Page 60 of Honor ’N’ Duty

Even in her orgasm-induced haze, the reason for that was patently obvious.

She was falling in love.

Chapter Eighteen

This was how Kade always imagined it would be between them.

Life-altering.

As were the all-consuming, possessive, and protective urges taking hold. He rolled onto his side, taking Laia with him so that she lay next to him. Their chests still rose and fell rapidly, a testament to the intensity of what had just happened.

Before they went back inside, he had to have her again. Slower, though, so he could worship her body the way she deserved and like he’d always dreamed about.

Looking back, what he’d experienced with Laia six years ago was an instantaneous attraction, intense physical chemistry—a major crush. Granted, one that had haunted him ever since, but whatever this was between them now was so much deeper and more meaningful.

“You okay?” he asked.

“Mmm.” The mumbled word vibrated against his throat, tickling his skin. “You?”

He chuckled. “Oh yeah.” Better than okay, actually. He had enough energy buzzing through him to swim clear across the Atlantic. He skimmed his hand down the curve of her spine, loving the feel of her soft skin beneath his roughened fingertips.

She shifted, allowing him to curve his arm around her shoulder as they looked up at the sliver of moon and the stars twinkling overhead. “Did you ever dream we’d wind up here, like this?”

Again, he chuckled. “You mean naked on a beach?”

“No.” She laughed. “I meant the two of us, together.”

He began stroking her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. “I have dreamed about it, so many times I’ve lost count.”

“Really?” She giggled. “That’s nice to hear. You know, I dreamt about you, too.”

“I didn’t know that.” But he was damned glad to hear it. He turned to see a beatific smile on her lips and moonlight glinting in her eyes.

“I dreamed we were making love. Not necessarily buck naked on a public beach. Although now that we’ve done that, I think I want to do it again sometime.”

How about in five minutes? As soon as he was ready to rock ’n’ roll again.

She sighed, and he tucked her closer. “So, where do we go from here?” she asked.

“Anywhere we want to.” And he meant that. With her, he would go anywhere. He knew that as surely as he knew the sun would rise in the morning. “It doesn’t matter where as long as we go there together. You. Me. Rosa. And Smoke.”

She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”

He twisted a lock of her hair around his finger. “I may not have the right to say this, but I will anyway. I’m proud of who and what you’ve become.”

Laia levered up on her elbow to look down at him. “What makes you say that?”

“You’re strong. Protective. A loving mother.” And so much more, but the words got clogged in his throat.

“Sometimes I feel selfish.”

“Why? The last six years of your life have revolved around Rosa. How is that selfish?”

“I spend my days working, then—”

“Yeah, to put food on the table and a roof over your heads.”

“Right, but at night I’ve been studying and taking online courses so that I can apply to vet school.”