Claiming Sarah (Ace Security #5)(82)

After that, Cole hadn’t kept anything from her that even remotely resembled a surprise. Including making sure she knew before he’d talked to the manager of the apartment complex with all the security, begging him to give them a three-bedroom place that was opening up.

But he’d also introduced her to a friend of his who was a member of the gym . . . and who happened to be a Realtor. Sarah had told Cole she didn’t think she was ready to live in a house again yet, and he’d agreed, but he hadn’t hidden the fact that he was talking to the Realtor and browsing online for houses.

Sarah wasn’t an idiot; she knew they’d eventually need to move out of the apartment and get a house of their own . . . especially with the twins on the way, adopting, and who knew how many children after that.

He wouldn’t have decided to buy a house anyway and surprise her with it . . . would he?

“What’d you do?” she asked with trepidation.

Instead of responding with words, he turned his back to her and took off his shirt.

The second she realized what she was looking at, her breath caught.

She’d always admired the tattoos on Cole’s arms and chest. She’d even teased him about the compass next to his junk, while secretly thinking it was hot as hell. She couldn’t imagine him any other way.

She knew Cole had been getting a tattoo on his back—of course she did, it was huge—but he didn’t want her to see it until it was complete. And he hadn’t told her it would be finished anytime soon.

“I wanted to surprise you. I went in a few days ago and had it finished up. I think it’s pretty amazing, don’t you?”

Sarah hated the vulnerability she could hear in his tone, but simply couldn’t find the words to express what she was feeling.

She’d seen part of the outline when he’d first started getting it done, but at his request, she’d done her best to not look at it, even after he’d had several more sessions. But now that it was done—the tattoo was an absolute piece of art.

And besides that, Cole had put her on his back. Not her image, per se, but she knew immediately that was what she was looking at regardless.

An angel covered his skin from shoulder to shoulder. She had hair the same length as Sarah’s, wings expanded. The feathers looked so incredibly real, Sarah had to reach out and touch him to make sure he hadn’t gotten them glued onto his skin somehow. The angel’s arms were outstretched, and she was wearing a beautiful, flowing gown. She had on an old-fashioned nurse’s cap, and in front of her appeared a plethora of images: dogs, cats, a homeless man lying on the ground covered in a blanket, a woman on crutches with a child peeking out from behind her leg, and a baby in a bassinet.

He’d even included the logo of the Adoption Exchange, the agency she’d been adopted from so long ago.

Over one of the angel’s shoulders were two men. They were cheek to cheek, smiling and holding hands . . . and looked just like her dads.

Over the angel’s other shoulder was another man. Cole. It looked exactly like him. The figure wasn’t smiling; he was holding an arm out, as if holding back anything and anyone who might want to go through him to get to the angel.

It was intricate, and so amazingly beautiful, Sarah didn’t know what to say.

Tears formed—damn hormones—and she couldn’t stop them no matter how hard she tried. Cole turned and took her in his arms, and she wanted to push him back around, tell him she wasn’t done looking at his tattoo, but the second she was wrapped in his tight embrace, she knew she didn’t want to be anywhere but right where she was.

“It’s beautiful,” she hiccupped.

He chuckled. “So these tears are because you like it?”

Sarah shook her head. “No. They’re because I love it. It’s the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think I’ll ever be able to live up to the meaning behind it.”

“You already have,” Cole said softly. “You’re an angel to everyone you meet. I’ve seen you hug men and women who looked like they hadn’t showered in weeks and not flinch. You can make babies stop crying, and kids are giggling minutes after meeting you. You’re the best thing to happen to the patients you’re assigned to, and they damn well know it. I will do anything to protect you from the shit in this world. I’ve got your back so you can do your thing, angel.”

She looked up and took his face in her hands. Tears continued to fall down her cheeks, but she couldn’t stop them. “I’ll never deserve you,” she told him.

“Wrong,” Cole disagreed. “We deserve each other.”

“Damn straight,” she said with a small smile.

Cole kissed her for several minutes, then pulled back, breathing heavily. He held out one arm and showed Sarah his forearm. There was a small heart tattooed there that she hadn’t noticed. It was a dash of red in the midst of the black ink that covered his body.

She looked up at him in surprise. “That’s new too?”

“Yup. This heart is for you . . . because you hold mine. Every baby we have will be added to this one. You and our future children are my everything. You mean more to me than anything or anyone else. I know I promised to love you in sickness and in health, but I want to make sure you understand. The thought of losing you scares the shit out of me. I won’t let you leave me. If you did, I’d shrivel up and die. I mean that. I’ll never take you for granted, and I’ll always bend over backward to give you anything and everything you need or want.”