Healing Rain (4 page)

Kas pulls her tighter into to his arms. “It’s okay, Rain, let them come . . . please, just let them come,” he coaxes as Raina tries so hard to stop the volcano that’s erupting inside of her.

She can’t fight it anymore, and the hot tears once again pour down her pale face. His embrace tightens as her heart wrenching sobs erupt. The explosion of fifteen years of emotional heartache and despair utterly exhausts her, and she collapses into him. Kas catches her as she goes limp. He lifts her into his arms as she allows her shaking body to succumb to his control.

The sobs overwhelm her, and she buries her head into his chest. Even through the raw emotions, she can feel his strength and gentleness as he carries her into the living room. She’s too tired to fight anymore, too tired to think, so she allows him to hold her on his lap and cradle her against him as he caresses her hair. She listens to him saying, over and over again, “You’re safe with me, Rain, you’re safe.”

Pulling her in even tighter, he wishes he could take away her pain, wanting to shield her from any further sadness. Her body trembles from the tears as he holds her protectively. He can’t imagine the emotional pain that is ripping through her right now, and it shatters what’s left of his broken heart.

As her sobbing subsides, he kisses her passionately, filling her with every ounce of love inside of him, trying to prove to her just how much he loves and respects her and her strength. He brushes her auburn hair away from her sleep deprived eyes as he whispers, “Do you love me, Raina?”

She sniffles as her body recovers from its exertion, “You know that I do.”

“Do you want to spend your life with me?” he continues, trying to calm the pounding in his chest as he leads her to where he’s going with this.

She nods, the truth of just how much she wants to spend the rest of her life with him swimming in her teary eyes.

“Then forget your father. To hell with the lies he’s told you!” Kas stares at her, willing the determination in his eyes to give her strength. “I will ask you again, darlin’...will you marry me?”

CHAPTER FOUR

Raina gazes into Kas’ sincere eyes, wanting to throw herself into his arms and scream, ‘YES’, to the top of her lungs, but she knows her father’s power and reach, and she won’t risk his career just to make herself happy. She starts to tell him ‘no’, but she can’t force the word out of her mouth. She bites her lip and turns away, not able to look at him any longer without putting her desires first. “You need to leave, Kas,” she somehow manages to push those words out.

“Not until you can look me directly in the eye, and tell me that you do not want to marry me.”

She hears the determination in his voice, and she groans, wishing he wasn’t making this so hard for her, torturing her by making her face him, continuing to push him away when she wants to wrap herself around him, burying herself in his love and strength.

Kas gently takes her arm, careful not to grab where her father’s grip left her bruised. He pulls her around to where she is facing him and takes her chin in his hand, “Did your father threaten you, Raina? Is that why you keep pushing me away? I will protect you, I won’t let him touch you again.”

Raina forces herself to match his steady gaze. “No, he didn’t threaten me,” truth resounds in her words as she refuses to let her resolve waver.

Chase’s dark blue eyes study Raina as she straightens, slipping off Kas’ lap and extending herself to her full height, never breaking eye contact. He can tell that she isn’t lying, but she isn’t telling the full truth either. He knows that Raina is in love with Kas and that she wants to be with him. He also knows that there is only one thing that would make her keep pushing him away. “Did your father threaten Kas?”

Raina’s eyes dart to Chase, silently willing him to shut-up. She realizes that she can’t lie to either one of them, they are too well-trained to fall for fabrications. Kas pulls her chin back to face him, but she lowers her gaze. He firmly nudges her chin higher, forcing her eyes to meet his, “Answer Chase, Rain.”

Raina squirms under the double scrutiny and tries to pull her chin away, but Kas’ hold is gentle, but solid. “No.”

“No, you won’t answer, or, no, your father didn’t threaten me?” Kas sees Raina swallow hard, and he knows the truth. “You left because you were trying to protect me,” he whispers, conflicting emotions attacking him, “protect me from what, sweetheart?”

Raina feels her heart thudding rapidly inside of her chest, she seriously rethinks lying, thinking that if maybe she says the words really fast they won’t be able to pick up on her deception. She ponders not saying anything at all, refusing to answer any questions until they leave. Silently, she chastises herself, knowing that they are too smart for either of those options.

Kas leans in and brushes his lips across her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere until I hear the truth from you, Rain,” he whispers, as if reading her thoughts.

She sighs, knowing when she has been beaten. She leans her head against Kas’ broad, toned chest, listening to the calming rhythm of his heartbeat. “He said he would ruin you,” she whispers into his shirt.

“Is that why you left?” He feels her head nod underneath his chin, and he wraps his arms tightly around her. He wants to kiss her senseless and scream at her at the same time. Holding her until he is sure he can calm the emotions running wildly inside of him, he looks at Chase, needing his expertise on what to say next.

Chase gently pulls Raina away from Kas and wraps her in his warm embrace before leading her back down onto the couch. He grabs a chair from the kitchen and puts it in front of her, sitting down, taking her hands in his. “What did you mean when you said that he told you he would ruin Kas?”

“He said that if I mentioned anything that he did to me, or that I saw him, he would ruin Kas’ career. When Kas proposed, I was afraid my father would go after him just to hurt me.”

Anger flashes in Kas’ eyes, “I will handle him, Raina. I swear he will never hurt you again.”

Raina jumps off of the couch, “Just drop it, Kas, please. You don’t know how powerful and connected he is, he has the resources to cause you a lot of damage.”

“I’m not scared of your father, Raina. Don’t worry about me, I can take care of myself, and I can take care of you, too. I meant it when I said that I will protect you.”

“It’s not me I’m worried about.”

“There is no way that I am leaving here without you, Raina! Whatever your decision is about marrying me, you are still going home with me! I will not allow you to run away from everything you have accomplished because you think it’s best for me,” Kas commands, the authoritative tone of his voice leaving absolutely no room for disobedience.

Chase stands up, exasperation brimming in his eyes, “Do you even listen to anything I say?”

Kas rakes his hands roughly through his dark curls before grinding his teeth, considering Chase’s advice. He knows Chase is right, he shouldn’t be ordering her around, but he will not stand back and watch while Raina leaves behind the life she worked so hard to make for herself because she thinks she has to in order to protect his career. He takes a deep breath and kneels down in front of her, the desolation in her eyes killing him, “Rain, you can’t let your father rule your life, or mine. If you stay here, or go somewhere else, then you will make your father’s words come true, I
will
be ruined. I am in love with you, I need you, I will only be ruined if you choose to live your life without me.”

The truth behind his words is apparent in his eyes, and Raina wipes away a tear as the strength in Kas’ declaration gives her some of her own strength back. She takes a deep breath, the pain in her heart finally subsiding after its recent affliction, “Yes.”

Kas squeezes her hands, hope once again filling his soul, “Yes what, darlin’?”

Her smile slowly widens, brightening her entire face, “Yes, I would be honored to be your wife.”

Kas grabs her off of the couch and into his arms. His mouth covers hers, the intensity from the recent turmoil fueling their passion. For a moment, they forget everything except the feel of their bodies pressed firmly together, the wet heat searing their mouths as they explore and reconnect, and the sweet relief of one belonging to the other.

Chase clears his throat, reminding them that he is still in the room, trying to suppress his smile, his own relief sweeping through him.

Raina pulls away, sheepishly looking down as an embarrassed flush spreads across her cheeks, giving life once again to the paleness of her sleep-deprived face. Kas slips his hand in his pocket, pulling out the ring he has refused to put away. He drops to one knee, takes Raina’s hand in his, looks up at her with the most head-spinning concoction of admiration, pride, and unconditional love. The grin that spreads across his face makes him the most breath-taking man Raina has ever laid eyes on.

When he slips the ring on her finger, he gives her a wickedly seducing glance, penetrating her soul. His whisper of a wink sends a robust longing that sizzles inside from head to toe, taking it’s time to simmer low in her belly. The anticipation of finally feeling the physical connection behind the emotional he has freely bestowed upon her leaves her reeling.

“I think this calls for a celebration, but first, I really need to get some food in me and get some sleep.” Chase pulls Raina into his arms for a hug of his own, distracting Raina from her sexually charged fog filled with need for immediate first-hand carnal knowledge of Kas. “Congratulations, you two. Now, let’s eat!”

After eating a quick snack, Chase crashes on the couch while Kas takes Raina’s hand, holding it behind his back, as he slowly leads her up the stairs to the bedroom. He slips his hand underneath her silky, auburn hair, softly caressing the bruises left from her father’s punishing grip. He lowers his lips, lightly brushing them against her soft skin. “You had me so worried, don’t you ever do anything like this again,” he softly scolds before reclaiming her mouth, running his hand up the back of her neck, pulling her closer to him. He slides his fingers down her arm, causing her skin to tingle in the wake of the fire in his touch.

She presses her mouth against his, parting her lips, granting his tongue access to taste and plunder. She leans into him, needing to be seized by the warmth of his protective embrace.

“We should be sleeping,” he whispers breathlessly.

“I’m not tired anymore,” her voice satin temptation.

His body hungrily responds to her fevered kiss. He effortlessly lifts her into his arms, slowly lowering her onto the bed, his mouth never leaving hers. He doesn’t dare allow his hands to act on his desire to roam her needy body greedily, realizing that he doesn’t currently have enough self-control to stop when things get too heated between them. Instead, he cups her face in his hand, rubbing his thumb across her cheek as he forces himself to keep his mouth above the base of her palatable neck.

They tease and taste, savoring every second of their fingers and lips exploring, reconnecting to what they both feared was lost. With swollen lips and resuscitated hearts, they drift into a deep, peaceful sleep.

It
is
twilight
when Kas finally stirs. He turns towards Raina, gently brushing the auburn river off of her shoulder. He gazes at her beauty, her skin softly shimmering in the ambient light spilling through the curtains of the French doors of the balcony. Touching her is salve to his soul. He leans down, softly kissing the exposed area of her shoulder, causing her to stir. She moans and slides into the warmth of his chest, snuggling her head underneath his chin. He inhales the sweet scent of her as he brushes a kiss against her hair.

“I’m starving,” her sleepy voice is barely audible.

“You hardly ate anything earlier. When is the last time you ate a meal?”

She squirms beside him, and Kas sits up, chastising her with his disapproving stare, “Answer me, Rain.”

“Lunch, before I left.”

Kas refrains from scolding her, understanding the anguish behind her suppressed appetite. His mind once again wanders into dark thoughts of how he’s afraid her not eating is a subconscious self-punishment. “Well, then, let’s feed you.” He kisses her forehead, “But I need a shower first, and I’m sure Chase is going to want one as well. We can be ready in less than an hour.”

“That gives me time to get ready. I will go wake up Chase.”

She starts to get off of the bed, but Kas gently wraps his arm around her waist, careful not to hurt her, “I need one more taste of you first.”

Raina giggles as she straddles him. He gazes up at her and smiles, happy and relieved to see the light dancing in her eyes again, “You are so beautiful.”

She blushes as she peeks at him through her long lashes.

He slides her shirt up, taking another look at the angry bruise wrapping around her stomach, courtesy of her father, and he bites back burning rage. He tenderly kisses her marred abdomen and side, carefully caressing the wound with his fingertips. He looks up at her, his eyes burning with fierce honesty, “Never again, baby girl. I will make sure your father never lays a hand on you again.”

Raina slides off of him, uncertainty darkening her eyes, “Kas, please—please don’t do anything stupid.”

He sits up, pulling her into his arms. “I promise I won’t do anything stupid, darlin’,” he assures her,
I
will
be
very
intelligent
in
choosing
the
most
painful
method
to
make
Waterford
pay
for
his
cruelty.