Page 32 of Hostile Cravings (Wicked Cravings #3)

I met his eyes, seeing the hope there. His ring had been on his finger when he’d come to rescue me and I rubbed my finger over it, seeing how his eyes lit.

“Of course, stupid,” I said, trying to return to the woman I’d been before this experience had transformed me.

To return to what made us whole. “Unless you were talking about another wife when you busted into that church.”

He yanked me to him, cringing as I lost my balance and crashed into him.

“Tyson, I’m sorry,” I said, trying to stand, worried that I’d damaged him.

He threaded his fingers into my hair and pulled me to him, his kiss so full of emotion, I couldn’t help but lose myself in it.

My body relaxed, the worry that had built, the fear of everything that had happened all fading as my chest warmed .

“You seriously need a breath mint,” I muttered, causing him to laugh.

“That’s my girl.” He let me go, his fingers capturing the scarf and skimming it as I backed from his embrace.

“Casey gave it to me. It was in your pocket with my rings. Is that okay?”

“Your rings?” he asked, his brow raising.

“My rings, my husband, the man I love and have loved since the moment I saw him standing in the foyer of our home proud and sexy, even with his tattoos, old age, and rude comments.”

“I’m not an old man, baby. I’m experienced. Experienced enough to make you come undone like you never have. Now get your sexy ass in this bed and let me touch that body.”

“You just woke up! You have stitches, your wound?—”

“I don’t give a shit, wife. Get your ass over here and let me touch you.”

I curled into the bed next to him, trying not to disturb all the tubes and monitors that were hooked up to him.

“What are you wearing?” he asked, kissing my nose as I looked up at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in so much clothing. Where’s all your skin?”

“You said you wanted me covered up so no other man could see what’s yours,” I said, noting the strength that still sat in his chest and being careful not to disturb his wound.

“So I did. Now, tell me what happened after that asshole shot me, why my best friend isn’t here and my sister… Shit, is he fucking her when I’m in here with all this shit attached to me?”

Laughing, I said, “No, although I’m not sure they haven’t.

They take shifts but Casey left to get showered and changed.

Mason is meeting with my father, Tony, and Strint to figure out what to do with Tirenti’s territory.

Now that they’ve toppled his family, his hold on the territory has left it open for the Omens.

They’re working out a plan to either split the territory between us and Strint or hand it over to someone else. ”

“Huh, likely Rinagi. He was part of Tirenti’s crew, but Tirenti pissed him off a year back and he’s been building his own empire on the outskirts of the territory. He’s young, and he’s smart. And Mason has him in our pockets already. Makes sense to move him into power.”

“Rinagi? That name sounds familiar. I think I hooked up with someone by that name a while back,” I teased. His arm squeezed tight around me, his heartbeat monitor pinging loudly.

“Do I need to kill someone when I get out of this place?”

“I think you’d have too many to kill, just like I think I would. And I’m just playing. I don’t know him.” I kissed his cheek. “I’m all yours, Tyson. Body, heart, and soul.”

He peered down at me, the amber in his eyes sparkling. “You love me, Anj?” he asked, his voice a soft whisper that tingled along my ears.

“Yes, completely. Do you really love me?”

He was quiet for a moment. “Is that scar big?”

I scrunched my brows. “What?”

“The scar from that bullet I took for you. Is it big?”

I nodded, not sure what that had to do with loving me.

“Good, I think I’ll get a new tattoo to cover it.

A long black viper.” My breath caught, my chest growing tight.

“And you can get a matching one, someplace that marks you as mine, Angela Donelli, because I’m not letting you go again.

No matter how much you fight me or how loud you complain.

I’ll smack that ass red if I have to, but I’m never letting you go. ”

Bringing his face close, I held his cheek, gazing into his eyes. “Then I expect you to make this marriage real, Tyson Raines. I want a pretty dress, lots of flowers, and horses.”

“Horses? What the hell do horses have to do with a wedding?”

“We can’t have it on the beach like I really want, so we’ll have to have it on your stinky horse farm.”

He stopped my words with a kiss, pulling me into him even though I knew it was hurting him. “My girl wants a beach wedding, my girl gets a beach wedding. My girl gets whatever she wants, and I’ll kill anyone who stands in the way of me giving it to her.”

“I love you Tyson, and all I want is you.”

“Good, because there’s no way I’m ever letting another man touch this body again. It’s mine. You belong to me, little viper.”

He kissed me again, his hand sliding along my body.

“If you bust yourself up again, I’ll kill you myself,” I heard Mason say.

Tyson nibbled my lip and let me go, his eyes twinkling with humor. “If it’s anybody that’s going to take me out, it’s this one, Mace.”

“Damn right it is,” I said. I brushed my fingers over the growth that lined his face.

“You like that, baby?”

“It’s sexy.”

“All right, you two. Don’t make me call a nurse in here and have Angie removed from the hospital.”

Tyson smacked my ass, and I took the hint, climbing from him.

“Damn, you got me hard, Anj. I don’t see why you can’t take care of that after Mason leaves.”

Mason put his hand on his hips, shaking his head. “Heal, and then she can blow you all you want. Until then, off limits.”

I pouted my lip, causing Tyson to comment on how that wasn’t helping.

“Can you give us a few, Angie?” Mason asked, taking a seat across from the bed.

“Of course.”

Tyson gestured me over with his finger and I kissed him again, his fingers gripping my hair so hard it soaked me.

Getting him to take it slow and heal was going to be a challenge.

When he let me go, I was breathless, and he was beaming.

His smile lit every part of me that his kiss hadn’t reached, and as I left the room, I knew everything was going to work out.

Tyson was mine, and I was his. All the animosity between us had shadowed the desire, hiding what we truly were, two people who needed each other, and who loved each other desperately.

And Tyson loved me—freckles, birthmark, glasses, spoiled attitude, and snarky remarks.

He loved everything about me and that made me complete for the first time in far too long, and I knew I would spend the rest of my life letting him see those parts of me I’d hidden and letting him love them.