“Absolutely not. But I will learn for you.”
She grinned as she led the way to the dance floor. I placed one hand on her waist while holding the other, then brought her closer so we were chest to chest.
In my periphery, I saw other couples find their way to the dance floor, but I kept my focus on the woman in front of me. I leaned down just enough for my mouth to graze her earlobe.
“I am not sure what my life would be like right now if you were not in it.” My voice was low and softer than usual.
I leaned back again, just in time to see she was blushing.
“You’d probably have some other woman on this dance floor with you.”
“I doubt it.”
“Yeah. I doubt it, too, actually. You’re way too stubborn.”
We laughed.
She reached up to hold one side of my face, caressing her thumb over the apple of my cheek. “I love seeing you like this.”
“Like what?”
“So . . . free and happy.”
“Is that really what you see?”
“Yes. When I first met you, your eyes were so cloudy, and I’m not kidding when I say I worried for you. I hardly knew you, but I did worry because I could only imagine how hard your life was.”
I shrugged. “It has not all been so bad.”
“No. But it hasn’t been kind to you either.”
“Well ... life isn’t very kind to anyone these days. But the beauty of it is that with the right people around, there is a balm to smooth out those rocky days.”
“I love that. You know, sometimes I think ...” she started, but clamped her mouth shut just as quickly and lowered her gaze to my chest. “Never mind.”
I tipped her chin back up with my forefinger. “Tell me.”
She stared into my eyes a moment, then sighed. “Sometimes I think I won’t be able to live up to what you had with Eloise.”
That shocked me to hear. “Octavia ...”
She pursed her lips.
“I do not expect you to live up to anyone or anything. It does not matter what I had with her. What matters is what I have with you right now and in the future.” I gripped her chin between my fingers and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her lips. “That is all I care about right now.Us.I am hopeful for what is ahead—excited, even. I am ready to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Her mouth quivered as she held on to the hand I had on her cheek. “Please don’t tell me this only to change your mind about me later.”
“Would you stop?” I pleaded with a small laugh. “I love you, Octavia Klein. I love you, and I want only you. If I have to repeat those words to you every single day in order for you to believe me, I will.”
A breath of relief left her while she nodded.
The song transitioned as she raised both her arms to hang them over my shoulders. Our mouths met at the same time. Her lips were so supple and sweet.
“Okay,” she said between kisses. “Do it. Tell me you love me every day so I can repeat the same words to you.”
Fifty-Three
Octavia
