“It’s not your decision to make. It’s mine.” He moved to stand beside Lauren, slipped his arm around her waist. “I’ve asked Lauren to move back in with me. Whether we’ll make it, I don’t know yet, but hear me now: I will not tolerate any more interference. Because so help me God, Thal, if I find out you’ve been lying to me or withholding information or manipulating either of us ever again, I will cut you out of my life forever.” Chad glanced at Spencer. “Take your wife home and don’t bring her back unless you personally hear me invite her.”
He waited until the door had closed behind the couple before he spoke again. “I had no idea it had been Thalia who brought the divorce agreement to you, or that she’d told you I was marrying someone else.”
“I know.” Now.
“Why didn’t you tell me it was Thalia? Were you afraid I’d believe her over you?”
“No. To be honest, that never occurred to me.”
“So these past few days, why not say ‘Thalia lied to me’? Why did you keep referring to her as ‘someone’ or ‘I heard’? Why protect her after what she’d done to you? To us?”
Wasn’t it obvious? “Because she’s your sister. I didn’t want to come between you.”
“And you’re my wife but that didn’t stop her from coming between us.” He wrapped his good arm around her and tucked her head beneath his chin. “Between Thalia with her lies and her videotape, and Jenkins stealing your letters…it’s enough to make you wonder if they were conspiring to keep us apart.”
She snuggled closer, enjoying being back in his embrace. Now that Thalia’s manipulations had been brought into the light, the lingering guilt of not telling Chad dissipated. She felt like she could fly. Or burst into song. Neither of which would be pretty. “Paranoia, party of two, your table’s ready.”
“Even paranoids have enemies.” Chad steered her to the stairs. “Think about it, Lauren. If Thalia hadn’t taken that video of us, Tom may not have taken the letters trying to save you from me. If I’d read even one of those, I would have hopped on a plane and gone after you and-”
She pulled back and placed a finger over his lips. “Sssh. You can drive yourself crazy thinking like that. We can’t change what’s already happened or what others do as much as we wish we could. We can only control our own actions.”
He touched his lips to her hair. “I know, but they kept me from the most precious thing in my life. I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forgive them for that.”
“Give yourself time.” They had all the time in the world now and she planned on not wasting another second.
Neither of them spoke when she took his hand and led him upstairs and into the bedroom. No words were needed as they undressed each other. Or when their lips touched. Or when he lowered her onto the bed, rolling beneath her, letting her take charge just the way he’d promised earlier.
Taking care not to touch his shoulder, Lauren stretched over his body and reclaimed his mouth. The outside world disappeared until only the two of them existed, filled with their languid explorations of each other, with gentle touches and soft sighs. Time slowed and stretched as if they’d never been apart.
When she could hold off no longer, Lauren positioned herself over Chad and bore down, taking him into her body an inch at a time. They both exhaled when their hips touched. His eyes dark, Chad caressed her breast, touching her reverently, carefully, as if she might shatter. She met his gaze, quickly losing herself within his deep gray depths.
The desire and passion of the very first time they’d made love flooded Lauren’s soul. It twined itself around her heart and held fast.
With a light touch to her back, he drew her down until one nipple hovered above his mouth. When his lips closed over the sensitive bud, the sensation streaked through her and down to her pussy as if she’d been struck by lightning. His hands smoothed over her belly, following its path, his fingers finding her clit, pleasuring her until she could stay still no longer.
Whenever she started to speed up, he slowed her down. He stroked and suckled and teased until her whole body was quivering, heated until she was sure she would spontaneously combust. A simple touch of his thumb to her clit triggered an orgasm that shattered her into a thousand pieces of pure sensation.
When she finally could breathe, he started all over again, this time following her lead when her body clamped around him, milking his cock in the hardest orgasm she’d ever had.
Night had long since fallen before Chad finally spoke. “There’s never been anyone else for me, Lauren.”
He curled his fingers beneath her chin and turned her face until she looked at him. “I would have met you at the airport if I’d known you were waiting for my response. Hell, I should have flown to England to be with you as soon as I found out where you’d gone.”
“You couldn’t leave. Your inquiry was coming up.”
“I didn’t have to be there. They’d already made their judgment.” He rested his forehead against hers. “I loved you, Lauren. I would have done anything to get you back.”
“Loved, past tense?” she whispered.
“No. Love. Past, present and future.”
The fear and doubt Thalia had long ago planted withered. They could do this, they could make their marriage work. “I love you, too.”
“Past, present and future?” His voice was hoarse and his thumb shook as he wiped a tear from her cheek she hadn’t realized had fallen.
Filled with hope that she hadn’t had for years, she nodded. “I’ve never stopped loving you. I loved you then, I love you now. I'll love you forever.”
