Page 25 of Vision of Truth

She remembered that day so clearly. “At that point it had been about a week from the day I came home to discover my father had murdered our mother, then he went after me, and Gus still bears the scars. Our whole world had been shattered, but the look in your eyes … it grounded me. Somehow, I knew we were in the right place. That our being there was the start of something profound. When I wrapped my arms around your waist, everything felt like it was going to be okay.”

Isaac’s eyes filled and he nodded. “That quick touch held more warmth than I’d ever experienced, and I knew why your brother was so protective. You shine so bright, are so deeply precious. You brought us together and made us a family. Call it what you want, but you were our North Star. A compass guiding us in the right direction despite what we’d been through. You were so much more than that to me, though. The love I have for you struck fast and hard and it started the day you arrived and morphed into something I couldn’t control. Instead of recognizing the power of those emotions, they made me feel powerless and I ran like a coward.”

Isaac released a long, pained breath and cupped her face. “I told myself I was doing right by you, but that was a lie. Before you, the kind of love I was shown wasn’t really love at all. It was conditional.” He dropped his hands now and looked to the side, jaw tight. “A sick, obscene game.” When Isaac closed his eyes, she remained silent, giving him time to compartmentalize the pain of his past. When he opened them, they were blazing. Not with anger or hate, though, even when he had every right to feel that way after what he had been through. Passion and love crackled and burned in those dark forbidding eyes. “You showed me beauty and trust. I threw it in your face and put as much distance between us as I could. I was wrong, Jules. My heart knew, and I pushed it aside. You’ve loved me unconditionally and you must know each day moving forward I’m going to show you how much you mean to me. I’ll put you first, give you anything you need to believe I’m here to stay. My heart is yours and yours alone. I’ve never loved another and I never will.” A tear slipped down his cheek, and she tenderly brushed it away. He gave her a reassuring smile that made her stomach dip, then reached over her and opened the nightstand drawer.

“This might seem too soon, but I’m listening to what my heart’s been telling me for years. You’re mine to love and protect. To have and to hold through all the ups and downs.” Her eyes widened as he withdrew a turquoise box and slowly cracked it open. “A colorless diamond doesn’t suit you. You’re far too bright and warm for that. My sunshine. My light in the dark. Everything that is warm and happy and good.”

“Isaac…” She glanced at him to the ring and back again. “How … when…” The words jammed in her throat. The gentle morning light hit the yellow gem, made more brilliant by the halo of clear diamonds encircling the ring. The rich center diamond seemed to pulse with an ethereal glow as though it had been plucked from the center of the sun.

“Marry me, Julie, because I can’t imagine a life without you. Let me love and keep you for the rest of our lives. Forever.” He took her hand and slipped the ring on her finger. It slid home like it was made specifically for her.

She shifted to her knees and launched herself at Isaac, knocking him back on the bed. She ignored the twinge of pain and peppered his face with kisses. “You’re it for me, Isaac. I love you. Will always love you.”

“Is that a yes, then?” he grinned and kissed her nose, then her mouth, waiting for a reply.

“Definitely a yes.” She smiled through the happy tears rolling silently down her cheeks. Issac rolled them to their sides and framed her face, lowered his head, and drew her bottom lip into his mouth. She encouraged him by deepening the kiss until they were both frantically pulling at each other’s clothing.

“Slow.” Isaac murmured against her lips. “We need to slow down. I don’t want to hurt you.” His lips were parted. Jet colored eyes glazed with desire.

She grabbed the hem of her shirt, lifting it over her head, and threw it to the side. “The only thing hurting is not having you inside me where you belong.”

Isaac’s gaze locked on her bare skin, and he hissed out a breath. She wasn’t sure if that involuntary sound was because he wanted her, too, or that the bruising on her torso was on full display. Maybe it was a mix of both. “It’s too soon.” His heated palms caressed her shoulders.

“Please, Isaac. Trust me.” She wiggled past him and stood up, discarding her sleep shorts as she went.

The only sound was his heavy breathing, and then his arms came around her, scooping her up. Isaac cradled her in his arms and walked through the breezeway to their private lagoon. The water rippled quietly as he stepped into the pool, sinking down until the surface lapped against her back. “You are everything to me.” Isaac’s gaze matched the tone of his voice. Intense. So purely Isaac. Warmth burst through her, spreading from her heart outward. He didn’t give her time to respond, capturing her mouth in a claiming kiss. She shuddered when his lips dropped to her neck and twisted in his arms, so they were facing. When she wrapped her legs around his waist, his thick erection pulsed against her. She started to fumble with the top of his swim shorts, desperate to have him.

“Not yet.” Isaac cupped her bottom and lifted her, bringing her breasts closer to his mouth. His tongue swirled and nipped the hard tips as she arched against him. The ache between her thighs grew more intense, spiking each time he drew one of the sensitive peaks into his mouth.

“Isaac, now.” She was impatient but he was clearly on his own timeline. He shook his head, strands of wet hair swaying with the motion. “On the float.” He lifted her again, placing her on the edge of the pink striped inflatable. “Lay back.” She obeyed, easing down until the sun washed plastic was warming her skin. Isaac was hooking her legs over his shoulders, so she was completely exposed to him. He trailed kisses over her thighs and stomach before dipping his head, stroking the flat of his tongue from her opening to clit. She gripped his hair, drawing him closer. His chuckle vibrated against the sensitive bundle of nerves, making her thighs quiver. Isaac doubled his efforts, lapping and sucking her sex until the pressure was so great she was rocking against his lips. She cried out, shaking uncontrollably as she came. Isaac brought her down gently, slowing his movements.

“So beautiful. I’ll never be able to get enough.” His warm breath and the light stubble on his cheeks tickled her inner thigh. “Never want to leave your side again.” He gripped her hips and helped her slide off the float. She waded in the water as he removed his shorts. Once again, she circled her legs around him, until the tip of his hard length was right against her opening, intensifying the ache that was quickly building. “Are you sure, Jules?”

“So sure.” She gripped his shoulders, kissing him as he sank inside her. Isaac moved carefully. Despite his whole body trembling with need, he gave her time to adjust before beginning to move in a steady rhythm. Weightless in the water, there was no pain. Only breathless pleasure building as Isaac reached between them, stroking her as his movements became more frantic. White light flashed behind her lids as pleasure slammed through her. Isaac followed seconds later, body rigid as he chanted her name. Whoever said good things come to those who wait didn’t know how right they had it. What she hadn’t understood until recently was that Isaac had never held back because ofher. While she’d been feeling sorry for herself, thinking he didn’t see her as a woman or as an equal, he’d been struggling with his self-worth and the trauma he’d experienced. She’d waited for years to have Isaac look at her, be with her, like he was right now. To finally trust himself enough to admit that despite who and what he’d come from he was good and honest and dependable.

“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” His expression softened at her words, and she knew he felt them deep in his heart. Nothing gave her more pleasure than lifting some of the shadows, those dark heavy memories, from his eyes. She’d spend every day pouring light into his life. Giving him kind and sweet. Showing him just how special and worthy he was. How loved.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing it, baby. If you hadn’t been so strong for us, believed in us so hard … fuck, I feel sick thinking of all I could’ve missed. You are the single most precious thing in my life. Loving you like this, it’s scary as hell and fills me up in ways I could never put into words. Ways you wouldn’t understand. I’ll never give you reason to question what I feel. I’ll never let you go a day without knowing you are the center of my universe. The woman who’s buried so deep in my soul, she’s part of every breath I take. You’re the blood in my veins. In my heart. I love you.” Isaac’s lips feathered over hers.

She kissed him back, capturing his mouth with the same ferocity that he stole her heart.

Epilogue

The day after Isaac proposed to Julie, their family converged on the island. He’d missed his brothers and their women, but he hadn’t been quite ready to share Jules with the rest of them. They’d eaten a late ocean-front lunch together after Gus, Sasha, Easton, and Kinley had arrived at the resort. The women had wanted some time alone with Jules, so they went up to Gus’s suite to give them privacy. Now, he sat with his brothers on the balcony that towered high above the property, giving them an aerial view of the resort. The open sky was a brilliant blue. Light bathed every inch of the beach below, leaving no room for shadows. The sun’s rays stroked the tranquil turquoise water with brushes of glittering silver. The quiet pace of the day paired with the weather fueled his optimism and hope for the happy future he imagined with Julie. It was hard not to feel that way, when you were on a tropical island with the woman you loved and almost lost, your tight knit but annoying as hell family at your side, and the bad guys behind bars.

“You didn’t waste a single second getting your ring on Julie’s finger.” Gus leaned back in his chair, a beer in one hand, and his elbow propped on the arm rest of his lounge chair.

Easton smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “You can’t let her swim with that on. It’s like the paper weight I have on my desk.”

“Wanted to spoil her.” Even though his brothers didn’t appear upset with him, there was a conversation they needed to have. One that was weighing on his shoulders.

“Think you accomplished that.” A grin from Gus wasn’t quite as rare these days with Sasha in his life, but the way the wide smile cracked across his face made Isaac feel thankful. Gus had every right to be mad as hell at him. First, keeping such a huge secret about how he felt for Julie, then hurting her by staying away. She’d been abducted under his watch, and he hadn’t asked for anyone’s blessing to slip that ring on her finger, and still here he was, shooting the shit with the two men who meant the world to him. Obviously, they’d all grown up without a strong father figure or role model, but they’d all stepped up and been that support for each other. When one of them got knocked down or lost their way, another would be there to offer guidance. And when they all faltered, well, that’s when their bright light stepped in. Julie was a nurturer. Had everyone wrapped around her finger. She could set them all straight with a single, leveled gaze.

He cleared his throat and leaned forward, dropping his elbows to his knees. “I wasn’t honest with either of you. I didn’t deserve your easy acceptance of my feelings toward Jules, but I want to thank you anyway. I made a mistake by distancing myself. I hurt her. Then I fucked up again when I made a poor judgement call that compromised her safety. I won’t make those same mistakes again. Hope you get how much your trust, your support means.”

“Shit, Isaac.” Gus brought his empty bottle down on the table with a clank and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Do you really think we’d lay that blame at your feet? Gotta let go of that God complex you have, because that’s gonna tear you apart. Julie was taken by Greco’s men. You were outnumbered. They came in with a plan and executed it. That’s not on you.” Gus leaned forward, his intense gaze trained on Isaac. “Julie wouldn’t be alive today if you hadn’t rescued her from the scene of the crash. She would’ve been taken and tortured along with Agent Dawson.”

“The thought of Jules being hurt worse than she was is sick. Even though neither of us want to hear the details of what went on in your teammate’s safehouse,” Easton said with a mock shudder. “We knew Julie would be safe.” His brother was ribbing him, trying to lighten the tone of their conversation.

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