Chapter 32

32

Chad carried her to his front door. Genny protested. Of course she did. Genny liked to fight him every chance she could. He was just going to have to get used to it. Making up with her was going to be fun, too.

He was looking forward to it.

He jiggled her in his hold for a half second—gently. Very, very gently. He hadn’t forgotten what had happened to her tonight. And he wanted to take care of her. Just him. “You just stay right where you are, woman. I am in charge of you tonight.”

“Excuse me? Who gave you that position?”

“I took it. Now, I am carrying you off to my cave. Finally.”

“I feel like I’ve been hit over the head with a club. Or at least in the side.” She went practically limp in his hold, her legs wrapped around his waist, and her head dropping to his shoulder. “I’ve had a really crappy day, Chad-wicked Leopold.”

“I know. And I’m sorry. I wish I had been closer. I’d have rescued you, all heroically. Why let Charlie be the hero all the time?” He ran his hand over her spine, then grabbed his keys out of his back pocket where he’d shoved them after getting out of his truck. “I’ll get you inside, and you can take some of the pain pills. I’ll tuck you into my furs, and watch over you all night long, stoking the fires and turning the hunk of wooly mammoth I captured for your dinner until it’s all good and barbecue-y. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful, actually. As long as you hold me while you do it.”

He could do that. He could definitely do that.

He swung his door open, and carried his captive inside. “Now I have you right where I want you. Just not because of how I intended.”

Her arms just tightened around his neck. He could feel her breath against his skin. Her chest was pressed to his. Chad wanted to hold her just like this—forever.

He never would have expected to feel this way so damned fast. He’d never fallen so hard for a woman in his life. But then again…maybe he’d been falling for Genesis Hiller for years, and he was just now letting himself see that?

She always had gotten under his skin in ways far different than anyone else. Maybe he’d just been an idiot and not seen exactly how. Or what that meant?

It was entirely possible he’d been a myopic idiot where this woman was concerned.

Almost losing Chantal had made it clear to him exactly what mattered most.

Chad knew what it was like to experience loss. To know that you could never get time back. Almost losing his sister had reminded him of that very thing. Every time he looked at his dad and knew he was getting closer to losing him every day, he remembered that.

He wanted what his brother Charlie had. Wanted the woman who loved him, wanted the children they would both adore. He wanted a life.

He wanted it with Genny.

But for tonight, she needed him to take care of her.

And that was what he was going to do.

He took her into his home, and snuggled her on his couch. Close in his arms.

Until she drifted off to sleep, with him holding her.

He stayed right where he was, until she woke two hours later.

She took one look at him and asked him the question he would never forget. “Will you kiss me? Forever?”

“I can do that.” Forever would be a good place to start.

To start.