“I want a family with you. I want to spend the rest of my life making you happy. I’m all in, Dan. I’m all in.”
He lets out a sharp exhale, releases my hands, and cups my face instead. Then he kisses me, and it’s like I’m breathing again for the first time since I dropped him off at the airport. I’ve been too stressed out to fully enjoy the first kiss, but I’m determined to enjoy every single second of this one.
I slide my arms under his, encircling his torso, pulling him to me. He brings our bodies flush against one another, sinking against me as if he needs to feel every inch of my body against him, as if he needs me as much as I need him.
I give myself to him the way I always do: wholeheartedly. Only this time, I try to put every feeling and emotion into the kiss.
When we pull apart, I notice I’m trapped between the counter behind me and Daniel in front. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place. Such a sweet hardship. I’ll take it any day of the week. Dan kisses my forehead, my temple, then the tip of my nose. I’m shaking lightly. Maybe from the relief of being back in his arms and knowing he wants me in his life forever, just as I want him. Maybe it’s because every cell in my body is clamoring for skin-on-skin contact, for him to be inside me. I want us to be united in every way.
As if reading my mind, he takes me in his arms, carries me up the stairs.
“I’m staying in your old room,” I inform him, a thrill of anticipation running through me. He carries me straight to the en-suite bathroom. While we’re ridding each other of clothes, I search his face. I’ll never tire of looking at him, of trying to read him and anticipate what he needs to be happy.
We step in the shower together, and as the warm water sprays down on us, Daniel pours shower gel on his palms, then lowers himself, running his soapy hand along my leg, up one thigh. He brushes his thumb over my clit, luring a moan out of me, right before he moves his hands on my other leg, starting to soap it from my ankle, making his way up slowly. I’m shuddering with anticipation, my center burning. When his hands reach the apex of my thighs again, I need his fingers inside me so badly I nearly beg for it. Looking straight up at me, he slides his hands over the outside of my thighs to my ass, cupping it. One swipe of his tongue against my clit is all it takes for me to cry out for him, fisting his hair. He licks me again and again, until I’m unsteady on my legs. Then he kisses up to my navel, moves to my breasts, sucking one nipple into his mouth.
“Dan, oh!”
I feel him lift my legs, propping me back against the tiled wall. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around him and he lowers me onto him, filling me inch by inch. He groans my name as I clench around him and kiss his neck. His hands are holding my ass cheeks, his fingers digging into my skin. He fits me so perfectly. We simply stay like this, not moving or attempting to, simply being with each other. This moment is so intimate I’m trembling from the intensity of it.
He presses his thumb at the corners of my mouth, then kisses me again. When I part my lips and his tongue slips inside my mouth, I feel more tenderness and heat than ever before. I pulse around him, push my hips forward, seeking friction. He kisses down the side of my neck, then back up before finally unhitching his lips from my skin and looking me in the eyes.
“I still can’t believe I’m lucky enough to have your love,” I whisper.
“Then I’ll do my best to prove it every day.”
Chapter Thirty
Caroline
“I am so proud of myself. So proud.” I smile as we step out of the hotel lobby and into the pleasantly cool Vegas morning.
Daniel cocks a brow. “You’re worse than Summer.”
“What are you talking about? I only fangirled about five times.”
Batting my eyelashes, I flash him a grin. What was he expecting? He just introduced me to one of my favorite TV stars, Nina. When Daniel told m
e he was organizing her birthday party in Vegas and asked me if I wanted to join him, it took me all of five seconds to say yes. He patiently coached me how to deal with paparazzi in case any show up. He also gave me advice about how to act when I meet Nina. I’m still working on implementing it.
“What do you want to do?” he asks. “We have the whole day to ourselves.”
“Well, since you’re the Vegas expert, and I’ve never been, I want a private tour.”
“Your wish is my command. Mid-December isn’t the best month to be in Vegas, but at least we won’t cook. Our last stop will be the Bellagio fountains. There’s a water show every thirty minutes.”
We’re staying at a hotel on the Strip, so we’re right in the middle of the hustle and bustle. I’ve visited quite a few cities, and they each have their own pulse, something that sets it aside from any other place—something beyond architecture or language or history. Vegas is colorful and vibrant, holding a sense of wonder and danger, and I can’t wait to explore it with Daniel.
Some five hours later, I feel like my feet are about to fall off. We’ve visited all the major casinos—my favorite is hands down the Venetian, with its picturesque bridges, and the High Roller, the giant ferris wheel. As we watch the water show at the Bellagio fountains, I understand why Daniel kept it until the end. It’s truly breathtaking, the best way to end the tour.
“You’re truly a Vegas pro,” I compliment him once the show is over and the tourists scatter. “Is there anything you haven’t done in Vegas? Actually, don’t answer. Some things I don’t need to know.”
Daniel chuckles, tucking me into him, kissing my cheek. “I have no secrets.”
I unzip his jacket, snaking my arms inside it, holding onto him. He’s grown suddenly quiet, a contemplative expression on his face.
“There is one thing I haven’t done here,” he says.
Is it my imagination, or does he sound a tad uneven?