“Don’t bring it in here, Lachlan. Leave it outside.”

I stared at her, wishing it were that easy. That I could flip a switch and push it from my memory.

“It’s so bloody hard.” My words came out choked, the fear snaking through me making it difficult to breathe. I dragged her body to mine, enclosing her in my arms, not wanting to let go. “I can’t stand the idea of losing you, too.”

She pressed a hand to my cheek, forcing my eyes to hers. “You won’t.”

“How do you know? I saw how he was, Julia. He’s…crazed. Obsessed. I fear…” I trailed off, unsure I had the strength to even voice my concerns. A lone tear trickled down my face. “I fear he won’t stop until he fulfills his promise to you. Until he does to you what he did to that poor woman. And I can’t stomach the possibility. Can’t stand the thought of you enduring something so horrendous.”

“I’m scared, too. Okay?” She swiped away the tear, then gripped my face in her hands. “But I have to believe it’ll all work out. That we didn’t come this far only to lose everything.” She inched her mouth closer to mine. “That I didn’t survive everything I did just to lose the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.” Her lips brushed mine before she met my gaze once more.

“I didn’t fight hard enough for myself when I was married to Nick. Maybe because I didn’t think I had anything to fight for. Maybe because I thought I deserved that life. But now I know nothing could be further from the truth. I do deserve to be happy. And you make me so damn happy it almost feels criminal.”

I blew out an emotion-filled laugh, all too familiar with what she was talking about. I often felt the same when I reflected on how happy Julia made me. It took a while for me to not feel guilty about it, thinking I didn’t deserve to be happy after the role I played in Piper’s death.

But now I knew I did deserve this happiness.

And I refused to let anyone take that from me.

Let anyone take her from me.

“I promise you, Lachlan…” Her voice turned grave, expression determined. “I will do whatever it takes to protect what we have. To fight for you. For me. For us. No matter what.”

I circled my arms around her, my hold on her nearly as tight as a vice. “It f*cking hurts, Julia,” I confessed. I wanted to find comfort in her assurances. But I couldn’t. Not after witnessing Nick’s obsession with her first-hand.

“Show me where.”

I covered my heart with my hand. “Here.”

Eyes darkening, she brought her fingers to my shirt and unbuttoned it, her motions languid and unhurried. The atmosphere shifted from one of frustration and despair to one of lust and hunger. After she pushed my shirt off my shoulders, the material landing on the floor behind me, she ran her fingers along the contours of my abs. Her lips inched toward my chest, tongue tracing circles, her warm, inviting mouth dulling the pain.

I closed my eyes, gripping her hips, slipping my fingers under the material of her shorts.

“Where else?” she murmured huskily.

I returned my gaze to hers. “Here.” I touched a finger to my lips.

She clutched my face, pulling my mouth toward hers. At the first taste of her kiss, I moaned, looping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer. I walked backward toward the bed, moving my mouth against hers, our tongues tangling in a desperate dance, both of us doing everything to chase away the pain of our present.

When my legs hit the bed, I unfastened my belt, shoving my pants and briefs down, kicking them to the side. Then I lowered myself onto the mattress, pulling her with me. She straddled me as I remained sitting, running my hand up her back. Grabbing the hem of her t-shirt, I yanked it over her head.

“Where else?” She trailed her fingers down my torso, her hands warm on my skin.

“Everywhere,” I whispered.

Touching a hand to my shoulder, she urged me onto my back.

“Then let me heal you.” She stood, sliding her shorts down her legs before returning to the bed and crawling on top of me. Curving toward me, her lips whispered against mine. “Let me be your cure.”