Page 123 of Ricochet

Once inside the hallway, I halted my steps and turned to face him. Staring into his eyes, I lifted a hand to his cheek, tracing my fingertips over the stubble there, and kissed him. “I want to help heal your past, Nick.”

CHAPTER 55

Nick

With a hell of a lot of patience, I followed behind Aubree, as she led me to the door of the adjacent room.

Standing there in that red dress, she taunted every fiber of restraint I had inside of me. I knew I’d have to take things slow at first, that she’d likely hate me, thinking I was dead.

Seeing her had brought forth a dark craving from deep within me—one that would never be sated by another woman as long as I lived. I’d been blessed with two once-in-a-lifetime loves, and no way in hell the Big Man would give me another chance if I happened to fuck things up.

As she stood staring up at me, the slight curve of her lips had my nerves on edge. With a click, she pushed the door open and stepped aside, allowing me passage. “This is the first step to healing your heart, Nick.”

My breath choked up in my throat.

The walls were glass, like the rest of the house, but unlike the bamboo that covered the ceilings throughout, black billowy fabric hung from above, with tiny bulbs of light that appeared to be sewn into it like bright stars shining down from the night sky. On the glass across the room, words had been painted in black:

The stars in the sky

Unhidden by night

Souls of our loved ones

Guide us by sight

But when dawn breaks

Bringing day’s light

Remain in our hearts

And all wrongs become right.

Below it, written in silver cursive against a black splotch, it read: I’ll see you in the night …

“I’m not a poet … I just … took thoughts from what you told me, and—” Her gaze fell away from mine.

“You did this? For …” My throat clamped shut and I pushed past the lump to swallow. Fuck, I could barely contain the tears.

“I guess a part of me hoped you’d come back. I prayed for a miracle that you’d still be alive. Even if you didn’t, I thought it was a good way to honor them. To always welcome their memory in this home.” Cupping my face, she stole my attention with her smile. “I’m not afraid to share your heart, Nick. If it means I get to share your life, I’ll take all of it. All the parts of you. Even your pain. You healed mine by killing Michael.”

“You’ve ignited a flame inside of me, Pistol Lips.”

“Flame? What does that mean?”

“You’ve restored my soul. Brought me back from death and filled me with life again. Made me give a shit about more than myself. It means you’ll never know that kind of pain again. You’ll never know fear. And if anything so much as attempts to pull you into darkness, I’ll be right here. You’ll never be alone.” I brushed my thumb across her cheek and kissed her with everything inside of me. Gripping her nape, I pressed our foreheads together. “I’d walk through the flames of hell for you, Aubree. Burn for you.” Lowering my hand to her stomach, I skimmed my fingertips across her tiny bump, where my future bloomed inside of her. “Both of you.”

She’d punched through the steel that caged my heart, sealed the gaping wound and claimed what belonged to her. I’d protect her. Kill for her. And in return, never live without her.

So long I sought retribution, and in Aubree, I found redemption.

I lifted her up into my arms, wrapping her legs around me, and pressed my lips to hers in a kiss as I blindly carried her back into the master bedroom. Setting her on the edge of the bed, I kept our mouths locked while my hands worked the knot of her dress.

Her fingers fumbled against the button of my jeans, until they popped loose, and she broke the kiss to push them off my hips, down to my knees, where I stepped out of them. Gripping the hem of my T-shirt, she yanked the garment over my head and sucked her lip between her teeth as her hands roamed my chest down to my abs.

“I can’t tell you how much I missed your body,” she whispered. “I just want to touch every part of you, so I know you’re really here.”

With my fists planted at either side of her, I caged her beneath me, ravenous and ready to devour her. Like a starving animal, I feasted on her lips, and within seconds, the kiss turned violent, greedy. Couldn’t get enough of her. More, more, a voice chanted inside of my head. Heat shot through my muscles, as I gripped her crown, holding her still while I tasted her, the mint of her breath and the sweet sugar of her lips.