Something shifted in Mitchell's chest.

Because, hell. Didn't that just top off the adrenaline rush and emotional overload from the night. He'd figured his dad would want it to be Mitchell's fault, because dear old dad seemed to like blaming Mitchell for every problem on the planet, especially if fire was involved. Mitchell was surprised his dad hadn't blamed him for global warming and the price of oil too.

Admittedly, Mitchell brought some of that on himself, but the old man did seem to enjoy jumping to the conclusion that Mitchell was guilty. Every damn chance he got.

And speak of the devil, here came his dad's car with the lights whirling. Just the person Mitchell needed to see. He wanted answers. And he wanted them now, because someone had just tried to fuck with his family. He smiled for the first time in hours. No one tried to foxtrot with his family and got away with it.

But at the moment, there was a beautiful woman on the phone, inviting him over for a slumber party. The kind where not a lot of slumbering actually went on.

"Come home, Mitchell."

He raked a hand across his jaw. "Sparky." He couldn't believe what he was about to say. Too many close calls with RPGs must've scrambled his brains. "Are you sure about this?"

"No. I'm not," she said.

His entire body deflated. Not just because of the physical letdown of missing out on the very thing that had occupied his fantasies for the past few weeks, and not because she still had doubts about him. But because she had every reason to have doubts about him. He hadn't exactly been a go-to guy the last several years, at least until the past few weeks. Why she'd married him to save his worthless hide still boggled his mind.

Maybe after tonight he could change that.

"But it's what I want, Mitchell. And for once in my life, I'm going to let it be about me."

His eyes slid shut. "I'll be there soon."

He tossed the phone at Langston as he walked past, heading straight for his father. "You here to arrest me?"

Deep lines framed his dad's mouth. "No, son. We can talk tomorrow." He pointed to a highway patrol car. "There's your ride. Go home and get some sleep. You need it after the night you've had."

Huh.

Not what Mitchell expected, but he'd take it.

His dad pulled car keys from his pocket and handed them to Mitchell. "These are Lorenda's."

Mitchell took them, running a thumb over them for a moment. "I'll see you tomorrow, then." He was going home to his wife. And once he got to her, he'd make sure it was totally and completely about her. She deserved it, and so much more.

Chapter Eighteen.

Lorenda waited at the window until car lights pulled into the drive and wound around to stop in front of the house. She peeked through the wood slats in the den as Mitchell climbed out of the car.

Relief washed through her, and tears stung the back of her eyes.

Mitchell was home. He may not know it yet, but Lorenda was sure that he belonged here. In Red River with her and the boys. Her only hope was that he would figure that out somehow, and it would overpower his desire to hit the road again and put this whole experience behind him.

And didn't that shave a few more points off her IQ, because she'd spent years keeping the home fires burning and hoping for the same response from a different Lawson twin, only to be left lonely and then completely alone.

Logic and reason told her not to take the step she was about to take with Mitchell. Getting into bed with him would only make her all the more vulnerable. But somehow in the depths of her soul, she knew that her decision to sleep with Mitchell was right. Mitchell wasn't Cameron. Not even close, and it wasn't fair to keep comparing them.

With one hand on the top of the car and the other arm slung over the open door, he dipped his head to speak to the driver, then slammed the door and patted the top of the car, signaling it to go. Red taillights glowed as it did a U-turn and rolled down the drive.

She threw the door open and ran to him. No inhibitions. No shyness. No doubts.

Okay, maybe a few doubts. But she'd almost lost him, and she'd rather have doubts than regrets. She launched herself into his arms and got lost in the deep, demanding kiss the moment their lips connected and his strong arms closed around her.

She molded herself against his hard and hot body, melting into the most incredible thigh-clenching kiss. A sigh escaped from deep inside, her hands sliding up his chest and into his hair.

She broke the kiss and tilted her head back to look at him. "You're safe."

"You're beautiful." His eyes burned as hot as the fire had.

That was all it took for Lorenda to wrap herself around him again and smother him with another needy kiss.

Talking was overrated.

One of his hands dropped to her ass and flexed. He tugged her hips tight against his, and a rock-hard bulge made her moan against his mouth. He moaned in response and slid the other hand to the back of her head, angling her so he could deepen the kiss.

When she made a sensual noise that communicated how much she thoroughly enjoyed his touch, both of his big hands slid to her ass, and he rocked his hips into hers. Need crashed through her, and she trailed her swollen lips across his jaw, over to his ear, and breathed a hot sigh against it.

She squeaked when he swept her into his arms and carried her inside, kicking the door shut with a boot. He took the stairs two at a time, his eyes never leaving hers, and headed straight into her . . . bathroom?

"Let's finish what we started in my apartment the other day." He set her on her feet.

Oh. Well. In that case. "I could use a shower." Her eyes stayed locked onto his, and her fingers worked the top button of her shirt.

"Don't move." His eyes fell to her fingers as another button fell open. "Except for that. You can definitely keep doing that."

One side of her mouth curved up, and her fingers released the last button. He turned on the water and was back in front of her faster than she could say what the hell am I doing?

He reached behind his head and pulled his long-sleeved thermal off with one hand. His muscled chest drew her hands, and she traced over the contours, shadows dipping into the swell at the center. So hard yet so smooth at the same time.

Lorenda's fingertips found the edges of her open shirt, and she pulled it off. Sheer desire showed in his expression. He closed the small space between them and ran both hands up her arms to slowly peel off one strap of her bra and then the other.

"You're so sexy, Sparky." He slipped those powerful hands that were being so gentle at the moment around her back. With the twitch of his fingers, her bra unhooked. He gently eased the silk fabric away, leaving her bared.

She actually blushed. His heated gaze licked over her and burned a trail across her skin.

Steam filled the bathroom and swirled around them as thick as the cloud of lust that smoldered in his eyes.

Slow and gentle, like he was savoring every moment, he unbuttoned her jeans, inserted his hands between her skin and her pants so that his palms molded against her flesh, and slid them down. Her breaths quickened as the fabric descended and grazed across her skin right along with his gaze. He left her panties in place, like he was unwrapping a package, slowly, gently, savoring each little bit he revealed before peeling back another layer. His movements were controlled like he was in complete command of his self-restraint. Only the lightning-fast pulse at the base of his corded neck gave away the war that was going on inside of him.

He stepped into her, blanketing her with his strength and engulfing her in his heat. And she was happy to let him. She'd waited so long to feel like this. Waited so long to be wanted.

He buried one hand in her hair and slid the other under her panties to cup and knead. He took her mouth with his, delivering a punishing kiss that told her his self-restraint was an act. He was as desperate for her as she was for him, so she found the inviting bulge at his crotch and did a little cupping and kneading too. Nipped at his bottom lip, then blazed a trail of hot kisses across his jaw. She worked her way down the ropey muscles of his neck, suckling and nibbling.

He let out a deep moan that rumbled inside his chest. It drove her on, and she flicked open the button, lowered the zipper, and had him in her hand before he could move away. Not that she thought he would. He seemed content to stay right where he was with her circling and massaging his length.

"Jesus, Sparky," he growled against her mouth as he slid a powerful thigh between her legs.

He scorched a trail of hot, wet kisses down her neck and took one of her aching breasts into his mouth. Finally! He suckled her nipple into a throbbing peak, then took the tip between his teeth with just enough pressure to cause her to toss her head back.

Eyes closed, breath heavy, she leaned back and braced herself against the counter. He took full advantage and moved to the other breast, working it with his teeth and tongue until she whimpered.

With the tip of his tongue, he traced down between her breasts and sank to his knees, his hands burning a trail over her ribs, his tongue blazing a path over her stomach, around her belly button, and lower.

"Mitchell!" She speared fingers into his hair.

His warm, moist breaths reached through her panties, heating her center as silk slid across her most sensitive spot with the movement of his tongue.

"Oh God, Mitchell," she panted out.

"I've dreamed of hearing you say my name just like that," he breathed against ground zero. "I plan to make sure you say it several times tonight." He bit into her flesh through the panties, and a current coiled low in her belly. "And again in the morning." The coil tightened. "And any time of the day you want."

She thought she'd unfurl right then and there. She hung on for dear life.

He moved her panties to one side, and his breaths grew even hotter against her pulsing center. Nothing prepared her for the electrifying jolt of ecstasy that blistered every nerve ending in her body when he covered her throbbing nub with an openmouthed kiss. His incredible tongue stroked in rhythm with his lips that moved and suckled and massaged, coaxing her to the edge.

He slid two wonderful fingers inside and reached deep before flicking his fingers back and forth.

"Mitchell!" she screamed, and he smiled against her before giving those amazing fingers one more twitch.

She saw stars as she splintered into a million tiny pieces, his incredible mouth and hands and fingers milking her orgasm for as long as possible.

When her breathing started to slow, she wrapped both arms around his head and cuddled him. He buried his face in her abdomen, in the sweetest, most intimate way. So touching that it reached into her soul.

It wasn't the action of a hardened soldier. Wasn't the gesture of a man who could no longer feel. It was soft and sexy and so, so loving.

They stood there for a long time, before Mitchell rose to kick off his pants. She watched his every movement, watched every muscle of his beautiful male body move and shift until he was completely naked, except for protection, and reaching for her again.

Another rush of sexual heat bucked in lady land.

His gaze took a nice long trip from her mouth all the way to her curling toes, and the corner of his mouth tipped up.

"Nice panties," he said.

"Thank you." She gave him a shy smile.

"Yeah, not really." Before she could protest, he took a hand full of silk in each fist and ripped them in two.

He smothered her gasp with another commanding kiss and backed her into the shower. "Let's clean up before the hot water runs out."

Fine by her.

She could think of worse things than soaping up Mitchell's hard body. He stepped in after her and wrapped all six feet three of pure man around her. And Al the plumber just became Lorenda's hero for replacing her water heater. The hot water rolled over them, but her skin still pebbled as Mitchell dropped a spray of quick, sexy kisses over her neck and shoulder. Lorenda snuggled into the nook of his neck and nipped.

As if Mitchell hadn't already rocked her world enough, he backed her against the shower wall and hooked one of her knees over his thigh. Bracing one hand next to her head, he entered her with one long, scorching thrust, which sent a storm of pleasure thundering through her. She arched against him, her head banging against the ceramic tile as she cried out an incoherent shout of approval.

He gave her a second to adjust. Or maybe he was adjusting, because he leaned his forehead against hers. "Christ, I'm one lucky SOB."

She let out a chuckle. "I don't have a code for that one."

He laughed too and drew her bottom lip between his teeth. "How about"-another nip-"Geronimo?" This time instead of a nip, he moved to her earlobe and sunk his teeth in just enough to cause a shiver to race from the top of her wet, tangled hair all the way to her tingling toes.

"Geronimo was a lucky SOB?" She laughed again as he started to move inside of her. Even under the steamy water, she shivered, and her nipples tightened to hard peaks.

"He was misunderstood." Mitchell's mouth closed around the beating pulse at the base of her neck, and his tongue smoothed over it while he suckled. "A misunderstood warrior who just wanted to defend his family like me." His hand found her breast and massaged it into a molten mound of aching flesh. His strokes grew quicker and more demanding as he drove into her over and over.

She dug her nails into his shoulders. "Then it doesn't fit, because I'm understanding you just fine." Her words came out like a desperate whimper.

"Baby, the fit is perfect from where I'm standing," he said with a gritty voice. Then to prove his point, he reversed the movement of his hips, adjusted his weight just a smidge, and bingo. He hit the spot that made her body sing like a bird.

She tightened and undulated around his generous flesh, and he followed her chorus in perfect harmony. He devoured her mouth with his as his crescendo throbbed inside of her.

Somehow they ended up in her bed. And lucky Geronimoette that she was, they were just getting started.

Yes, Lorenda definitely understood Mitchell better than anyone else he'd ever met.

He moved on top of her, already hard and ready to hear her say his name again. He didn't care how-a whisper, a shout, a moan-as long as she said it in the midst of him pleasuring her.

"Oh my," she gasped when his hardening prick pressed against her scorching hot folds.

"I promised you'd say my name several times tonight." He guided her hand over her head and placed her fingers around the bedpost. "You should probably hold on."

He should probably hold on too, because Lorenda had become far more important to him than he'd planned. It wasn't about making up for his and Cameron's lie that had screwed up everyone's life, especially Lorenda's. It wasn't about keeping her safe anymore. It was about keeping her.

He kissed his way to one of her lush breasts and found her sweet spot with his thumb.

"Mitchell," she said on a gasp.

"There's one more," he murmured against her skin as he kissed down her rib cage. "Only a hundred more Mitchells to go."

Her soft skin against his was just as velvety as the girly comforter on her bed.

And just like that, Lorenda, with her pink lip gloss, sparkly sandals, and feminine clothes, used the full force of her body to flip him onto his back and straddle him.

He didn't offer up any resistance.

And God bless girly comforters. It was soft and smooth and sexy against his back as she ground against him and ran her dainty hands up his abdomen, across his chest, and over his shoulders. Drank every inch of him in and made him want her even more. He rose up and took her soft mouth in a kiss, wrapped her up in his arms, and held on tight because she felt so perfect pressed against him, naked and needing more.

"Okay, Geronimo, maybe you should hold on to something." She pushed him back, a wicked gleam in her fiery eyes.

The soft lamplight cast a glow over her creamy skin. Her pouty lips parted as she skimmed them across his, then slipped her tongue inside his mouth for a long, languid kiss. And then used those same sweet lips to spray kisses over his chest, over his abs . . .

Christ. He hissed out a breath as her lips closed around his shaft.