He drew me into his arms and kissed me. The love in that kiss worked its way through my body, cascading from my core to my feet, then rose to encompass the rest of my body.
“I love you, Tori.” His words were a murmur that warmed my chest. “I don’t deserve you, but I will spend the rest of my life proving that I do.”
I lifted my hands to his face, forcing his eyes to mine. “You deserve me, Gabe. You don’t have to prove it anymore.”
He gave me another kiss that blazed through me, leaving me teetering when his lips separated from mine.
“You need to stop that, or you’ll mess my lipstick up too early,” I said, touching my lips.
“Then you’ll need to reapply in the car to ensure those lips are still gorgeous when I’m ready to kiss you again.”
I shook my head as he left me standing in the wake of his words. That was Gabe. Constantly devastating me with words and kisses. Ones he had saved for me because, like Cindy had said, we were inevitable.
Gabe strolled across the room and retrieved our coats. Holding mine out to me, he asked, “Ready?”
I wasn’t because my legs were like jelly, but Reid huffed, “Finally,” before running over and grabbing his coat.
Gabe helped me put mine on before he bent down and fixed Reid’s buttons for him. He slid his arms through his long black coat, and my heart stuttered when he looked back up at me.
His sexy smirk and a shake of his head had my knees weakening even more. “You can tell me what you were just thinking when we’re alone later.”
I inhaled, hating how easily he read me. He led us out, his hand resting gently on my back as he guided me. Walking through the lobby, I felt the eyes on us, saw the looks. Tucking my arm in his, I let him pull me closer, knowing it was as much a claim of ownership as I’d made in giving him my arm. I was ready for him to be mine again, completely. To stop dragging my feet and let Gabe own me again. Again? He had never stopped owning me. Never relinquished his hold on me, and I had never denied it, even in the worst of times.
The capital was lit up as we drove through. The rush of cars still filled the streets. Reid bounced up and down in his seat, asking Gabe question after question, but still Gabe didn’t tell us where we were going. When we pulled up to the National Theater, and I saw the signs forTheNutcracker, I froze. He had remembered, even after all these years. The sight brought back memories of our past like a rush of emotions. His love encompassed every cell in my body along with the knowledge that this man was mine and worshipped me the way I’d always dreamed.
“Tori.” I looked up to see his hand in front of me, the door open as he and Reid stood waiting for me to exit the car. I tried to fight the tears, knowing I’d look a mess of smeared mascara if I didn’t.
Taking his hand, I let him help me out. My legs threatened to give out, and I leaned against him.
“Is this okay?” he asked, concern tingeing his eyes.
I nodded, trying to gather my words. “It’s more than okay,” I said, my voice a soft whisper. I pulled his face to mine, kissing him and not caring that we were surrounded by people entering the theater. “I love it.”
“I figured we could make it our tradition?”
Smiling, I nodded again, those pesky tears stinging this time.
“Come on,” Reid said, and I looked down to see him tugging Gabe’s hand.
My laugh came out mingled with a sob, and Gabe wiped a tear from my cheek. He kissed its trail, murmuring, “Please don’t cry, luna mia.”
Goosebumps pebbled my skin, and a sense of completeness fell over me.
“They’re happy tears,” I told him as he brushed another one away. “Very happy tears.”
He kissed every spot where a tear had fallen. Taking my hand in his and keeping Reid’s in his other, he led us up the steps. In a way, it was like returning home, stepping into the past with him and reclaiming what we’d been. Accepting that our pasts had damaged us but that our wounds had healed. That what we’d lost had been a blip in time I knew we would spend every day of the rest of our lives making up for.
Exhaustion hit Reid before we were even out of the theater. Gabe carried him to the car and then to the hotel room, where he laid him in bed. I changed him as much as I could without waking him and closed the door softly.
Gabe was standing at the window, overlooking the city. I wound my arms around his waist and leaned my head against his back, hearing the steady, firm heartbeats below.
“I love you, Tori,” he said, bringing my hand to his mouth and kissing it. “And I will continue spoiling you and surprising you even after I’ve earned you back.”
Twisting so that I faced him, I brought my hands to his chest. “You’ve won me back.” His eyes widened. “I love you, William Gabriel Icinda, and I’m ready to reach the end with you.”
A sharp inhale accompanied the flitting of his eyes between mine. “The end? No middle?”
With a laugh, I shook my head. “No middle. I want my happy ending.”
