EXCERPT
I stand willingly in front of Rick, naked while he is not. His gaze is hot, intimate. When his eyes meet mine, he says, āYou hesitated.ā
āI did not hesitate,ā I say, closing the space between us and pressing my hand to his jaw. āI was thinking about the very first time you told me to undress for you. Do you remember?ā
Tension slides from his shoulders as if my answer is the exact one he needs, and he wraps his arms around my waist. āI remember that night well.ā His voice lowers seductively. āI spanked you.ā His lips curve. āAnd you liked it.ā
āAre you going to spank me now?ā I dare, so far from intimidated by anything that happens between me and this man. He demands. And I have learned over time that while it defies my strong will and independence in the bedroom, I like when heās in control.
āNot tonight,ā he says, easing me onto his lap so Iām straddling him.
I wrap my arms around his neck and he adds, āAll or nothing.ā
āAll or nothing,ā I repeat.
His lashes lower, the lines of his face sharp. āIām still Savage, Candace,ā he says, his eyes meeting mine again. āThat part of me still exists.ā
āWhy are you saying this?ā I ask.
āBecause this mission, this blast from the past, reminded me of who I am.ā
āAnd you think I need to be reminded?ā
āYes,ā he says without hesitation. āYou do. You’re about to marry me.ā
āIām marrying the love of my life. And thatās you, Rick. All of you.ā
āLove is blind.ā
āI know who you are, Rick Savage. And for the record, you canāt deny who you are. Not and live a happy life. And I donāt want you to deny who you are. Thatās never been my message.ā
āI know that, too,ā he says. āBut Iāve tried anyway.ā
That one statement terrifies me. Iāve tried anyway. Itās like a ball rolling toward a waterfall in slow motion, but eventually, it tumbles over the edge. My hands go to his shoulders, his muscles flexing beneath my touch. āThatās a problem for us. Itās a big problem.ā
I try to climb off of him, but he catches my waist with a powerful arm around my body. āItās not a problem,ā he insists.
āNo one should marry someone they canāt be themselves with. Every time you think you have to be something youāre not for me, it divides us.ā
āI donāt want to be something Iām not with you, Candace. I want to be a better man for you.ā
āI just want you to be you.ā
āI want to be a better man for me, too. But you know, sometimes some people just need to die, Candace.ā
I blink with the sudden shift from being a better man to wanting to kill someone. But thatās the point of all of this. Thatās where he was taking me and us.
Iām flying blind right now, unsure about what happened to place him in this state of mind, but I know one thing: Rick is a good man. He doesnāt kill for money or pleasure. āI love you, Rick Savage. Be who you are and do what you do for the right reasons. And you do. Always.ā
āEven if it means hunting down a bastard and killing him?ā
He says it so matter-of-factly, but I know him. Itās anything but. Someone has made Rickās personal hit list. There are no names on that list, at least, none that are living. āCan it be after the honeymoon?ā I ask, quite seriously.
He laughs and cups my head and presses our foreheads together. āYou really get me, donāt you?ā
My hand finds his face. āAnd you get me. Rickāā
I never finish my sentence. I donāt even remember what I was going to say. He pulls me closer and claims my mouth, and itās a tender kiss, a kiss void of the dominance Iād expected from him only minutes before. I moan with the sensations that spiral through me and just that easily, the air shifts, and our mood darkens, roughens. Suddenly, we are wild, kissing as if we will never again. Touching each other everywhere, and Iām tugging at his shirt. He pulls it over his head and tosses it, and my gaze falls on the heart that says San Antonio in the center, the heart I know he got for me. Because thatās where we met, thatās where he left me and found me again.
My fingers curl on top of it and I whisper, āYou really never forgot me.ā
āNever,ā he says, and as our eyes collide, he says it again, a rasp of emotion in his voice. āNever.ā And then heās kissing me again and Iām touching him and arching into him…
What happens when youāre left with more than just the memories of an incredible night together?
