That hit her square in the chest. Creed wasn’t one to throw around apologies. When he did admit he was in the wrong, he really and truly meant it. He was sorry for leaving—just for today or for the times he’d had to leave her in the past? Did she dare let him in and risk her heart being broken all over again? Would he want to talk, explain why he’d left her when he came back from the dead? Left her without any explanation? What would he say about her giving up her hard-earned career and fame after he ditched her and devastated her, taking away her will to fight and succeed?
“Please let me in, love.”
The sorry, please, and love were pushing her to give in.
“What incentive do I have?” She bit at her lip. Things were pretty heavy between them, yet she couldn’t resist teasing him. He’d asked her that same question years ago when she told him she would teach him how to dance. He’d given her that charming grin of his and claimed he didn’t want to learn to dance and asked what incentive he had. She’d told him he could teach her how to really kiss after she taught him how to really dance. They’d already kissed a few times before that night, but that night the dancing and the kissing had been magical.
Creed chuckled, and she could see his taut muscles relax. He must’ve been clenching his fists pretty tightly. “I’ll teach you how to really dance,” he said.
Kiera laughed too. She wanted to swing the door wide and kiss him on the face, but she waited, making herself count to ten. She pressed her eye to the keyhole and could see Creed staring at the door, waiting and waiting. Finally, she couldn’t stand it any longer. She undid the deadbolt and flung the door wide.
Creed straightened. With his wet shirt clinging to his well-muscled body and droplets of water glistening in his hair and on his face, he was nothing short of glorious.
“Hi,” she said. It came out shy and too quiet.
Creed’s gaze swept over her, and they simply studied each other for half a beat. Then he strode across the gap, shutting the door with a resounding bang, and swept her off her feet, crushing her against his chest.
Her sundress got damp from the wetness of his shirt. He smelled like fresh rain and his distinctive Burberry cologne. Kiera stared up into his handsome face as he studied her hungrily. “Hi,” she whispered again.
A smile flitted across his face, but it was there and gone quickly. “No more goodbyes,” he said.
The words rang through her head, and she loved them. They still had so much garbage to resolve it would overflow a landfill, but if Creed would promise no more goodbyes, she would deal with any refuse the past had dealt them.
Creed bowed his head and captured her lips with his own. The kiss was hungry and filled with longing and too much time lost. Kiera clasped her hands tightly around his muscular back and held on as they danced with only their lips.
He pulled back and moaned. “Kiera, I’ve missed you.” Then he was kissing her again, and it was more intense and all-encompassing than any kiss she’d ever experienced, even with Creed. His hands framed her face, and she ran her hands up his back, across his shoulders and down to his biceps where she clung to the solid muscle to try and stabilize herself. Her head was even cloudier than it’d been when she was drugged last night.
Creed finally slowed down the kisses and tenderly kissed her cheek and then her brow before simply holding her close.
When Kiera was able to form words, she teased him, “I thought you were going to teach me how to dance.”
Creed chuckled. “That was better than any dance.”
Kiera laughed, and even as a professional, lifelong dancer, she had to agree with him.
“But if you insist.” Creed winked and took her hand, placing his other hand at her hip. He waltzed her slowly around the small living area, twirled her out and in a few times and then dipped her low, kissing her. The dance was sweet, and the kiss even sweeter.
Creed pulled her upright and in tight to his chest as they gently swayed together, no music, just them. Creed’s stomach grumbled, and Kiera laughed. “Hungry?”
“I didn’t get any breakfast, or dinner last night, come to think of it. Too worried about my girl.”
His girl? “It’s almost time for dinner again,” she said. “Do you want to …” For some reason, she was feeling shy again, like she was the sophomore asking the hottest senior boy to the girl’s choice dance. She’d done that all those years ago, and Creed had said yes. “Go to dinner?”
Creed’s gaze swept over her face. “Would you be opposed to ordering room service? I hate to interrupt the dancing, and especially the kissing, but we really need to talk.”
Kiera nodded, realizing he was right. They broke apart, and she got him a towel to dry his hair and sit on while he ordered a bunch of food and drinks from the room service menu. Finally, they sat side by side on the couch. Creed took her hand and matched their palms together then intertwined their fingers. His hand was so much bigger than hers. She’d always thought her darker skin and smaller hand looked perfect in his manly grasp.
“I’m not even sure where to start,” he said.
Kiera turned slightly so she could see his face. “It’s okay, Creed. We can work through this. I can forgive you.”
Creed’s eyebrows shot up. “You can forgive me?”
All of the ardor she’d been feeling for him evaporated with that one inflection. She wrenched her hand free, shot to her feet, and glared at him. “What grievous sin have I committed? You act like I’m the one in the wrong when the truth is you deserted me! You ditched me and broke my heart, and I fell apart. Yet, for some reason, you act like you need to forgive me.” She placed a hand on her chest and didn’t even care that her voice was full of venom.
Creed stood and faced her. They were half a foot away, but it felt like miles. “Kiera,” he said softly. “You and I … we made promises. We stayed strong for each other, for our wedding night.”
Kiera was so confused right now. Where had he gotten the misinformation that she was a floozy? Creed would never believe the rumors Milo had started. “Yeah.”
“When you broke those promises, it broke my heart.”
“I broke what?” She practically yelled the last word. Maybe he believed the rumors because of what she’d said the last night thy were together. Forcing herself to lower her voice she said, “What are you talking about? You’re upset because of that last night before you were deployed, when I tried to get you to do more and you were the strong one? You think because of that I turned into some loose woman?”
Creed opened his mouth, but she talked over him. “I’ve got news for you, mister. You aren’t some holier than thou saint. There were many times throughout high school and college that I was the strong one, the one who stopped you from going too far!” She started ticking them off. “Senior ball, the night on the beach after you graduated college, the time you came back from leave after your first deployment.” She’d listed enough, though there were more.
Creed stared at her as she finished her tirade. “Are you done?”
“I shouldn’t be, but I’ll allow you to speak, you two-faced jack-tard.” How could he believe because of what she’d said that night that she’d ditch all of their morals? He’d never even acted upset that night. He’d laughed about it and reassured her they would be together.
Creed cracked a smile but sobered quickly. “I’m not talking about that night.”
“Then what are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about how hard we both fought to stay pure and you threw it all away with that Milo joker.”
“Milo?” Kiera’s eyebrows rose along with her temper. So he did believe the rumors? How could he believe that crap, without so much as asking her? His family had plenty of media exposure and he knew as well as anybody how reporters twisted the facts. “You think I slept with Milo?”
Creed folded his arms across his chest and looked down at her all supercilious. “He moved in with you for three weeks before I came back from being captured. Are yo
u claiming you lived together, but it was platonic?” His arched eyebrow mocked and angered her even more.
“I never lived with Milo.”
Creed’s brow furrowed. “What? Sutton told me that Milo’s agent confirmed all the rumors that you two were together. He had pictures of you two together but also of Milo leaving your condo early in the morning and late at night.”
“Those pictures were probably taken when Milo knocked on my door at all hours and I asked him to leave. I don’t know who this Sutton joker is or where they got doctored pictures that looked like we were together, but I know Milo’s agent and the only thing he cares about is getting Milo bigger contracts and more publicity, no matter who it hurts.”
Creed shook his head, not budging in his judgmental superiority. “Sutton’s information is always correct.”
“Not this time.” Kiera poked him in the chest. “Milo and I were dance partners, nothing more, nothing less. He kissed me when I was miserable and alone and thought you were dead and all it did was make me angry.” She gulped, remembering how horrific that time had been. “I always told him we could only be friends because I felt nothing for him. Even when you were dead, I saved myself for you, Creed.”
Creed studied her for half a second. Then his jaw sort of dropped open, and he quickly snapped it shut. “The Kiera I know would never lie,” he whispered.
“That’s right.” She thrust out her hip and glared at him. “I don’t drink. I don’t lie. And I definitely don’t sleep around, you supercilious cretin.”
Creed chuckled, and then he whooped and picked her up off her feet. He kissed her, devouring her mouth with his and didn’t set her down until a loud rap came at the door.
Creed gently put her feet on the ground and gave her one more tender peck. “To be continued,” he said.
Kiera tilted her head to the side. “We’ll see. I told you not to manhandle me and you still have a lot of explaining to do.”
Creed smiled. “I’ll talk all night if I can manhandle you some more.”
Kiera smiled and said sassily, “Maybe you’ll be that lucky. You’re still in trouble in my book.”
Creed laughed then checked the peep hole before opening the door. The young man brought in the trays of food. Creed tipped him and thanked him, walking him out. They uncovered the dishes, and Creed started cutting into a bite of salmon. It was obvious he was starving. Kiera watched him eat, slightly in awe at how ravenous he was. He still had impeccable manners though. He was a Hawk after all, but she was amazed at how quickly he could chew, swallow, and repeat.
“Your mom would not appreciate your food consumption speed right now.” She teased him.
Creed sat back and wiped at his mouth with a napkin. “Sorry. I learned to devour food in the SEALs, especially in Syria when I was sure I would starve to death.” His eyes traveled over her. “I would rather devour your lips.”
Kiera laughed though she hated thinking about him imprisoned and starved. “Eat. Maybe you’ll get a sample of my lips later.”
Creed winked and filled his plate again. Kiera loaded a small sampling of many of the dishes onto her plate and started eating. She ate a little bit but mostly toyed with her food and watched Creed eat. Finally, she asked, “So this Sutton guy told you I was living with Milo, and you didn’t think to come ask me?”
Creed stopped eating, drank a long swallow of water and then answered. “As soon as I could get my mom to stop clinging to me after we were released, I told my family I wanted to go to Vegas. Callum offered his fastest jet and his pilot. All I wanted to do was find you.”
Kiera’s heart was beating so high and fast, she felt like it was in her throat. He had come for her.
“When I got to the Bellagio, I found the hallway where your dressing room was. The security guards wouldn’t let me through, so I was … dismantling them.” He gave her an embarrassed grin, but his grin disappeared. “Then I saw you and that Milo guy. He was hugging you and then kissing you. It about killed me.”
Kiera put her hand over her mouth. “You were the guy the security guards were tackling in the hallway the night I found out you were alive. You called my name.”
“Yes.” He nodded. “All the fight went out of me when I saw you kissing him. Sutton came for me in the security office a couple hours later and told me that you’d been with Milo for months and living with him for three weeks. I thought …” His voice dropped and came out gravelly and painful. “I thought you’d”—he swallowed—“been with him. I thought you’d betrayed our love, betrayed me, and all that not long after I’d supposedly died.”
Kiera couldn’t speak. She was sick.
“I knew it would’ve been awful for you thinking I was dead, but I still couldn’t stand the thought of you not loving me, our memories, enough to keep yourself pure for marriage. Even if that marriage wasn’t to me.” He splayed his hands. “So I went to work for Sutton and kept myself busy and tried not to think about you.” He smiled sadly. “It didn’t work. Though I was angry at you for what I’d thought you’d done. I never stopped loving you.”
Kiera couldn’t stand not touching him right now. She scooted over to him and plopped herself on his lap, wrapping her hands around his neck. “I need to kiss you on the face right now.”
Creed chuckled. “Just a second.” He grabbed a mint off the tray and tossed it in his mouth. “Okay, now.”
Kiera laughed and kissed him and kissed him. An explosion of happiness rushed through her. It was like coming home yet more exciting than Christmas morning. His lips were tender and firm, and she was warm from head to toe.
When she pulled back, her eyes feasted on his handsome face. The face she’d always loved. “As soon as my mama called and said you were alive, I caught a red-eye from Vegas and headed straight for Long Island. When I got there, your mom told me that you’d already left with some ‘handsome English man,’ and I thought you’d ditched me. Oh, Creed. Of all the stupid misunderstandings. How could you think I wouldn’t wait for you?”
Creed buried his head in her chest and let out a groan of pain. “I’m sorry. Kiera, please forgive me. I was blind and stupid, and you deserve so much more.”
Kiera grasped his cheeks with her hands and pulled him up so she could look at him. “I love you, Creed. Of course, I forgive you.”
Creed pulled her in tight and kissed her. Kiera was certain she’d found heaven, and she was never letting anything come between them again.
Chapter Thirteen
As Creed held Kiera close, he wondered if he’d ever been this happy. Kiera had always made him happy. The pain of what he’d gone through—being captured, imprisoned, and tortured, and then thinking the reason he made it through all of that had been disloyal to him had nearly destroyed him. It made this moment of happiness even more meaningful.
There was also the sweet realization that he and Kiera’s time was now. Before, he’d known he would have to leave, to fulfill his calling to be a SEAL, but he’d completed that mission. Now, even if he kept working for Sutton, his focus could be Kiera.
“Do you ever think about why?” she murmured into his chest.
“Yeah. All the time. The imprisonment was … I really can’t talk about it, but complete misery doesn’t even come close. I wondered many times why we had to go through that, be separated with you thinking I was dead. But I do know it makes moments like this all the better.” He ran his hands over her trim waist and was so happy to hold her close.
“I can’t even imagine. The thought of you being tortured”—she shuddered—“starving, miserable.”
“Yeah, let’s not dwell on it.”
“You’re so tough.” She glanced up at him with her beautiful dark eyes wide. “If I went through something like that, I’d want to go on talk shows, write a book about it, have everybody know how bad it was and give me lots of pity.”
Creed chuckled, but any mirth fled quickly. “You say that, but truly, I pray several times a day for the Lord to just help me forgive an
d forget.”
She nodded, considering. “Sometimes, I take the why a step further. Sometimes, I wonder why you ever had to choose your path. Why you ever had to leave me.” She bit at her lip and looked so kissable in her humble questioning it was all he could do to stay his mouth. “Sorry, that’s so selfish and petty of me.”
“No, it’s not,” he hurried to reassure her. “I hated leaving you, my mom, and my brothers, but I knew from the time I was little that I’d be a SEAL. I knew it. For me, it was a calling from God just as surely as someone called to a ministry or a mission. Does that make sense?”
She nodded. “I know that about you. How honorable and good you are to want to serve, to protect. Sorry, sometimes I just get bratty.”
“You are the farthest thing from bratty.” He let himself kiss her and got distracted for many minutes with her perfect lips.
When he pulled back, she glanced up at him, and her eyes were glistening. “You know when I was teasing you in the gym? About your brothers?”
He remembered. She’d been mad at him and now that he knew the truth he was sick about how rudely he’d treated her. Yet her teasing at the gym had been cute. Still, he didn’t like being compared to his brothers. They all had their own paths, and he was proud of each of their successes.
“I think your path in life is the noblest, Creed.”
He smiled. “That means a lot. Thank you.” He paused. “I think my brothers are the greatest. I love that we all have our own paths.”
“The great Hawk brothers. All famous in their own right.” She teased him.
He chuckled. He loved his family, but their life wasn’t cake and roses. People assumed because they were wealthy and talented they had it easy, but every one of his brothers worked hard to succeed. To try to live up to their father’s expectations. They worked harder than most people he knew, truly. “We didn’t have any choice not to be successful.”
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