“Terrified, if I had to guess,” he says, chuckling a little. “I think she’s been expecting you since Austen showed up.”
“Fuck, I know the feeling,” I truthfully admit. “I’m sweating bullets here.”
“It’s going to be okay,” he says, patting my arm.
“You got a crystal ball or something?” The longer I’m standing out here like a spare tool, the less confident I feel.
Pete grins. “I’m a sucker for true love, and I heard the things you said to her, and I saw the way she reacted. Besides, she’s never hidden the fact she left her heart behind in Boston.” He squeezes my arm. “There has been no one else. She doesn’t see anyone but you.” That’s a relief because it’s been one of my fears. That she’d meet and fall in love with someone else. It’s been six months since she wrote those words to me, and I know a lot can change in six months.
“It’s been the same for me.” I haven’t as much as spared any woman a parting glance. Presley is the only woman I want, and everyone else pales in comparison.
“Yep.” Pete grins again. “True love. I want an invite to the wedding,” he tacks on the end. I can see why Austen likes this guy, and I’m glad Presley came here. I don’t need her to tell me this guy has looked out for her to know it.
His words spur me into action, and I stalk toward the hallway, ready to claim my girl, when the door opens and she steps foot outside.
My heart stops. Seriously. It, like, legit stops beating for a few seconds. All the air leaves the room as I set eyes on her for the first time in a year. She is even more beautiful than I remember. Her gorgeous hair is still long and wavy, but the ends are pink now. That’s not the only change. She’s got this gorgeous diamond stud in her nose and new ink on her arms. She’s wearing black jean shorts with an off-the-shoulder black, red, and white shirt. The strap of her red bra is showing along with a tempting glimpse of olive-toned skin. She has diamante-studded black flip-flops on her feet.
Effortlessly stunning, like always.
But it’s her eyes that undo me. They suck me in, pulling me closer, as I drown in the deep, decadent, chocolaty depths. Her lips part, and her soft breath trickles out. Her eyes turn glassy as we stare at one another, rooted to the spot, unable to tear our gazes away. Her gaze roams me from head to toe, her chest heaving as emotion electrifies the air.
“Kent,” she whispers, and a single tear leaks out of the corner of her eye.
“Hey, Presley baby.” Ignoring the nerves firing at me from all corners, I walk toward her with my heart in the palm of my hand. “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes. I have missed you so fucking much.”
She just stares at me, unmoving and barely blinking. Behind her, a few doors open, and I spot a few heads poking out.
“These are for you,” I say, holding the flowers out to her.
She takes them, keeping her eyes locked on mine as she buries her nose in the rose petals. “They’re beautiful,” she whispers. “Thank you.”
I hand her the first envelope, hoping she doesn’t notice the sweat beads on my brow. I hadn’t thought of doing this in front of an audience, and I’m even more nervous than I was stepping through the door.
She hands the bouquet to a tiny blonde lounging in the doorway of the room Presley just emerged from. The blonde gives me a slow once-over, cocking her head to one side and grinning.Okay then.
Presley opens the first note, smiling as she reads it.
“What’s it say?” the blonde asks, and I want to tell her to mind her own business, because this is our thing, but Presley must like this chick because she reads it out loud to her.
“Come back to me because ‘I Want You, I Need You, I Love You.’”
The blonde looks less than impressed.
“It’s Elvis,” I explain, handing Presley the second envelope. “It’s our thing.”
Presley beams at me, and it’s like getting sucker-punched in the nuts. I almost collapse in a heap on the floor with the force of her smile and the impact it has on me. “Another one?”
“I thought the occasion required a little extra cheese.” I shoot her a flirty smile.
This time, she reads it straight out before her nosy coworker asks for the details.
“Come back to me because ‘You’re the Reason I’m Living.’”
She giggles, and the sound embeds deep in my heart.
Our fingers brush as I hand her the third one, sending delicious tremors zipping up my arm. From the way she jumps a little, I know she felt it too. We always had amazing chemistry, and sex with her was out-of-this-world incredible.
I watch her elegant fingers open the final envelope and extract the last note. She gulps, and tears roll down her face as she lifts her head to look at me. Her voice is shaky as she reads it. “Come back to me because ‘I’m Yours.’” Sniffing, she takes a step toward me, holding all three notes in her hands. “I’m yours too, Kent. I always have been, and I always will be.” Her eyes drill into mine. “I wanted to run straight back into your arms when you said those things to me at the press conference, but my head wasn’t in the right place yet. I needed more time to heal, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t missing you like crazy because every day without you has been difficult.”
