“Are you asking what I think you’re asking, Dalton?”
His eyes looked overly bright when he nodded. “Will you love me, Cami? Will you let me love you?”
She was dizzy from having gone from the depths of despair to the heights of happiness so quickly. But she still managed to answer him. And even though she was a lawyer, renowned for using a lot of words, she found herself uttering only one. “Yes.”
A lone tear spilled over his bottom lid. It got stuck in his beard stubble and he didn’t lift a hand to wipe it away. He just let it sit there, glistening. For whatever reason, that made it more meaningful.
“Guess I can go ahead and get this thing inked.” He lifted his arm with the purple camellia stamped above the lily.
“Guess you can,” she told him, her heart so full she thought it a wonder it didn’t burst open and spew little heart-shaped confetti all over the car.
“I’m going to kiss you now, Cami.”
The way he announced it, like she needed to brace herself, had a giddy laugh burbling out of her.
“Whew. Okay.” She stretched her neck from side to side. “I think I’m ready.” She made a come-hither motion with her hand and then lifted it palm-out. “No. Wait. Stop. Do you want to do this with my gum or without?” She held the wad of gum between her teeth.
His smile was so wide and radiant she thought she might go blind. And yet she couldn’t stop staring. This man, this handsome, brilliant,goodman had forgiven her. He wanted her. Helovedher.
It wasn’t possible to die from shame and sadness. So she sure as shit hoped that, likewise, it wasn’t possible to die from love and happiness or she’d be six feet under in about two seconds.
“Let’s try without.” He winked, and his gaze turned positively provocative. “We can always add props later.”
Chapter 36
9:47 PM...
Doc was so exhausted from his third orgasm—three!—he could barely summon the strength to roll away from Cami so he could dispose of the condom.
Somehow he managed it. Although, as soon as the deed was done, he flopped back onto the mattress and rubbed a lethargic hand over his sweaty brow. Cami slid a silky leg over his thigh, snuggled her lush breasts against his side, and started leaving soft kisses across his pectoral muscles, stopping briefly to flick his nipples with her tongue.
“Truce,” he rasped, cupping the back of her head. “I’m calling a truce.”
She chuckled and stacked her fists on his chest so she could rest her chin on them. Her dark eyes sparkled in the city lights shining in through the windows and her cheeks held the lovely blush of recent release.
“Combatants call truces. Not teammates,” she teased.
“Okay, how about we call it game, match, and set then?” He pushed a lock of raven-black hair behind her ear. “Because my heart might be willing but my flesh is weak.”
She pretended to pout. “Sounds like we need to work on your stamina. A team is only as good as its weakest link.”
He smacked her ass and loved the sound of her responding squeal. He loved more the warning in her eyes.
How is she mine?he thought in wonder.How is this smart, beautiful,insatiablewoman mine?
He couldn’t fathom it. And yet, shewashis. All of her. She’d given herself to him completely and freely despite all the baggage that came with him.
It was the damndest thing.
“Okay.” She laid her head on his chest, listening to the heart that was hers. “We can call a time out. But I reserve the right to say when game play resumes.”
He chuckled and snuggled her close, his eyes drifting over to the floor-to-ceiling windows and the glitter of the skyscrapers outside. Miami was beautiful at night. Like a city made of stars.
As soon as he had the thought, he was gripped by a fist of dread.
“How are we going to handle this long-distance thing?” he asked quietly, catching the ends of her silky hair and rubbing them between his fingers. “I mean, I’ll hire a manager to oversee the ranch, but I’ll still need to be there most of the time. I guess I could fly here on the weekends until—”
She sat up, snatching the sheet to cover her breasts.
