“That was messed up,” I said softly. “Anyone would do that.”

“Wasn’t anyone doin’ it, it was you. It was you doing handstands with him in the pool and you makin’ him eggs too.”

“Tate.”

“And bringin’ me coffee.” He paused, his face changed, shifted, that tender look came into it, not the soft and warm one, the tender one that was so sweet it made my heart stop beating and he kept talking quietly. “Long’s I can remember, he wakes rough. Takes him awhile to shake it off. You brought me coffee and left so I could be with him.”

“I didn’t know that, I just… I’m a waitress,” I explained lamely. “I bring people drinks. It’s instinct.”

He pressed his lips together.

Then he muttered, “Babe.”

“Tate,” I whispered. “I need a shower.”

Very unfortunately, he returned to his earlier subject. “You told me you love me.”

“Can we talk about that tomorrow?” I asked. “Or, um… the day after that?”

“No,” he answered.

“Captain, I was just… it was just… the moment.”

His brows drew together.

“So you don’t love me?”

My eyes slid to the side. “Well…”

“Lauren, eyes on me,” he ordered and of their own accord my eyes moved back to him and, with one look at him, my heart slid straight up into my throat.

His face was still tender but his eyes were intense, burning into mine.

His head bent and his face got close to mine.

“Say it again,” he demanded gently.

I felt the pulse in my throat beating. I licked my lips and stared into his eyes.

“Baby, say it again,” he repeated.

“I don’t want –”

His arms gave me a squeeze.

“What’d I tell you?” he asked.

“About what?” I asked back, not following.

“About bein’ safe here,” he answered.

“This isn’t safe,” I whispered.

“Why not?”

“I’m out there,” I found my mouth admitting, unable to hold it back and then it kept talking. “You… I’m out there and it doesn’t feel safe.”

“Babe, you aren’t out there.” His arms gave me another squeeze. “You’re right here.”

“You know what I mean,” I said quietly.

“I need you to say it again,” he told me.

“Why?” I asked, my voice pitching higher.

“So I can say it back, Ace.”

My body locked and I stared up at him.

“You –?” I breathed.

“Yeah,” he cut me off.

Oh.

My.

God.

My body unlocked and melted into his.

“Really?” I whispered.

“Oh yeah,” he whispered back, starting to move, taking me with him, shuffling us toward the bathroom.

My eyes filled with tears.

His hands went into my t-shirt.

“Tate –”

“Time to shower.”

“Tate –”

I said no more because he kissed me. I kissed him back. Somehow he got us na**d and in the shower. I wasn’t paying much attention because of what his hands and mouth were doing and because I was assisting in the getting us na**d part. Once in the shower there was soap and shampoo, on both of us, but I didn’t pay much attention to that either.

My mind honed into my body around the time he lifted me with his hands at my behind, my legs went around his hips, he pressed me to the tiled wall and, with the water raining down on us, he slid inside.

I pressed my head against the tiles, held on tight with all my limbs and he moved in and out of me, gentle, slow.

“Work with me,” he said against my neck. “Touch your clit, baby.”

I did what he asked.

Brilliant. So brilliant, I moaned.

“That’s my girl,” he muttered, his head coming up, his c**k sliding in and out, his mouth touched mine. “You’d do anything for me, wouldn’t you, Laurie?”

“Anything,” I whispered and it was the truth.

“Put up with my shit.”

“Yes,” I breathed, rolling my finger.

“Take care of my kid.”

“Yes.”

“Take care of my house.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Eat you how I want, f**k you how I want, sweet, hard, dirty.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll get dirty for me?” he asked.

It was building and I wasn’t paying attention to what I was saying.

Therefore I promised, “Anything, Tate.”

But that wasn’t a lie either.

He started moving faster, going deeper.

“Then you’re gonna come for me, Laurie.”

He was right. I was.

“Yes,” I breathed.

“Say it,” he demanded, going faster, beginning to pound.

“I’m going to come for you, baby.”

“No, honey, say it.”

My eyes opened, looked directly into his and I knew what he meant.

“I love you, Tate,” I whispered against his mouth.

Definitely pounding now, his hands pulling my h*ps in to meet his thrusts and I heard the whimper slide out of me as it built higher.

“Say it again,” he growled.

“I love you,” I repeated.

“Again,” he demanded but I couldn’t. It was happening.

“Baby –” I moaned.

“Fuckin’ say it,” he commanded, pounding hard now, exquisite and it hit me.

“I love you,” I whispered on a hitched breath and he knew what that meant, he’d heard it enough times and his mouth opened over mine, taking my cry.

I was still coming when his teeth bit my bottom lip, his h*ps drove into mine and he growled, “Love you too, baby. Christ,” he clipped, the power behind his thrusts building even higher. “Fuck, but I love you.”

His mouth opened over mine, his tongue invaded and then he groaned deep into my throat, his h*ps bucking hard, pounding me into the tile as he came.

He held me aloft as we both came down but his mouth left mine to trail down to my neck and his c**k moved slow again, gliding in and out. I wrapped both my arms tight around him and held on.