Page 105 of Dark ’N’ Deadly

“Because deep down I always knew you were the one.” The person he was meant to be with. To love, marry, and have a dozen babies with. Well, maybe not a dozen. He fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around her legs and burying his face against her skirt. “Don’t leave,” he whispered then said those three little words he’d never said to anyone. “I love you. I love you.”

A soft gasp came to his ears, and he looked up. Her lips trembled, and he couldn’t tell if she was angry, or sad, or—

Resting her hands on his shoulders, she pushed at him, forcing him to ease his hold around her legs. A lump formed in his throat, threatening to choke him. He’d just spilled his guts, but she didn’t believe him. So be it. His heart was shattering, but he had to let her go.

Just when he expected her to make a run for the door, she lowered to her knees in front of him. “Say it again.”

Does that mean what I think it does? Thank you, Jesus.

He clasped her fingers and kissed them. “I love you. With everything that I am. You’re the yin to my yang.”

Soft laughter bubbled from her throat, followed by the most beautiful smile he never thought she’d bestow on him again. “I love you.”

Her words filled the cracks in his heart. He buried his face in her thick mass of curls, breathing in her sweet scent, kissing her forehead, her nose, then pressing his lips to hers.

Sighing, she opened to him, allowing him to deepen the kiss and drive his tongue into her mouth, tasting her very essence, or chi, or whatever it was that drew him to her like a supercharged magnet. She was everything he ever dreamed of, and she was his. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was holding his future in his hands.

He eased her down to the carpet, holding his weight on his elbows so he didn’t crush her slender frame. Her arms came around him, clutching at his back, sending shivers up his spine.

More. He wanted it all, and he wanted it right now.

Slipping his hand beneath her shirt, his fingers found her nipples tightened into hard little buds. Her skin was warm and soft, like the rest of her, and he couldn’t wait a moment longer to drive himself into all that softness. To revel in her energy and bask in its life-giving properties.

Christ, he was really buying into all that synergistic stuff. He had to, because it was an intrinsic part of who she was, and he wanted all of her.

“Wait! What about your white carpet? You’re covered in dirt.”

He laughed. “We’ll get new carpet. Pink. Purple. Whatever you want.” They both laughed as he tugged off her shirt and unhooked her bra. He bent his head to suckle on her nipples while she cradled his head to her breasts. Next came her skirt, and his heart about stopped at the sight of her sexy little pink thong.

Lordie, how he hoped she had more of those. If she didn’t, he buy her an entire case of them. Pink. Green. Chartreuse. Whatever.

Latching on to the thin fabric with his teeth, he dragged it down her legs then stood to shed himself of his filthy clothes, dropping them to the carpet and not giving a damn if the dirt never came out. The only thing that mattered was claiming his woman and burying himself inside her warm, pliant body.

When she licked her lips, the sight of her cute little tongue made him harder than a stick of dynamite. Lowering carefully on top of her, he spread her legs and touched her moist core, loving the way she sucked in a tight little breath and how she arched her breasts against his chest. Hell, there was nothing about her he didn’t love.

She locked her legs around his buttocks, urging him to slide inside her. He thrust slow and sure into her heat, groaning as her tight, wet walls clutched at him, squeezing and pulsing all around him. If this wasn’t heaven, he didn’t know what was. The only thing he knew was…

I could stay here forever.

Her hips met his thrusts, her breath coming in soft little gasps. When her breaths came quicker, he thrust harder, taking her cues and not wanting to miss a single moment of her orgasm he was sure was seconds away.

Even as the blood rushed to his balls, he held back, gazing down into the most beautiful face he’d ever seen. Her thrusts became more urgent, her hips slapping against his. Tiny fingernails dug into his back, driving him to the brink, but still he held back.

Knowing how much she liked it, he bent his head and sucked one of her nipples into his mouth, gently fastening his teeth around the hard bud.

Her body arched beneath him, and she cried out his name over, and over, and over again.

“Sweet Jesus,” he growled then let himself go, spilling everything he had inside her until he was completely spent.

As he floated back to earth, the dark skies of his childhood cleared. This was home. Not this house, but Tess. His home was wherever she was.

Epilogue

Six months later

“It’s beautiful up here.” Tess watched in awe as they hung a left off Tweed Boulevard and were quickly surrounded on both sides by thick forest. “It’s the perfect place for the Canine Haven.”

“That’s why Katrina chose this spot,” Jesse said from the back seat. “I love comin’ here.”