Page 52 of Blake

“What can I do to help?” Her voice was husky as his hand moved to the galloping heartbeat in her neck.

“You’re doing it,” he said softly as he traced the soft skin the heat from him making butterflies take flight in her tummy.

“I want to do more,” she implored wanting to be his partner in every way she could and wipe the worry from his face.

“I know and when there is something, I’ll ask. But for now, why don’t you catch up with the hospital and check in with your mom?”

“Okay, honey,” she replied wanting to give him what he needed. She tilted her head as he dropped a kiss in the spot where her shoulder met her neck.

She felt his lips pull into a smile at her words. “Like it when you call me that,” he muttered.

“I like it when you do that,” she replied as he nibbled the spot behind her ear.

“So fucking beautiful.”

“Cal,” she said his name as the heat from his sweet words hit her.

“Don’t know what I did to deserve you, Gracie, but I won’t ever let you go.” The words were uttered against her open lips.

She chuckled. “That would sound like a creepy stalker threat from anyone else but from you it’s all I want to hear.”

“I love you, Gracie.”

The words were simple—three little words that she had thought she didn’t need but hearing them opened a floodgate of emotion in her that was almost overwhelming. This sweet sexy kind man loved her and for the first time ever she believed it. There was no doubt to poison or tarnish it. It was merely the most breath-taking feeling she had ever experienced.

“I love you too, honey.”

The rest of her words were stolen by his mouth on hers, a soft drugging kiss that made the world recede until only they existed. His tongue coaxed and teased a million sensations from her body until all she wanted was him. He was everywhere, surrounding her in a net of safety and love, passion and joy that she never wanted to end.

Blake pulled away with a groan. “I need to go and make that call.” He leaned his forehead against her shoulder as they both tried to calm their racing bodies. “Can’t wait until this is over so I can spend a week in bed making love and fucking you until you can’t see straight.”

The words shot straight to her clit. Her nipples peaked and her body ached, forcing a moan from her. “You’re killing me, Blake.”

“Only what you do to me every time I look at you, Grace.” Blake pushed off the bed and moved to the door as she sat still. She didn’t trust herself not to drag him back to bed and climb him like a tree if she moved.

He stopped and turned. “Check in with your mom and I’ll be back once I made this call, hopefully with a plan.”

Pax watched the door close before lying back on the bed a goofy smile creasing her face. She was in love for probably the first time and it felt better than she had ever imagined. Even with everything that was happening she couldn’t feel too sad. Maybe that made her selfish.

People had lost their lives, more were on the verge of being ruined if Sana and whoever was behind the criminal trials wasn’t stopped, and that was without her family drama, but she didn’t let it faze her. She knew if Calvin Blake was beside her, she could handle whatever she faced because he loved her. With that happy thought in her head she picked up her cell and called her mom.

Chapter Twenty-Three

He felt like a complete asshole as he left Pax in the room they were sharing. He had used his declaration of love to distract her from the course she was on. It didn’t matter that he had meant every fucking word. He did love her more than he could have imagined possible, but he also knew the words would move her focus from the fact that a third party had entered the game.

A third party that was very likely his teammate. Never in his life had he treated a woman with such disrespect, and she had no clue he’d done it. If she ever figured it out, she would roast his balls on a BBQ, and he would deserve it. When this was over, he would make it up to her. Even if she didn’t know what he had done, he would relive the first time he’d told the woman he wanted to spend his life with that he loved her and feel dirty.

He found Waggs in the garden with Decker talking to Mrs Reid.

The three looked up when he approached, Mrs Reid wearing a wide friendly smile. “Blake would you like something to eat?”

“No, thank you, Mrs Reid, but thanks for asking.”

“What about that lovely girlfriend of yours?”

Blake considered saying no not wanting to burden the exhausted woman, but he wanted to talk to Waggs and Decker in private. “That would be great if it’s not too much trouble?”

She stood with a radiant smile on her face. “Nonsense, it is no trouble at all.”