It was his first time seeing her bare-faced. She was always beautiful but there was something especially beautiful about her now. She looked so... young. He knew shewasyoung, but it was the only word he could think of.
He was so used to her looking like someone who was perfectly in control and in charge, someone who didn’t need anyone—but, like this, she looked like she could need him. Like he could take care of her.
“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’ll be out in a second.”
Nodding, he rose to his feet. He left, closing the door behind him.
In her bedroom, he went to her bookshelf, looking at her collection. He spotted a worn copy ofLetters to Milena, and he thought about one of his favorite passages, how Kafka wrote that—in his mind—he was dressing Milena with light, wrapping her in blankets of complete acceptance and giving himself to her.
Luke wished he could do the same with Emmeline, that he could make her feel safe, always.
The bathroom door opened, and he turned as Emmeline came out, all dried up. She was dressed in a silk pajama set, a camisole and shorts that were criminal.
She stood by the doorway, a little nervous, and he went over to her.
“Okay?” he asked, peering into her eyes.
Chapter 30
“Okay?” Luke asked, and Emmeline didn’t know how to respond. She had never been more okay.
He had washed her hair. It was indescribable. She had never been more vulnerable or more afraid in her life, yet she couldn’t bear to keep him away. So she had let him in, and it had been the most intimate moment she’d ever experienced, as if they had stopped being two separate people and had instead become one.
“Yes,” she said. “Better than okay.”
He cupped her face in his hands, and she turned her cheek to press a kiss into his palm. She stepped forward, wrapping her arms around his torso. He held her flush against him, the pair of them fused as they breathed together.
“Can I tell you something?” he whispered against her hair. She pulled back to gaze into his eyes.
He ran his thumbs over her cheeks. “I love you,” he said, and the breath caught in her throat. “A part of me has loved you since the night we met. Loving you was inevitable. I mean, how can I not? Look at you!” He smiled. “Emmy, you’rethe most extraordinary person I’ve ever met. Knowing you feels like life’s greatest privilege. You have the biggest heart of anyone I know—too big. And you’re more beautiful than anyone has the right to be. It’s like I dreamed you up.”
“Luke, I love you, too,” she said, heart squeezing. “I never thought that I would ever meet someone who could make me feel so safe and loved, so entirely accepted. It’s difficult for me to ask for help, to be vulnerable around others, but you make it so easy. I love you without scruples or fear or restraint.”
“Because the world is ending?” he asked, tone teasing.
She shook her head. “The world is only ending when I’m not with you,” she said, and he pulled her in for a kiss, pressing his lips to hers.
She hummed against him, angling her mouth to deepen the kiss as heat swept through her. Then, in a swift movement, he lifted her up, princess style, carrying her. She laughed, holding onto his shoulders as he carried her to her bed, laying her down.
His eyes darkened as he looked at her, and she pulled him over her, bringing his mouth back to hers. Heat poured through her as they kissed, making her feel like she was burning from the inside out.
The heavy weight of his body came over hers fully, and her vision sparked at the feel of him, but it wasn’t enough. She wanted him entirely.
She kissed him hungrily as his hands roamed over her skin. Desire beat through her, making her ache, and she undid the buttons of his shirt, pushing it off him.
He kissed her throat, his stubble scratching against herskin as he trailed kisses lower, down to her heart. His hands skimmed the hem of her shirt, and she lifted the fabric off, cool air on her skin for a moment before his chest pressed against hers, both of their hearts beating together.
They undressed one another, and her skin burned, tension building inside of her as they continued to explore each other’s bodies, until finally, he settled over her. She dug her nails into his back, desperate to have him closer as they moved together.
Everything else faded away except for the two of them, becoming one.
Chapter 31
Emmeline woke well before her alarm, not wanting it to disturb Luke.
It was Monday morning, and they both had work, but she turned her alarm off.
She turned back to face him, reveling in the sight of him in the quiet morning. He was lying on his stomach, his arms under the pillow. Her gaze trailed appreciatively over the muscles of his shoulders and back before turning to his face.
