Page 105

“I know.” Knowing the divorce had not become official was one of the things that had gotten her through their separation.

“I’m sorry, Serena. So damn sorry for what I put you through.”

She scooted closer to him. Cupping his face, she gave him a solemn promise. “That’s behind us. I have forgiven you for all of that. It’s over and done with.”

His eyes searched hers as he said, “Just like that?”

“Yes. Just like that. Love doesn’t hold on to hurts or bear grudges.”

“Love is patient and kind?”

“Yes. And real love is forever.”

“It never ends?”

“Never,” she whispered.

Leaning forward, she touched her mouth to his. That was all it took. With a muffled growl, Sean pulled her into his arms and onto his lap. Serena surrendered to his kiss, the heat and the depth that was both passion and a fierce kind of emotion that went past anything she’d ever felt before. This was Sean—her husband, her friend, her lover, her mate for life.

Desire bloomed within her, and for the first time in almost two years, Serena felt her body pulse with passion. Wrapping her arms around Sean’s neck, she sank into his kiss, allowing him to devour her. How she had missed this. His hard, warm body and hungry, all-consuming kisses. She loved how he could make her feel so vulnerable yet so powerful at the same time. He cupped her breast, and she moaned at the deliciousness of his large, callused hand. Needing to feel his skin next to hers, she grabbed at his shirt buttons, pulling so hard one of them popped off and bounced around on the floor. She wanted to feel him, see him…taste him.

“Serena,” Sean groaned. “You⁠—”

The doorbell, followed by pounding on the door, stopped everything. Before either of them could speak, a woman outside shouted, “Serena Renee Donavan! You better let us in, girl!”

Hank, who was snoozing on his bed in the corner, jumped up and began barking excitedly. Laughter erupted from Serena. Yes, this was home. Noise and life everywhere.

Standing, Sean gave an exasperated snort. “I’m surprised they gave you this much time.”

She’d seen no one but her parents since she’d been here. After leaving her parents’ house and coming to the guesthouse, she’d done nothing other than sleep for hours, wake up to eat a small meal, and then sleep some more. She hadn’t been emotionally ready to face anyone and, because of the bruises on her face, hadn’t wanted to upset her brothers any more than they already were by her abduction. But now, she was rested, her face, thanks to makeup magic, looked almost normal again, and she felt much more ready to field whatever questions came her way.

Her mom had texted her yesterday that her brothers were getting impatient and to expect an invasion at any time. Sounded like that time was now. Leaning down, Sean placed a soft kiss against her mouth and said, “You want me to let them in?”

Knowing their sexy time was over for now, she chuckled softly. “I guess you’d better. They’re more than capable of kicking the door down.”

He tenderly brushed a strand of hair from her face. “So we’ll get back to this a little later?”

“Definitely,” she said softly. Though disappointed that their intimate moment had been interrupted, just having that brief connection with him filled her with anticipation of the night ahead.

Everything needed to be perfect. Soft, romantic music played through the speakers in the ceiling. A cheerful fire flickered in the small fireplace across the room. Even though it was late spring, it had been unusually cool today, so a fire wasn’t completely out of place and added to the ambience Sean was trying to build. The small chandelier above the table was dimmed to a romantic softness, and the gently flickering table candles added just enough light so Serena would be able to see her favorite meal before her.

After her brothers and sisters-in-law had left, he’d sent her to their room for a nap. And then he’d set to work, spending three painstaking hours preparing for what he hoped would not only be the most romantic dinner she’d ever had, but also the start of a new beginning for them.

The much too short intimate moment they’d shared earlier was just a precursor to what he wanted to happen tonight. Serena had always been the loveliest, sexiest woman he’d ever known. He had wanted her from the moment he’d met her and didn’t see that changing, ever. Even when he’d been a bonehead and had behaved like the biggest ass in history, he had still loved and wanted her. He’d just been too damn broken to admit it.

But now all of that was in the past, and he would do anything and everything he could to show her how much he adored her.

The reunion with her brothers and sisters-in-law had gone better than he could have ever hoped. Every single one of them, even Brad, her second oldest brother who had always been the most protective of his sister, had given Sean a hard hug and told him he’d missed him. There was no family like Serena’s, and he was blessed to be part of it. Something he would never take for granted again.

Pulling the lasagna from the oven, he placed it on the counter. The fragrance of tomato, basil, and garlic wafted through the air, and he imagined Serena waking up with a smile on her face the instant she smelled her favorite dish.

He’d barely had that thought when the first scream sounded.

Grabbing a butcher knife from the knife block, Sean took off at a run, taking the stairs three at a time. His weapon was locked in a safe in the bedroom, as was Serena’s. With so many children around, no firearms were ever left out in the open. The knife would have to do.

When he burst through the door, he recognized that the only intruder was inside Serena’s mind, torturing her dreams. Her eyes still closed, she struggled on the bed as if she were fighting someone or something. Hank was on the bed beside her, nudging her with his head and whining, but she was still thrashing.

Placing the knife on the dresser beside him, Sean gingerly approached, speaking in a calm, firm voice. “Serena, it’s Sean. You’re dreaming, sweetheart. Everything is all right.”