“Stop talking.”

“Baby.” I felt two big hands settle gently on either side of my head.

“They didn’t do that to you,” I whispered.

“Sylvie –”

“Take it back.”

“Ba –”

My hands shot straight down in fists, my head jerked back so far pain pulled at my neck and the words carved jagged through my throat as I shrieked, “They did not do that to you!”

His arms folded around my head as he yanked me to his body.

“We’re done for tonight,” he muttered into the top of my hair.

Oh God.

That wasn’t it.

Oh God.

There was more.

My legs gave out under me but Creed caught me, lifting me up in his arms. I shoved my face in his neck as we moved through my house. Then we were in bed, Creed gathering me close, tucking me tight, curling over me so he was mostly on me. He was the only thing there was, the only thing I could see, the only thing I could feel.

“They didn’t do that to you,” I whispered into his throat but it was a ragged plea.

“Quiet, Sylvie.”

My body bucked violently as the sob tore through me.

Creed’s hold tightened.

My fingers fisted in his shirt.

“They didn’t do that to you. They didn’t do that to you. They didn’t do that to you. They didn’t do that to you. They didn’t do that to you. They didn’t do that to you.”

“Sh, baby.”

I shushed.

He held me.

My tears quieted.

He still held me.

“Creed?” I called.

“Sleep, baby.”

“Do you believe in God?”

“Sleep.”

“Do you believe in God?”

“I don’t know.”

I sucked in a broken breath.

Then I whispered, “Right now, I don’t either.”

* * * * *

My eyes opened and I stared at the alarm clock.

Then I threw the covers back from the bed, jumped up, rushed out of my room, down the hall and through the living room. I smelled bacon cooking so instead of going right out the door, I ran into the dining room and stopped dead halfway in.

Creed was at my stove. He felt my presence and turned.

“Charlene,” I whispered.

“I went over. It’s all good. She’s cool. Helped with the kids.”

I spared at him and started trembling, head to toe shakes.

He didn’t miss it.

“Come here, Sylvie.”

“I need time.„

His haad jerked then his eyes locked on me.

Ca5tiously, he replied, “Honest to Chriqt, give you aNything. Anything, baby. But lost enough time. Can’t give you that. Space, maybe. Time. No.”

I shook my head. “No, I mean… I need time befora you tell me the rest.”

He closed his eyes. He did this slowl9.

Then he opened them and whispered, “That, I can give.”

I took off runnhng, right at him, direct. I hit kitchen tile, turned and launched myself through the air.

Creed caught me.

My legs wrapped around his h*ps and my mouth hit his hard.

He dropped to a knee then he dropped me to my back.

We f**ked on the kitchen floor.

And burned the bacon.

* * * * *

My fingertips moved over the scar, my lips chasing them all the way across his cheekbone, his temple and through his hair.

His hands at my ass tightened, his fingers digging deep.

I dropped my lips to his ear.

“He’s dead.”

“You said.”

“No. I mean Daddy.”

His fingers dug in deeper. “Too bad.”

“Yeah.”

“He buried in Kentucky?” he asked.

“Yup,” I answered.

“Soon’s we see to Knight’s shit, road trip. We’re f**king on his grave.”

My head shot up and I looked down at him.

He grinned up at me.

My invisible sun’s rays warmed me straight to my soul.

Only sun ever that lay on his back in a bed.

God, God, I missed my sun.

“He deserves it, baby, and I’m adventurous but graveyard sex…” I paused. “I don’t think I have it in me.”

“Then we’re f**king on that f**kin’ golf course he loved so goddamned much.”

“That I can do.”

Creed gave me a smile.

“He told me his favorite hole was sixteen,” I shared. “He said it was tough but beautiful.”

“Right, on the green of sixteen, I’ll drill my favorite hole.”

He said this while smiling.

I burst out laughing.

* * * * *

I wandered into the back room with two fresh, cold ones. I got close to Creed sitting in one of the chairs, facing dusk. He ignored the beer I offered and hooked me around the waist, gave a rough yank and I landed in his lap. He curled his arm around me and lifted his long legs to rest his bare heels against the windowsill.

Only then did he take his beer.

He sucked some back. I sucked some back and my eyes moved over the detritus of the Chinese delivery we’d consumed that was spread across the low table. We ordered everything that struck our fancy, which meant we could have fed twelve.

Leftovers for days.

Right on.

I’d called Knight early, filled him in and told him we needed another day. He was down with that.

I knew he would be.

So all day it was Creed and me. His body. My body. Fucking. Drinking. Eating. Some talking. More f**king.

I had never had a boyfriend other than Tucker Creed. We’d made love once and he was taken away from me. So I didn’t know make up sex could be so f**king great.

Especially when you had sixteen years to make up for.

“I want you to meet my kids.”

My head jerked so I could look at him even as my entire body tensed.

“What?” I whispered.

His eyes locked on mine. “I want you to meet my kids,” he repeated.

“What, like, now?”

He grinned. “No Sylvie, they’re an eighteen hour drive away so not now. Not tomorrow. After this job. After we’re cool. I’ll bring ‘em up.”

Oh shit.

“Creed –”

His arm gave me a squeeze.

“Sit on that. Don’t react. Just sit on it. Think about it. There’s time.”

“Okay.”

He held my gaze and didn’t let go of the subject.

“Not sure where you are but I’ll state clear where I am. I gave you up once. It killed me. It was figuratively but it still killed me. I’m not doin’ that shit again. I’m further than you on this. In a way, I’ve been with you for over a month. You haven’t even had a week. So you sit on knowin’ in your future you’ll meet and get to know my kids. But, just sayin’, in your future, you’ll meet and get to know my kids.”