And when he turned around, he was facing a very beautiful – but very pissed off looking woman.
Chapter Ten
“Going somewhere?” Her eyes were big, her bottom lip was trembling and she was not smiling.
“Savannah! You’re awake!” He reached for her, but she backed up.
“Of course I was awake! Were you leaving me again? Without saying a goddamn word?”
“I – no – I was coming back.” That wasn’t exactly true; he hadn’t been planning on going back in. After hearing the noise, he was a little unnerved. He would have felt better checking the area out – if there was a battle to be fought, he wanted to do it as far away from her as possible. But he had never heard her curse before either – so discretion was the better part of valor.
“You’re lying to me. Why? Where have you been? Did you know they told me you were dead? I’ve lived for three years thinking you were dead!”
Her tone was almost accusatory and that tore at Patrick’s heart. “I didn’t know until a few weeks ago that you thought I was dead. I’ve been in an Afghan prison, Savannah. I was betrayed, ambushed and abandoned by my own superior officer.”
Both of them stood their ground, their eyes locked. He watched her tremble – then she threw herself at him, arms winding around his neck, sobbing uncontrollably. “I love you. I love you so much. I thought you were dead. For three years, I thought you were dead.”
This was his baby. Patrick wrapped his arms around her and cradled her close while she cried her eyes out. “I’m so sorry, Sweetheart.”
“You’ve come back to me. Did you know how many times I prayed for you to come back? I searched for you so hard.”
Patrick realized that she was talking about her ghost hunting. “I’m real, Savannah.”
Hiccupping one sob after another, she slapped him on the shoulder. “I know you’re alive. I can feel you.” She began kissing him – feverishly, covering his face with kisses. With her lips, she felt the scar, just like she’d seen on the image in the well. “You’ve been hurt, but you’re so beautiful. I’m so glad to see you. I didn’t want to live without you.”
Patrick picked her up and carried her back in the house. Ciara followed every step. He rubbed his cheek on her hair. “You’ll never know how much I missed you. I thought about you every moment. Your love – your memory kept me alive.”
He placed her on the bed and she rose up on her knees. “You’re hurt, I felt scars.” Savannah ran her hands over his body, kissing every blemish she could see. “Turn around,” he did and she doctored the other side in her own sweet way. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Why did you just sneak in on me?”
“The day I had to leave, I intended to get hold of Revel and tell him that I had left a flash drive here with evidence to bring down a traitor. That traitor was my superior officer. But I didn’t get to talk to him before I was sent on a mission that I was not supposed to survive.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? I would have taken care of it for you.”
Patrick didn’t have a good answer for her. It wasn’t that he hadn’t trusted her; it really never crossed his mind. Women were supposed to be protected not drug into the path of trouble. But that is exactly what had happened. “You’re right. I made a mistake. But this man – Lucas – he came to see me a few weeks ago and he made a comment that he bet you had the evidence and he thought he would pay you a visit.”
“That’s when you escaped?”
“Yes, I couldn’t allow anything to happen to you.”
“Why didn’t you come to me sooner?” Her heart was in her eyes.
“Oh Baby,” he kissed her right over her heart. “I didn’t have the means, before. A man was thrown into The Pit with me and just before he died, he told me about a stash of stolen emeralds. I used them to buy my way out so I could come home to you.”
She picked up his hand and turned it over, kissing the palm. “I am so glad you are here. There is nothing in this world that I want more than you.” And your baby, she thought. Savannah couldn’t wait to tell him, but that time would come. Right now it was time for them to rejoice and celebrate the miracle of their reunion.
“I understand want.” The last two times they had made love were wonderful, but he wanted more. The last two times were tender – this time he wanted more, he wanted to forget the last three years and celebrate that he was alive. He wanted raw. Patrick craved passion. “I want you.” Patrick stripped off her clothes and his – no finesse, no folding – he slung them to one side and growled. “Back – lay back.”
She did. Savannah was weak with need.
Patrick was ravenous. He rose over her and kissed her hard, nipping her lip.
Savannah was wet – instantly.
He went to her neck and licked a spot – sucked on it and bit her again.
“Patrick!” Her cry wasn’t pain, it was pure excitement. The realization that she was right there with him only excited Patrick before. He wanted to take her – he wanted to hold on to her neck like an animal and pound her till she screamed for more. Maybe being so near death had brought out the savage in him,
