“My God, woman, you must love the hell out of me.”
“I do. I love the hell out of you. When will you get that through your thick skull?”
“When will you wake up next to me and wonder what the fuck you were thinking?”
“I woke up without you for years and wondered what the fuck I was thinking. You know why? Because I thought we were in love and yet you left. And we were in love, and we are in love, and now we’re back together so just shut up and show me the apartment already.” I try to turn away again, but he catches me to him.
His hand is on the back of my head, his face close to my face, breath warm on my lips. “Shut up and show you the apartment?”
“Yes, damn it. Show me our apartment, Rick Savage, because I’m not leaving. Ever. Not without you.”
His mouth slams down on my mouth, and by the first swipe of his tongue, I’m melting and against the wall. His hands caress my body, and mine are under his T-shirt, the feel of taut skin over hard muscle, creating a low, burn in my belly. I want him. I want him so badly that I can barely stand it, but he pulls back, his lips leave mine.
I’m panting when he murmurs, “You have no idea how badly I want to be inside you right now.”
“Then why aren’t you?” I challenge.
“You’re home now. The next time I’m inside you, I want you to know you’re home.”
“I was home the minute I saw you again, Rick Savage.”
He catches my hand. “I want you to see the apartment.” His free hand is on my face, and he kisses me again, a quick swipe of tongue before his cheek is against my cheek, and his mouth at my ear. “Then I’m going to take you to the shower, suds you up and lick that sweet spot between your legs until you quake on my tongue.” He pulls back. “You got a problem with that?”
“No,” I whisper, all but whimpering with the idea. I’m wet. I’m aching. I tremble as I add, “No problem.”
He smiles and pulls me to him. “Good. Then let’s take a tour.” He rotates me and faces me toward the rest of the apartment. “Go explore, baby, so I can explore you, later.” He smacks my butt and I yelp but I’m smiling when I hurry forward, suddenly eager all over again to the see the apartment.
I step into an incredible room that is, well, incredible. I take it all in, just gobbling it up with my eyes. The floors are a gray and brown swirled finish of some sort, almost a concrete. The ceilings are low with wood beams down the center. Windows run floor to ceiling and present a stunning view of the city, while the living room is all sleek gray leather. There’s a steel staircase leading upstairs to the bedroom I assume. And there’s the most unique, cool, see-through strip of flooring that exposes decorative industrial pipe and serves to divide the living room from the kitchen. And the kitchen is a whole other level of incredible. A giant island is long and wide, made of the wood that matches the brown in the floor and the cabinets.
I’m still taking it all in when Rick’s hands settle on my shoulders, warm and strong, as he leans in close, nuzzling my neck. “We can sell it if you don’t like it.”
I rotate in his arms. “I love it. It’s stunning. It’s a fantasy apartment. How long have you had it?”
“A year after joining Walker. I’d come off a big payday, a legit payday. Nothing with Tag felt legit. I was living in a shithole and Blake heard about this place, some Wall Street dude had custom built it and then went belly up. When I saw it, the first thing I thought was: what would Candace think?”
“Too bad you didn’t call and ask me to come see it in person.”
“Well as you said, the time apart, made us who we are now, who we need to be together. And Walker helped me find a path to being human again. I needed to be that for you.”
My fingers curl around his T-shirt and I look up at him. “You were always human.”
“No, baby. I lost that part of me but I won’t lose him again. Not as long as I have you and Lord help anyone, Pocher included, who tries to take you from me.” He catches my fingers. “Let’s go try out the bedroom. I got one of those plushy mattresses you like.” He drags me to him. “And no one else has been in that bed, but me, until you, now.” He lifts me and throws me over his shoulder, and I’m laughing as he hauls me up the stairs.