Page 85 of The Fighter who Needed Me
Brooks grinned when he saw it and she smiled, loving how free her husband was.
The longer they had been in the country, Brooks had relaxed more and more.
He laughed more, grinned often and she knew that this was the person he had left behind when she had gone missing.
She loved seeing him back again. This was the man she had fallen in love with, and yet, she also loved the hard and unsmiling man he was when she had returned.
She did not care who he was, just that he was hers.
He kissed her again as he set her on the bed there.
It has fresh, clean smelling linens and she loved every single thing about the cottage.
She remembered the times they had there and knowing that it was to be their home for a while and she loved the cozy, happy feel of it.
Brooks looked around the small cottage and his grin was endless.
When he came back to her side, she said, “Are you happy? Truly happy with me?”
He dropped to his knees in front of her, “I am. I always thought I was content in my life, and I was. For a long time. But deep inside I knew there was always a missing piece. That somewhere out there, there was a woman meant for me. That I could call my own. And I searched for years for you. And yet, with each passing year, I felt as if that hope I had died a little bit more. I tried to keep myself occupied, to be happy the way I was, but it was harder than I realized. And then, there you were. You woke something inside of me that I did not know was sleeping. And I woke every single day knowing that my waiting was finally through. When you agreed to marry me, I felt as if I could fly. That I truly wanted to shout it from the top of the rigging.”
She gave a soft laugh and he shook his head, “Being away from you for any amount of time does something to me that I don’t understand. It feels as if my soul is ripped from my body and that my heart does not truly beat. It only beats for you. All that I am is because of you. And I will kill for you. Die for you.”
She sucked in a breath, and he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips.
“You give me life. Make it worth living. I want nothing more than to love you for the rest of our lives, to grow old with you, to have a family with you. Our children at our feet and our love stronger than ever as the years slip passed. I want it all. I thought my dreams had gone up in flames when you went missing, but you put those out with your return. Gave me hope again. I love you. I have from the very beginning. And will until I take my last breath. Even then, I doubt I will stop loving you. I will find you in my next life and love you more.”
She felt the tears sliding down her cheeks, and he cupped her face in his large, scarred and calloused hands. “Does that answer your question?”
She gasped out a laugh and he pulled her into his arms. “Do not cry sweet. Please. I just needed you to know the truth of my feelings. The depth of them.”
She nodded against the fawn shirt he had on, wetting it with her tears. “I love you. How did I deserve someone like you?”
He shook his head, “I don’t deserve you. I am a bad man, have done bad things in life to survive. You are a pure angel, the gift I don’t regret, and yet still shouldn’t touch.”
She sat up and swatted his chest softly, “You are the best man there is. Do not talk badly about my husband sir.”
He grinned down at her, “All right then, I concede.”
She put her head on his chest again, “Thank you. For loving me. For seeing me.”
He shook his head, “You are the only one I see.”
She melted into him further and he made love to her over and over again in their bed.
