Page 15 of Rugged Guardian

“Come on,” I say, my voice husky. “Let’s get out of here.”

We walk to my truck, and I help her in before sliding into the driver’s seat. She moves next to me, and I drive back to my cabin with my arm around her shoulders. I need to keep touching her to remind myself this is real.

When we pull up to my cabin, I cut the engine and sit for a moment, looking at her. “Are you sure about this?” I ask, my voice barely above a whisper.

She reaches over, her hand resting on my cheek as she looks into my eyes. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

That’s all I need to hear.

We get out of the truck, and I lead her up the steps to the cabin.

“This is nice,” she says, her voice soft as she looks around.

“Yeah,” I reply, my heart swelling with pride. “I built most of it myself. But I’ll show you everything later. First, I need to share something with you.”

All I want to do is sweep her up in my arms and take her to bed, but I have to tell her about Creek Ravine.

“Okay,” Angelica says, uncertainty flooding her voice.

“Everything with us is fine,” I reassure her, guiding her over to the couch. “When we ran into each other at the grocery store, you wondered about Harley and me buying tampons and all that lady stuff.”

Angelica watches me carefully and nods. “I did. You said you were helping your friend with something.”

“I was. The truth is more serious than a simple favor.” I take a deep breath, then explain about the work Harley does to prevent trafficking, what my men and I do to help those women, and how we give them the options and resources to choose their futures.

Angelica looks at me, her eyes glistening.

“Baby, don’t cry,” I say, moving closer to her and putting my arms around her.

“I…that’s not what I thought that was. I’d thought,” she exhales, “that you were buying for your wife. Even if you didn’t have a ring on your finger. This is…I admire what you’re doing, Waylon. I love you for helping women in need like this.”

“Good,” I exhale in relief. “You can be involved as little or as much as you want. Most of my men work with Creek Ravine in one way or another, and a couple of their women, too.”

“Of course,” Angelica says, a fierceness in her eyes. “I’ll do whatever I can. We can use my grandparent’s cabin, if that helps.”

I chuckle and stroke her hair. “Thank you. That location is a little too easy to access, but expanding our work to above Silver Pine Ridge is definitely something we can talk about. But now,” I say, standing and extending my hand to her, “I need you naked in my arms.”

Angelica stands and steps close to me, her hands sliding up my chest as she looks at me. “I meant what I said earlier,” she whispers, her lips brushing my ear. “I love you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

“I love you too,” I reply, my voice rough with emotion. “And I’m never letting you go again.”

With that, I capture her lips in a consuming kiss. I pour everything I have into that kiss, every ounce of love, every bit of pain, every shred of hope.

When we finally pull back, we’re both breathless. “Let’s get naked,” I say, my voice husky.

CHAPTER 9

ANGELICA

Waylon and I stand in his bedroom, the air around us thick with desire and the promise of our future together. He steps closer, his calloused hand caressing my cheek. Electricity sparks through my body, igniting a fire in my soul. I’ve longed for this man, ached to feel his touch again. Now he’s here, standing before me, and I know I’m finally home. This isn’t just a single night of passion, like when he stayed over a few nights ago—this is the beginning of a lifetime with this man.

“Angel,” he whispers, his voice like gravel. Hearing my old nickname on his lips makes me shiver with delight. “I never stopped loving you.”

Tears well in my eyes as I gaze up at him. The years we spent apart fade away, and it’s like we’re teenagers again, experiencing the sweetness of first love. Only now, it’s deeper, more profound. We’ve been through a hell that we didn’t create, and now we’re stronger together.

“I love you too, Waylon,” I whisper. “I never stopped.”

He bends and kisses me, a soft brush of his lips against mine. I cling to him, my fingers digging into his shoulders, pulling him closer. The kiss deepens, our tongues tangling, and I drown in sensation. In Waylon.

---