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After kissing them both goodbye, I crawled under the covers and Ryan wrapped himself around me. I was asleep the moment I closed my eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Six
RYAN
When I opened my eyes, the bedroom was dark and I was lying in the exact position I’d been in when Morgan and I had fallen asleep. The poor thing had been out as soon as she’d hit the pillow.
Kissing the back of her head, I carefully slipped out of bed. I stretched my aching body then headed to the bathroom to splash water on my face. The cold felt good on my skin and instantly had me wide awake. I felt like I’d slept for days.
After I dried my face and glanced up, I saw Morgan in the mirror, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.
“Did I wake you?”
She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so.”
Turning, I leaned against the counter. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“He was watching us, Ryan,” she said quietly.
I met her tear-filled gaze. “I know. The cameras are all gone.”
She slowly shook her head. “I don’t want to stay there.”
Pushing off the counter, I took the few steps toward her and opened my arms. She walked into them, burying her face in my chest.
“Can we move somewhere else?” she asked.
Stroking my hand up and down her back, I said, “Of course we can. Are you going to be okay in the design studio and the store?”
Morgan drew her head back and sighed. “Yes. I think I’ll be fine there. It’s just, knowing he was watching us in the most private areas of our home… I feel so violated. I know I won’t be comfortable in that bedroom or bathroom anymore.”
“Then we’ll find somewhere else to live.”
She let out a humorless chuckle. “The beginning of this relationship sure has been a journey.”
“It sure has.”
The look she gave me about broke my heart. “Thank you for not leaving.”
Lowering my head to look her directly in the eyes, I cupped her face. “I will never leave you, Morgan Shaw. You are it for me. You’re the one woman, the only woman, I’ve ever dreamed of having a future with. I’m so sorry I didn’t see through Bradford.”
“None of us did. It’s not your fault.”
“It still pisses me off he fooled us all.”
“I’m sorry about the bar.”
“I’m not. As much as I love tinkering around with brewing beer, it’s not my future. I love what I do at the horse ranch, and I love standing by your side and watching your dreams come true.”
“But what about your dreams, Ryan?”
Smiling, I pressed my mouth to her forehead and whispered, “You are my dream, Morgan. You are my past, my present, and my future. There’s nothing I want more than to simply exist in your world.”
Tears slowly trailed down her face, and I moved my mouth to her cheeks, kissing them away. She gripped my T-shirt in her fist and mumbled something I couldn’t understand.
“What was that?” I asked.
With her face buried in my chest once more, she mumbled something again.
“I…so…never…life.”
Stepping back, I laughed. “I can’t understand a thing you’re saying.”
Sucking in a few breaths between sobs, she attempted to breathe normally before she closed her eyes and slowly said, “I am so in love with you, and I never in my life thought I could feel this way.”
“I will love you until the day I take my last breath, Morgan Shaw. And even past that.”
She gave me her first genuine smile since she’d been abducted. “That’s so beautiful. I don’t think I could even say anything to top that.”
“I know something you can say.”
Raising a brow, she asked, “What?”
“Tell me you love me.”
Her eyes went dark with passion. “I love you, Ryan Marshall, more than I’ve ever loved anyone.”
Pressing my mouth to hers, I kissed her tenderly, praying she could feel the love I had for her. When we finally drew apart, Morgan lifted her hand and ran her fingers through my hair. “Make love to me, Ryan. Please.”
Scooping her up in my arms, I carried her back to the bed and proceeded to do exactly what she’d asked.
Morgan and I walked up the steps of the white, one-story house for rent. I could see the excitement in her eyes as she took in its ranch-style design.
It had been three weeks since Bradford had kidnapped her, and I’d never in my life met a woman so damn strong. She was seeing a counselor whom her Aunt Kaylee had recommended, and I could tell it was doing her a world of good to talk to a professional.
“The porch wraps around both sides of the house and would make a wonderful place to sit in the evenings,” Bailey, our real estate agent, commented.
“What a charming house,” Morgan said as we walked into the front foyer.
