Page 74 of Rafe’s Future

His gaze dropped to her mouth. “I have a few ideas.”

Lena didn’t bother trying not to smile. “For once, I think we’re on the same page.”

Rafe kissed her then. It wasn’t cautious or soft. Not like two people testing the boundaries of something new and fragile. He kissed her like he’d been holding himself back for years and had finally decided to give in to his desires.

Lena gripped the front of his shirt and pulled him closer. The rest of the world seemed to fall away. There was no dead friend in the bathroom. No missing mentor, no killer hunting them, and no unanswered questions about who was behind it all or why.

There was only Rafe.

Only him.

His hands settled at her waist, drawing her against him until there was nothing between them except his clothes and her robe. Lena felt the steady strength of him beneath her palms, and a deep sense of relief washed over her.

She reveled in his warmth, in the solid comfort of his arms, and in the sense of safety she found there. After everything they’d been through, after how close she’d come to losing him, being with Rafe—like this—felt like it was exactly where she was meant to be.

Lena had spent years surviving. This was different. This time⁠—

I’m choosing to live.

Rafe broke the kiss long enough to scoop her into his arms. Lena touched his face, her fingertips lovingly tracing the thick, coarse hair covering his jaw.

“Are you sure?” His eyes bore deep into her soul.

“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

His forehead rested against hers briefly before he went in for another kiss. When he pulled away, he turned and started for the open sliding door. They made their way inside the suite without speaking.

The suite was massive, with two separate king-sized bedrooms. Rafe didn’t bother asking before heading toward his. For Lena, there was no hesitation. No fear. Only the certainty that whatever came next, she wasn’t alone.

And for the first time in a very long time, the thought of needing someone else didn’t scare her or feel foreign.

It felt like coming home.

Rafe didn’t stop until they were next to his bed. Lights from outside filtered into the massive room through the sheer curtains covering the floor-to-ceiling windows.

It was just enough.

The soft carpet gave beneath her bare feet as he carefully let her legs slide to the floor. The silence of the room was such a stark contrast to the storm of emotions swirling around inside her.

Rafe guided them closer to the bed, stopping only when the backs of Lena’s knees touched the mattress’s edge. His gaze held hers in a silent question he’d already asked.

Lena rose to her tiptoes, pressing her mouth to his. The sweet kiss was followed by a whispered, “Yes.”

She was sure, and he clearly needed to hear her confirmation once more. But that was all it took.

He kissed her again, following her down as he eased her onto the bed. The kiss ended far sooner than she’d anticipated when Rafe straightened and looked her way. For a long moment, he said nothing, and Lena suddenly felt more vulnerable than ever before. But oddly, for maybe the first time in her life, she didn’t feel any fear.

There was no judgement in his eyes. No demand. Only desire.

He wants me as much as I want him.

She reached for the tie on her robe, but Rafe’s hand slid between their bodies to stop her.

“Let me.”

A shiver raced through her.

He slowly loosened the belt and eased the robe from her shoulders, his eyes never leaving her face. Lena’s breath caught. At nearly fifty, this obviously wasn’t the first time she’d been naked in front of a man.