“I matter to you, Cat. You show me that in everything you do. I matter. I don’t think I’ve ever mattered to anyone since I lost my parents. You do the things I ask of you even when you’re tired or exhausted. You never object when I need to kiss or touch you. Do you have any idea what it means to a man like me that you enjoy cooking for me? Or making this house a home? That you come apart in my arms every single time I touch you? You gave yourself to me, gave me back your trust after I let you down and you’ve never brought it up again. Whenever, wherever, however I want you, you give your body to me and make me aware you enjoy it. There aren’t very many women who would take that kind of care with their man.”

Her hands went to the front of his shirt, fisting there. She shook her head. “It isn’t the same thing, Eli. Not like this. This is huge. I don’t even have money to try to buy you a gift. You left everything I had in the warehouse. You grabbed my bag but didn’t take a cent of the money and the safe was open.”

“Because you were saving it to send back to Cordeau. I know you were. You didn’t have to tell me, but you had start money and that had to come from him. You would never be okay with stealing, and you weren’t using the money even for gas, so it had to be money to pay him back with. He’d been there and he was coming back. When you left that place I didn’t want you to owe him a damn thing.”

She laid her head against his chest and slipped her arms around his waist. “I don’t know what to do with you when you’re like this, Eli.”

“You like it then?” he prompted gently.

“You know I love it. How could I not? A laptop in an unopened box? My boots. I love the boots. They’re perfect. I hear what you’re saying, Eli, and I’m telling you I don’t know what to do with this kind of sweetness. I trust you, you know. You aren’t Rafe. I wouldn’t think you’d rig my computer to see what I’m up to.”

“I want you to be confident in that, Cat, never to wonder. I know I’m like him in some ways and that has to make you think twice about a relationship with me.”

Her gaze jumped to his. She shook her head. “You aren’t, you know.”

“I made you stay with me, Catarina. Just as if you were a prisoner.”