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“Yes. You can come in.”
He hesitantly cracked the door open just a touch until he saw me sitting on the bed. Then he opened it and stepped all the way inside.
“Honey, you’re trembling.”
I tried to smile but wasn’t sure I managed. “Adrenaline let-down. Going through everything with Mama was… difficult.”
He sighed, stepping closer to me. “I’m sorry, honey. But you know it had to be done. I won’t risk you being hurt without getting some kind of medical care. She say you need to go to the hospital?”
“No. She said since it had been a couple of days and I wasn’t having increasing pain that I’d probably be OK until the storm passed. I’m supposed to call her if there is more pain or any bleeding.”
“How is your pain?”
“Surprisingly good. Sure, there’s some, but not nearly as much as the day right after it happened. Nothing lingering that’s not showing improvement.”
“Good.” He knelt in front of me. “I’ve got some mattresses to put over the windows, as well as a couple to protect you while you sleep.”
“Won’t you be sleeping too? I mean, I thought…”
“Yeah, honey. I’ll lie with you while you sleep, but I’ll likely doze at best. I’m a little on edge with the storm.” He smiled as he reached up to brush a lock of hair off my forehead. “I like the position of the bed to the window better in my room than here. I think I can better protect you in there. You good with me staying with you?”
“You know I am. It’s what I want most right now.” It was. I don’t think I’d even latched on to my mom and dad as quickly as I had Ice. “Maybe it’s just this whole situation combined with what we shared earlier, but I don’t want to separate from you.”
“You won’t. We’re in this together.” He framed my face with his hands before pulling me down slightly for a soft kiss. He didn’t linger more than a couple seconds before he stood, holding his hand out to me. “Come on. Let’s get settled and get some rest. If nothing goes wrong, we can hole up here until the storm passes. Ripper thinks it could be as long as twenty-four hours. The only question is if we get flooded out. I think we’re good, but I’m keeping an eye on it. Ripper has real-time satellite imagery watching us like a hawk. If the storm surge looks like it’s going to get too bad, he’ll tell us where we need to go.”
“Did you talk to my father?”
He grunted. I could tell by the tight expression on his face that conversation hadn’t gone well. “Yeah. I’m not borrowing trouble, Dawn. I’ll get you through this safely, then I’ll deal with El Diablo.”
The thought my dad wouldn’t approve of me being with Ice hurt something deep inside me. Could I go against him if he told me not to be with Ice? Would Ice go against him?
“Hey, what did I just say?” He stroked my cheek with his thumb where he still framed my face with his hands. His voice was gentle but firm. “Don’t borrow trouble.”
“But what if he doesn’t want me with you?”
To my surprise, Ice smiled. “Baby, if El Diablo ever approves of me being with his beloved daughter, I’ll be surprised. He’s the Devil. There isn’t a man on the planet he’d think could protect you better than him. Ain’t sayin’ I can, but I will cherish you and we will grow to love each other madly.”
I whimpered before throwing myself into his arms, wrapping myself around him and holding on for dear life. Ice sat on the floor and held me as tightly as I held him. He soothed me with tender words while he rubbed my back up and down in relaxing strokes until I finally relaxed fully against him.
“It’s going to be fine, honey. I won’t let it be anything else.”
“Make love to me, Ice.” No one was more surprised by my whispered plea than me. Is that really what I wanted?
Yeah. I couldn’t think of anything in that moment I wanted more than for Ice to make love to me.
“Be very sure, Dawn. I’m not taking your virginity only to give you up to the next guy who rescues you in a hurricane.” He grinned, but I knew what he meant.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t mean to stay with you. Mama says you’re a good man. My dad trusts her more than just about anyone so I’m going to trust her too. She says to let you take care of everything, that you’ll be good to me.”
“She’s not wrong. Once we commit to each other, that’s it. I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine. We make this work between us and live happily ever after.”
