Marshall stared at Lena’s small hand held within his and slid his fingertips along her smooth skin. His gaze roamed up her arm and to her face, peaceful in sleep. He’d almost lost her. His gaze moved across her to where Carter slept soundly beside her. Marshall had almost lost them both. His throat threatened to close again with the memory of the gun to Carter’s head and watching Lena land on her back on the hard warehouse floor, blood running from her head.
He shuddered, took a deep breath in, and set his forehead on the side of the bed by their joined hands. Gunnar swore the bullet had just left a crease along her scalp, and that the bump to her head from landing headfirst would be a bigger pain. Marshall wasn’t sure now. Should he have insisted they go to the hospital instead of hiding away in the safe house Paxton had set up?
Lena had said she’d be fine, that she just needed to sleep it off. Marshall had highly doubted that as he’d winced every time Gunnar had pulled another stitch through her head. He still doubted it three hours later as he watched her rest.
When they’d arrived at the safe house with the Stryker team and Rebel boys, Sosimo, bruised from the bullets that had slammed into his chest, had gone into one room, while she’d immediately gone into another. Marshall had wanted to follow her, to pull her into his arms and beg her to stay with him. Instead, he had let her close the door with a sad smile as he had rubbed Carter’s back. Ten minutes later, when Carter had wanted Lena, Marshall took that as his chance to convince her. She’d been sound asleep, so he’d let Carter crawl into bed with her and snuggle up, soft snores quickly coming from him. With tears stinging Marshall’s eyes at the picture the two made, he had pulled up a chair and hadn’t left his post since.
He couldn’t, not when his entire world was right before him.
How was he going to show her life with them as a family was worth the risk? He couldn’t lose her. Had nearly died himself when that gun had fired. He sighed and gently kissed the top of her hand.
Tentative fingers speared through his hair, sending a thousand bolts of lightning down along his scalp. He turned his head and rested his cheek on her hand. She smiled softly at him as her hand trailed from his hair and fluttered back to the bed. Man, she was beautiful. He wanted to spend every morning waking up with her beside him.
“Marshall?” Her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. “What are you—where’s Carter?”
He kissed her hand one more time, not taking his gaze off her. Her eyes warmed and her fingers flexed in his palm. The reaction lifted the corner of his mouth.
“There.” Marshall pointed with his chin to the other side of the bed where Carter sprawled as Marshall leaned toward her. “He wanted to see you, and since that was all I could think about too, I let him.”
He set his elbows on the bed next to her and brought their intertwined hands to his face. Closing his eyes, he kissed her fingers to bolster his nerves. Here goes nothing.
“Lena.” His voice came out a harsh whisper. “Please. Carter needs you.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“I mean, that’s not what I wanted to say.” He huffed and shook his head. “I’m screwing this up. Yes, Carter needs you, but I need you too.”
“Marshall.” She shifted, trying to push herself up to sitting.
The tone of her voice settled like boulders in his gut. She wasn’t going to stay. The realization sucked all oxygen from the room as life without her stretched out before him. He cupped her cheek with his hand, stopping her movement.
“Lena, I can’t lose you. I’ll do anything you want. If my business puts us at too much risk, I’ll sell it.” He leaned closer. “You want to move to the wilds of Alaska to live off the land? I’m all in. As long as I can do life with you, I don’t care where we are. I love you, Lena Rebel.”
Lena placed her fingers on his lips and sat up. Marshall swallowed. His heart jackhammering in his chest made it difficult to breathe. She slid her fingers over his bristly beard that had grown in over the last week, sending heat to his fingers and toes.
“Shh, Marshall. I’m not going anywhere.” She leaned her forehead on his. “How could I when everything I never knew I wanted is right here with you and with Carter?”
His entire body sagged in relief, then it tensed as fireworks burst in his heart, throwing those spiraling off-shoots through the rest of him. She wasn’t leaving. Hope and love burned so brightly within him, if it was actually light, it’d be blinding.
He tilted his head and captured her lips with his. It wasn’t the tender kiss he’d meant to give, but one of relief and passion. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. He needed more Lena. Would never in a thousand years be able to get enough.
He’d been on life support before her. Just going through his days on automatic, missing out on what he’d been given in his son. With her well-placed barbs and pointed glares, she sparked him back to life.
She pulled him to sit next to her on the bed and tunneled her fingers deep into his hair. He was a goner, packed into a rocket and shot into space, gone. He kissed a trail along her cheekbone, then explored below her ear and down her neck. He didn’t need the Alaskan wilderness to be stranded. He was lost in the wonder of Lena Rebel.
“Daddy?” Carter’s sleepy voice shut Marshall’s passion down faster than NASA’s control with a no-go.
He pulled back and stared at Lena, his chest heaving as he reined himself in. Lena’s eyes twinkled and her mouth twitched at the side. Marshall wanted to dive right back in. As if sensing what he was thinking, her head tipped back and a joyful laugh he hadn’t heard rang from her. She kissed him again, then turned to Carter.
“Come here, squirt.” She pulled him from the covers and wrapped him in a big hug.
Carter squealed with happiness and wiggled as Lena tickled his side. She flashed a smile up at Marshall that settled the chaotic sparks of earlier to hot embers. He didn’t care how or why he’d been blessed with forgiveness and a second chance. He’d take it, let it make him a better man, and find a happiness he never thought possible again. His cheeks hurt with his smile as he leaned forward, gave Lena a lingering kiss, and then nuzzled Carter’s neck with his whiskers until his son giggled and shrieked.