“Yes. No. Maybe.” But his hands are roaming now, sliding up my sides, thumbs brushing under my breasts and there is no mistaking the way his body responds.
It’s a miracle his briefs can contain the thick erection pressed between us.
Spence’s gaze falls to my breasts, then climbs back up to my face. “If you keep saying it like that, I might develop a kink I didn't know I had.”
“Noted for later.” I lean in, brushing my lips against his jaw. “But seriously... what about calling youSaint.”
He goes quiet then, really quiet. The kind of silence that feels weighted, like the moment before a snowfall.
His arms tighten around me, pulling me flush against him, and I can feel his heart pounding steady and strong against my chest.
“Say it again,” he murmurs, voice thick.
“Saint,” I whisper it this time, right against his ear, and he shudders—like the word unlocked something deep inside him.
My throat tightens, emotion swelling unexpectedly and fiercely. This big, tough man, all scars and strength, melting for me.
Our connection is shifting, deepening faster than the waterfall cascading nearby. Not just heat and sparks, but something real. Vulnerable. Ours.
I cup his face, tracing the line of his jaw. “Saint,” I say again, softer, and he captures my mouth in a kiss that's equal parts tender and desperate.
When we break apart, it's hard to pull away, the moment feels so right. But when I meet his gaze, he searches my eyes. “Where do you want to live, Liberty? After all this. If you could pick anywhere, build a life, what would it look like?”
The question catches me off guard, but in the best way. He's not talking hypotheticals. This feels real... him picturing a future, with me in it.
I think about it, really think, while his fingers draw soothing circles on my back. “Somewhere quiet. Not too isolated, but with space to breathe. Maybe near Justice and Rosalie. A house with an enormous kitchen for baking ridiculous amounts of cookies. A yard for... I don't know, future things.”
His smile is slow, knowing. “Future things like what?”
“Kids, maybe. Someday.” Heat floods my cheeks, but I don't look away. “And where do you see yourself?”
CHAPTER 17
The weight of the moment sits on my shoulders as I say, “With you.”
I say it simply, because it’s the truth and the only answer that makes any sense.
She’s very still, eyes searching my face.
When I glide my hand beneath her hair, cupping her neck, she sighs.
“The rest is just logistics.”
There’s a softening of her entire face, and then she kisses me again.
We take our time, feeling the words we just shared. The promises. The opportunities, and everything in between.
“Is this really my life?” she asks, scrunching her nose cutely.
“Yeah, sweetheart. Thanks to fate and some probable covert maneuvers.”
We laugh together as the hot tub bubbles around us, steam rising soft and hazy, and for the first time in a long damn time, the future doesn’t seem bleak.
It feels like a gift.
But the heat between us is rising fast, and I have boundaries to protect tonight.
“We should go,” I murmur, lifting her easily from the water.
