She raised her eyebrows as he walked into one of the end rooms. The old sofa they'd used the first time they'd made love had been dragged in here, and a fire had been started. He'd been expecting her. He placed her on the sofa and squatted in front of her.
She touched a hand to his cheek and slid it down his lips. He kissed each finger as she asked, “And what might those reasons be?"
"This isn't an apology,” he said, waving a hand at the freshly painted walls around them.
She knew that already, but she still asked the question, simply because he wanted her to ask it. “Then what is it?"
"A promise. A commitment.” He touched a hand to her cheek, his fingers warm and gentle against her skin. “What I did to you is a nightmare that will haunt the worst of my nights, but I won't let it destroy me, and I won't let it destroy us. I may not know you as well as I should, but I do love you, Savannah, and I want to live the rest of my life with you."
The emotions, so raw and deep, in his eyes had tears touching hers. “Good, because I sure as hell wasn't going to let you go anywhere anyway."
He grinned, and leaned forward, gently kissing the unswollen section of her mouth. “Had the posse ready to go, huh?"
"Neva did. I told her we wouldn't need it.” She ran her fingers through the silky length of his brown hair and slid them around the back of his neck. “You knew I was okay. That's why you weren't at the hospital."
His grin became wry. “Actually, I wasn't at the hospital because your dad threatened to do me serious bodily harm if I didn't leave you alone and give you time to recover and think."
"I am going to kill my father."
Cade shrugged. “He was only protecting what's his."
"I'm not his. I'm yours."
"I told him that. He wasn't inclined to believe me."
"So why didn't you just arrest his sorry ass and come visit me anyhow?"
"Because the man is going to be my father-in-law, and that would have started our relationship on a very wrong foot."
She slid her other hand around his neck and wriggled closer, until he was kneeling between her spread legs. “That almost sounds like a proposal."
"And it just might be."
"If it is, it's not a very romantic one."
He studied her for a moment. The smile on his lips and the love so evident in his eyes made her feel safe and warm and wanted. Like she'd finally come home after a long time away.
And in so many ways, she had.
"You're wearing multicolored bruises, an old track suit and flip-flops,” he said. “Not exactly a romance-inducing outfit."
"What if I wasn't wearing it?"
"Tempting, but for those bruises."
"I'm sure a clever man could get around the bruises."
The sexy smile tugging his lips made her hormones zoom and her heart feel like it was going to leap out of her chest. “Is that a challenge, woman?"
"Are you up for a challenge?” She let her gaze slide down. “I must say, it certainly looks like you are."
"I'm always ready to tackle a challenge, but not until you answer the question on the table."
She leaned forward and kissed his lips. “What question?"
"Will you marry me?"
"If I say yes, will you shut up and make love to me?"