Page 36 of Edge of Heaven (Crimson Edge #2)

Mick

I didn’t see the notification that I had a message on WhatsApp right away.

I’ve been busy with Toby, spending the day with him. We built Legos, did schoolwork, and then he went to a physical therapy thing they have him doing so he doesn’t lose all his muscle while he’s too weak to be active.

He’s a great kid, and he looks just like Taryn.

Even with everything he’s gone through with the treatments, he’s always smiling, laughing, excited to hear about my band. I played him a few songs that don’t have any curse words or overt sex-related lyrics, and he loved them. He’s smart and easygoing too.

The best thing in my opinion is that he loves his mom and doesn’t resent her at all for leaving him to work.

“Mommy’s a model,” he tells me proudly.

“I know,” I say. “She and I met on a photo shoot for a catalog.”

“You’re a model and a rockstar?” His eyes round. “That is so cool!”

I chuckle. “I think so too.”

He seems to tire out late in the afternoon, so I tell him I’m going to the airport to pick up his mom and grandma and I take off. The plan is for me to take them home and then Tracy will take her car to go see Toby while Taryn and I have some alone time to talk.

I don’t know what’s going to happen between us but Tracy told me to be patient, that Taryn wants to talk to me.

And then I saw the message.

I love you.

Short and to the point, but it gives me hope.

Tracy ordered a wheelchair for Taryn, because it’s hard for her to walk long distances between her sore ankle and ribs, so I spot them right away.

Taryn looks worse than she did when I last saw her, her face now covered in bruises, but she’s still the most beautiful woman alive as far as I’m concerned.

“Hi.” I’m talking to both of them but my gaze is on Taryn.

Our eyes lock and for a few seconds it’s like there’s no one else but us.

Hers are filled with apology and regret, but I can love both of those away. As long as she loves me too.

I love you.

That simple message changed everything.

“Hey.” She gets up slowly, resting one hand on my forearm. “I can walk to the car, I just couldn’t make it through the whole airport.”

“Let me take the suitcases,” I say, since there are two big ones and two carry-ons. “And I’ll pull the car around. You guys wait here.”

I take three of the suitcases with me and get them stowed in my rental car before driving back around to where Taryn and Tracy are waiting.

No one says anything for a while but I reach across the center console and hold out my hand, waiting for Taryn to take it.

And she does.

Her fingers curl into mine, and I let out an invisible sigh of relief.

Everything is going to be okay.

I don’t know how we’re going to work things out but we will.

By the time we get to the house, Taryn is visibly dragging, so I let Tracy get her settled in her old room—where I’ve been sleeping the last two nights—while I get everything out of the car.

“Okay, I’m going to see Toby,” Tracy announces.

And with that she’s gone, leaving Taryn and me alone.

In the bedroom she grew up in.

“Will you come sit next to me?” she asks when I pause in the doorway. She’s propped up against a bunch of pillows, holding out her hand.

“Of course.” I sit beside her and she immediately rests her head on my shoulder.

“I missed you,” she says softly.

“I missed you too.”

“I need to apologize.”

“Nah. Not necessary.”

“But it is.” She lifts her head and stares into my eyes. “I shouldn’t have said those things or blamed you for what happened… I was upset, scared, and worried about Toby. I wasn’t thinking straight but I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”

“Who else were going to lash out at?” I counter. “The person you trust the most. And I’m glad that’s me.”

“I do trust you,” she whispers. “More than anyone. I’ve loved you almost since the first time I saw you—and that scared me. When you showed me just how wonderful you are all over again, I didn’t want to fall in love with you again because…” She sighs and drops her gaze.

“Because why?” I press gently.

“Because you have to go, and I have to stay here.” Tears spill down her cheeks, and I turn my body so I can face her, using my thumbs to brush them away.

“Emotionally, I’m not going anywhere. Yeah, we’ll probably have to do the long-distance thing for a while but it won’t be forever. I’m going to take care of you, Taryn. You and Toby. Your mom too, if necessary.”

“If I could fucking move, I would throw myself in your arms,” she whispers, crying harder now.

“Shh. No. Don’t cry.” I gently wrap my arms around her, letting her sob into my chest. “I love you. I always have. I just want to take care of you. If you’ll let me.”

“I want us to take care of each other.”

“We will. I’m taking care of you right now because that’s what you need.

Chances are, at some point in our lives, I’m going to need you and that’s when you’ll step up.

And maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll go a long period of time where no one needs anyone—so we can just love each other and focus on Toby. ”

She lifts her tear-stained face and I can’t resist kissing her, though I keep my touch light because she’s still bruised.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I whisper, pressing my forehead to hers.

“You won’t. I need you to touch me, Mick. For you to touch every bruise, every mark he left, and make them all better.”

“I can do that.”

I stare down at her, the prettiest girl I’ve ever known, and the bruises on her face momentarily piss me off all over again.

But Callum is in jail—it better be for a long time—and the woman I love is here. With me. Hopefully forever.

I run my fingers over her swollen lips and gently skim the cut. It’s healing well, mostly closed, with a small scab starting to form. So I press my lips to it.

“I’m going to kiss every one of your boo boo’s and make them better.”

“Okay.” Her eyes are closed but there’s a faint smile on her face.

And that’s what I do.

From the marks on her face to the deep purple bruise along her ribcage to her swollen ankle.

I kiss and touch and run my fingers over her entire body, as if I’m rubbing some sort of magical potion into her skin.

Something with the kind of magic that can begin to erase the memories of every time Callum hurt her.

By the time I’m done, she’s naked, sprawled on the bed, her beautiful body on display for me.

And I’m hard as fucking granite.

I know we can’t do anything but?—

“Are you going to sit there drooling or are you going to make love to me?” she asks in a throaty voice.

“Baby, I can’t… I mean, you can’t…” I shake my head. “How can we possibly do this without your ribs screaming in agony?”

Her eyes flutter open and she meets my gaze. “I lay on my back, you kneel in front of me.”

Obviously, the logistics can work, and we’ve waited so long…

“Are you sure you want to do it now?” I ask softly. “While you’re still hurting?”

“I can’t think of a better time—or better way—to make the hurt go away. I need you inside me, Michael. To remind me what we are together.”

“You’re positive?”

“I’ve never been more positive of anything. Ever.”

I make short work of getting undressed and take a moment to lock the door. Then I stare at the woman on the bed, the one I’ve been waiting for, for so long.

“What?” she asks.

“Just thinking about how long it’s been. How long it took us to find our way back to each other.”

“Are you nervous?”

“A little. Not about the sex but about hurting you.”

“You won’t.” She holds out her hands, and the fact that she trusts me so completely, now that she’s so vulnerable, means everything to me.

I walk over to the bed and lie beside her, careful to keep my weight off of her. This is going to be tricky but I feel like I’m up to the task. There’s no universe where I turn her down when she asks me to make love to her.

She lifts a hand, cupping the side of my face, then tugs my head down to hers.

“Kiss me,” she whispers against my mouth.

“That’s going to hurt,” I protest.

“I don’t care.” Then she presses her lips to mine, her tongue seeking out mine almost desperately.

I understand her urgency because I feel it too.

We’ve waited so damn long.

But that ends now.

I deepen the kiss, taking deep, erotic pulls of her tongue, hoping to show her everything I feel. Everything I’ve waited so long to give her. But first I have to make sure she feels safe.

“Condom?” I ask.

She shakes her head, pointing to her arm. “I have the implant. And I trust you.” She pauses. “I mean, have you been with…other women… since…”

I cut her off. “No. Not for months. It’s just been you.”

“Then we don’t need condoms.”

Fuck, I love this woman.

I can’t remember going bare, it’s been that long.

And as I slide between her slick folds, her warm heat enveloping me, my brain goes on the fritz. I can’t think, can’t breathe, can’t do anything but feel.

This woman.

This moment.

Our love.

“I love you,” I rasp. “So fucking much.”

“I love you too.” She gazes up at me, and the love in her eyes nearly sends me over the edge.

“It’s been a while, baby—I don’t know how long I’m going to last.”

“You know how to get me there.” There’s a tiny glimmer of mischief in her eyes, reminiscent of the Taryn she was before Callum tried to beat her down, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure it never dies.

I angle my hips and stroke in, making sure not to move her too much. Resting my hands on her hips, I squeeze a little.

“Anything hurt here?”

She shakes her head.

“Then hold on tight.”

I keep a firm grip on her hips—to keep from jostling her ribs—and then start to move with deep, measured strokes. She likes it hard, a little rough, but since she’s in no shape for that, I opt for finesse. We haven’t done this in a long time, but you don’t forget the best sex of your life.

Licking my thumb, I rub it over her clit, watching to see her reaction. A few more times and her hips come up off the mattress.

There it is—the spot that makes her crazy.

So I keep rubbing my thumb over the tight little nub, stroking in time to what I’m doing with my cock.

“Michael.” Her eyes turn a deep sapphire, burning into mine.

“Right here, baby.”

“I love you,” she pants. “Fuck, I love you so much—yes!” She cries out as her tight wet pussy clenches and spasms around me, sending me over the edge right behind her.

I think I told her I loved her too but I’m not sure.

All I can do is ride out this crazy moment of ecstasy, and hope that it never, ever ends.