Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 82715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82715 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 331(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Emilia’s mouth gaped open incredulously.
“You set yourself up,” I pointed out dumbly.
“Glad to know you’re taking this seriously,” she snapped, turning on her heel. “I’m calling your mom to make sure the offer’s still open.”
“The hell you are,” I countered, following her.
“This will be better,” she said, climbing the stairs. “You’ll see.”
“You’re not movin’ out, Emilia,” I argued, two steps behind her.
“Watch me.”
The tether that I’d been holding on to by my fingertips over the last week snapped. There was no other explanation for it. I’d been holding myself back, keeping my distance, keeping my hands to myself in an effort to not make our situation messier than it already was—but I’d been kidding myself. There wasn’t any way to make things messier. We were already at peak fucking mess.
I caught her as she reached the landing, and she let out a yelp of surprise when I spun her to face me.
“You remember when you asked me if I’d ever get bored?” I asked, pulling her face to mine. “We were in the hammock.”
“I remember,” she replied in bewilderment, her hands coming up to grip my wrists.
“Never did.”
“What?”
“I never got bored. Never wanted anyone but you.”
She jerked in surprise. “You said you got laid plenty.”
“I lied.”
When I kissed her, I’d expected resistance. I’d braced for the moment when she’d pull away and deck me—but she didn’t. Instead, her hands left my wrists, and she cupped my face between her palms. Without a word, she calmed me, turning the kiss from frenzied to slow and deep.
“You don’t leave me,” I said against her mouth, pulling away just enough to meet her eyes. “I won’t leave you.”
“We have a lot to figure out,” she whispered back, running her thumbs along my cheeks. “We’re adults now. We have a child. We can’t just—”
“You love me?” I asked. I knew the answer.
“Yes,” she breathed, her eyes roaming my face. “Always. Since the moment I knew what it meant.”
“Ask me,” I ordered.
She inhaled sharply, her eyes locking on mine.
“Ask me,” I repeated.
“Do you love me?” she asked softly.
“Yes. More than yesterday,” I replied, just as soft. “Less than tomorrow.”
“I missed you,” she said, her voice breaking.
“Baby, you have no idea.” Wrapping my arm around her waist, I walked her backward toward the guest room. “Rhett’s gonna sleep for a while?”
“Yeah,” she breathed as the backs of her knees hit the bed.
I wanted to go slow, take my time, map every change in her body and commit it to memory—but that wasn’t how it happened. Things were too raw between us, too new. We got tangled up as I tried to take off her shirt while she attacked my belt buckle. Her bra ended up twisted around one of her arms because I was too preoccupied with her nipples to take it off completely.
At one point, when my face was between her thighs and I was reveling in her whimpers and moans, I slapped at my side, feeling like something was crawling on me… it was just the fuzzy socks she never took off, brushing against me.
None of it mattered. The moment I slid inside her it was like the entire world shifted into focus. Everything became clear.
“Holy shit,” she groaned, tipping her head back so I could kiss her throat.
We didn’t even make it fully onto the bed. I braced her, the bends of my elbows behind the backs of her knees, my thighs burning as I half crouched for the exact angle I needed. I nearly staggered as I came, way too soon, feeling it from my scalp to the tips of my toes.
“Jesus,” I mumbled, dropping my head to her shoulder. “I barely made it.”
Emilia giggled, running her fingertips up and down my spine. “Hey, I came. I’d say your timing was perfect.”
“Next time you’ll come twice,” I promised, gently setting her legs down on the bed.
Emilia groaned. “I’m not quite as flexible as I used to be.”
“Did I hurt you?” I lifted my head to look at her.
“No way,” she murmured, running her fingers through my hair.
I kissed her and stood up, holding back my own groan as my legs protested. Emilia scooted backward on the bed and curled onto her side to watch me put my boxers and jeans back on.
“So, we’re agreed, then,” I said as I reached for my shirt. “You’re not movin’ out.”
“Oh, is that what this was?” she joked.
“Emilia.”
“You want us to stay?” she asked softly. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure,” I confirmed, brushing her hair back from her face.
“I can’t change the past, Michael,” she said cautiously. “No matter how much I wish things would’ve been different.”
“I know that.”
“I never wanted to be away from you.”
“I know that, too.”
“Do you believe it, though?”
I stared at her, naked and rumpled on the bed, looking at me like I was the answer to everything.