“You’re making this up as you go along, aren’t you?”

The laughter in her voice kept him semihard, enough that his body stayed connected to hers. “Gives me the upper hand.” He stroked his palm down the curve of her spine to the curve of her buttocks, possession in his touch.

“You always have the upper hand.” There was no complaint in her voice.

“Glad you think so, Cat,” he acknowledged.

“Eli.” Her voice went serious. “Thank you for today. For Emma. For the laptop and books. For my gorgeous boots. Mostly thank you for understanding what something like today means to me.”

His heart jerked. He brushed her temple with a kiss. “Go to sleep, Catarina. You need your rest.” He didn’t want to exhaust her, but if she kept talking, he was making love to her again. Slow. Easy. Lazily. Until it turned rough and wild like it mostly did. She needed care. Love. Rest. He took that seriously, even if it meant lying next to her as hard as a rock.

Eli didn’t even mind that. He liked holding her close, his body alive, listening to her soft breathing. Knowing she was his.

“Good night, honey,” she whispered.

He closed his eyes. Savored the moment. She was nearly there. She was trying—for him. He loved her all the more for that. He answered with a comforting kiss, too choked up to say another damn word.

18

THE storm came out of nowhere. Sheets of lightning lit the sky and thunder crashed with resounding booms, shaking the house. The rain poured down, the skies opening up to spill a wealth of water across the land, pounding into trees and grass to pool in small puddles everywhere.

Dressed in Eli’s flannel shirt, her wardrobe of choice late at night, Catarina wandered out to the porch with her coffee, enjoying nature’s display. The turbulent weather reminded her of Eli. Wild and untamed. Fierce. The thunder and lightning also corresponded with her restless mood.

She’d felt the buildup for a while now, the gathering tension that had spread across the sky, matching the ominous dark clouds, the jagged forks of lightning and roaring thunder. He was coming. He was close. The nightmares had started again, just like they had right before he found her the last time she escaped. Rafe was coming, and her perfect dream world was about to be shattered.

She was so in love with Eli. She might have a difficult time articulating her emotions out loud, but she tried her best to show him. The days passed and she never thought of leaving. The ranch had become her home, a real home. She found herself smiling most of the time. She couldn’t mention liking or wanting anything without the object appearing a couple of days later. Eli liked to give her things. He liked to surprise her, and he did it often.