Chapter Twenty-Six
ANTONIO LEANED AGAINSTthe doorframe to Emily’s bedroom and watched her as she pinned another photo to the plaster. She was building a collage of her favorite images from around the city, and her goal was to cover an entire wall. If she didn’t slow down, that wouldn’t take long. He loved seeing her enthusiasm. Her excitement. And her.
She whirled and squeaked. Her hand flew to her chest, and she gave a nervous laugh. “Standing there, watching, without saying anything? That’s kind of creepy.”
“I’d apologize, but...” He pushed away from the wall and strode toward her.
“But you’re not sorry.”
He stopped a few scant inches from her and brushed a loose curl of red from her cheek. “I’m really not. The scenery is too breathtaking to regret looking.” They’d been here a month, and while certain pains never lessened, every day with her was easier than the one before. He wasn’t sure when it happened—or maybe there was no single point in time—but somewhere along the way, he fell in love with her. He prayed telling her wouldn’t backfire, like last time he spilled his guts to someone about love. He didn’t have the same doubts, though, and even if the confession didn’t go well, for some reason he couldn’t fathom, he refused to hold back this time.
She watched him, green eyes wide and sparkling with amusement. “You’re still staring.”
“I’m still enjoying the view.” They shared a bed half the time, but it was only for sleep. They hadn’t had sex since they moved here. He always had an underlying fear he might use her to replace Justin, and end up hurting her. That concern was gone now. “Would you rather I was doing something else?”
“Depends on what you have in mind.”
“This.” He cupped her cheek with his palm and brushed his mouth over hers, then pulled back to gauge her response.
She caught her bottom lip between her teeth. “That’s pretty good.”
“Then you’d be amenable to more of the same?”
She hesitated.
He probably missed a few steps along the way. He glided his hands down her arms and tangled his fingers with hers. “I need you to know I love you. I’ve been thinking about this a lot, and I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it completely. I can’t imagine my life without you in it, and I won’t let you slip away if I can help it.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
It wasn’t exactly the response he hoped for, but it was better than some of the other possibilities. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “I’m not using you to fill a void. The place where you sit in my heart is for you.”
She let out a laugh and kissed him. It was a feather-light hint of skin on skin, and she pulled away before he could respond, enough to look him in the eye. “I love you too.”
His pulse soared, and he felt lighter than he had in weeks. It had never occurred to him how powerful hearing those words aloud would be. He crushed his mouth to hers, starving and frantic. Needing to be a part of her.
She raked her nails up his chest, pushing his shirt out of the way, and he broke away long enough to tear the clothing over his head. She trailed her mouth along his tattoo, following the path of the dragon’s tail as it looped down his side. Each touch permeated his thoughts.
“I don’t have the patience for that tonight.” He nudged her back and pulled her shirt off. Knotting one hand in her hair, he kissed her again. Holding her close as if she was his air. Diving into the moment. With his other hand, he unclasped her bra.
She giggled and murmured against his lips, “You’ve got nimble fingers.”
“I can do a lot more than that with them.” He slid her bra straps down her arms, and tossed the garment into the growing pile a few feet away.
She stepped away, playful smirk dancing on her swollen lips. “Like what?”
He let his gaze linger on her breasts, round and full, tipped with eager pink nipples. Christ, she was gorgeous. He grabbed her hips and pushed her toward the bed. He kissed her again as they sat on the edge of the mattress. He could do this all night, even if they never went beyond this intense making out. Her mouth against his, their tongues wrestling, it decompiled his thoughts, leaving raw, exposed data in its wake.
She gripped his erection through his jeans. He bucked against her hand with a sharp gasp, and she stroked.