Page 88 of Resisting Temptation (Men of Honor 3)
He slips his hand out of my shorts a moment later and I gasp when he sticks his finger in his mouth, sucking my arousal off of it. He groans in ecstasy then presses a deep, hard kiss to my mouth.
“Sit back for a minute, baby.”
When I do, he keeps his one hand around mine where I still hold him, then reaches behind him and pulls his shirt off. My eyes roam over his lean and powerful chest as he begins wiping our hands clean. I take in every defined line and hard curve before focusing on his nipple rings.
Oh lord, I really like those things; this man is seriously all sorts of sexy.
“Keep looking at me like that, baby and I will not be able to stop myself from sinking into your tight, warm body right here.”
I feel my cheeks heat in embarrassment for getting caught, and then the most amazing thing happens. He chuckles, bringing a full smile with it, and it’s absolutely stunning. It softens his features and reminds me of the one time I got to see it before—back in Iraq. It vanishes quickly when he sees me grinning at him like a fool.
“What?” he grumbles uncomfortably, knowing exactly what I’m smiling about.
I frame his face between both of my hands and press a soft kiss to his mouth. “You should smile more often, Walker, not only because it looks good on you but because it’s good for your soul.”
He watches me for a moment, his intense eyes boring into mine. “You’re good for my soul, Red.”
My heart skips a beat, his precious words doing so many wonderful things to my heart. Before I can think too much about it, I decide to tell him the truth, to tell him what I have always known. “I love you, Cade Walker.”
His body tenses under me and alarm flashes in his eyes. It is exactly the reaction I expected. Before he can say anything, I slap my hand over his mouth, catching him off guard again. “I don’t want you to say anything, because I know you will probably say something stupid, like ‘love doesn’t exist’, and that will just make me mad.”
He quirks a brow and I feel his lips twitch under my palm. Removing my hand, I cup the side of his strong jaw and rest my forehead on his. “I didn’t tell you so you would say it back, I told you because it’s the god’s honest truth and I don’t want to keep it in anymore. If there is one thing I’ve learned in the last two years it’s that life is too precious for us to hold back the things we feel. I thought I fell in love with you in that first week in Iraq, but I wasn’t sure because I thought it was impossible to fall in love with someone in that short amount of time.” I pause and swallow thickly, my throat starting to clog with emotion with what I’m about to say next. “But when I was dragged down to that cell and thought I was going to watch you die in front of me, I knew then, with every part of my soul, that I loved you. And I meant what I said down there, Cade. I didn’t care what they did to me, I would have died for you.”
His face blurs in front of me as tears begin to rush down my cheeks, but not before I see his eyes darken with so much turmoil it makes my heart hurt. I feel his breathing turn heavy as he struggles to hold in whatever he’s feeling. Before I know it, his mouth is devouring mine with an intensity that steals my breath and heals more of the damaged parts of my soul.
He pulls back a long minute later, but keeps his forehead against mine and frames my face firmly between his hands. “Never again, Red,” he chokes out through clenched teeth, “you hear me? We will never be put in that fucking position again. I will protect you until the day I take my last fucking breath.”
I smile, my heart feeling at peace. It may not be ‘I love you’—not yet—but it does sound like forever and right now that is enough for me.
CHAPTER 25
Cade
Friday evening I’m pulling up to the house, after dropping Ruthie off with Sawyer and Grace for the night. My heart starts to pound and my palms begin to sweat as I get out of the truck, which makes me feel like a complete pussy.
I never thought the day would come that I would be going on a fucking date, but then again, I never thought I would ever meet someone like Faith. I didn’t think anyone like her existed. Someone who always takes care of everyone else and never asks for anything in return. She deserves to have nice things done for her, she deserves more than me, but fuck if I can stay away. I just can’t. I know it’s something I should do, and should have done long ago, but every time I think it’s best to pull back, panic grips my chest so tight that I can’t fucking breathe. I need her in the way I need air, or I won’t survive.
Shaking my head, I walk into the house and come to a sudden stop when I see her in the kitchen talking on the phone, to who I’m assuming is Katelyn, about shopping for an outfit for Christopher tomorrow.
My cock jerks at the sight of her. She’s wearing a short, green, strapless sundress that flows loosely from her body, with sexy, cream lace edging the bottom. It teases the top of her slender thighs and shows off her long, smooth legs that are encased in brown cowgirl boots, which ends just below her knees. I’m dying to feel those perfect legs wrapped around my hips while I drive myself into her.
As if suddenly feeling my presence, she turns around, and her deep, green eyes that are even more pronounced from the color of her dress flare for a brief second, from what I’m assuming is the expression on my face. She gives me a soft smile that hits me like a punch to the chest. A faint blush stains her cheeks, matching her deep red hair, which is tousled in loose waves around her shoulders.
