Page 167 of Tangled Kisses
“Yeah,” I manage, my throat rough. “I think she’d like that. She’s got a guest room. We’ll go together, spend a couple of days.”
Her smile lights me up from the inside. “Perfect.”
We spend the next couple of hours sharing wine, trading kisses, listening to music. She curls against me on the couch, warm and soft, and eventually her eyes drift shut. Her breathing evens, her battered body finally giving in. The exhaustion pours off her, and I realize she hasn’t slept in days.
I stroke her hair, watching the fire burn low.
But contentment tangles with something sharper, darker. A need for revenge. Vander put his hands on Reese, hurt her, and the thought of it makes my blood boil. Part of me dreams of hunting him down, making him pay. And I know I wouldn’t be going alone—all the guys at the ranch would be more than willing to take a spur-of-the-moment ‘sightseeing’ trip to New York.
If he ever comes near her again, I’ll bury him myself. That promise sits heavy in my chest, leashed only because Reese asked me not to.
Reese stirs, blinking sleepily up at me. “I know what you’re thinking.”
I brush my thumb over her cheek. “What am I thinking?”
“And I love you for it. But you’re not going after him.” A tired smile graces her mouth. “You know what the best revenge is, my beautiful man?”
I shake my head. “Tell me.”
“Being happy,” she whispers. “Deliciously, gloriously happy. Fuck him. Never mention his name again. You’re going to makeme happy for the rest of my life. And that’s the best revenge—a life well lived.”
She’s right. But part of me still aches for blood, a promise I tuck away for later.
“Hey, cowboy, how about you forget that piece of shit and take me to bed instead?”
A smile blooms across my lips. “That I can do.”
I carry her down the hall, lay her gently against the sheets, and slide in beside her. For a second I think I might get a second round—her body is so warm, so close—but before I can move, she’s out cold again.
I press a kiss to her hair, lingering there, inhaling the faint scent of soap and woodsmoke. “When you said bed, I thought I might get lucky again.”
Her only response? A soft grumble under her breath.
“The truth? I’m the luckiest guy on the planet,” I whisper. “I love you so much. You’re safe, belleza. You’re safe.”
So much forsneaking back into the cabin.
Chowder’s howls echo in the space, the kind of guttural wailing that could convince a stranger he was being dragged to his execution. The carrier rocks in my hand as he thrashes, and I mutter under my breath, “There’s a point to this madness, dude. Just work with me here.”
His response is to crank up the volume on his shrieks.
Thanks a lot, buddy.
By the time I enter the bedroom, Reese is sitting up, hair mussed, eyes bleary with sleep. She blinks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “What in the world?”
I set the carrier on the bed and unlatch it.
Chowder steps out with exaggerated dignity, tail flicking once before he looks straight at Reese. His howls stop immediately, blinking at her like,Oh, it’s you. Well, that changes things.
Reese giggles and scoops him up. “Hello, my handsome fur ball.” She cradles him against her chest, rubbing his cheeks as he purrs like none of the previous drama ever happened.
Until her fingers still.
Her gaze catches on the collar. On what’s gleaming there.
She freezes, her eyes going wide as a tear slips down her cheek. “It’s the ring.” Her voice hitches, trembling as she stares down at it. “Oh, my God. It’sthatring.”
Yep. The padparadscha sapphire.
