“It’s not forever—”
“I understand, Cleo. But don’t get mad at her for going after a man she wants—if you won’t tell her that I’m yours.”
Deacon was still in a bad mood.
His energy was palpable in the car, contaminating the air around us, recycling through the AC system. He wasn’t furious like he had been before, but he wasn’t happy either.
I waited for him to tell the driver to take me home.
But he didn’t.
Thankfully.
We pulled up to the building then stepped into the elevator.
Normally, I would have refused, afraid of being spotted going to his residence just before midnight. But Deacon was annoyed with me, and I thought it would be unwise to bring it up right now.
We walked down the hallway, and he got the door open.
Once we were alone together, I relaxed. No one was coming and going this late, or at least a resident hadn’t been in the elevator when we stepped inside. I knew every single client by name and face, so they’d recognize me instantly.
Deacon tossed his keys and wallet onto the table and headed down the hallway, letting his jacket slide off his arms as he moved.
I followed him, unsure what to do. He wouldn’t want me to go home alone at this hour, so he must want me to spend the night. My heels tapped against the hardwood floor quietly as I made my way into his bedroom.
The components of his suit had already been tossed into the dry-cleaning receptacle. His dress shoes were off, placed on the shelf in his closet. Now, he was in just his boxers, ripped and strong, his skin a deeper shade after our weekend at the beach.
Silently, he went into his bathroom and got ready for bed.
I set my clutch on my nightstand then slipped off my heels. Instead of putting them away neatly like he did, I kicked them aside. The zipper on my dress was to the side, so I got it loose and let the red dress slide off to the floor.
It reminded me of the spot where the woman had left her red panties.
I left my panties on because I didn’t want to get my expectations up. After I got into bed, I closed my eyes.
Deacon came out a moment later and flicked off the lights so the bedroom would be dark. He got under the sheets on his side and lay there, on his back, his eyes open and looking at the ceiling.
I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know how to make this better.
He turned on his side and looked at me.
I whispered into the darkness. “I’m sorry…”
He watched me, his brown eyes impenetrable.
My hand slid across no-man’s-land and touched his forearm, my fingers lightly stroking him.
“Maybe the past made me insecure…for a moment. My husband left me for a better woman. I was afraid you would do the same.”
His gaze was still solid like concrete. “I made the same mistake with you. I assumed you would be like Valerie, and that was wrong. So now, we’re even. Just don’t let it happen again.”
“Okay.”
“Because I would never lie to you, cheat on you, leave you for another woman.”
“Never is a strong word, Deacon.”
“And I can say it. Because I love you. Really love you.”
I loved him hearing him say that. It made me feel invincible, like nothing could ever hurt me again. My fingers wrapped around his wrist, wanting to hold him, even if it was just a piece of him. He made my life complete, made me feel like I could escape into the sunset and never look back. I felt like I’d won the biggest lottery in history—and I never had to worry about a thing again. “I love you too, Deacon…so much.” I’d loved him long before he loved me, loved him so selflessly, I didn’t think I was capable of such patience. But I’d waited for him…because I knew he was the one.
When he heard me say that, his eyes softened slightly, like he could hear the depth of my sincerity as it came from my soul. “We’re supposed to have make-up sex now, right?”
I smiled at his naïveté. “Yeah.”
“Because I’d rather just make love to you.”
I slid closer to him on the bed and wrapped my arm around his neck, my palm flattening against the back of his head. My fingers curled around his neck, and I moved to his mouth, kissing him, making love to his mouth with mine.
It was a different kiss than it used to be. Now that everything was out in the open, it was more vulnerable, raw. I paused to breathe into his mouth, needing a moment to absorb the heat, the gravity of his emotions.
One of his hands gripped the back of my thong and pulled it down before his other hand slid into my hair, gathering the curls in his fingertips, fisting them like he wanted to keep me in place forever.