Page 106 of No Apologies
“You don’t know that.”
“And you don’t know either. Look, they probably got to talkin’ and lost track of time. They need to talk and fix their relationship with their brother. If they’re out there having a beer and relaxing then maybe the two of them together can talk Colt down from whatever he...” Jemma trailed off and Sky groaned.
“Jem? Hello? Earth to Jemma?”
“Hold on. Cash? Baby is that you?” Jemma called out and then there was a sharp gasp, “Sky, he’s home. He’s here but he looks like he’s been through hell. I’m gonna have to call you back.”
The line went dead and Skylar cursed. Damnit what did that mean? Cash looked like hell as in he’d been in a fight? And was Colt with him?
She was already heading to her closet to find a pair of shoes to go over there when the sound of a door slamming jerked her to attention. That was too close to have been next door. She whirled to face the open doorway of her bedroom and gasped as Colt came barreling through it at full speed.
Her eyes skated over him and sure enough, just as Jemma had said Cash looked bad, so did Colt. Not beat up. Not bruised or bloody. But there was pain in his eyes and she didn’t hesitate, didn’t even think about stopping herself from opening her arms and letting him engulf her in his when he reached for her.
Colt hugged her to his chest so tight it was hard to breathe but she didn’t fight him. She wrapped her arms around him though she didn’t squeeze. She was trying to be mindful of his injuries but when he scooped her up, giving her no choice but to wrap her legs around his waist, she clung to him.
His mouth was on hers a second later and she whimpered at the desperation in his kiss. Colt sealed his lips to hers. No teasing. No tongues or teeth. It was just a hard, solid kiss as if he needed to ground himself against her.
“I’m sorry.” He whispered in a rough voice when he broke the kiss and trailed his mouth across her cheek and jaw, “I’m so, so sorry.”
Her heart soared at the apology as much as the gentle way he brushed his lips over hers again and again. He held her so gently, so tenderly, that it was almost hard to believe this was the same man that had ordered her to her knees and slammed her into a table just days ago. He kept kissing her for a long moment and then he dropped down to sit on the edge of the bed, taking her with him so she was in his lap.
“I’m sorry.”
She framed his face between her hands and studied him intently, “For what?”
“Everything.” Colt’s voice was ragged.
“Colt…”
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t be a better man for you before. I’m sorry that it took me so long to figure my shit out. I’m sorry that I made you doubt for even a second that I would ever choose anything or anyone over you.” He dropped his forehead to hers and whispered, “I’m sorry that I couldn’t find the words to tell you that I love you. Because I do, Sky. I love you so damn much it scares me. It always has. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I pushed you away. Because the people I love, they have a tendency not to love me back and I don’t think I could survive if you stop loving me.”
Her heart, that shoddy, patched-up, wounded thing in her chest that pumped her blood for her, broke into a million pieces. Not just because he was apologizing for everything that he’d put them through. Not just because he had finally told her that he loved her. But because he was finally trusting her with his secrets, with the things he had never told anyone.
“I do love you.”
“Still? Even though I was an asshole?”
The skeptical look on his handsome face made her smile, “You’re an asshole about fifty percent of the time. I’m used to it.”
“What am I the other fifty percent?”
“Perfect.”
He snorted, “Moody is more like it.”
“You are moody but I love that about you. Love that I never know which Colt I’m going to get. You keep me guessing and I like the excitement.”
“Say it again. Please?”
“I love you Colt.” She pressed her lips to his softly and punctuated her words with kiss after kiss, “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
“I love you too.” He nipped her bottom lip with his teeth, “I’m sorry I ever made you doubt it.”
“Another apology? Are you sure you’re my Bomar boy?”
His lips twisted up into that megawatt smile that had first stolen her heart. It was perfection. All white teeth and boyish dimples on that hard, chiseled face. Mischievous and full of promises for dirty things, it was so Colt, so Bomar, that it was impossible not to smile in return.
“Yes. I’m yours.”
