Soft lips pressed against his face. Liquid dripped onto his skin, and he opened his eyes to see Ella hovering over him, tears sliding down her cheeks. He couldn’t hear what she said because it was too fucking loud.

But he got the gist of it. She’d thought he was dead. Thought her bitch of an aunt had killed him when he’d leaped in front of her to stop the bullet.

He took her face between his hands and dragged her down to him. Then he kissed her hard, his tongue sliding between her lips to duel with hers. She melted instantly, her body going limp against him. He kissed her until he was pretty certain she must realize he wasn’t dying.

Hell, he wasn’t even bleeding. But stopping a rain of bullets with a bulletproof vest wasn’t exactly a picnic. That shit hurt. He’d be bruised in the next couple of days. He’d taken three hits from that gun. The other three had gone wide. Thank God the damned woman had only had a pocket .380 instead of a double-stack 9mm. He did not like to think about how that would have gone.

So he was sore and the breath had been knocked out of him. He’d made it back to the helicopter because Blade had dragged his ass. He hadn’t wanted to leave Ella’s side, but he’d known Camel was getting her.

Holy shit, she’d grabbed his Glock and fired back. He still couldn’t believe she’d had the presence of mind to do it. Or the bravery.

Damn, his girl was awesome. Cash kissed her again and pulled her close. She looked worried, but he gave her a grin. She was fucking hot with all that black stuff around her eyes. He let his gaze drop to the skin showing through the silk of the robes she wore. He didn’t like that others could see her bare skin, but he had to admit she looked amazing.

The helicopter took them to the airport where a transport waited for them. Black had helped arrange it all, including the pickup of the van they’d left around the corner from Fahd’s place. They’d discussed returning to Black’s HQ, but he’d assured them he’d have a ride waiting. The dude hadn’t let them down.

Cash thought maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all, no matter what he pretended to be.

Cash disembarked from the helicopter and walked toward the plane on his own power. Ella had her arm around him as if he needed to be supported. Camel shot him a look and Cash merely grinned. No way was he pushing her away. Sweet, sweet Ella. His princess bride.

As soon as they were on the plane, Ella turned to him. “Did she hit you? Are you bleeding?”

She was a little bit loud, but it was understandable after the gunfire. When he’d been teaching her to shoot, she’d worn hearing protection. This was her first time experiencing gunfire without.

“I’m wearing a vest, Ella. She knocked the breath from me, that’s all. It’s like being hit by a baseball bat—and since she got three shots on target, I took a beating. But I’m fine.”

“Oh no,” she gasped, her eyes wide. “I’m so sorry.”

“Honey, it’s fine.” He put his hands on her shoulders and gazed into her liquid brown eyes. “You okay?”

Her gaze dropped. “I’m fine. Nothing happened.” She sucked in a breath and lifted her gaze again. “I think I killed her, Cash.”

He squeezed her shoulders. “You might have. I think it’s more likely one of these guys did it though.”

He could see her thinking about it. “I emptied the magazine. How could I have missed?”

“Trigger control, baby. You’re still new to firing a weapon.” Even with a gun as accurate as a Glock, even with the practice she’d had, she’d never fired under pressure. Her shots had likely gone wild. One of his teammates had dropped Flavia Rossi because she’d been an active threat. Not that he blamed whomever had done it. He was just glad it hadn’t been him. Not because he didn’t dislike the bitch for all she’d done to Ella, but she had been part of Ella’s family. He didn’t want that hanging over them.

“She did seem to stay on her feet for a few seconds after I fired.” Ella’s brows drew together. “I thought I killed her—but maybe it wasn’t me at all.”

“Did you want it to be you?”

She thought about it. “No, I don’t think so. I hated her, but she wasn’t all bad. How could she be if my cousins and my uncle cared for her?”

As mean as she’d been to Ella? Starving her, stealing her money, forcing her to marry someone she didn’t love, kidnapping her—and then deciding to kill her? No, there wasn’t an ounce of kindness in that woman’s body.

But Cash wouldn’t say that to Ella.

“Right, honey,” he said, pushing her hair from her face. Stroking her skin and thinking how close he’d gotten to never touching her again. He dragged a thumb over her bottom lip, and then he pressed his mouth to hers again. It was a light, sweet kiss even though what he really wanted was to devour her.

“Jesus, get a room!” Cowboy shouted at them.

Ella giggled. Cash wound his fingers in hers and leaned back on the seat. The plane took off and climbed skyward.

“Thank you for rescuing me,” she finally said. “Again.”

Cash turned his head on the seat back and gazed at her. “I will always rescue you, Ella. Always.”

She squeezed his hand. “I believe you will. But Cash…”

She hesitated, and he squeezed her hand in return so she would look at him. “What, Princess?”

“What does it mean?” she asked simply.

His belly tightened for a second. But then his heart swelled and overruled the fear in his gut. “It means I’m yours for as long as you want me. And even when you don’t.”

She looked very serious. “I will always want you, Cash McQuaid. I’m your wife and—” She bit her lip. “And I love you. You’re the best man I know.”

Emotion detonated in his heart, his brain. No one had ever thought so highly of him. Or loved him like she did. He knew it in his soul now. And he knew he wasn’t ever letting her go.

“I love you too, Ella McQuaid. No way in hell am I divorcing you.”

She sucked in a breath that emerged as half laughter, half sob. “I think I have two husbands now. I married Fahd today, you know. I had to.”

Cash wished he’d killed the fucker when he had the chance. “It’s not legitimate. He’ll back down when the pressure is on. Promise you that.”

Ella sighed. “You know I believe anything you tell me, right? You could promise me the moon and I’d believe you.”

“Not the moon, baby. But I promise to take care of you and make you as happy as possible.”

“You do make me happy.”

He frowned. “You sure you want to spend your life with someone like me? You’re rich, beautiful, sexy. You could have anyone—”

She put a finger over his mouth. A hennaed finger. Designs swirled over her hands, up her arms. Sexy.

“I want you, Cash. All of you. You’re the only man for me.” She laughed. “You told me I’d fall for the first man I had sex with. You were right. I fell hard. I’m still falling, every time I look at you.”

He was raw inside. “You’re my first love, Ella. My only love. I promise you I’ve never said those words to another woman in my life.”

She stretched up and pressed her mouth softly to his. “I know.”

“How do you know?”

“Because I know you.”

It hit him in the gut, those words. She knew him. Knew. Somehow, even though they’d only spent a short time together, she just did.

“Yeah, you do.”

And it was the best feeling in the world. Finally, he’d found his home. With Ella, the woman who rocked his world and made him feel for the first time. Without fear, without reservation.

Ella, his virgin princess bride. His wife. His soul.

His.

---

Two weeks later…

---

Ella rolled over in bed and slowly opened her eyes. She often wondered if she was dreaming, so she took her time waking up in case she found herself back in her aunt and uncle’s house because she’d been imagining the whole thing.

Her eyes opened and… Nope, not a dream. Relief and happiness rushed through her, making her giddy. Beside her lay her husband. Her husband. He was gloriously naked. The covers were thrown back off his magnificent body, and his penis was at about half-mast.

Ella crept from the bed and went to take care of morning necessaries. Then she returned, sidling over and pressing her naked body to his side. He stirred. And then he rolled over and dragged her beneath him. Ella giggled as her legs and arms parted for him.

“Morning,” he said as he dropped a kiss on her shoulder.

“Morning, Cash.”

“Mmm, just what I wanted this morning,” he said, pulling a taut nipple into his mouth.

Ella sighed and moaned, but he didn’t linger long. Within moments, he was between her legs, licking her into an orgasm that had her shuddering with pleasure and thrashing on the pillows as it crashed through her.

He laughed as he stood and headed for the bathroom. She heard water running and knew he was brushing his teeth and washing his face. When he returned, his cock jutted from his body.

He slipped on a condom, because they’d agreed they weren’t ready for kids just yet and she hadn’t been on birth control long enough to be safe, and then he was inside her, stretching her wide and taking her places she’d only dreamed of before she’d met him.

“I love you,” she cried out when she came again.

“You’d better,” he growled before he found his own release.

His big body pressed hers down into the mattress, but he was gentle about it, shifting so he didn’t crush her. He lifted his head and gazed down at her. “I’ve never been scared before, but I’m scared of losing you.”

Ella ran her fingers up his biceps, into his hair. “You aren’t losing me. I love you.”

“I love you too, Ella. That’s what scares me.”

“Just let it happen, Cash. We’ll get through it a day at a time.”

His grin lit her world. “Yeah, I know. But I’m still getting used to it. Still wondering when you’re leaving me for a better life.”

She mock punched him in the arm. “You are my better life, you idiot.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Well, yeah, that is true. I’m kinda awesome.”

“You definitely are.”

His expression softened into one that made her heart ache. “So are you. The most awesome woman I’ve ever known.”

Her skin flamed hot at the praise. “I think you haven’t known many women then.”

“None like you, Princess.”

They spent another hour in bed, cuddling, making love, and talking about anything and everything. When a ringing phone interrupted, Ella blinked at the unfamiliar sound.

Cash smiled softly. “It’s yours, baby. Do you need me to change the ringtone to something more recognizable?”

Ella shook her head as she reached for her phone on the bedside table. She was still getting used to having her very own cell phone. Few people had the number, so if it was ringing, it was probably someone she wanted to talk to.

The real estate agent she’d employed was on the other end. “I have some houses for you to look at today,” the woman said with the bubbly cheerfulness of a salesperson excited about making a sale. “Can you come in an hour?”

Ella put her hand over the phone and looked at Cash. “Houses in an hour?”

“Sounds good.” He climbed from the bed and headed for the shower while she made arrangements with the agent.

In the two weeks since they’d flown out of Qu’rim, life had barely slowed down. Sheikh Fahd had renounced any claim to a union with her and complained bitterly that her relatives had tricked him into thinking she was marriageable when she wasn’t. Ella had worried about being whisked away again in the middle of the night or something, but Cash—and Colonel Mendez—had assured her it wouldn’t happen.

Apparently another man had gotten involved, someone named Ian, and whatever he’d promised Fahd had done the trick.

Aunt Flavia was dead. Ella would never know if she’d been the one to deliver the kill shot, but she believed Cash when he told her it was unlikely. And knowing how lethally accurate he and his teammates were, it was easier to believe it had been one of them. More likely as well.

Uncle Gaetano was currently being held in custody in Qu’rim, awaiting extradition—praying for extradition, in fact, since conditions in Qu’rimi prisons weren’t exactly ideal—to the US on kidnapping and human trafficking charges.

Ella’s cousins weren’t responsible for their parents’ cruelty, so Ella didn’t cut them off entirely. But she did make them vacate the Virginia house. She’d also made them kneel in her presence when they’d come to see her at her lawyer’s office. Cash had stood by with a stony expression, but he’d given her a nod of approval when she’d done it.

She hadn’t been intending to do anything of the sort, but when Luciana had started whining to the lawyer about how unfair it was that Ella had inherited everything, she’d snapped.

“Kneel,” she’d commanded.

Luciana had blinked at her like a deer in the headlights.

Ella had risen to her feet. “Kneel,” she’d yelled, her entire body trembling inside as she stood there with clenched fists.

Luciana and her sister Julia had dropped to their knees in an instant, bowing their heads as they did so. “Yes, Majesty,” they’d said.

Things went much smoother after that. Luciana and Julia had left the meeting white-faced, but they’d not left destitute. That was more than they deserved, but Ella felt it was right.

Now she and Cash climbed into his Mustang—he swore he was getting the bullet hole fixed but he hadn’t done it yet—and headed out to meet the agent. The media hadn’t yet found where she and Cash were living, but she wanted a more secure place for when they did.

They spent the day touring homes, each one more grand than the next. The agent was clearly impressed with Ella’s status and thought she needed something commensurate with her station. Ella let the woman rattle on.

Cash didn’t say anything, but Ella felt like he wasn’t exactly comfortable in most of the houses. Truthfully, neither was she. Finally, Ella put a hand up when the agent had yet another grand location for them to tour. The woman stuttered to a halt.

“These are all too big,” Ella said. “How about something around three thousand square feet. Maybe four. But no bigger. Something a family would live in and be able to grow in. Not a showplace to impress rich friends.”

The woman blinked a few times. “Yes, of course, Your Highness. I know a few properties.”

“Please,” Ella said. “Call me Mrs. McQuaid.”

Cash smiled at her, and her heart turned over at all the love she saw there. He reached for her hand and held it tight.

“Of course, Mrs. McQuaid. As you wish.”

When they were in the car again and following the agent, she turned to Cash. “Why didn’t you say something?”

He had both hands on the wheel. He glanced at her. “Because I want you to have whatever makes you happy, Ella. It’s your money and your decision.”

She touched his arm. “No, it’s our decision. And it’s our money, though I know you won’t think so. But I lived my whole life without it, and I don’t care if I have it now. All I care about is being with you.”

“That’s what I care about. And if being with you in an eight-thousand-square-foot house makes you happy, then that’s what I’m doing.”

“I want a home, Cash. With you.”

He shot her one of those killer smiles of his. “Then we’ll find one we both like. And I’ll strip you naked and make love to you in every single room.”

Ella shivered. “I like that idea.”

As if agreeing made it happen, the very next house proved to be the one. Set on ten acres near the Chesapeake Bay, the house was grand without being ostentatious. There were four bedrooms, three baths, a huge chef’s kitchen for Cash, a small library for her, a pool, and lush grounds with blooming flowers and mature trees. The perfect place to raise a family whenever they got to that stage. And they would in time. Ella was certain of it.

They stood on the back porch that overlooked the yard. The terrain sloped gently downward. Because they were on a hill, they could see the bay sparkling in the distance. Ella’s heart was full.

“This one,” she said, gazing at the view in wonder. When she turned to Cash, he smiled. He wasn’t looking at the view though. He was looking at her.

“Yes,” he said. “This one. Always.”

He gathered her in his arms and kissed her, and she thanked the universe for setting her on the path that had brought her here. Even if she’d technically stolen a car to do it.