Her hands journeyed lower, stroking his cheek, rubbing the line of his jaw. “Your past mistakes don’t define you, and I shouldn’t have ever believed they did. I certainly don’t need to hear them all, although I’ll be around to listen if you ever want to talk.”
He tilted his chin up. “You will?”
“Yes,” she confirmed, learning the contours of his face with her fingers. “I might not know every little thing you’ve ever done, but I know who you are inside, and that’s enough.” She closed her eyes and let him ground her in the moment. Today had been exhausting, but she’d gained her second wind. “I can see that you’re sincere. I care about you, and I hope that you care about me, too.”
“I do. So much, sweetheart. I love you.” He pressed a kiss softly to her belly. “We may not have known each other long, but that doesn’t change how I feel about you. I love you so damn much it hurts.”
Her lips lifted, and so did her heart. “Truly?”
“Truly.”
She laughed, despite the ache of her throat. “Good. Because it may be early days, but I want to take a risk on you, Tione Kingi.” She didn’t think her heart had ever hammered as furiously as it was now. She was putting everything out there, and hoped to God he wouldn’t let her fall. “I love you, and if you’re prepared to deal with the mess that is my life, then I want us to be together. What do you think of that?”
A grin split his face, and his teeth gleamed in the moonlight. “I think you’re crazy if you honestly believe there’s any possibility I’d say no.”
“So that’s a yes?” she teased.
He stood, cupped her face between his palms, and gave her the gentlest kiss she’d ever received. Their lips hardly brushed, but that light touch conveyed a depth of emotion so powerful her eyes filled with tears, and she had to blink them back. She wanted to lean into him, to be absorbed into his big, strong body until they were one.
“I will never deserve someone as good as you,” he rumbled, his face not even an inch from hers. “But I’ll try every day to make sure you never regret choosing me.” He bent his forehead and bumped the tip of his nose to hers. “Come inside with me. The dogs have missed you.” He skimmed another butterfly-soft kiss over her hair. “I’vemissed you. Come back, Megan.”
Wordlessly, she took his hand and followed him into his cabin, knowing as she did so that his invitation wasn’t only into the cabin, but into his life, and his heart. She went gladly, offering up the same in return.
Her old life had burned down around her, but from the ashes had arisen the promise of something new, and so much better. For as long as she lived, she would never let that go. Tione was her safe place now, and Haven Bay was her home. Finally, she belonged.
Epilogue
The day had arrived,and none too quickly. Megan studied the letter from her doctor that declared her officially healed. Hearing Tione’s voice outside the cabin, she stuffed the letter in a drawer and positioned herself on the end of the bed. She crossed her legs, then uncrossed them. Which was sexier? She settled on crossing them, and leaned back on her elbows, striking a seductive pose—she hoped.
The door opened, and paws skittered over wood as Pixie darted inside. Tione’s head was turned away, his attention on something behind him, but the second he swiveled around, he stopped short and stared.
“Holy shit.” He looked her up and down, then his tongue peeked out between his lips, and he moistened them. A choking noise came from the back of his throat. “Is this…” He trailed off. “Are you…”
“Clean bill of health.”
She couldn’t have hoped for a better reaction. He scrambled to grab Pixie, thrust the dog outside, slammed the door, and dropped his pants.
“Fuck,” he breathed, crossing the distance between them, the bulge in his underwear already thickening before her eyes. “Look at you.”
He yanked his shirt over his head, leaving his torso bare, and she couldn’t tear her gaze off the tattoos across his chest, the ridged abdomen, the meaty biceps she wanted to bite into.
“Where’d you get this?” he demanded, gesturing at the tiny lace corset, panties and garters she wore. “No wait, don’t tell me. I like the mystery.” He swore. “God, you’re hot.”
“Are you just going to look at me?” she asked, her courage faltering.
His eyes rose to hers, dark and intense. “No fucking way. I’m going to make you come so hard you can’t remember your name.”
She swallowed, and he watched the delicate movement of her throat, riveted. “Oh.”
“You’ll remember mine, though,” he growled, and then he dropped to his knees and tore at the corset with his hands. “Shit, how do I get this off?”
“Laces,” she breathed. “At the back.” Rolling over to give him access, she pushed her butt into his crotch and rubbed against him like a cat. His fingers fumbled with the delicate strings, but then he jerked them wide and lifted the corset over her head.
She turned over and wriggled back on the bed, giggling nervously when he hauled himself onto it and crawled over her. His tongue flicked the bead of her nipple, and she gasped.
“So pretty and pink,” he muttered. “I want to see your other pink parts.” His hands went to her thighs and separated them, exposing the damp fabric of her panties to him. “Mm.” He made a sound of contentment, then buried his face in her lap, his mouth latching over her.
Her back arched off the bed. “Oh, God,” she panted.