Page 84 of Before and After

“Did you have a nightmare?” I asked.

“No, I don’t get nightmares.”

I lifted my head. “You just don’t sleep.”

I felt him shrug. “I’ve never needed much sleep.”

But the old memories still found him. I pressed a kiss to the tendon in his neck. “You said you had no regrets about your work in the military.”

“I don’t.” He sighed. “But the things I saw… There are some things no man should ever see.”

I rested my hands on his shoulders. He’d taken care of me tonight. Now, I wanted to take care of him. “Talk to me.”

One of his hands cupped my jaw firmly and tilted it up. In the dim light, I saw the glimmer of his dark gaze.

“I’ll never talk about it. Never give those things to you. The things I saw, did… I did them so you’d never have to know anything about them.”

My heart kicked. He was a damn hero. Doing the hard things to save others from suffering it.

“Okay.” My mouth hovered over his. “So, let’s chase those memories away. Make better ones.”

His hands slid down and clenched on my ass. “Allie…” He released a long breath. “You’ve had a rough night. It was intense, scary.”

“I’m not scared now. If anything, tonight put things into clear focus.” I touched my lips to his. “You always do the right thing and follow the rules. You protect and take care of everyone else. Now, it’s just the two of us. Taking care of each other.”

He made a low, masculine sound, then he was kissing me.

His tongue slid into my mouth, his lips molding mine. Sensation exploded through me.

I’d been holding onto everything so tightly for months. Since Sean and Sylvie had died, I’d been working hard trying to hold things together, trying to do right by Ollie.

This, right now…

This was all for me.

I whimpered, rocking on his body. I felt his hard cock beneath me.

Caden growled, and jerked me down, grinding me against his cock. “It’s taking everything I’ve got not to throw you down and get inside you as fast as possible.”

My belly clenched and I felt those words between my thighs. “So do it.”

“No.” He kissed me, then bit my bottom lip. “I’m not rushing this. It feels like I’ve wanted you forever.” His fingers dug into my ass. “Get that towel off.”

I licked my lips and nodded. I pulled the towel free and dropped it to the floor.

His gaze moved to my breasts and he released a low groan.

“They’re not very big,” I said.

“They’re perfect.” He cupped them, his thumbs flicking my nipples. “High, firm, and gorgeous. They suit you.”

On a moan, I arched into him.

“Look at these nipples.” Leaning forward, he closed his mouth over one hard nipple and sucked.

I cried out. Soon, I was writhing on his lap. His fingers clenched on my buttock and desire pumped through me.

“So pretty, Allie. Sometimes I watch you at work, on the cameras. I can’t take my eyes off you.”