“Five years,” Odin repeated. “Jesus.”
War didn’t look away from the screen.
“Gary Strom would stalk his prey relentlessly. Document his hunts with photos. Then close in for the kill.” Her solemn gaze stared into the camera. “I was one of his victims. A victim lucky enough to survive thanks to the incredible bravery of a man named Warren Channing.”
“Aw, she called you Warren.”
“Shut the hell up.” She was wearing the ring. The ring that had been in evidence for a while, but they had just managed to get back. Lynn had pulled strings for them. He’d seriously owe her.
“Warren Channing is a private investigator with Trouble For Hire, and his help was instrumental in apprehending Strom.”
“Oh, look,” Odin sounded impressed. “She makes it sound nice. Like you didn’t nearly choke the life from that SOB in a blind rage.”
“Wasn’t blind. I could see perfectly.” He’d known exactly what he was doing. Killing to protect. Killing to destroy the threat. Killing…because Rose had to be safe.
“I’m speaking out tonight because I want the world to know what happened to me. What happened to all of those women.” Rose lifted her chin. “It is estimated that one in six women will experience stalking at some point. If you are a victim, you don’t need to suffer and fear in silence. You can get help. You can fight. You can stop the monsters out there.”
“I like her.”
War’s gaze cut to Odin.
His friend was staring straight at the screen.
“I like her, too,” War said.
“Notice she’s wearing your ring.”
He inclined his head. “Good of you to see that.”
“When’s the wedding?”
“As soon as I can get her in a church.”
“Do I get to be the best man?”
“You know it.”
Odin smiled.
And War went back to watching his favorite reporter. God, he loved that woman.
***
“You are getting way too much joy out of this whole deal,” War grumbled as his hands clamped around the arms of his wheelchair.
“Aw, someone is grumpy,” Rose announced in a perky voice.
He turned his head so he could glare back at her. “I am more than capable of walking.”
“Yes, but the lovely folks at the hospital have a policy against that, so you have to be pushed out until your sweet feet hit the curb. I volunteered to push so…enjoy the ride.” She smiled at him.
He got caught by her smile. Couldn’t look away. Didn’t want to stare anywhere else. Rose was happy. She was safe.
Everything was right in his world.
“What were the doctor’s orders?” she asked as she pushed him through the sliding glass doors that had just opened. “Are you, um, supposed to avoid any certain activities?”
Oh, that was precious. She thought he’d be avoiding his favorite activity? No way in hell. “Supposed to take things slow,” he replied as his head turned forward once more. “I figure you can be on top, and I can watch as you slowly ride—”
“War!”
Now it was his turn to smile. “You don’t like that plan?” His car was waiting at the curb. She’d driven it. Did she know that she was the only other person he’d ever allowed to drive his baby?
“I love that plan,” Rose whispered as her mouth slid against his ear. “Can’t wait to get you home so we can start enjoying that plan.”
He figured he was close enough to the curb. War shoved out of the chair.
“No, War!” She reached for him. “What if you fall?” She locked her arms around him.
He had fallen—fast and hard for her. He turned. His head bent toward her and his mouth brushed over her lips. She was with him. Safe. Alive. He had everything that he would ever need.
“Let’s go home,” Rose murmured.
He was home. A kid who’d lost his family. A fighter who’d slipped in and out of more countries than he could count. But he’d finally found his home—and it wasn’t the cabin or the beach or anything but…her. Rose was his home.
She was his heart.
***
Their clothes littered the floor. Not like they’d wasted time stripping. War was reaching for her again, but Rose caught his hands and pushed them back down. “I think you don’t understand the meaning of slow and easy.”
He grinned at her, and her chest warmed. His smile was sexy and charming, and she loved him so much that she felt like her whole body might explode with joy.
She’d been so worried about him. They’d gone back to his cabin—Odin had made sure there were no signs of the attack. Odin had been such a good friend. He’d given her some much support while she’d stayed at War’s side during those days at the hospital. The doctors had told her not to worry, that he’d been lucky, that War was a fighter…
But she hadn’t been able to shake her fear. Not until they finally drove away from the hospital and it was in her rear-view mirror.
The pain and the fear and that jerk Gary—they were all in her rear-view. What was on the road in front of her, her future—that was War.
“You are torturing me,” he groaned.
“No, I am being extra…” Her fingers released their grip on his hands as she moved to trace a light path down his chest. “Gentle.” She made sure not to touch any of his healing injuries. Down, down her careful fingers went…
Until she was stroking the long, hard length of his cock. Her hand curled around him, and she squeezed. Squeezed and released before she began to pump—
“Rose.” His eyes had darkened even more.
“So gentle,” she said. Her body shifted so that she could bring her mouth down and feather a kiss over the head of his cock.
He growled and his hips jerked up.
She slowly opened her mouth. Took a little of him inside. One inch. Two.
“Torture…”
She took more. Swirled her tongue over him. Sucked.
“Rose!” He’d fisted the sheets. “There is slow,” he gritted out, “then there is making-me-lose-my-mind torture!”
She didn’t want him losing his mind. Couldn’t very well have that. She rose and straddled him. The tip of his cock pressed to her core. She stared into his eyes and sank down.
Slowly.
That had been the plan, correct?
One careful inch at a time.
His jaw locked. “Fuck me!”
“I am.”
A choked laugh barked from him. His hands let go of their tight grip on the sheets and flew to curl around her hips. “More, Rose. More.”
Her knees pressed against the mattress. She pushed up. Sank back down.
A guttural groan came from him. His hands lifted her up. Urged her down. Faster…
War was forgetting that they were supposed to be going slow. He was attempting to take over and change the plan. “War…”
His right hand slid away from her hip. Moved lower down her body. His fingers rubbed over her clit.
Her breath jerked out.
She pushed up. Sank down. His fingers kept strumming her. She was staring straight at him. His burning gaze was on her. The thunder of her heart grew louder and louder, and her climax built within her. She could feel it driving through her. Every thrust had her closer and closer to the edge. So close that—