Chapter 54
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR
“You were right,” Lara breathed, awed by the sight before her. “The pictures didn’t do it justice.”
The ocean was endless.
When they’d tried to escape Cheyenne two years ago, Ronin had told her the ocean was vast, but actually standing in front of it really put its size into perspective.
It all seems insignificant in the face of something so massive.
Lara certainly felt insignificant right now. Insignificant, but wonderstruck.
Reflected sunlight glittered on the rolling blue waves, which broke upon the shore into sheets of white foam. And the water just stretched on and on and on, as far as she could see…
The wind blew around Lara, making her hair flutter and spraying her skin with cool mist. She closed her eyes and breathed in the briny scent.
The sound of waves crashing into the land and receding, back and forth, back and forth, was like the heartbeat of some impossibly large creature—the heartbeat of the world.
Moving at its own pace, unbothered by the tiny things crawling around on its surface.
“It’s bluer than when I last saw it,” Ronin said.
Lara opened her eyes and looked at him standing beside her. “It changed?”
He scanned the horizon, a gentle smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “The world is always changing, always healing. Like Cheyenne.”
She gazed back out at the ocean. Cheyenne had changed so much after Warlord’s fall.
Many of the people from the base had relocated to the town, and the bot district had become a place where humans and bots lived and worked together.
They’d built new homes, planted more crops, and even established their own council to govern the settlement.
Everyone worked hard—and together—to ensure that every resident of Cheyenne had what they needed not just to survive, but to live happily and comfortably. Lara still wondered if she was lost in a coma, dreaming. And every day, Ronin proved to her that she wasn’t.
Like now.
On the second anniversary of the day he’d slipped the ring on Lara’s finger, the day he’d made his vow to her and become her husband, Ronin had told her he wanted to fulfill another promise he’d made.
He’d said it would require a long, difficult journey, but he thought the destination would be worth it.
And it had been. Leaving Cheyenne the first time had been terrifying. This time, it had been an adventure, filled with excitement and anticipation…though Ronin had stressed there was still plenty of danger.
The risk hadn’t diminished her wonderment. They’d seen mountains and forests, rivers and streams, canyons and meadows. The landscape had changed so much during their month-long trek, which had taken them past the western edge of the Dust.
But this spot, their ultimate destination, was the pinnacle of it all. The land leading to the coast was so lush and green, so full of life, and the shore itself…
She once more breathed in the salt-kissed air. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is, but…”
Lara looked at him, brow arched. “But?”
“But it cannot compare to the sight I see every day.” Ronin caught her chin and tipped her face up toward his, grinning down at her. “Nothing can match the blue of your eyes, Lara Brooks.”
Warmth suffused her. He complimented her daily, but she never tired of his sweet words. They only showed her how much he wanted her. How much he loved her.
She ran her gaze over her him. The breadth of his shoulders in his coat, his wind tousled hair, and the rakish curl of his lips sent a rush of heat to her core. And his green eyes, so vibrant and alive…
Fuck, he’s gorgeous.
And he’s mine.
Smiling, she stepped close and slipped her arms around his neck, pressing her body to his. “Thank you. For bringing me here.”
Ronin settled his hands on her hips, holding her pelvis close. “Would you like to go in?”
Lara’s brows shot up. “In? You mean, in the ocean?”
He nodded. “Not too far, but yes.”
“It’s…not going to sweep me away?”
“I won’t let it. Nothing is going to take you away from me, wife.”
“Then you don’t have to tell me twice.”
Ronin’s laughter was such a warm, rich sound.
Drawing back, she toed off her boots and shoved down her pants, kicking them off. She wiggled her toes, digging them into the sand as she marveled at the sensation. This was so unlike the dust and dirt in Cheyenne. It was soft, almost soothing, rather than coarse and abrasive.
As she walked toward the water, the sand grew more compact, giving less beneath her feet. When the next wave rolled toward shore, Lara stopped, bracing for the chill, but the water that flowed past her wasn’t nearly as cold as she’d expected.
The water raced back out to the sea, making her heels sink into the wet sand.
Even with it barely reaching her ankles, she could feel that pull out toward the endless blue.
She couldn’t lie to herself and say it wasn’t a little frightening.
Lara couldn’t imagine being lost out there.
But at the same time, it was exhilarating.
She stepped farther out, and with the next wave, the water rose past her knees. Chuckling, she bent down and swept her fingers over the surface. Beneath the water, tiny rocks, shells, and bits of a green plant tumbled on the shifting sand.
As the water rushed back, Ronin strode up beside her. Her eyes caught on his bare feet, then ran up over his shins and thighs, stopping on his long, thick cock, which hung limp against his leg.
He’d undressed completely.
Lara’s gaze shot to his. “Ronin!”
He spread his arms to the sides, indicating the surrounding beach. “There’s no one around, and I don’t want to get my clothes wet.”
“Well, you’re certainly getting something wet.” With a laugh, she swept her hand through the water and splashed him before taking off along the shore.
When she glanced over her shoulder to find him giving chase, her heart quickened and her belly fluttered. His playful grin was belied by the focus in his eyes, which were locked on her.
He rapidly gained on her and thrust out a hand to grab her.
Lara abruptly changed directions, feeling his fingertips brush along her side.
Water splashed around her legs as she ran.
She knew he could have caught her easily.
There was no way she could ever truly outrun him, but the chase was as thrilling as it was arousing.
“Maybe if you catch me, you can see just how wet I am!” she called, wind whipping through her hair.
The splashes of his footfalls increased in speed behind her. Though it wouldn’t make any difference, Lara pushed herself faster, extending the game just that little bit. But she could hear him closing in again, could feel him drawing near.
“You’re mine!” His arms banded around her middle, yanking her up off her feet.
She shrieked with laughter as the world spun around her. And then she was drawn in against Ronin’s chest, his arms wrapped protectively around her.
“You’re mine,” he said again, voice husky in her ear.
Grinning, she turned her face toward him. “I am.”
His mouth captured hers in a deep, passionate kiss that stole what little breath remained in her lungs. Heat curled low in her belly, and she was all the more aware of his cock thickening against her ass.
When she broke the kiss, their eyes met, and she cupped his jaw with one hand. Her breath was ragged, and the ache between her thighs bloomed. But it was his hand, pressed possessively over her stomach, that stirred a different yearning.
Her words spilled out without a thought. “I want to have a baby with you.”
Ronin went utterly still. “Lara…”
“I…I mean if you want to. If you don’t, then we—”
One of his hands thrust into her hair at the back of her head, holding her in place as his lips again descended to lock with hers in a slow, sensuous, deep kiss. That familiar desire flared hotter, licking through her veins. She moaned against his mouth.
Ronin lifted his head, pulling away from the kiss. “Yes.”
It took Lara a moment to push past the fog of lust in her mind and open her eyes. He was staring at her with wide grin.
She blinked. “Yes?”
Wait. He’s saying yes to…
Lara beamed up at him. “Really? You want to have a baby?”
He turned her body toward his, lifted her into his arms, and pressed his forehead against hers. “Yes. I want to see your belly grow with our child. I want to raise a family with you. I want to share every human moment, every aspect of life, with you, Lara Brooks. Everything.”