I give her a full-on smile this time. “I agree.”
“And Jackson?”
I snort. “Stupid asshole married her, just like she wanted. But when he caught her cheating about a year after the baby was born, he left her ass.”
“Good,” she repeats.
Exhaling, I say, “So that’s it. That’s the past I was embarrassed to share. It hurt pretty badly, and I carried her betrayal with me for years. Hell, I was still carting it along like daily luggage until…”
After a beat, she encourages, “Until…”
Getting up off the machine, I move to where she sits and wrap my hands around her waist, drawing her toward me. “Until you came along and showed me what my future might actually look like.” Deep breath. “You, Lizzie. You’re the future I want. You’re the only one I want, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about Whitney?—”
She cuts me off by placing her fingers against my lips. “No more talking. Only kissing.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX
Lizzie
I’m pissed.
But not at Collin.
I’m angry on his behalf, at the woman who trampled all over his giving heart and made him feel less than he is.
“I’m sorry she did that to you. Now I know why Charli referred to her as walking gonorrhea with crabs.”
He snorts a laugh, but the moment my legs wrap around his hips, lining up his instant erection with the apex of my thighs, his smile fades. “I wasn’t kidding when I said everything just seemed to get better when I met you. I spent so much time keeping people at arm’s length because I didn’t want to be hurt like that again, but with you, you just…broke through.”
“I’m persistent like that,” I tell him, wearing a smirk.
He slides his hands up my neck, framing my face. “I love your persistence.”
Clearing my throat, I hold his gaze and whisper, “I won’t ever hurt you like that, Collin. Ever. I’m not saying I won’t disappoint you or upset you from time to time, because that happens in all relationships, but I’d never intentionally do anything close towhat she did to you. In just a short amount of time, I’ve learned you are the most loyal, most giving person I’ve ever met. You have a caring and nurturing heart, and I think you’re amazing.”
He cracks a small smile as a blush creeps up his neck. “You make me sound like a wimp.”
“No way,” I reply, shaking my head. “You are most definitely all man.” I go ahead and waggle my eyebrows suggestively to punctuate my point.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before she had the chance to ambush you. That never should have happened,” he says.
“I forgive you,” I reply instantly. “Now, that’s enough about her. I have something else I want to talk about.”
“Anything,” he says.
“It’s a simple request, honestly.”
The corner of his mouth ticks with a smile. “Yeah? Name it.”
“I think I already did, and you still haven’t kissed me yet.”
His fingers flex on the side of my face as he slowly bends down. “Yes, ma’am.”
And then his mouth is pressed to mine in the most glorious kiss. It’s the perfect mixture of sweet and heat, his tongue coaxing my mouth open and delving inside to taste. I get completely lost in the kiss, my hands moving to his back to hold him close. It’s not the most convenient position, with me sitting and him standing between my legs, but it’s never felt more right.
“I have something else I want to say,” he whispers, placing a gentle kiss on the corner of my mouth.
