Page 87 of Guarded Hearts

Their lips melded in a slow, thorough kiss that left her moaning. Sliding his hand to her breast, he stroked her nipple in a lazy circle. She gasped and deepened the kiss, rolling on top ofhim. Their gazes locked, and in one perfect move, he joined with her.

The pleasure stretched on and on between them until she collapsed onto his chest, shaking and spent, and he had filled her a second time.

With her sweet weight on him, and her head tucked beneath his chin, they drifted off into an easy sleep that didn’t last long. He came awake with a jolt.

Layne wasn’t in bed with him.

For a moment, panic gripped his heart in a black, evil fist.

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he reached for his weapon, an extension of him.

He took two steps toward the door before he realized that she was safe. Her stalker was behind bars and he wouldn’t see freedom in his lifetime.

Carson knew where Layne had to be.

In her study reading the letters.

After yanking on his jeans, he tucked the weapon in the waistband along his spine and went in search of his lover.

The ranch was silent. As he moved through the corridor, the shadowy outlines of the paintings guided the way. On the opposite end of the house, her father slept in the master bedroom. While Mr. London and his daughter had embraced after their talk, Carson still didn’t feel very warm toward the man who had kept Layne out of his life for so many years. But she seemed happy with the outcome, and that was all that mattered.

When he approached Layne’s study, he realized that his nickname of Ghost wasn’t helping him in this situation. He let his feet fall more heavily on the hardwood floor to let her know he was there. Though she was being so strong in the aftermath of her kidnapping, she was far from healed from it, physically or mentally. The scar on her face might heal into a line too faint toeasily see…but the ones she would bear on the inside would take more time to scab over.

Through the open door of her study, a golden light shone into the hall, creating a rectangular patch on the floor. He stepped into it and peered into the room.

She sat at her desk, a sheet of paper in her hand. A thick stack of ones she’d read sat at her left elbow.

How long had he been asleep without knowing that she left the bed? She must have read quickly.

As he looked on, she sniffled and brought a wadded tissue to dab at her eyes.

The pang of pain went straight to his heart. For a moment, he stood frozen, wondering whether or not to interrupt, to take her into his arms and soothe away the words that he knew must be growing harsh with each passing day that she hadn’t replied to any of his letters.

Suddenly, she issued a tearful laugh at whatever he’d written and then set aside the letter. Without looking up at him in the doorway, she said, “It’s okay, Carson. You can go back to bed. I’m just going to finish reading.”

“Come to bed as soon as you’re done. I don’t want you to be alone with this.”

“Like you were.”

Across the space, their eyes met. Hers were still wet with tears.

“You didn’t know. Neither of us can blame the other anymore.”

She shook her head. “We definitely won’t be naming a son after my father.”

A surprised chuckle burst past his lips. “He lost that privilege.”

“Absolutely.” She threw him a soft smile, her heart in her eyes.

When he turned away from the door, his heart felt lighter despite knowing that the woman he loved was in the throes of painful emotions. She had to get through those letters. And after she did, he would be waiting for her, his arms wide open and a promise of love on his lips.

Chapter Twenty-One

The blast of a car horn from the constant stream of traffic flowing outside Layne’s condo was far from the quiet of Golden Horizon.

Carson let out a groan.

She turned from the box she was packing full with her extensive shoe collection. “Doesn’t the city energize you?”

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