The Hero's Redemption

“I’m such a mess. More than you are, and with less reason.”

“That’s not true.”

“It is, but…I’ve been in love with you almost from that first day. You were so stoic, you had such pride and dignity, you knew how to do everything.” A tiny smile came out of hiding. “You’re sexy, and you’re stubborn.”

He had to close his eyes for a minute to gather himself. “You love me.”

“Yes.” She rested her head on his shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to his throat. “If you think I’d ever be embarrassed by you, you’re wrong. You’re smarter than most of the professors I’ve met and way more practical. None of them look like you, either. I really don’t want to think of the women you must have trailing you on the Everett campus.”

A grin broke free. “I try to ignore my followers.”

Erin snorted, but then she went quiet again. Finally, she sat up straight, meeting his eyes. “Did you… I mean, have there been other women?”

“No one.” Honesty compelled him to admit, “I told myself I should find someone more at my level, but…I just couldn’t do it. You were always there. I would have compared them.”

“With the crazy woman who kept trying to kill herself? Who screams every night, and sobs in your arms?”

“Yeah.” His heart didn’t feel right. Or maybe it finally did. “With her.”

“Oh, Cole,” she whispered.

That did it. He had to kiss her, and she seemed just as eager to kiss him back. It took everything he had to hold on to enough sanity to know this was as far as it could go until a few of her bones knit themselves back together. But this was good—kisses that were tender, that asked questions and gave answers, hungry kisses, teasing kisses.

Erin was laughing when they parted, even though her eyes shone with new tears. “You’ll really come home?”

“I really will,” he said huskily, “as long as you know I want you forever. That I’ll go anywhere you do.”

She laid her uninjured hand on his cheek and rubbed her thumb over his lips. “Works the other way around, too. We may need to move if you want a four-year degree. Or more.”

Erin loved him. She believed in him.

“Damn, I wish we could go to bed,” he growled.

She laughed at him. “We can. You did promise to make me so comfy I’d sleep through the night.”

He kissed her again, hard, then murmured in her ear, “I can only think of one thing I’d rather do.”

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