Lake (Trinity Academy 3)

Sitting back on her haunches, she smiles up at me. “I didn’t hurt myself because I didn’t lose control.”

I nod, finally understanding. Feeling like shit because I lost my temper in front of her, I whisper, “I’m sorry. I’m not such a nice person, after all.”

Her smile doesn’t lose any of its strength. “So far, you’re the most caring person I’ve ever met. Even your laughter sounds kind.”

I reach for her face and brush my thumb over her cheek. “Thanks, Lee. I really needed to hear that.”Chapter 9LeeSpeechless, I can only stare at all the bags.

“I’ll help you unpack everything,” Lake says, and picking up the first bag he begins to take clothes out, placing them on the bed.

I shake my head to get out of the stunned daze and step forward. “Wait.” I take the bag from him and set it back down with the others. “What is all of this?”

“Just things you might need,” he explains.

“When will I ever need all of this?” I shake my head again, still not able to believe Lake ordered so many clothes for me. “I can’t accept all of this.”

“Why not?” He turns away from the bed and faces me.

Looking up at him, I take in his kind brown eyes. This man has surprised me in so many ways. He just keeps giving, never asking for anything in return.

“How will I pay you back?” I ask.

He brings a hand to my arm, and the moment I feel the warmth from his palm on my skin, it makes a foreign sensation spin a delicate web in my stomach. Feeling self-conscious, I lower my eyes to his chest.

Lake lifts his other hand to my face, and when he places a finger beneath my chin, an overwhelming emotion shoots up from my stomach, slamming into my heart which only makes it beat faster.

He nudges my face up, and as our eyes meet, he says, “It’s a gift, Lee.”

I swallow hard and whisper, “It’s too much for a gift.”

The corner of his mouth begins to pull up, and the movement catches my eye. Then he tilts his head, and an intense look, I haven’t seen before settles on his face. It fills his eyes with such tenderness, it makes the emotion in my chest spread out, like the first rays at sunrise coming into view on the horizon.

Lake moves his hand from my chin down to my neck, and he keeps still for a moment, just looking into my eyes.

A slow smile forms around his lips, and brushing his fingers over my racing pulse, he pulls me closer with his other hand before wrapping it around me.

For a while, I stand still just breathing in his scent.

The man holding me so affectionately is going to become my husband.

The thought doesn’t fill me with fear or panic any longer and realizing this, I bring my arms up and wrap them around his waist. Turning my head, I rest my cheek against his chest, while a relieved smile softly settles around my mouth.

I have been shown more kindness in the past two days than I’ve experienced in my entire life.

Lake tightens his arms around me and lowers his head until I feel his breath stirring my hair and fanning over my forehead.

“I know it’s asking a lot but will you allow me to take care of you?” His voice rumbles softly.

Squeezing my eyes shut, my heartbeat speeds up even more as I ask, “What will you expect of me in return?”

My question makes Lake pull back, and my heart shoots into my throat. Nervously my eyes dart to the bed and just seeing it has me forgetting to breathe.

“Hey,” he whispers. Framing my face with his hands, he takes a step to the side, so I have to look at him and not the bed. “I don’t expect anything from you that you’re not willing to give freely.”

“Jinjja?” The word just pops over my lips while I struggle to find the right English word.

Lake lets out a chuckle. “Yes, really.” Then he jokes, “Thank God, I understand that one.” Placing one arm around my shoulders, he moves until he’s standing next to me and then we both stare at all the bags.

“It’s still too much,” I say, pulling a worried face because I don’t even know where I’m going to put it all.

“Okay, let’s negotiate,” he offers.

“One bag,” I immediately say.

“Okay, we can take one away,” he comments, and when I glance up at him with a frown forming on my forehead, he begins to chuckle. “At least keep half. It will make me feel better.”

He’s willing to compromise, which means I should do the same. I still have no idea what I’m going to do with everything, but I nod and bow my head slightly, “Thank you.”

Then I hear movement and the rustling of more paper bags behind me, and glancing over my shoulder, I watch Mason carry more stuff into the room. “Where should I put this?”