Page 82 of Holden’s Resurrection

A tidal wave of emotion rolled over me. It came out of nowhere and I felt tears hit my eyes. Then my chest swelled until my breath hitched. Holden’s head came up and he took me in. The change in him was immediate—lust to concern. Desire to apprehension.

“Charleigh?”

“I don’t know what came over me,” I answered his unasked question. “I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed this. Not the sex…well, yeah, the sex…but the part where you make me feel beautiful and wanted. The part where you look at me and I feel like I’m the center of your universe.”

“You are the center of my universe.”

“When we’re like this, I believe I am.”

“Good.”

Just good, that was all he said, but that was all he needed to say. He wanted me to believe. He wanted me to feel beautiful.

“I’m so scared, Holden. I can’t lose you again.”

“I could promise you, you won’t, but I’d rather show you. Every day, Leigh-Leigh, I’m gonna prove to you I was worth the risk.”

My eyes drifted closed and I willed myself to memorize the moment. Commit to memory the fierce determination I’d seen on his face. I never wanted to forget how I felt right then.

I took a breath and opened my eyes.

The man of my dreams was right there, his eyes were on me, his hands gently stroked my back, we were connected in the most intimate of ways. All of it was overwhelming. All of it was mine to keep if I was brave enough to stay the course. Everything I ever wanted was under me, at my fingertips. I was his. But more than that, Holden was mine. He always had been. Years of separation hadn’t changed that.

“You’ve always been worth the risk,” I told him and swiveled my hips.

Our eyes remained fixed, attached, linked. I braced my hands on Holden’s shoulders and slowly worked myself up and down his shaft until my climax built to the tipping point. I let myself fall over the edge of pleasure, the enormity of my orgasm had me floating away. I needn’t have worried, Holden was there with me. United as one as we both shook and trembled.

“Holden,” I gasped.

“You feel that, baby? That’s us. You and me. Always. I love you, always.”

“Always,” I echoed.

26

Two days later, Holden was still riding the high. He felt like he’d traversed a mountain taking the long way around, but now he’d reached the summit and he was looking down, and all he saw was beauty on the horizon.

There was a tap on Holden’s office door but before he could call out, Nix opened the door. The look on his friend’s face cut off the smartass retort about not waiting before he entered.

“What’s up?” Holden asked and stood.

“Jonny and Mr. Purdy are downstairs.”

“Who?”

“Ayla Purdy’s father.”

Ayla was one of the missing girls Cory Saddler had found.

A man who did not work on Sundays. After some poking around, Jonny still hadn’t found any evidence Cory had gone in on his day off on the Sunday in question. Which left the question—what was the man really doing out driving before dawn? But more, why had he lied?

“Is Ayla okay?”

“By the look on her father’s face, I’d say no.”

Holden moved around his desk and followed Nixon out into the hall. They made their way down to the conference room in silence. Earlier, Holden was disappointed Charleigh hadn’t come into the office with him; she had an appointment first thing. So Holden had taken Faith to school. The little girl only agreed after Holden had spent a good amount of time explaining to her that the people who had hurt her and her mom were still in jail. Throughout the conversation, Holden had to check his vocabulary and refrain from calling the Towlers Bitches From Hell. He’d managed, but barely.

He’d also been careful not to call the women aunt or grandma. As far as Holden was concerned, they were dead to Faith. And he’d do everything he could, including taking Faith and Charleigh on the run to keep the Towlers away from his girls.