“I never stopped loving you, though. Especially once I realized there was nothing real about Paul or his world. I started to see things more clearly, but by then it was too late. I often imagined what my life would have been like if I had come home, or if I’d never met Paul.”
“And here you are.”
“Yes. But things are different now. I’m different.”
“And I’m still the same.”
She smiled. “That’s not bad.”
“But is it enough?”
“Honestly, my first impulse is to say yes, but it’s all so new. What if I change my mind? What if after a year the walls of this town start closing in on me again?”
“What if you realize those walls mean comfort and security, and you come to think of Granite Falls as family?”
She smiled. “That would be really nice.”
“For the record, I’m not afraid of you breaking my heart.”
“You’re not?”
He smiled a devilish smile that had her heart jumping in her chest. “Nope, I have changed while you’ve been gone. I’ve loved and lost and come out the other side stronger for it. I’m going to be a dad. My baby and providing a great home for her are all that matters. You are welcome to be a part of it, to be a part of her life and mine, if you have the courage to stick around.”
She smiled. “I like the sound of that.”
“That’s good because I still like you. One of the regrets I’ve carried with me was that I didn’t go to Atlanta and fight for you. I should have. If I had, maybe things would have been different. I know what I want now. I want you. Whether it’s for a night, a month, or a lifetime, I’d like to give us a chance and see where it goes.”
Her heart warmed at his words. “Are you sure?”
He leaned over and kissed her once more. “Very sure. I don’t let fear dictate my decisions, and neither should you.”
She didn’t think he’d ever been more attractive to her than he was at that moment. She ran her hand slowly up his arm, across his shoulder to linger behind his neck. She leaned forward, and kissed him softly, gently. She didn’t want to let him go, and couldn’t stand the idea of sleeping in this bed alone tonight.
She lifted his shirt, revealing warm, tanned skin and taut ridges that begged to be explored. He radiated heat and desire and groaned as her fingers skipped up his chest, softly caressing the outlines of his muscles. “I hate that I can’t move.”
“I don’t.” He grinned again, then carefully undid the boot surrounding her ankle and pulled her leggings down. Her body quivered as the warmth of his hands moved across her legs. He smiled at her tiger print panties. “You are a wild woman.”
She grinned. “You better believe it.”
He looked up at her, his gaze meeting hers. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever felt closer to anyone as she did to him right then.