Page 99 of Defending Casey

“‘Night, baby.” Casey stepped back and drew the door closed until it almost clicked in the frame. “We love you.”

Once they lost sight of Nora in the bottom bunk they heard her soft laughter and a sweet sigh. “Love you guys.”

Casey turned and found Hale standing close enough that their thighs brushed against each other. She could smell the aftershave he’d put on earlier when she’d bathed Nora. Lifting her hand, she touched the side of his face and smiled when her fingertips felt his smooth skin. “You know I don’t mind a little stubble on your face.”

His eyes darkened as he looked at her, moving just an inch closer.

“I know, Case. And I like the sounds you make when you feel it on the inside of your thighs.”

She drew in a breath, but it was too short, too shallow. “So, you’re not planning on doing that tonight?”

“I was planning on kissing something else tonight.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Yeah?”

Hale took her hand and drew her along with him to their bedroom down the hall.

He didn’t turn on the light in the room, continuing on to the bed.

When they both stood in the moonlight, he brushed his fingers through her hair, moving it back off of her shoulders.

When his lips touched her skin, it was at the base of her scar.

Casey tensed for a moment and fought back the panic that surged in her blood, but the feather-light touch of his fingers along the chain of her new necklace made her smile. “I’m going to have to thank Evangeline for all of her beautiful work on this pendant.”

He murmured his agreement against her skin before turning to press his cheek against the column of her throat. “She came up with the design, but I picked the stone.”

Her hand joined his as his fingertips moved from the chain to the pendant. “I was wondering about that.”

Another kiss made her exhale, slowly, almost making her breathless. “I picked that Jasper for you. Do you remember when we found a piece of jasper when we were hiking?”

Casey smiled and sighed, leaning into his touch and heat. “I do.”

He brushed his lips against a sensitive spot. “You told me that jasper is overlooked a lot because it’s not as shiny as others and doesn’t sparkle.”

“And that the stone only shows it’s real beauty after it’s been cut and polished. All that rough treatment to reveal its beauty.” She tilted her head so he could find that spot again.

“That’s you, Casey. All of the things you’ve gone through. I wanted to make a promise to you that all of those things only make you shine brighter and reveal the true beauty of your soul.” And when his lips traced along the healed cut almost to her ear, Casey leaned closer, her hands bracing against his belly. “More, Hale. Please, more.”

“I’ll give you more.” He gave her another kiss before he laid his cheek against hers and whispered into her ear. “I’ll give you everything I am, Casey. There’s nothing keeping us apart anymore.”

She smiled and pulled him closer. “And our love holding us together. As a family.”

His next kiss proved just how much love they had between them.

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