As if hearing her, Frankie looked over. “Amica mia, thank you. Caz said if you hadn’t kept Nabera and the guards’ attention on you, no one could have freed Hawk and me. I have an idea how hard it must have been to face Nabera.”
“Yeah,” Hawk said in his deep rasp. “That took guts.”
Kit pulled in a shaky breath. It had been so very close, but they were all here and alive. And she had her son on her lap and Hawk beside her.
Life was good.
So was balance. She looked at her bestie. “After getting me out of the compound, you said it was my turn to save you—and I owed Hawk a rescue too. Nabera gave me a chance to pay you both off at once.”
Kit grinned at Frankie, then Hawk. “You’re welcome.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
Love is something sent from heaven to worry the hell out of you. ~ Dolly Parton
Behind Kit in the back of his canoe, Hawk stroked the paddle through the aqua-blue water. Fog drifted over the lake in a silent contrast to the battle last weekend.
For two days, they’d dealt with law enforcement groups and repaired the damage to the Hermitage. The garage doors would sure never look the same. They’d have to buy new ones so the women and kids wouldn’t constantly see the ugly reminders of violence.
Backstroking lightly, he angled the canoe closer to the bank. Now that the town’s floatplane dock was in good repair, more planes landed on the lake. The roadhouse was benefiting from the visitors.
In the bow, Kit paddled smoothly and quietly. Next time, he’d teach her to steer.
Next time.
They had a future together. The knowledge was simply, fucking wonderful, although, yeah, it might take a while to truly accept it.
On the bank, a flock of snow geese were snacking on the grasses and sedges in preparation for their fall migration.
Winter was coming—but the long, dark nights wouldn’t be the same. Not when Kit and Aric would be with him.
“Wow, look.” Kit pointed to a moose rubbing the velvet off its antlers on a tree trunk.
“It’s almost rutting season, so remember that the males can be irritable.”
For a change, he wasn’t one of the irritable males. He’d never been more content.
An hour later, he lay on a heavy horse blanket with Kit straddling his hips.
The canoe rested on the bank, and they’d found a grassy area well hidden by bushes and overhanging trees.
She was so beautiful when naked. The sunlight made gold and red glints in her brown hair—soft hair that whispered over his chest as she bent over him, thoroughly impaled on his dick.
As she planted little kisses on his face, he breathed in the scent of vanilla and lavender.
She’d already come twice from his fingers and tongue, and her eyes were half-closed, her mouth swollen.
Her breasts were heavy in his hands, and when he tugged a reddened nipple, her cunt tightened around him in response.
“Hawk.” Her beautiful voice held an appealing sultriness now. “Don’t you want to get off?”
He’d be happy like this forever, with her smiling at him, with her ass settled on his groin, her breasts right there for him to play with.
But with her question, his cock set up urgent demands. He wouldn’t last much longer.
“If you insist.” Watching her carefully to ensure he didn’t set off a panic attack, he rolled them over to put her beneath him.
Rather than panicking, she giggled. “You really do like being on top.”
On top, standing, beneath, behind. He enjoyed any position when it came to making love with her. “Today, my dick wants to play hammer.”
And because it’d been a patient cock, it deserved a reward.
Her laugh turned to a moan as he demonstrated.
Oh, sweet heavens, she was going to come again. The heavy pounding had re-awakened every nerve in her body.
Hawk was watching her closely, the way he did whenever he got rougher with her. Now, his eyes crinkled slightly as he bent her right leg and pushed it outward so his pelvis rubbed against her clit with each thrust.
Oh, oh, oh. As her muscles went stiff, everything inside her tightened, and the relentless beat tossed her right over the edge into a lake of pleasure. A bottomless lake it seemed as each forceful thrust set off more and more sensations.
With a guttural sound, he sheathed himself deep. Heat filled her as he buried his face in her hair and let himself come.
Minutes later, her insides continued zinging with aftershocks of pleasure, and her heart had barely slowed. Smiling, she tangled her fingers in his thick blond hair and held his head against her. He was still thick inside her, and the heavy weight of his body was ever-so-satisfying.
Could there be anything more intimate than this?
When he propped himself up to look down at her, she traced a finger over the slight smile on his lips.
He nipped her finger and grinned at her false yelp of pain.
And then he kissed her, soft and deep, so gently for such a deadly man.
When the kiss was done, it took her a second, then she glowered at him. “You bit my finger. A kiss won’t let you escape—”
By the time he finished the second kiss, she’d forgotten she had fingers at all.
Slipping out of her, he propped himself up next to her side. A chill lake breeze wafted over her overheated body, making her nipples contract.
Of course he noticed.
“So pretty.” Smiling, he drew a finger around one breast, and she shivered under his touch.
“I see why parents enjoy the months their children are in school,” he murmured.
She laughed. Yesterday had been the first day of school, and Aric had brought home a drawing for the refrigerator and so many tales. Chocolate milk for snack, and how his newest friend made a big burp. His teacher wore a shirt with penguins on it. On the swing, he went really high—higher than Rachel. “He’s probably having as much fun in school as we are here.”
“Doubt it.” Hawk kissed her again, so tenderly, her eyes dampened.
“I love you, you know.” His blue-gray eyes were serious. “Both of you.”
“I know. We love you too.”
His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb stroking her lips. His gaze went distant, focusing on the trees, the mountains. A crease appeared between his eyebrows, and his jaw went tight.
“Hawk? What’s the matter?”
“I’d like you to move in.” His voice deepened to a rough growl. “With me.”
Taken by surprise, she blinked.
As if he needed to clarify, he added, “To share my house instead of living in Mako’s cabin.”
This…she wasn’t expecting this. Well, okay, yes, maybe she was. Eventually. But to ask her and Aric into his very masculine, very private space was a huge leap for him.
For a long moment, all she could do was stare at him as her heart simply brimmed over.
“Hell, too fast.” Releasing her, he rubbed the scar that ran down his cheek. “Do you want to be together?”
She kicked her vocal cords into gear. “Yes. Yes, I do.”
The tension in his jaw relaxed. “Do you want to stay in Rescue?”
When she didn’t answer immediately, the muscles in his face tightened again. “I’d like to stay close for my brothers.” His lips twisted as he admitted, “And for me. It’s healthier for Aric to be around family too. But if you’d rather move to Anchorage to work, we can do that. Or I can support you.”