Treasured by a Tiger (Mate Me Book 6)

44

Caroline would let Preston and Liam dote on her. She knew they both needed to be around her. She gave them a scare by being asleep for a week. God, her body hurt, but it was worth it. The men who killed Jonas were in custody and a case was being built against them. She was ready to live the rest of her life with her mate and son.

"Mommy," Liam called, pushing open her bedroom door. He stood holding a glass of water. She smiled at him and beckoned for him to come over to her.

"I love you, baby. I am so sorry about everything." Tears poured down her face when she thought about the danger she put her baby in. He was only five and didn't deserve for this to color his world. She would give anything to take it all back.

"I missed you, mommy." Liam handed her the glass of water and climbed into bed with her. She let him snuggle into her side, trying not to wince when he leaned into her just a little too hard.

"I missed you too, baby. I love you. How was the week with grandma and grandpa?" she asked, trying to get him to talk to her about something less scary.

"We went to the zoo. Daisy came with us."

"What animals did you see?"

"I got to see a tiger. That is what daddy says I am going to turn into when I am older." Caroline raised an eyebrow. She hadn't talked to Liam about being a shifter.

"When did you learn that?"

"This week. Daddy was telling me a story during bath time about being a shifter." She stared at Liam in shock. He never spoke this much to her. Preston made it seem like Liam wasn't speaking at all.

"Did you and daddy do a lot of talking?" Caroline would not make it a big deal until Liam was calling Preston, daddy. She loved that Liam felt comfortable enough to see Preston as his dad.

"Yep." Liam closed his eyes and fell asleep next to her almost instantly. Preston came up twenty minutes later to Caroline cuddling Liam sitting upright in bed.

"Baby," he whispered, not wanting to wake Liam. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him.

"Hey."

"I'll move him to his bed." She shook her head and held him closer.

"No. I need to have both of my guys with me. Preston, I am so sorry about all of this. You didn't bargain at getting a mate with a crazy past." Preston slid into the bed next to her, leaving Liam between them.

"Don't you dare even think that! I love you no matter what happened in your past. You know what, I was going to wait, but after what has happened, there is no more waiting." Preston got up and went to his dresser. Caroline watched him with interest as he dug through his sock drawer. He came back with his hands behind his back and knelt at the edge of the bed. "Caroline, I love you. You have been it for me from the first day you came into my office asking for my help with the inn. When I found out you had a son, it made me want to protect you all the more. Liam is my cub, nothing will change that. The year and a half I waited for you have been all worth it. I love being your mate. Now I want to be your husband. Will you marry me?" Preston pulled a ring box out from behind his back. He opened it, revealing a three diamond ring with small diamonds down the band. Caroline stared at him in shock.

"Yes! Yes, I will marry you." Preston leaned up and kissed her gently, making sure not to hurt her.

"Once you heal up, we are getting married. No more waiting." She pulled back and looked up at him in shock. Did he just say what she thought he said?

"You want to get married that soon?"

"You and I are mated, why wait?" She couldn't find fault in his words.

"I want a dress. I didn't get one at my last wedding." Preston frowned at the mention of Jonas but nodded.

"Okay, I will get you a dress." He crawled onto the bed and put the ring on her finger.

"I love you." She smiled up at him and he kissed her.

"I love you too. Now I want you to rest." He turned off the lights, and they curled up to sleep.

Caroline awoke in the middle of the night from the pain. Liam was laying across her stomach and Preston pressed against her side. She groaned, which jerked Preston awake.

"I need my pain meds," she whined, trying to sit up, but the excruciating pain kept her pinned down. Preston lept from the bed and hurried into the bathroom. He came back with a glass of water and her pills. "Liam is hurting me," she moaned, accepting the items. Preston, without saying a word, picked Liam up and took him back to his bedroom.

"We might have to tell him he can't be in our bed until you heal," Preston whispered, putting a hand on her back and giving her a gentle rub. Her pain subsided a touch. She took the medicine and sighed. It would take some time to take effect.

"I feel bad about telling him he can't be in our bed. I put him through such a scare."

"You cannot let guilt stop you. He will understand. He is a bright kid. All week, we did things together. I told him when you came home he had to go back to school. He's already missed a week."

"I know you are right, but he is my baby."

"Yes, but he is also growing up. Give him the chance to do that." Caroline glared at him in the dark as if he could see her. "Don't give me that look."

"What?" How did he know she was glaring at him?

"Cat eyes. I can see in the dark."

"Cheat."

"No, that is using my abilities wisely. When you groaned, I let my tiger come through enough to see you and make sure nothing else was amiss." Caroline melted for him all over again. She loved him more and more as the days went by.

"I love you, Preston." He kissed her gently and helped her lay in a more comfortable position. The next few days Liam went to school and came home to tell her about his day at school. Preston went to work, but he moved his office to the house where he could work from home. He did not go to any of the construction sites. It took two weeks for her to feel better enough to walk around. Her parents helped around the house, refusing to let her do anything. On her second week at home, Preston had a dress designer come and help her design her wedding dress.

"This is your second wedding. You should wear knee length," Trinity said, showing her some choices.

"No. I got married in vegas for my first wedding. I want a proper wedding dress that makes me feel like a bride." Trinity smiled at her and pulled up a new set of dresses on her computer.

"I love your spirit. What shape dress do you want?"

"I'm thinking empire waist or A-line." Trinity looked at her and smirked.

"Either would look good on you. The empire waist is in thanks to a certain Victorian romance becoming popular."

"Empire waist, but I want it blush pink or ivory."

"Ivory is a beautiful color for your skin tone. Here." She showed Caroline multiple designs. They decided on ivory, with a sequin overlay of the main dress. A ribbon of green matching Preston's eyes would go under her bust.

By week three, she was sick of her house. The curtains in her room were awful, she never wanted to look at them again. The navy blue kept reminding her she was stuck healing from an attack. She needed to check on the inn. Her managers checked in with her, but it didn't compare to seeing the place in person. Preston was the hardest to convince that she was well enough to visit the inn. He refused to let her go on her own. He drove her and helped her walk around the inn as she checked on everything. Matthew and Fiona both took such great care of the place. It was thriving. Her people gave her the confidence to know when she and Preston went on their honeymoon the inn would be fine.