Hard.
He rubs his cheek in shock as I unleash at him. “You’re an idiot. You could’ve died walking in that storm, you stubborn, reckless fool,” I snap, then throw my arms around him, thankful he didn’t die out there.
He holds me so tightly it almost hurts. “You look amazing, by the way,” he murmurs against my shoulder, his voice muffled and hoarse.
I pull back, finally allowing myself a smile. “You look like a walking icicle.”
“Then warm me up.”
“I’m serious. You need to get in the shower before you get sick.”
He stands, then pulls me with him. “What the hell happened to your leg?”
I look down. Dried blood streaks my thigh from the earlier cut.
“Plate shard,” I say. “I lost it. There’s a bit of a mess downstairs.”
“I saw,” he mutters. “But that can wait.”
He tugs me closer. “Right now, I need to warm up… with you. My wife. I want to make love to you in our shower. Unless you’d prefer I get all alpha and demand it.” His voice is low, almost a growl.
My breath catches. I nod, my bottom lip trembling. “Make love to me, Colt.”
He kisses me deeply, his cold lips sending a shiver down my spine.
Then he lifts me into his arms. My heels fall away as he carries me into the ensuite.
And there, in the warmth of our home, under the stream of hot water, we make love. Not like strangers trying to reconnect, but like two people who have clawed their way through hell and found each other again.
For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel like I’m home.
Chapter Thirty-Three
DEE
The Next Day
Colt left early this morning for an interview. He said he’d be home by three, which gives me just enough time to pack and be gone before he walks through the door.
Last night changed something in me.
Even though I believe Colt still loves me, it’s not enough. Not in the way we need it to be. He’ll always be torn between two worlds—one with me, the other with his son, and the family he never knew he had. He can swear up and down that he doesn’t want Macy, but love isn’t always about want. Sometimes, it’s about duty. About where you’re needed.
And Colt? He’s needed there.
So while he’s out smiling for cameras and answering questions, I’m making the decision for both of us. No tearful goodbyes. No dramatic speeches. Just clean lines and distance. It’s the only gift I have left to give him.
I’m doing this for him.
He won’t walk away, I know that now. He’d stay out of guilt. Out of obligation. Out of love, yes—but a kind of love that comes with weight, not lightness. I’ve been selfish, holding onto him when I know in my gut that his heart is pulled elsewhere. And Colt doesn’t need one more thing pulling at him.
Caleb needs his father.
Macy needs his support.
Colt needs peace.
And I?I need to disappear so he can give all of himself to them without distraction. Without me.
