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Bracing himself on his arms, he smoothed my hair back and dropped a kiss to my forehead. He was so beautiful above me in the moonlight and I wanted to memorize the expression he wore so I could keep it like a snapshot in the back of my mind. In his eyes I could see the man I had married long ago, but also so much more. Deep within was the man he had become. He was braver, stronger, fiercely protective and he loved me. I could feel it and I hoped he would say it soon. He was mine again and the world finally made sense. There were no doubts left. We were back, and I would never leave.
“It’s okay to go to sleep, baby. You’re safe now.” He slid out and rolled to his side, gathering me close and holding me tight.
“Goodnight,” I murmured. My eyelids grew heavy. I smiled as I drifted off in his arms.
“I love you Charlotte,” he whispered. “I always have.”
I woke up to sunlight warming my face as it filtered through the sheer curtains covering the sliding glass door.
Cade was sitting in the chair by the bed reading a book—my latest book, the Jaden Skerrit introductory book. I yawned through my smile.
“There she is.” His voice was gentle, and his return smile was like nothing I’d ever seen cross his face. It was tender, almost reverent. “Good morning, baby.”
“Good morning. Did you sleep? Is everything okay?”
He set the book aside. “No, I didn’t sleep. I wanted to be awake in case you had a bad dream, or you needed me.”
My heart swelled. It wasn’t big enough to hold all the love that had surged into it.
“Cade.” I held up my arms as tears filled my eyes. “Thank you. You made me okay. You kept me safe. You helped me sleep. I—” Tears filled my eyes and I looked away.
“Hey, you don’t need to thank me.” He pulled me into his arms after joining me in bed. “I’ll always be here for you. Count on it.”
“I do, I will count on it from now on. And I’m here for you too, Cade.”
He stroked his hand over my hair. “Are you up for the day? Do you need more rest?”
“I’m up. Is there any news?” I rested my head against his chest, enjoying the warmth of his skin.
He sighed and pulled my even closer. “They haven’t caught him. But we now know that he stole his brother’s identity when he came here. They look almost identical, so it was easy for him to use his identification. The man Trent saw get on the plane was Howard. Douglas has always been the one stalking you, and Howard had no idea about anything that had been going on with you, the arrests, or the restraining order. Obviously, they aren’t close. According to Howard, Douglas has always been prone to obsessive and violent behaviors and has been in and out of therapy and prison for years. He’s a psychopath, Charlotte. He has warrants for his arrest in several states and yours isn’t the only restraining order he’s had, it’s just the most recent. He shouldn’t be out. But it is what it is.”
I shivered. It all gave me the willies. “That all fits, I guess. I mean, it’s sad. He should be locked up somewhere instead of running around harassing me, or anyone else, for that matter.”
“Yeah, it’s pretty terrible. There was no way their parents or Howard could force him to get help or stay in treatment. From what Trevor said, they washed their hands of him. There was nothing they could do.”
“Damn.”
“Enough about that. Trevor will catch him. How are you feeling?”
I shrugged, my shoulders rubbing against his solid chest. “My face hurts. My body aches. I’m still tired, but it will take at least a week of uninterrupted sleep to fix that.”
“My poor Charli.” He dropped a kiss to the top of my head. “Would you like me to run you a hot bath? I’ll fix breakfast and make coffee while you’re in there.”
“I have to say this. There are good men in this world—my dad and brothers are proof of that. But you are on another level.”
“Don’t make me blush.” He chuckled.
“Oh my god, do it. Please blush. It will only make you hotter,” I teased as I kissed his bare chest, then traced the tattoo of my name with a fingertip.
Chapter23
Cade
Istood up to go run her bath, stopping once I made it to the bathroom door to turn back and look at her. She was beautiful in my bed, with her hair a mess and her sleepy blue eyes. It felt like I had been transported to the past, or maybe lost in one of the dreams I used to have right after she left town. I would wake up alone, haunted by her face and desperate to be with her again.
“I can’t believe this is real,” she whispered as if she had been reading my mind.
The sound of her voice pulled me back into reality and I smiled. “It’s real. Never doubt how I feel about you.”
