“Making decisions for me.”
“Making decisions for you,” Denver repeats. “And yet there you fucking were, willing to make one for me when I didn’t need you to. I told you I was staying. I told you Ilovedyou. What else did you need?”
“I’m sorry,” I choke. “I’m so sorry. I know what it’s like to lose your family. I couldn’t be the reason you lost yours.”
“I wasn’t losing them. They were moving on with their lives, that’s all. And I’m happy for them. I thought I was moving on with mine too.With you.”
“But they’re your family, you told me yourself that they stopped you from drowning.”
“No longer drowning can mean you’re still only floating. Going nowhere. You gave me something to swim toward,Sinclair. I have loved you for so long. And I’ve been waiting for you to understand that.”
“Is that why you’ve not come back in all these weeks? You wanted to punish me for what I did?” I sob.
I would deserve it if that’s what this has been, some carefully planned retaliation to teach me a lesson. But it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t cut deep, stinging my flesh knowing that he would willingly put me through it. I haven’t been able to sleep or eat. I’ve barely been human.
“No, Princess,” he breathes with the first hint of tenderness in his eyes since I opened the door.
My chest caves in a giant whimper as I grab on to that sliver of softness, praying he doesn’t snatch it away again.
“I gave you the space youneeded. I couldn’t come back until you knew what it was like to be apart. I needed you to understand what it’ll be like to live without each other. I needed you to be sure.”
“I hate it,” I confess in a haunted croak. “I hate not waking up next to you. I hate not hearing your voice. I hate not feeling your a-a-arms around me.” My teeth chatter and I swallow hard to get control back over my body. “I love you, Denver. I love you so much…. so much that I couldn’t risk the chance you’d look at me one day and resent me for making you stay here.”
“You love me, Princess?”
My heart leaps into my throat. “More than anything.”
His expression softens and I suck in a breath, willing myself not to collapse into a heap on the floor at the way his eyes roam over my face.
“I’m coming inside now,” he breathes.
“Okay,” I squeak.
I stand back and let him enter. His scent follows him, and it takes a lot of effort to close the door with my trembling hands behind him.
I wipe my palms on my sweatpants as I look at him, standing in my hallway, all big and broody, andreal.
“I’m glad you’re here,” I say, hovering by the door, not knowing whether to move or not.
Monty is sitting by my feet and the gentle swish of his tail side to side against the floor brings a calm to me that I desperately need. Because I want to ask Denver if he’s here for good. If he’s staying. Or if this is just a visit. Because as much as I want to grasp onto what he just said about giving me time, he hasn’t actually said?—
“I love you, Sinclair.”
I blink at him as he steps forward and pulls me to him, one hand curling around my hip, and the other taking hold of my neck.
His touch is gentle and strong. But burning with possession.
“I fucking love you, Princess.”
He slants his mouth over mine and kisses me.
A sob unfurls in my throat, and he holds me up as I cry into his mouth, a whimpering wreck as he undoes the damage that weeks apart has done with each stroke of his tongue.
“Don’t ever put yourself in danger for me again,” he rasps, dragging his lips over mine before he surges forward and kisses me again, stealing the air from my mouth.
“I wasn’t in any?—”
The warning growl vibrates up his chest, and I swallow it down with his kiss, my words ceasing immediately.
