“I’ve had a few boyfriends,” she admitted. “But I also think I knew I wanted to try with you. It’s always felt like unfinished business.”

He was ready to finish it, though in his mind this was a beginning, not an ending. “I don’t care who you’ve been with as long as you’re with me now. Be with me now.”

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her deep and long. He didn’t want to talk about anything but how beautiful she was. Years of longing slammed into him, threatening to overwhelm him.

She worked the buckle of his belt, eager hands shoving down his trousers and the boxers he wore. He kicked them to the side, standing naked in front of her. Cool air hit his skin, but everywhere she touched him, she brought warmth, sparked his desire. She stared at him, taking in his body for the first time, and he was happy he’d worked hard to get his strength back after the accident. For six months after, he’d lost so much weight, but he’d worked to gain muscle again.

He didn’t want her to spend time staring at the scars on his legs.

He wanted to see her. Lightning struck and the cabin shook, but her eyes stayed on him. She kept her gaze steady even when he tugged the T-shirt over her head.

She was beautiful. So much more than his imagination could have conceived. Sylvie was graceful and curved, her body matching the soul he’d come to rely on.

“I would really like for you to touch me,” she whispered.

He would never deny her a request for affection. He leaned over and kissed her again, pressing her back onto the bed and covering her body with his. They seemed to fit together, her legs winding around his waist, offering him a place at her core.

But he took his time, kissing his way down her body, learning her in a completely new way. He mapped her curves and valleys, breathed in her scent, and memorized the look on her face, the feel of her hands gripping him. Every desperate sound he drew from her took him higher until he couldn’t handle being apart from her one second more.

He grabbed his wallet and pulled out a condom. He’d only started carrying it around the day of their marriage. He’d been optimistic, and he now realized how odd that was for him. He was a natural pessimist, but she brought out the best in him.

He managed to roll it over his erection, staring down at her and acknowledging that this was one of those moments. Like the accident. Like leaving her the first time. Like all the loss. This was one of those moments that would define him.

She reached out a hand as though she realized he needed her to lead him where he wanted to go.