay. Full steam ahead, but you’ll have to give me some discretion with the kids. I want to tell them my way and when I get ready.”
“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Without saying another word, I stood and held out my hand to her, letting her know the conversation was over. She hesitated for a breath, but then she slid her hand into mine. I pulled her to her feet and slipped my arm around her waist, drawing her in close. The second I felt her body against mine, warm and soft and right, it was like the world finally stopped spinning for a damn minute.
I breathed her in, taking in the scent of vanilla and something that was just her, and it hit me how long I’d gone without this. Without her. I didn’t give myself time to think before I took my free hand and looped it behind her neck, pulling her to me as I covered her mouth with mine. I kissed her long and hard, letting everything I’d been carrying pour into that moment.
The feel of her lips against mine was like coming home. I could feel her relaxing into me, letting go, and for the first time in a long damn time, I let myself believe that maybe we hadn’t lost this—that maybe, just maybe, what we’d once had was still there.
Her arms came up around my neck, pulling me closer, and I let my hands trail down the curve of her spine, feeling her shiver under my touch. Nothing else mattered in that moment. Not the years we’d lost. Not the shit waiting for us outside that door.
It was just us, right here, right now.
When I finally pulled back, I kept my forehead pressed to hers, catching my breath. My hand was still resting at the small of her back like I couldn’t bear to let her go. I looked into her eyes and saw that storm I’d loved for as long as I could remember and whispered, “Stay with me tonight.”
She didn’t respond. She just stood there looking at me like she was trying to convince herself that it wasn’t a good idea. I could see the fight in her eyes. The fear tangled with hope. I didn’t push, but I didn’t back down. I just waited silently for her to process whatever she needed to process.
Finally, she let out a breath and nodded. “Okay.”
That one word hit harder than any yes I’d ever heard.
I removed my arm from around her just long enough to place the lid over the fire pit, smothering the last of the flames. Once I had it secured, I reached for her hand and led her back inside.
Neither of us spoke as we made our way down the hall to my bedroom, and we remained silent as we crawled back into bed. She curled up next to me, and we spent the night tangled up in each other’s arms.
I drifted off with her hand resting over my heart, and for the first time in a long damn time, I felt like I could breathe. The next morning, I woke early. She was still sound asleep and curled into my side, and I let myself watch her for a minute, memorizing the way she looked in my bed. As far as I was concerned, she was right where she belonged.
I did my best not to wake her as I eased out of bed to make my way to the kitchen. Quietly, I eased out from under her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before I slipped out of the room. I walked quietly to the kitchen and turned on the coffee pot. I leaned against the counter, and I thought back over our night and everything that had been said. My chest tightened when I remembered her saying there was a story behind why she quit the force.
My curiosity had me reaching for my phone. I promised I wouldn’t, but curiosity got the best of me. I just wanted to know if Shep had anything about what had happened in her file. I pulled up the file Shep had sent me on Devin and started flipping back to the last few pages.
I thought I’d gotten everything I needed to know when I saw that she was divorced and was teaching nearby, so I stopped reading. I started flipping back and had almost reached the ending when I heard the soft pad of her feet coming into the kitchen. I looked up and found Devin standing in the doorway. I shoved my phone into my back pocket and smiled. “Morning, beautiful.”