"We both did." Grant's smile was shaky. "But we're not pretending anymore."
"No more pretending," Riley agreed.
"No more fake."
"Just real."
"Just us."
Riley kissed him, and Grant kissed her back like she was air and he'd been drowning.
This was real. She was staying. She loved him.
The kiss deepened, turning urgent. Riley's hands slid up into his hair, and Grant groaned, pulling her closer. All the restraint he'd been holding onto in the truck, all the words he'd been keeping back, everything came pouring out in the kiss.
When they broke apart, both breathing hard, Riley's eyes were dark with want.
"Take me upstairs," she said.
Grant's heart stuttered. "Riley?—"
"Please." Her voice was soft but sure. "I want this. I want you. No more pretending. No more holding back. Just us."
Grant searched her face, looking for any hesitation. He found none.
"Yeah?" His voice came out rough.
"Yeah."
Grant took her hand and led her upstairs to his room.
The space was simple and rustic—a large bed with an oak headboard, a dresser, the window overlooking the fields. Nothing fancy. But it was his, and Riley was here, and that was all that mattered.
He turned to face her, suddenly nervous. "I love you so?—"
Riley kissed him, cutting off his words. "I know," she murmured against his lips. "I love you too."
Grant pulled her closer, his hands sliding under her sweater, finding warm skin. Riley gasped, arching into him, and Grant felt his control snap.
He walked her backward toward the bed, kissing her the whole way. When the backs of her knees hit the mattress, she sat, looking up at him with eyes full of trust and love and want.
Grant knelt in front of her, his hands on her thighs. "Tell me what you want."
"You." Riley's voice was steady. "All of you. Everything."
"You have me." Grant's hands slid higher. "You've always had me."
He helped her out of her sweater, taking his time, pressing kisses to newly exposed skin. Riley's breath hitched, her hands finding his shoulders, his hair, holding on.
When she was bare from the waist up, Grant sat back on his heels, just looking at her.
"You're so beautiful," he said, his voice rough with emotion.
Riley's cheeks flushed, but she didn't look away. Instead, she reached for the hem of his shirt and tugged. "Your turn."
Grant helped her pull it off, tossing it aside. Riley's hands immediately found his chest, tracing the lines of muscle, exploring like she couldn't get enough.
"I love touching you," she whispered.
