Page 93 of Her Defiant Warrior

“Jase?”

“Go back to sleep.”

“Can’t.” She kissed him. Right over his heart.

“Tomorrow is day camp for the kids. You have to be up early,” Jase reminded her.

“This can’t wait,” Bonnie said as she crawled up his body, her lips now hovering over his. He could see her blue eyes sparkling in the weak dawn light. She was his everything.

He cupped the back of her head and brought her mouth down to his. She melted into his kiss. Jase rolled them over, so that he was on top. He loved the fact that she was now on birth control and they had dispensed with condoms.

He moved lower down her body.

“No! I don’t want foreplay this morning. I woke up in your arms, primed. I need you inside me, Jase.”

He trailed his fingers down her body and found her wet and wanting. His woman was telling the truth. She was as soft as he was hard. He drew her leg up over his hip and positioned himself at her tender entrance.

That first slide into her tight, hot depths got to him. Each and every time. Each time Jase thought his head might explode, but then he’d get himself together and start a rhythm to bring them both pleasure.

“Jase, you’ll never know. You can never know. Just how much I love you.”

He frowned. He loved the words, but what brought them on? Was she all right? He studied her face as his body danced with hers.

She was looking at him with her heart in her eyes. This morning wasn’t just a passionate foray, there was a look of absolute trust and love in her eyes. It humbled him. Jase would do everything in his power to be the man she needed him to be.

Bonnie might not realize it yet, but Jase did. She was offering up her life and the lives of her children into his keeping, and he would never break that trust.

He thrust deep and she caught fire.

“Ahhhhh.” He muffled her cry of release with a kiss. Then he fell into the stars right along with her.

At last, he had her whole heart. When he could breathe again, he told her his truth.

“I’ll love you until forever ends.”

20

3 MONTHS LATER - HAWAII

“Why’d you make us come in from the beach? Mom isn’t going to be home for a whole ‘nother hour. I don’t know why anyone would want to take so long having someone else wash their face for them,” Lachlan complained.

“Fair point,” Jase nodded.

“She’s also getting a massage and her toes painted.” Amber explained.

There’s my girl, always having her mom’s back.

“Lachlan, I called you in early, because I needed to talk to you about something. Why don’t you both go sit on the couch?” Jase pointed to the spot across from where he was sitting on the coffee table.

“What do you want to talk about?” Amber asked suspiciously as she climbed up to sit next to her brother.

Lachlan pushed at his sister’s shoulder. “It could be good. Maybe he wants to get us a dog, so shut up.”

“If I did want to get you a dog, I would talk to your mom first, to make sure she was okay with the idea. It’s important that everyone agrees with something before someone else makes a decision.”

“I never agreed with an eight-thirty bed-time.” Lachlan pointed out.

“I don’t see that one changing, Lach.” Amber sounded seventeen or thirty-seven, certainly not seven years old. “We’ve got to push for something more ‘tainable, like a dog.” She turned to Jase. “Can you talk to mom about us having a dog?”