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“You’re the strongest man I know,” I tell him truthfully. There’s no one on this planet who makes me feel as safe and cherished as Lennox.
“Not when it comes to you, little thief. Not when I know you’re in pain and there’s nothing I can do about it. I’ve never felt so weak as when they took you away in the ambulance. You hold my heart, Katrina, so when you’re not near, I feel incomplete.”
My throat grows tight with emotion, and I’m unable to hold back the tears that silently roll down my cheeks. When an uncontrollable hiccup escapes my lips, Lennox stands up and carefully climbs onto the small bed with me. Drawing me into his arms, he hugs me tight, kissing my hair.
This man is my everything. I know what he means about feeling vulnerable. Without him, I have always felt like a piece of me was missing. The years that we were apart I’d just been getting by, doing what I had to do to one day be free. It wasn’t until I fell back into his life that I began to feel again. To really live.
And love.
It has always been him. From the moment I tumbled into his arms, we were always meant to be together. Now there would be no stopping us.
“I love you,” I sniffle out, turning my head into his chest.
His hand rests on the back of my head and I feel his chest vibrate with the deep, soothing tones of his voice. “I love you too, little thief.”
My eyelids grow heavy. I don’t fight the pull, knowing that I need rest to get out of here. I can’t help but tease him one last time though.
“Did I hear you tell someone you were my fiancé?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t remember saying yes.”
“You will,” he whispers into my ear, making me smile as I fall asleep in his arms.
Chapter Sixteen
Lennox
Standingin front of the mirror in our bathroom, I watch as Katrina rebandages her arm. She’s fresh from a shower, cheeks pink from the hot water and hair dripping down on the towel she has wrapped around her body.
She’s a sight. A radiant goddess.
But the angry wound on her arm and surrounding bruises have my blood pressure increasing in rage. I hate the sight of them. Knowing they still cause her pain and discomfort. She’s been out of the hospital for two weeks now after staying only for a couple days, but the image of her pale and bleeding flashes before my eyes.
No matter how many times I tell myself it was only a flesh wound, that the bullet Carlos shot miraculously only grazed her arm and caused no permanent damage, I can’t stop replaying that moment.
I should have done more. I should have taken out Carlos at the first sign of his erratic behavior. My hesitation had almost cost Katrina her life.
Blinking away the image, my eyes meet Katrina’s in the reflective surface. She has a small sad, knowing grin on her face. But it’s the love that’s shining from her eyes that helps cast my worries aside.
Today I was going to add another happy memory. I needed to leave the pain and destruction Carlos had caused in the past. He was out of our lives now, never to hurt anyone else.
“How are you feeling today?” I ask, stepping up behind her to wrap my arms around her waist. Propping my chin on her shoulder, I soak in the sound of her giggle.
“Great. I was thinking about trying my hand at gardening. You have the perfect spot in the back and Cohen dropped off some seeds last night.”
I hum against her skin. “Or how about we go on hike? I haven’t shown you my favorite spot on the mountain yet.”
“Oh! That sounds fun. I do want to explore the trails around here. It’s so beautiful this time of year.”
Smacking her towel-clad ass, I give her a cheeky grin and head out of the bathroom. “Get dressed then. We’ll head out in thirty.”
“Bossy,” I hear her mutter, but there’s an amused lightness to the word.
Pinching the fabric of my jean pocket, I reassure myself the ring is still secure. I couldn’t wait to see it on her finger.
An hour later, hand in hand, I lead Katrina through a dense brush of branches. With a huge smile on my face as we clear the trees, I look back at her just in time to catch her first glimpse of the waterfall.
