Page 27 of Smoky Mountain K-9
Carter’s head turned, the furrow between his eyes dipping lower. Uncertainty clouded his eyes.
Her eyebrows rose. “You never thought of it that way?”
“No. I mean, I knew I’d have a hard time recognizing anything since I was out there in the dark, but I didn’t take into account the lighting difference in the photographs. The fact is, though, Bob and I weren’t thorough enough. If we were—” His voice cracked, and he looked away, swallowing hard. “If we were, those three men would still be alive.”
Mara’s heart cracked at the pain in his voice and etched onto his face. All these years later, and he still felt it as fresh as the day it happened. She walked over and circled her hands around his bicep and leaned in. “Carter, tell me something. And I want you to be honest. Don’t let your feelings cloud your answer.”
His liquid silver eyes met hers, and he nodded once.
“When you went out that night—even knowing you and Bob were tired—had you ever searched tired before?”
“Of course. It’s the military. Tired is a perpetual state of being.”
She blinked up at him, pausing a beat to make sure he understood what he just said, then nodded. “And even though you were tired, did you do your job any differently that night? Skip steps or change things up?”
His frown deepened. “No.”
“So why would you think you screwed up?”
He shifted his stance, uncertainty in his eyes, but he said nothing.
“Just because people died doesn’t mean it was your fault. Or your dog’s fault. I’m betting he missed stuff other times that someone later found, but you didn’t get upset over that. Because no one died in those instances. And again, there’s no evidence he missed the mine.”
Carter’s jaw worked, and he looked away.
Mara gave his arm a quick squeeze, then pushed back, but didn’t let go. “Look, I’m not asking you to completely upend what you’ve thought—what you’ve felt—these last few years. All I’m asking is that you consider other possibilities to explain what happened.”
He kept his gaze outside, but nodded.
“Good.” She patted his arm and stepped back. “That’s the first step in healing.”
Carter barked a short laugh and glanced at her. “Are you using your therapist skills on me?”
A smile quirked her mouth. “Maybe.” She sobered. “I’m not trying to make light of what you went through. Please don’t take it as that.”
“I’m not.” He pushed away from the window and closed the gap between them to weave his fingers into her hair on the side of her head. “You’re something special, you know that? Not only do you not run for the hills when you hear the mess going on in my head, you make me doubt the guilt I’ve lived with for over six years.” He raised his other hand, framing her face as he tipped his head forward to touch his forehead to hers. “My battered soul doesn’t deserve you.”
The low rumble of his voice washed over her, and his words brought tears to her eyes. “Oh, but I do. I think we’re meant to heal each other’s brokenness.” She lifted her hands to his face, feeling the rough beard stubble beneath her fingertips. It grounded her when the new feelings floating through her wanted to fly her away. Mara remembered this feeling. She was falling in love. But it wasn’t the same as it had been with Blake. That had been fresh and exciting. This was warm, like a banked fire just waiting to be poked and explode into something bright and beautiful.
They stood there in silence, taking in the moment passing between them, until Carter’s thumb drifted over her bottom lip. The fire inside Mara stirred. Her lips parted on a soft sigh.
He lifted his head, his silvery gaze connecting with hers, a question burning in his eyes. Mara stood on her toes and answered it, pressing her mouth to his.
Flames erupted in her soul. Every stroke of his hands on her body, every touch of his lips on hers fanned them higher until she clung to him like ivy. When he cupped her hips and tilted his pelvis into hers, she let out a long moan.
Carter pulled back, his silver eyes a deep greenish-gray. “I want to take you to bed and worship every inch of you. But if you aren’t ready for that, we’ll stop now.”
Mara thought the first time she found herself in this situation would be awkward, and that she’d be nervous. She wasn’t, though. And it wasn’t. She was ready. Ready forthisman. It had everything to do with him.
She threaded her hands into his sun-bleached hair and brought her face close to his. “I’m ready. I want you. All of you.”
He attacked her mouth, taking it, and making it clear she belonged to him now. Mara had never felt possessed before by a man, but she did now. He’d taken full control, and she was just along for the ride. She couldn’t wait to see where he took them.
Gathering her into his arms, he lifted her feet off the floor and walked through the living room and down the short hall, never breaking the kiss. Mara clutched his shoulders, loving the feel of his muscles shifting as he carried her. Carter’s physique was impressive, and she couldn’t wait to get her hands on it sans clothing.
They entered his bedroom, and he kicked the door closed on his way to the bed. He set her on her feet next to it and broke the kiss, then reached over to turn on the bedside lamp. A soft glow filled the room. Mara stared up at him, loving the way his eyes glittered in the low light.
“Still sure about this?”