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“I never blamed you.” His lips are on mine, gently tasting the tears we share. “I loved you then, and I love you now, and I never wanted to see this look on your face. This is why I didn’t tell you.
“Why I was afraid to make love to you or to take my pants off. I’ve never let anyone see me naked until now. Except for your dad. He cleaned me up and promised he’d never tell.”
“He never did, I swear.”
“I know. I trust him with my life. Like I do you and your mom.”
“I’m gonna kill those men.”
Because I can. Because now I know their first victim was Redix, and I’ll be damned if they haven’t hurt their last victim because I’ll do more than scar them.
I’ll slit their throats.
“No, you won’t.” He hooks his finger under my chin, lifting me out of my silent vendetta. “Don’t let them ruin us anymore. We’re finally back together. You finally know, and this is what I meant.”
He bites down, tensing the muscles across his square jaw before he insists, “I’m not a victim, Cade. I’m not a sad story that needs special care. Or a case you need to solve. I don’t need justice. I need peace. I lost nine years of my life trying to get my shit together, and I did. And now…”
His gaze fills with love, looking down at our naked bodies, skating his fingertips across my belly.
“I want to be the man able to touch you, to let you touch me, to fuck you, to make love to you, to have fun again like we did today, and they’re not taking another goddamn minute away from us. Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Part of me does.
The other part?
It’s going to take time… if ever.
The deepest sigh escapes his lungs before he draws another, asking, “Can we stop with the fucking questions now? This is our truth, and it’s time we move on. You’re here like I always dreamed. We had a perfect day, and I want three more together with you before you leave. Okay?”
“Okay.”
I’m still reeling with what I know now, but the scar on his flesh? I only love him more.
For minutes he holds me, and I’m even more determined—I’ll fight for him.
“Okay,” I say. “We get three more days of perfect together.”
“And nights.”
His grin is soft, trying to shift the mood to something lighter.
So I help him. “Do we have to stick to nights?”
I can never make up for what he did for me, but I will die trying as he rolls on top of me, smiling.
“You mean I can stick you every hour?”
“Remember what happened the last time you turned me into a pin cushion?”
He always does this. “That’s why there’s cranberry juice in the fridge.” Smiling down at me, he’ll do anything to make me laugh. “I’m gonna poke you for days, Candy Cade.”
“Can you poke me in the shower?”
“Yes.” His lips cling down my neck. “If you let me do dirty things to you with soap.”
For three days, God, I’ll make Redix Dean so happy.
