There was something beautiful about their hands intertwined as they melted into each other. Colette strained to catch her breath and still her rapidly beating heart. She wanted to remember this intimacy, the sensation of his body fully pressed against every inch of hers, the closeness she had never felt with anyone else. He growled as he hit his own peak, driving into her as he erupted. Their breaths synced as they raced tocatch it, heat and sweat covering their bodies. With a groan, Marshall rolled off her.
“Sorry, I don’t want to suffocate you,” he said, pulling her into the curve of his body. With a sigh, she turned in his arms, pressing a slow kiss on his lips.
“I would die a happy woman,” she said with a breathy laugh.
“Come here,” Marshall said, closing the distance between them. “You can’t die; I would miss you too much.” He captured her mouth with his. Caressing her cheek in his palm, he deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against hers. Familiar pangs came to life in her center, a banked fire brought back to life.
When they came apart, Marshall’s eyes searched her face. His eyes were glistening with unshed tears. Colette tucked her face into his neck and hugged him. She never wanted him to be alone with his grief, though she suspected that was what he would prefer.
With a heavy sigh, he leaned into her, nuzzling her hair and inhaling deeply.
Marshall was struggling; something was eating at him, she could feel it.
“Do you need to tell me something, Marshall?” she asked, flicking her gaze up to meet his darkened green one. His eyelids fluttered shut, and a breath shuddered in his chest.
“My grandpa told me that it’s been confirmed. Jack was murdered,” he said, his bottom lip trembling. “This changes everything.”
The beat of her heart picked up its pace as silence stretched between them.
“What does that mean?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“It means we’re all in danger. There’s a murderer somewhere among us, and I have no clue who it could be.” His hand gently stroked her hair as he spoke. “I’m scared for you. For all of us.”
Burying her head in his chest, she tucked herself into him, searching for a familiar sense of safety, but there was none. If someone had murdered Jack, then Marshall’s life was at risk. The same person who had come for Jack might come for all of them.
“What can I do?” she asked, tipping her head up to look into his eyes, shadowed by anguish.
His shoulders lifted as he released a heavy breath.
“It’s okay, Marshall, just tell me what you need,” she said, her voice laced with concern. “I’ll do anything.” A wave of unease flooded her body, and she shivered.
Marshall leaned in to kiss her forehead and a soft smile lifted her frown.
The silence stretched between them painfully as she waited for him to speak.
“I need you to leave,” he spoke quietly.
CHAPTER 41
Only the beating of her heart in her ears could be heard as Colette processed Marshall’s words.
“You want me to leave?”
He cuddled closer. Colette blinked, trying to fight off the urge to cry.
“I don’twantyou to leave. But someone is going around murdering good people, and I need to make sure you’re safe,” he spoke softly into her ear. Tightening his grip around her waist, Colette stiffened at the touch. A moment ago, it was welcome; now it seemed like a small part of a long goodbye.
Brushing her palm on his beard, she marveled at how soft it was. Here was everything she wanted, and it was slipping through her fingers. So soon. A pattern in her life, repeating itself. This time, it hurt more. Her eyes locked with his, and suddenly the room seemed to close around them. All she could see was Marshall.
She wiped away the trace of a tear at the edge of her eye, her stomach in turmoil.
When she had offered to do anything, that was the last thing she expected.
“But how will I do my job?”
“We’ll set you up for remote work,” he said quietly. “I’d rather have you safe in the city. It’s hard enough knowing how many people count on us and work with me at the ranch. There are some people who have to stay here, but you don’t. I’ll have a much easier time figuring things out if I know you’re out of the killer’s reach.”
Snuggling her head closer, she pressed it into his shoulder. Colette tried to keep the empty hollow in her chest from destroying her entirely. Something precious was just within her reach with Marshall, a delicate seedling just taking root. His words had been the equivalent of crushing it with his foot. She was no love expert. Her past relationships had been simple, functional, and at times, they left her feeling empty. In her wildest dreams, she had never expected Marshall to make her feel that way.
