His kitchen door is unlocked, and I don’t know if he expected me to come tonight or not. We didn’t discuss it, but he did say I could come here any time I needed him. I wonder if he knows how much I’ve grown to need him.

  Stepping through the screen door, into the empty kitchen, I notice an unopened bag of sunflower seeds on the bar, and a thrill flutters through my stomach. I’ve never thought about sex as much as I do now, since I’ve been with him.

  Scar’s always been dangerously tempting, but now everything he does is like a little seduction.

  The light is on in his bedroom, and I quietly make my way to what has become my sacred space, a place where I can sleep and make love without fear… Only he’s not here.

  I touch the bathroom door, and it falls open to reveal him holding a towel, fresh out of the shower, completely nude.

  My lips part, and I can only gaze at him, tall and sculpted. His long hair is wet, and his ass is perfectly defined, like a tight square. The muscles on his back are long and striped with ink curling from his neck to his waist, hiding his scars.

  His beauty hits me so hard, my eyes warm. This man has pledged himself to me, and I feel so unworthy of his devotion.

  Blue eyes meet mine, but he doesn’t smile. He doesn’t move, so I step closer.

  “Can I touch you?” My voice is quiet as a whisper.

  “Yes.”

  I can barely breathe as I carefully place my fingers on the tiny fragments of skin not covered with black. His eyes track my movements in the mirror, and I follow the seams of tissue holding him together.

  “Are you embarrassed by them?” My eyes flicker to his. “I would be.”

  “Do you find me ugly? A monster?”

  “No! Not at all!” I answer so fast, meeting his eyes, and they soften.

  Turning to me, he places both hands on my upper arms. “My scars tell me how strong I am. They tell me I can survive the fire.” His voice is gentle. “I’m proud of my scars.”

  “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever known.” I want to wrap my naked body around his and love him. I want to take away his pain the way he’s taken away mine.

  Lifting my shirt over my head, I unfasten my bra, letting it fall before wrapping my arms around him again and pressing our skin flush.

  I’m standing behind him. We’re facing the mirror, so I can see the effect I have on him. My hand slides lower, and I circle my palm over the top of his erection.

  “Hana…” He exhales a low groan, turning to face me.

  Leaning down, he cups my face in his broad hands, pulling my lips with his, swiping my tongue with his. He lifts his chin to study my face, blue eyes sliding from my brows to my cheeks to my mouth.

  I place our palms together, studying the difference in size, the curls of ink along his wrists, the length of his fingers. Folding them together, I hold his knuckles to my lips, kissing them each gently before guiding them to my breasts. I wish they were bigger for him.

  He doesn’t seem to mind. His hands slide along my breasts, lifting them from the sides and pinching my nipples. He slides his hands around my back, lifting me firmly against his chest.

  His face drops to my shoulder, and he inhales deeply.

  Lifting my arms, I wrap them around his neck, holding my body flush against his. Heat pulses through my veins with every beat of my heart. “I want you to be the only man to ever touch me.”

  A noise like a growl rumbles in his chest. Threading my hand into the side of his long hair, I lift his face. Ice-blue fire burns in his gaze, and I place the tips of my fingers lightly to his cheeks, I stretch higher to press my open mouth to his.

  It doesn’t take more. Strong hands move down my body, cupping my ass and lifting me onto the bathroom counter. It gets our faces closer, and puts his hardened cock at my belly.

  Wetness floods my core, and my body is desperate and needy. Since our first time, I haven’t felt afraid or shut down. I hope it means I’ve learned he’s different, special.

  I definitely want this man, this feeling. His mouth is at my ear, pulling and biting, and echoes of desire pulse through my veins.

  “I want to be the only man to touch you. I want you to be mine.”

  “Yes…” I slide my hand down to cup and tease his erection.

  A drop of precum is on the tip, and I lean down to lick it, swirling my tongue around the tip and edges.

  “Fuck,” he groans, lifting my face. “Take off your shorts.”

  Hopping down, I quickly discard them and my underwear so I’m standing nude in front of him.

  “Your pussy is bare.”

  It’s a valid point, considering what happened. “I guess I wanted to be ready in case…”

  He touches my chin, studying my expression. “In case?”

  “In case we might try again?” My voice is tentative.

  He inhales deeply, and his wolf eyes slide closed. It reminds me of an animal scenting the air. “I want that more than anything, angel. I want you screaming my name, your juices all over my beard. I want to smell you when I sleep.”

  My breath quickens, and I imagine him taking me that way–him, the man I love.

  “I want it, too.” I want everything with him, but I’m afraid it might go bad again. “What can we do?”

  “I have an idea.”

  16

  Scar

  Hana has been on my mind since we left our makeshift firing range in the woods, since she tried to eat a whole sunflower seed then blew my mind in the cab of my truck. We’re getting serious, and I can’t keep putting off the inevitable conversation.

  Still, when she showed up in my bathroom, gazing at me like a work of art, touching my scars, tracing my ink with her fingertips, all thoughts of breaking the mood flew out the window.

  Now she wants to try again, and all I can think is I want to give it to her. Even if my hands are filthy, I can do this for her. I can do it for us.

  I want to be the one to help her heal, to lead her back to whole. I want to be the only man to touch her. Always.

  Walking to the large bathtub recessed in the corner of the suite, I switch on the water, sitting on the side of the oversized jacuzzi as it fills. She climbs onto my lap, completely nude, her bare pussy teasing me with its proximity to my cock.

  Wrapping her slim arms around my neck, her soft lips trace a line from my jaw to my ear. “I can do this.” Her voice is sultry and low. “I’m obsessed with you.”

  Shit, her sexy words make my erection weep. I want to bend her over and fuck her hard, but I’m not a selfish bastard. I know accomplishing this will take us to a new level, and I meant what I said, I want to hear her screaming my name as she comes on my face.

  Sliding my hands over her ass, I kiss the top of her shoulder. I’m not sure if it’s obsession or devotion I feel for her–or a combination of the two. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  Holding her hand, I guide her into the warm water. Her back is against my chest, and I lean against the built-in headrest, sliding my hands down her soft arms until our fingers curl together.

  Her curly blonde hair is a messy pile on her head, and I kiss the exposed skin at her neck. Her faint, floral scent is in my nose, and holding her this way provokes all the caveman instincts I’ve been wrestling with since the first time we were together.

  “I never enjoyed bathing.” Her soft voice is soothing music. “Now I never want to get out.”

  “I love the sound of your voice.” Lifting my chin, I inhale the side of her head. “I love your scent.”

  My eyes close. This feeling expanding in my chest is fucking terrifying. I realize for the first time in my life my very existence is threatened by the thought of anything happening to her.

  Like slippery soap, she rotates in my arms so her stomach is against mine. Her small breasts rest against my chest, and at half my size, she fills every space in my soul.

  “You make me feel like I’ve never felt.” Her eyes meet mine, deep blue and so round.

  “How do you feel, beautiful girl?”

  Her eyes glisten. “Like I’m worth saving.”

  Lifting my hands from the water, I cup her face. “You are worth saving for so many reasons. Not just for me.”

  Lowering my lips to hers, our tongues chase, lips pull, my erection grows, and I need to be inside her again. “Do you still want to do this?”

  “More than anything.” Holding my shoulders, she moves higher on my chest, then with one even glide, her knees rise, and I’m fully sheathed in her hot little core.

  “Fuck,” I groan as she continues to move, riding my cock up and down as her lips trace a line from my cheek to my ear.

  “I couldn't wait,” she gasps, and I’m right there with her, so close to the edge. “Make me come again.”

  Reaching down, I cup her ass, groaning as I lift her off me. “Hold the sides of the tub.”

  She does as I say, and I lift her easily, so she’s sitting on my hands. She’s out of the water, and I pull her closer, keeping my eyes on hers.

  “I won’t hold you down. I’ll stop whenever you say.”

  Her pussy hovers in front of my face, and I watch her expression for any signs of fear. Her tongue slides out to touch her bottom lip, and our eyes are locked.

  Placing her hands on the sides of the tub, she braces her weight, and she moves forward carefully, thin brows furrowed.

  Lowering her slowly, her pussy lips are right at my mouth. My beard tickles her skin, and she freezes. I stop.

  “You’re in control, Hana.”

  She blinks a few times then nods as I guide her to my mouth. My stomach tightens, and I turn my head to kiss her inner thigh. She’s warm and damp from the water, and I’m ready to make her feel so good.

  Returning to the center, I slip out my tongue, touching her lightly, finding my way to her clit. Her eyes close, and she inhales sharply.

  I slow down, moving my lips to her thigh again, kissing the crease of her leg.

  Her lips part, and she whispers. “It’s okay… It feels good. It’s you. I want you.”

  Carefully, I begin again, tracing my tongue gently over and over, going deeper with every pass, curling my tongue in her warm little cunt. A moan rises from her chest, and I keep my eyes on her face, watching her expression.

  Her eyes squeeze shut, and her full bottom lip slips between her teeth. She’s not afraid, and my movements grow more ravenous. Using my lips, I pull her skin. Moving lower, I test her wetness. She’s right there, and I move my face higher, circling that little bud with my tongue as it grows harder, sucking it as her hips drive forward on their own, leaving my hands.

  She tastes like clean water and ocean air, and as she rides my face, her juices coat my chin. She’s out of my hands, gripping the top of my head as her narrow hips buck frantically.

  “So good,” she gasps. “Oh, God.”

  Pink rises in her cheeks, touching the tops of her breasts, and a new surge of emotion rises in my chest–pride. She trusts me. She’s made it through her fear.

  She’s completely mine.

  “Oh, fuck.” Her voice breaks, and her hand shoots forward to the wall behind my head. She takes one more quick grind before she breaks into shudders. “Oh, shit, oh, shit, oh…”

  Her thighs tremble, and I lick her again, causing her ass to jump. “Oh, no, it’s too much.”

  A smile breaks across her face, and I watch as she breaks into a laugh, sliding down into the water. Reaching up, she pulls my mouth to hers. Our teeth click because I’m smiling, too, which I’ve been doing a lot lately.

  She’s given me another first, and in doing it, she’s stolen another stone from the wall I’d so carefully constructed around my heart.

  “That was amazing,” she sighs. “I can’t believe it felt so good.”

  Gathering her in my arms, I slide my thumb over her full lips. “You’re amazing.” I kiss her temple, then her cheek. “I never want you to be afraid when you’re with me.”

  “I never am.” She traces a finger along my brow. “I’ve only felt completely safe, since the first day you kept me from falling.”

  I’ll always keep her from falling.

  Lying on my back in the bed, I watch the ceiling fan turn overhead as I hold her in my arms. We made love again after she came in the tub, and as my orgasm raced through my body, it felt as though our souls united.

  I wasn’t sure where she left off and where I began.

  We didn’t talk anymore before she fell asleep. Now her face is at my chest and her arm wraps across my waist. Turning to the side, I study her profile, her small upturned nose, her soft, curly hair.

  A little snore rumbles from her lips, and I smile (again!) as I lightly trace a curl away from her cheek, watching the way it wraps around my finger.

  It’s a dangerous game pretending we’re perfectly safe here, no threats, no one closing in on us. If we follow Dirk’s plan, I’ll have to leave her alone with Blake, and I’ll have to face the terror such a prospect evokes in me.

  My palms get sweaty and my breath is shallow. I’ve got to prepare her more. She’ll never be as safe alone as she would be with me, but maybe I’ll be able to focus when the time comes. I need her to feel as confident when she’s alone as she does when I’m with her, and she won’t if I’m not.

  I’m pleased by how quickly she learned to handle a gun. She’s a good shot, and tomorrow, I’ll teach her hand-to-hand techniques. Filtering through my thoughts, I make a plan. It’s the only way I can calm my anxiety about what lies ahead.

  In this time we’ve spent together I’ve also seen her for the woman she’s becoming. She’s not a baby. She’s not a helpless little girl. She’s smart and strong, and I’m proud to watch her emerging from the past, spreading her wings, and being brave.

  I like to think I’m a part of her growth.

  “You are worth everything I’ve done and will do.” My voice is quiet as I slide the soft curls back and forth in my fingers. “Part of letting you fly is trusting your wings.”

  She exhales a soft noise, and I close my eyes, doing my best to take my own advice, drifting asleep to the sound of her steady breathing.

  17

  Hana

  Scar insisted we come to Uncle Hugh’s stables immediately after breakfast. I walk over to the stall where Training Day, my uncle’s prized stallion stands with his head over the dutch door, curiously watching us.

  “How’s it going, Trainey? Wishing someone would take you for a gallop?”

  Behind me, Scar is arranging hay in a pile at one end of the small stadium. It’s a cool morning, but sweat glistens on his muscles, which bulge and flex every time he lifts a bale. He’s wearing a thin, white tank top and gray sweatpants, and his long hair is tied up in a bun. It’s very inspirational.

  Straightening, he motions for me to come to him. “Ready?”

  “For a roll in the hay? Yes, please!”

  “Focus, Hana.”

  He made me wear workout clothes–capri leggings and a jog bra–and when I get to where he’s standing, breathing hard he lifts my hand in his.

  “This is the correct way to make a fist.” He curls my fingers, placing my thumbs outside them. “Don’t hold onto your thumbs. If you hit something, you’ll break them.”

  “Ouch.” I look up, and his face is so close to mine, I give him a little kiss.

  “Hana.” He scolds, but a smile curls his lips.

  It’s all the encouragement I need. “In case you forgot, I had a real breakthrough last night in the bathtub. That was some serious personal growth going on, and I don’t just mean your penis.”

  An actual laugh escapes his lips on an exhale, and I grin as warmth spreads through my stomach. “I noticed. It was very gratifying.”

  “Gratifying?” I arch an eyebrow at his stuffy word-choice. “I was hoping we’d do a little more gratifying personal-growth, face-riding this morning.”

  His expression resumes its usual focus. “After your lesson. If you’re a good girl.”

  Pressing my lips together, I like the way he says good girl all sexy and low, like it’s an order. “Yes, sir.”

  Wolf eyes flicker to mine in a way that makes my knees go liquid. “You’re making it hard to focus in those sweats, giving me bedroom eyes.”

  “Come here.”

  I hop over to where he’s standing, and he turns me so my back is to him. His cock is at my back, and I detect a bit of a rise. “I like this lesson already.”

  “If someone comes up behind you, threatening you, what would you do?”

  “Scream and run as hard as I can for as long as possible.”

  He releases me and crosses his muscular arms, which are on full display in that wife beater.

  His full, kissable lips press into a line as he nods. “If they haven’t grabbed you yet, that’s the perfect plan. Running away is always the best defense.”

  “Yay! Lesson done.”

  “But what if he grabs you before you’re ready?”

  “I’m dead.”

  “Hana.” It’s a low growl, and I shrug.

  “I mean, look at me. I’m not the buffest person in the family. The best I can hope for is a head start.”

  “That’s why we’re doing this. Now, come here.”

  Once again, I’m wrapped in his strong arms, my back against his chest. I want to melt, but I don’t want him mad at me, so I focus. His strong arm goes around my shoulders, and his warm breath skates over my neck, sending yummy chills down my spine.

  “If you’re grabbed, I want you to think SING.”

  “Oh, like in Miss Congeniality?”

  “What?”

  “The movie with Sandra Bullock? Where she's an FBI agent, and she has to go undercover at the beauty pageant? It’s so cute. They have this whole makeover part–the bikini wax is hilarious.”

  “I need you to focus.”

  “Sorry.” I clear my throat. Of course, he hasn’t seen a Sandra Bullock movie. “Okay, SING. Let’s do this.”

  “Solar plexus, Instep, Nose, Groin.”

  “I’m not really going to do that to you, am I?”