“Hearing that kills me, but I’m glad you told me. I know it’s not enough for me to say you are my entire world and I have never loved anyone the way I love you. I never loved Faye, and I sure as fuck did not settle for you. You saved me, Red.” He plants a fierce kiss on my lips. “More than that, your love makes me whole. You complete me, and I’m going to prove it to you. I’m going to show you every day from now on through my actions. You are never going to doubt me or us ever again.” Taking my hand, he holds it over his chest. “That’s a promise.”
A heaviness lifts from my chest as he urges me to stand. His arms go around me, and we stand in the middle of my office, hugging and clinging to one another, and every second in his arms reassures me we can get through this. “We lost our way, but we’ll rediscover our path.”
“Damn fucking straight.” Brad eases back, still keeping his arms around my back. “I love you, Rachel. You mean everything to me.”
“I love you too,” I say through blurry eyes.
We move at the same time, and a soothing warmth settles deep in my bones the instant our lips collide. Brad kisses me like we have all the time in the world, holding me like I’m precious cargo. Every glide of his lips against mine lifts another layer of stress from my shoulders, and I wish we were alone, that I could take him to bed and make love to him, because the need to reconnect in the most intimate way is riding me hard. I need to touch him and feel his touch. To remember how good we are together when we haven’t lost sight of what’s most important—each other.
“No more distance. No more not talking to one another. We turn over a new page, starting right now,” he says, staring adoringly at me while tucking a piece of my hair behind my ear.
“I would really like that.”
“I made a lunch reservation for us at Toscana. Why don’t we talk more there and then head home early? Ky and Faye are taking the kids overnight.”
“You spoke to him.”
He nods. “I did. I wish I’d done it sooner. He helped kick my ass into gear. I should have taken action weeks ago. You needed me to man up, and I let you down, but I swear I won’t let you down again.”
“Let’s agree not to blame one another. Yes, there are lessons we need to take from this, but we both chose not to communicate. To ignore what we both could see was happening. We let work take over every aspect of our lives. We know what’s wrong, and we’re committed to working together to fix it. Let’s look forward, not back.”
“My wife is so fucking smart and one of the most compassionate people I know,” he says, melting my heart. He kisses the corner of my mouth. “She’s also completely fucking gorgeous and sexy as sin. I’m as hot for her as I was the day I married her.”
“She sounds like an amazing person.”
“She truly is.” He kisses me softly. “She’s the most incredible woman I have ever met, and I’m so lucky to call her mine.”
A wide grin spreads over my mouth. “My husband adores his family, and he works so hard to provide for us. He has a good heart, and he’s pretty easy on the eyes too.”
“Is that so?” Brad smirks as his hand moves lower, his fingers sweeping across my ass. “Should I be worried?”
I tighten my arms around his neck. “Not for a second. I only have eyes for you, and I love I get to call you mine.”
“Grab your shit, and let’s go.”
I kiss him again. “I have missed kissing you. Missed making love to you. I have felt so lonely.”
“Me too, but never again.”
Brad puts my beautiful flowers in a vase of water while I fix my hair and makeup. Then I grab my bag, and we head out of my office, hand in hand. “I won’t be back until Monday,” I tell Majella as we pass through reception.
“Hold all calls unless it’s an emergency,” Brad adds, sliding his arm around my shoulders. “My wife deserves a well-earned break.”
“That she does.” Majella smiles at us. “Don’t worry about a thing, Rachel. I will handle everything. Enjoy some time with your husband and those adorable kids of yours. I’ll see you Monday.”
The instant the elevator doors slide closed, Brad is on me, pushing me up against the wall and kissing me hard. His hands skim up and down my body, and it feels like I’m alive for the first time in months. I grab handfuls of his ass as we devour one another, and I’m giggling as we stumble out onto the pavement with swollen lips and matching cheesy grins.
We hold hands as we walk to the restaurant, stealing kisses and hugs, and it feels like I’m falling in love with my husband all over again.
We are seated at our usual table in the restaurant, at the back, and we quickly place our orders. I snuggle into my husband, and his arm automatically snakes around my shoulders, holding me close. “I have missed this kind of intimacy. It got to the point where I was nearly afraid to touch you.”
“I was the same, and I’m going to make up for lost time.” He leans in and kisses me. “I love kissing you, and I still get butterflies whenever you touch me.”
“Ditto, babe,” I say, beaming at the waiter as he pours wine into our glasses.
“I want to discuss something with you. It’s to do with my job.”
“Okay.”
