Page 67 of Natalie's Nighthawk

Overcome with emotion; he felt the wetness before he’d even realized he was crying.

“Graham?” her voice called from the middle of the bed.

“I’m here,” he assured her. He could hear her wince of pain in the darkness as she pushed herself up to a sitting position and threw her legs over the side of the bed in front of where he sat.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Her voice was full of concern. For him. Pain wracked her body, and she was worried about him. Just like in her message.

Graham dropped to his knees in front of her wrapping his arms around her waist. He placed his head down on her lap and gathered his courage. “Oh, Natalie. My little Chickadee. Everything is perfect. You’re here. You’re safe. I love you more than life itself. And I’m so sorry I hurt you.”

He looked up into green eyes brimming with tears. Inhaling deeply, he allowed the lavender scent to fill his lungs, giving him strength. “I was a coward and an ass. I should never have spoken to you like that. I didn’t mean any of it. I was just so …”

“Lost,” she finished for him.

He nodded, reaching up to cup her face with his hands. His thumbs stroking the tears away from her cheeks. “I let the darkness overwhelm me. I was struggling to understand the death of that boy. Questioning how I could have done things differently. And angry that I was so helpless. And like an idiot, I drank my feelings away. The guilt I was feeling was crushing. Consuming my every thought.”

“You know that what happened to that family was not your fault, right?”

“Yes, I know. Logically I knew that. But it still hurt. He was the first victim I’d lost since the tsunami. I handled it poorly. And I hurt the one person who never deserves to be hurt like that. I pushed away the one person I needed the most.” He dropped his hands to her lap and carefully took her battered hands in his. Bringing them to his lips, he kissed the tips of her fingers. “You have a magic in you that soothes my soul. You bring light to my darkness. And I am so damn sorry I was so cruel to you. I promise you, if you forgive me, I’ll never act that way again. I’ll never…”

He broke off when she raised a finger and placed it on his lips. “I know, Graham. You don’t have to say anything else. I knew even that night that you were hurting; that you were drunk and lashing out because of how you were feeling. I only wanted to help you through it.”

Shaking his head vigorously, he said, “You never have to apologize to me. I was the asshole. Not you. Never you.” Graham let go of her hands and hugged her tight to him, burying his face in her neck.

“I love you so much, Natalie. I should have told you a long time ago. I should have told you twelve years ago. You were so extraordinary. I always held you in a special place in my heart. Never forgetting the precious little chickadee with the emerald eyes who, in one afternoon, changed my world forever.”

“Oh, Graham,” she tried, but he pulled back from the hug, and it was his turn to place a finger to her lips to silence whatever it was she was going to say.

“Let me finish.” She nodded, and he dropped his hand, cradling her hands gently in his. He looked down at their hands to gather his thoughts. It struck him then the difference in their sizes. Hers were so tiny, so frail looking. Yet they were the strongest hands he’d ever known. “All these years later,” he continued. “That special place in my heart has grown. And these last few weeks with you have filled that place to overflowing until I thought my heart would burst. But it only grows bigger. Filling with you. I love you, Natalie. With everything inside me.” He leaned forward and kissed her tiny hands.

Natalie took those hands and cradled his face, drawing it up till he was looking at her. “I love you too,” she told him. He didn’t know why but he suddenly felt an overwhelming amount of relief. “I think I’ve always loved you,” she continued. “Since I was five years old, and we built our first Lego set together. And it grew and changed when I was twelve years old and started to notice boys.” He smiled at that, wishing he’d known back then. “I don’t want to be stupid again when it comes to you. This is it for me. I love you, and I will for the rest of my life.”

She leaned toward him and placed her lips to his. A simple kiss. Like the one they’d shared twelve years ago.

When she started to lean back, he grabbed her face between his hands. “Wait,” he commanded before taking her mouth with his. Deepening the kiss. Pouring everything that was overflowing inside of him into that kiss. This moment so precious, just as it had been that day by the lake. But there would be no storm to interrupt them now. He laid her back on the bed as he continued to revere her mouth. He moved the sheets aside and pressed his body to hers, relishing the feeling of her breasts pressed to his chest.

Graham broke the kiss, carefully peeling the t-shirt off over her head before trailing a path down her throat, across her shoulder, and down to her breast with his mouth. Using tongue and teeth to stimulate every nerve ending she had. When he clamped his teeth around the sensitive bud on her breast, she whimpered. The sound heating his blood to boiling. He wanted to make this special for her. Make it last. But he needed her too much. Needed to be inside her like he needed his next breath.

And so, it seemed, did Natalie. He felt her poor damaged hands at his waistband attempting to undo the button. Leaving her for a moment he tore his pants off then sank into her arms once again. And with one languid thrust he was home. Her heat enveloped him. Her pleasured moans filling his heart. Each one of her inner muscles clenching him, a feeling he savored. Not wanting it to end too quickly, he slowed his thrusts.

Natalie groaned in frustration. He knew she’d been close, but he wasn’t ready to let her go quite yet. Slowly, sinfully, he brought her to the peak again. And this time, he let her go, pushing her over the edge as he plunged into her until he too had reached the summit and followed her over, grunting out her name as sheer joy overcame him.

Later, after their heated blood had cooled, they lay in each other’s arms, Natalie’s head resting on his shoulder. Her broken wrist propped on his chest. Remembering they needed to tighten the splint, he did just that with his free hand. His other hand was too busy drawing lazy circles on her back, relishing the feeling of her soft skin under his fingertips.

“Graham,” she said after the splint was tight enough. “I’m hungry.” Her stomach growled loudly, affirming her hunger. He laughed and kissed her forehead.

“Okay, you rest,” he said as he sat up. “I’ll see what I can rustle up for us to eat.” He reached for his pants and pulled them on before heading to the door. He looked back at her. She was on her side, facing away from him. The bruises on her ribs standing out in stark contrast to her pale skin. His gut clenched, a panicked itch skittering through his body. He wondered briefly if that would ever stop when it came to thoughts of Natalie being injured.

Chapter 23

Threedayslater,NataliewasenjoyinglunchwithhersisteratJolene’swhile Graham had gone to Nighthawk to see to some business. He’d been by her side nonstop, and she missed him.

Everyone knew that Lauren was still out there somewhere, so they never left Natalie alone. She was grateful but overwhelmed. Several of her neighbors had already stopped by her place, bringing food, and letting her know they were keeping an eye out for Lauren.

Even here in Jolene’s, some of the townsfolk she knew stopped by their table to say how happy they were that she was okay. Most wanted to know every sordid detail, and Maddie was a wiz at deflecting those people. Everyone assured her Lauren would soon be caught.

When the lunch crowd died down, Jolene joined them with another woman. “This is Emma Watterson. She’s a friend of mine from college. She just moved to town and is staying with me until her apartment is ready.” The sisters graciously welcomed her. Emma was tall, of course, everyone was tall comparatively, but Natalie guessed her to be around five eight. She had nondescript brown hair, but it was the cut that made it stand out. Styled short. Pixie style, Natalie believed it was called. Wispy bangs hanging over her forehead and deep dark eyes, she resembled Audrey Hepburn. She looked lithe and graceful, just like Audrey too. And yet, there was a certain hardened edge to her that made her appear badass.

“So,” Maddie started. “What do you do?”

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