“He’s your father.”
“He hasn’t been my father for a long time. I came here to start over and I want to do that with you.”
She hides her face again, behind that perfect fall of golden hair. “I don’t know exactly what that means.”
“I mean that I love you, Fee. I fell in love with your pretty smile and the gentle way you have about you. Your changeable eyes that glow with happiness. Even the sassy way you act with me sometimes. I love it all.”
Her breath catches, her eyes filling with tears as her head comes up. “I thought you were playing with me the other night. Thought that you were just trying to get what your father wanted, at every cost.”
“Never,” I hiss, walking closer to her, so slowly. So that I don’t scare her.
She doesn’t move and her glorious eyes come up to mine. I can’t catch my breath when I look at her. “You’re so beautiful, Fee. Inside and out. I came here to find my home and I did. It’s not this business. It’s not my dad’s house. It’s you. It’s always been you. I just didn’t know it. But when you showed up in my life, I knew. I knew that you were more important to me than anything else.”
Her breath hisses out and tears fill her eyes again. I’m finally close enough and I reach out and pull her into my chest, feeling her shudder in my hands. “I saw you and I swear, that first sight of you gave my heart wings. I’ve been floating on air since I first saw you and it almost broke me when I thought you didn’t care and you were trying to cheat me out of my business.”
Holding her tight, I groan and drop my chin to the top of her head. “I would never do anything to hurt you.”
She lifts her head and a wonderful smile breaks over her pale, pretty face. “I believe you, Monroe. I have to admit, I had a few moments where I wasn’t sure. But now…I believe you. I love you.”
Leaning down, I claim her lips and she stands up on her tiptoes to reach her arms around my head, drawing me down to her. Her full lips cling to mine and I run my hands up and down her back, feeling her slim spine underneath my hands. She’s supple and femininely sweet and my heart soars.
I pull back, lost in her soft, loving gaze. “You are my everything from this point on, Fee. I will never leave your side. You’re my whole world. My everything.”
She sighs and rests her fall of golden hair on my chest. “I never thought I’d meet someone like you. Someone so perfect for me. So strong and sweet. You make me feel safe. Every time I’m in your arms, I feel more safe and secure than I’ve ever felt.”
There’s a knock at the door. Both of us jump apart and Harper grins, holding up the coffee cups from the bookstore. Fee grins back at her.
I stride to the door and unlock it, smiling at Harper. “So you made your case, huh?”
“Yeah. I never did anything like what he said. I explained it to your cousin.”
“Well, good. Because I need to head to my classes and I want to make sure that you’re not gonna stab her in the back. Because I will end you,” she growls.
“I would end myself if I did something to hurt Fee.”
She nods in agreement and hands me a cup of espresso. “Good. That would save me some time.”
Fee groans. “I forgave him. You can stop threatening him, Harper.”
“I will. Just give me a little time. I need to flex, you know.”
I snort into my coffee mug. Fee groans.
“Okay, okay. Thank you, Harper. You said you’ve got to go.”
“I do. But I’ll gladly stay to help if you need me.”
I snort again. “I’ve got this, Harper. I’ll take care of Fee.”
Harper smirks. “I hope that you can prove to me that you’re going to be good for her.”
“I am working on that right now.”
She turns around and heads out the door, stopping to wink at Fee and me before she disappears.
I turn to Fee and catch her giggling. “What’s that for?”
“I swear you’re scared of her.”
