Page 163 of Unchained

“I seem to always be happy when I’m with you, Colt.”

He sucks in a breath. “I feel the same with you.”

“Do you believe me now? That I only need you?”

I grab his throat and drag his lips closer. “Yes. I get it now. Thank you for showing me.”

He presses his lips against mine, and I sink into the kiss.

“Now let me take care of you, G. I’m going to run us a bath; I’m going to wash your hair. And then I’ll dry you off, carry you to bed, and then you can fall asleep in my arms.”

A tear slips down my cheek. For the first time in my life, I’m letting someone else take over. Someone else holds the weight of my feelings. I’m trusting someone to take care of me. My parents never did that.

I was always the one looking after my brothers. And now, I have a man ready to do anything to make sure I’m safe. I can’t help but say, “You’re enough for me too, Colt. I know a lot of this was you wanting to prove to me that you don’t need other guys or women. But I want you to know that I’ll die happy having only ever slept with you. You are all I want. And I will make sure this LA takeover doesn’t ruin us. I won’t let it.”

His eyes burn into mine, and he cups my face in both hands.

“I’m prepared to fight for this, Gianna. And I know you’ve got one more battle left in you. No one is taking you away from me.”

“I tattooed your name on my pussy, Colt. You bet your ass I’m ready to fight for us.”

His hand slips between my legs. “That means your pussy is now mine, forever.”

“Well, that was kinda the symbolic meaning,” I tease.

He takes my hand and places it over his heart. “So, I’ll tattoo your name right here. Because this belongs to you, Gianna Sterling.”

I don’t need to hear the words to know they're true. There have only been four people who have told me they loved me and meant it. Dom, Max, Mom, and my nana. Every other time was a manipulation tactic.

All the pain I’ve suffered, I can’t erase that. I can’t forget it. But having Colten beside me makes the burden lighter to carry.

So he can have all of me.

CHAPTER EIGHTY-SIX

Colten

Another picture that’s going to appear in the seven minutes before I die: Gianna driving my truck onto Sterling Ranch while wearin’ my hat.

“I think I’ve changed my mind,” she mutters, heading down the gravel track.

“Changed your mind about what?”

It could be anything with Gianna.

“I might get myself a truck. Matte black. Blacked-out windows. Custom alloys.”

I run my teeth over my bottom lip. “Bulletproof?”

I’m not sure what I did right in a past life to end up with this woman, but I’ll forever be grateful.

She turns to me, pushing up her sunglasses on top of her head. “I mean, why not? Might need it in this climate.”

“Jett texted; he said he’s got Cesare and Levi tied up together in the bull pen. We’ll meet them outside Hunters and then head down.”

Ace gave me the rundown of how they managed it, and I’ll give Jett credit here; his kidnapping skills are improving. He tracked them down with Tate and Ace and drugged them in their sleep, then dragged them back to the ranch. I’m impressed.

“Please can you grab my lipstick out of my purse? I can’t go into a torture without the signature red lip, can I?”