“Thank Christ.” He kissed her forehead before leaning his against hers once more. “I know I don’t deserve it. I don’t deserve you. But I swear to God, I will do everything I can from here on out to prove myself worthy of you.”
She understood his previous words and actions toward her were merely his defense mechanism. A way to protect his damaged heart.
Justified or not, it was a heartshe’ddamaged, yet here he was…offering it to her again. How could she say no?
Kat lost the battle, then. Hot tears poured from the corner of her eyes as she attempted to say, “Y-you already a-are, Matt. Always h-have b-been.”
“I’m so sorry, baby.” He pulled her against his chest. “I never should’ve doubted you.”
“I’m sorry…too.” Kat’s words spurted out with hiccuping breaths as she fisted the back of his soaked shirt. “F-for every…thing.”
“No.” He pulled back, his hands steady on her bare shoulders as he shook his head fiercely. “You don’t ever apologize again. Not for that. You hear me?”
“B-but—”
“No buts. You did nothing wrong. If anyone needs to apologize, it’s me. Jesus, the things I said to you. The way I treated you…”
“But I l-lied.”
“Toprotectme. I get that now, so you need to let that shit go.”
Kat nodded. “We both do.”
The corner of his eye twitched from her comment, and she knew a part of this man would carry that burden for the rest of his life.
“I can’t believe this is really happening.” She stared up at him in awe.
“Believe it, baby. From now on, you’re stuck with me.” A flash of vulnerability shone behind his confident eyes. “As long as that’s what you want.”
“Oh, it’s what I want.” Kat raised up on her tip toes and pressed her lips to his. “It’s all I’ve ever wanted.”
She’d worry about the what and why of it all later. For now, all she wanted to do was relish in the miracle that was currently in her arms.
Matt must have felt the same way because in less than a second, he’d stripped off his sopping clothes and began showing her how much he truly did love her.
Hours later, after a second—and third—round of mind-blowing sex, Kat found herself lying in the comfort of Matt’s arms. Nothing in the world felt better than that.
“I’m assuming you sent Zade home?” she finally thought to ask. They hadn’t had much time to actually talk since he came back. Not that she was complaining.
“The second I walked back through that door.”
His deep voice rumbled through her ear as she traced a finger across his chest and down the valley separating his well-defined six-pack.
“You think he knows why?”
Matt chuckled, the sound reverberating through his chest. “Oh, yeah. I’d say my intentions were pretty clear.”
Kat felt her cheeks become flush, but she really couldn’t bring herself to care.
“Hey.” He shifted to his side in order to face her. Tucking some hair behind her ear—a gesture she’d come to cherish dearly—he grinned. “For the record, those guys were rooting for us from the start.”
Kat’s brows rose. “Thoseguys?”
He shrugged one of his broad, bare shoulders. “Zade and Gabe. Oh, and Jake and Trevor. Hell, I’m sure Kole and Derek have been, too. They just didn’t say it.”
“Your boss washopingthis would happen?” She lifted herself onto an elbow. “Wait, who’s Trevor?” She would have remembered the name had she heard it before now.
Matt simply smiled. “He’s a member of Alpha Team. And yes, my boss was hoping this would happen. He tried to play it off as sympathy hormones from his pregnant wife, but in truth, the guy’s as romantic as they come.”
