Nowhere to Hide(107)

Lia knew the scars would always be there to remind her of that night. But it didn’t mean that the past had to keep her imprisoned. She moved her hand slowly from Cav’s waist, her fingers moving up his chest, tangling into the silk of his dark hair across it.

Cav’s love for her had set her free. Love had done this. She knew she had a part in this, too, but Cav had taken her that last mile, carrying her, supporting her, asking her to walk into a new life, with him. And she had.

She was almost incredulous now, looking back at her ridiculous fears about that last scar. Cav was right: it was no worse looking than the others he’d already seen and accepted, simply because he loved her. Shaken by how love could change someone like herself, Lia felt a special gratitude for Cav’s unexpected arrival in her life.

He’d been a caring bodyguard for her while she was dealing with political dangers swirling around La Fortuna. He’d been her safe harbor emotionally when she was stretched and strung out so tightly that she thought she’d never make it. His sensitivity toward her was almost awe-inspiring.

Just seeing him as a security contractor didn’t even begin to plumb his depths. Lia wanted to spend the rest of her life discovering this man and all his layers of being. She was starved to hear what he thought, how he saw things, including her, himself, and the world around them.

Perhaps because Cav had gone through so much and survived it, it had made him stronger. But it had also made him compassionate toward others like himself. Lia appreciated anew how lucky she was to have come from a loving, healthy family. She could hardly wait to take Cav home to Oregon to meet her parents. Lia knew they would instantly love him as she had done. And more than anything, she wanted to offer Cav the gift of her family. She knew her mother and father would willingly embrace him, and include him in their family immediately. They were like that.

Hearing about Cav’s terrible childhood made Lia appreciate her parents so much more. They had raised her right, given her a sense of selfhood, courage and confidence. Cav stirred at her side. She stopped stroking her fingers across his chest, waiting to see his eyes barely open. Smiling into them, Lia caressed his stubble cheek. “I want to wake up like this for the rest of my life with you,” she whispered. Leaning upward on her elbow, she caressed his mouth, feeling the returned heat of his kiss. Lifting his hand, he skimmed his fingers along the line of her shoulder.

“Mmmm,” he growled, “I feel the same way.” He lingered against her lips, seeing her smile, feeling the softness of her body against his, the way her fingers glided over his back and hips, inciting him, making him want her all over again. And his erection grew between them. Her hair was tousled, her gray eyes inviting, her wet lips parted, breathless. His love deepened even more for Lia, if that was possible. This morning she was a new woman. The change was remarkable. Magical.

“I don’t want to leave this bed,” she admitted, kissing his cheek, his jaw, and then the corner of his mouth as he smiled.

“Aren’t you sore?” he asked, tipping his head back enough to engage her full gaze.

“Well, a little,” she said, and then shrugged. “But it’s a very small price to pay, believe me.”

He settled on his back. “Come here,” he growled, and he eased her fully over him so that their bodies were pancaked together. “There,” he said, moving his hands down her strong, curved spine, ending at her sweet cheeks.

Moving his erection against her, he saw her eyes close, those sweet sounds in the back of her throat telling him everything he needed to know.

Lia sighed, feeling her body growing wet, dampening her inner thighs as he languidly moved his hips against hers, and teasing her.

“I’m so hungry for you, Cav. All of you. Again.”

He framed her face, drawing her down to his mouth, caressing her lips. “Well,” he murmured against them, “I don’t want to disappoint the woman I love, do I?” In response, she laughed, her whole body shaking, and he pulled back, absorbing the pure joy she was releasing.

“I want you again because I love you, because I can’t get enough of you, Cav. You’ve given me so much since we met. Now, I want to give you the same.”

He nodded. “Well, then, I think we need to make this a little more official, Ms. Cassidy.” and he brought her to his side. Reaching for the top drawer of the bed stand, he opened it and pulled out a box. Closing it, he coaxed her up into a sitting position next to him.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, seeing the sparkle in his eyes.

“This,” Cav said, bringing a bright red velvet box between them, pushing it into her hand. “Open it, so I can see if we’re sharing the same dream.”