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“What happened to your hand?” she asked, more concern than hurt in her tone now. Unfolding herself from the couch, Alta tiptoed on bare feet to where I stood and tugged my injured hand from behind my back.

“Nothing. It’s fine.” Jerking it from her delicate grasp, I glared at Peters, who remained on the couch, grinning. “Get the fuck out now. Don’t you have a case or something to work on?” I arched a dark brow in challenge.

“Yes, but I’ll be back later to talk through some of the information that came through overnight.” With a groan, he pushed off the cushions and stretched his arms overhead, causing his muscles to ripple every which direction. At my annoyed grunt, his smile grew wider. At the door, he slipped a shirt from his bag and zipped up the army-green duffel. “I’ll text you before I head over in case you’re… you know, otherwise indisposed.”

The moment the door swung open, I shoved my good hand into his upper back, propelling him forward and out of the cabin. The wooden door slammed shut before he was off the porch.

“Did he hit on you?” I asked Alta while staring at the door.

“Seriously?” Even though I couldn’t see her face, there was a hint of amusement in her tone.

“Did he or didn’t he? If he did, then I’m going back out there and kicking his ass until he can’t fucking walk.” Turning, I strode toward her. Eyes wide, she stood her ground as I stalked closer. Good hand cupping her cheek, I pulled her lower lip down with the pad of my thumb. “Or maybe it’s you who needs a reminder of whose you are.”

Her jaw popped open with a gasp, allowing me the opportunity to swoop down and claim her beautiful mouth.

22

Alta

Whoa.

Just like yesterday, his declaration of possession, of being his, should’ve scared the heck out of me.

But it didn’t. The opposite happened. My knees went weak and my heart raced. The tips of my fingers and nose tingled. My stomach dipped and trembled in a way that made me want more. Every part of my body honed in on the purely masculine man holding me the way I’d only ever dreamed of being held.

Cas radiated control, confidence, and patience when he held me in his strong arms.

And there was nowhere else I wanted to be.

It was different with Cas from the man who stole three days of my life. With Cas, I felt safe, not terrified. I had a choice with Cas; when held captive those three days, I had none, no matter the tears and pleas for him to stop. With Cas, the way he made me feel desired, desperately needed, was empowering.

All in all, Cas breathed life back into my petrified soul. With each touch of his hands against my skin, each embrace and slide of his lips against mine, a fractured piece of me fused. The scars would always be there, and that was okay.

My scars were what he liked the most.

And that made me more whole and sure of myself than I’d ever been.

“Did he?” Cas asked before angling his head to deepen the kiss.

With his lips pressed to mine, I smiled.

“No, he was trying to get a rise out of you.” Palm against his hard chest, I pushed back, putting a bit of space between us. “And it seems like it worked.” Cas leaned down for another kiss, but I pressed harder. “Now, what happened to your hand?”

Taking the hint that now was time for talking, not making out, he huffed and tugged our lower bodies together. I held back a whimper at the hardness behind his zipper digging into my belly.

“How was your night? Any flashbacks?” he asked, those dark brown eyes searching mine.

“Just my usual nightmares, Nothing better, nothing worse. Stop avoiding my question.” Needing friction, I shifted back and forth, rubbing against him. A loud groan of pain and frustration erupted from his chest and echoed around the cabin.

“We need to get out of here,” he said, wrapping my hand in his and tugging me toward the door. I smiled as he snagged the keys, commanded Benny to stay, and yanked me out onto the porch. “Where to, Lady?”

“Sure it’s safe out there?”

The condescending look he shot over his shoulder as he locked up made me giggle. “Why can’t we stay here, where it’s warm?”

“You mean hotter than Hades on a summer day? And because I don’t trust myself being around you anywhere with a bed, or walls, or any smooth surface your back could be shoved against.”

I wrapped my arm around my waist and squeezed while biting back a smile. All thoughts of yesterday making him rethink us or him being turned off vanished. I wanted him too, and we’d figure it out. I was sure of it.