“Don’t you dare say anything derogatory about yourself, Ladd Eldridge. There is nothing at all wrong or weird about you. Yes, you’re a little quirky, but that’s part of what attracted me to you in the first place.”
He scrunched up his eyebrows in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m absolutely serious. I would never lie to you, Ladd, especially about this. The more I got to know you, the more I liked everything about you. You’re beautiful and unique and talented as hell. You’re one of a kind, and I wanted to make you all mine because I knew I’d never be able to find anyone like you ever again. You teased me about wishing on a star,” I tickled his ribs and his giggle was the sweetest sound I’d ever heard. “You forgot to tell me that you do it, too. I did wish on a falling star that night. I wished for a man all my own who wanted me, wanted my support, my protection, and wanted a family. When I met you, I was attracted to your looks. As I got to know you, I fell for you, all of you. You let me hold you, support you and you let me protect you without giving up your own power. You protect and support me, too. After the fire, I realized that’s exactly what I had been wishing for. I wanted to be a protector, but I found I needed someone, you, to be there and protect me, too. As much as I wish that fire had never happened, it did show me that we’re equal in everything in this relationship. I have physical strength, but you have strengths, too. We complement each other perfectly.” I leaned down and gave his pretty pink lips a light kiss. “So don’t ever think lightly of yourself, Ladd, because I love you just the way you are.”
“I love you, too, Connor. So much. I did wish on a star that night, you’re right. I wished for someone to love me just the way I am. I wished for you. I don’t even know what to do with all of the feelings you bring out in me. But I do know I’m going to need a long time to work through them all.”
“A long time, huh? How long are we talking, days, weeks, months?”
“Nope,” he replied with a popping sound. “I’m thinking it’ll take me years, maybe even decades to work through all of my feelings for you, Mr. McDaniel.”
“Oh, so do I need to pencil you in my calendar for the next twenty or thirty years?”
“That’s a start. We’ll revisit the schedule once we get to thirty years and see where we go from there.” He smacked a wet smooch onto my scruffy jaw, then gave me a cheeky grin and turned back around to snuggle into my embrace again.
I couldn’t have removed my smile from my face even if I wanted to. My cheeks were stinging with the cold of the night air, but I felt warm to my bones. Ladd was mine. OperationGet Laddhad been a resounding success.
