“You want to marry me?”
His thumb brushed against her cheek and sent rivulets of warmth and pleasure rushing into her bloodstream.
“I want to spend my life with you. I want to wake up in the morning and find you there. I want to go to bed at night holding you in my arms. I want to watch you raise our children, and see Ethan and Brody turn into men. So yes, God help me, I want to marry you. Tell me you don’t feel the same way.”
She couldn’t. And even if she did, he’d recognize it for the lie it was. Her heart soared at his declaration, and even though she had yet to say the actual words herself, she felt them through every inch of her.
But she had believed in this dream once before and suffered eight years of misery as a result. She’d been wrong about Robert and she’d known him most of her life. She’d only known Caleb a short while and though she had no doubts she loved him, what did she really know about him? His past was like the river flowing through her land during spring thaw—murky and dangerous.
The part of her that had been burned in the past wanted to retreat back into the safety of nothingness. It wanted to shove these new feelings down into the dark recesses where she had kept them safely locked away. But it did no good. Caleb had found the key. The locks were gone, the bars rolled back. He had reached inside of her and shone a light deep into the dark.
“You might as well say the words,” he told her, a smile kicking up the uninjured corner of his mouth. “I can see it in your eyes. And I know you, Rachel. I know you would have never given yourself to me if you didn’t love me. I know it with the same certainty I can feel the sun on my face right now.”
“I do,” she admitted, without saying the words. She didn’t know why she hesitated. It wasn’t as if holding them back would save her now. The emotion took over every last inch of her body, mind and soul. But if Caleb was dissatisfied with her choice of phrasing, the smile on his handsome face gave nothing away.
“And you’ll marry me and together we’ll find a better way to rid ourselves of Kirkpatrick that won’t leave you swinging from the end of a rope?”
She smiled and nodded. Did she dare hope? Could there be another way, a better one? She couldn’t say. Certainly none came to mind. But if one existed, she was going to take it. She’d waited a long time for happiness to find her. Now that it had, she didn’t want to let go. She wasn’t sure Caleb would let her, even if she did.
“Good, because I’m rather partial to this neck.” He pulled her to him and pressed his warm lips against her throat, gently nibbling the length of it before making his way to her mouth. “I’m right partial to all of you, really.”
He kissed her then, a kiss imbued with the promise of a better life. Rachel placed her hands against his solid chest and swayed against him, overwhelmed by her commitment and the future she now dared hope for. His kiss made her limbs weak and her head spin and for the moment carried all her fears and worries away.
She gave in, letting herself go, even though deep down a dissenting voice told her it would never be that easy.
“I can’t sleep,” Rachel said, her voice traveling out into the dark room. She’d crawled into bed next to Caleb once again, but tonight was different. He had asked her to marry him and she had accepted. The gravity of what that meant had slowly begun to sink in. He was hers. Forever
It frightened her how quickly she’d grown to rely on his presence and the comfort he provided. It was a part of love she hadn’t considered before, the strength you drew from another person, knowing they were there providing support when you needed it most.
She pushed herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. The faint glow of moonlight illuminated his fading bruises. They weren’t nearly enough to detract from his handsomeness. Rugged and elemental, there was something about him, something indefinable that pulled at her. He had given her a place to belong.
“It’s been an interesting day,” he said, lifting his arm so she could snuggle next to him. She melded her body to his, careful not to add too much pressure to his bandaged ribs.
The man didn’t have a spare ounce of flesh on him. Every last inch was worked into tough sinew, hard muscle and bone. She could feel all of it, given that he continued to sleep without a stitch on, claiming he was more comfortable that way. She’d protested the first night, but not since.
“Better?”
She nodded, her cheek rubbing against his chest.
It amazed her the way his touch could ignite her body, push everything else away until only the two of them existed. Their pasts, their problems, the future, all faded into the background, like a hazy memory she couldn’t quite recall.