“That’s a bold statement,” I say quietly, angling my head against his when he presses his nose against my neck.
“Sometimes words carry more weight than actions.” He presses a kiss to my throat so tenderly, I let out a small gasp. “You’re so good at hiding, and you think it keeps you safe. But all it does is keep me from falling in love with the pieces you hold so tight.”
“How do you know you’ll love them? They might drive you crazy.”
His free hand brackets my hip, squeezing like a promise. “You drive me crazy either way, Chloe. But I promise you that I won’t drop the pieces you give me. This is real for me—as real as it gets.” He swallows and pulls back enough to look me in the eyes. “Is it real for you?”
He’s asking for everything. I’ve never felt more vulnerable in my life, but I can say without hesitation that I trust him. I love him.
At some point, I also have to trust the words, too.
“As real as it gets,” I echo. “It scares me.”
“I meant every vow I made to you, Chloe.” He reaches up and cups my face, his thumb tracing my bottom lip. “And every promise I’ve made or will make. We said we’d go with what feels natural for us, but I want us to both be on the same page.”
I blow out a shaky breath. “Okay?”
“I don’t ever want to push for more than you’re ready to give. And I’m a patient man—I’ve waited for you for ten years.”
I’m not sure that I trust myself, but I lift my hand, letting it drop on his chest. My fingers toy with the collar of his Henley before I let my eyes meet his again.
“And that’s exactly why I don’t want to rush into anything too fast,” I tell him. “I want us to do it right this time. I want to be sure I’m choosing you, all of you, and not using closeness to quiet my fears.”
“I respect that. So I’m going to circle back to my request.” His mouth spreads into a lazy grin, and I try not to snag on his bottom lip.
“Remind me?” I ask, lifting my chin.
“My wife is trouble,” he says, his voice a low growl. He leans closer, so I don’t miss the next words out of his mouth. “If that’s your line in the sand, Mrs. Wheeler, it’s a two-lane street.”
“Explain.”
“I’m not holding anything back, so when you do fully choose this—there’s no question what you’re getting. I want the same from you—all of you. Please.” His voice is a rough plea. “Stop hiding from me. Just me.”
I want that so badly.
He turns his head just enough for me to catch his mouth with mine, and that’s all it takes. My mind goes blurry with warm lips and firm hands and the way everything inside me reaches for him.
For the first time since we started, he’s less tender—more demanding. And for the time, I’m ready to meet him as he pulls more from me.
The hum between us intensifies, and between his words and his mouth, I’ve never felt more alive.
More loved.
The way his fingers fist in my hair, his lips on the column of my neck, the scrape of his beard as we whisper promises to each other no one else will ever hear.
A sigh shudders out of me, and I press a hand to his chest. The slightest pull back, so I can breathe. And think.
“Aiden,” I whisper.
He curls his arm around me, almost instinctively, his forehead resting against mine as we both try to even our breaths again.
He’s quiet for a beat. “Too much?”
“No.” And I’m a little surprised by my answer. “Just enough, I think.”
I tip my head back, inviting him to kiss me again. And he does, a gentle kiss that’s a quiet echo of before.
“I love you.”
