I’m pretty sure my heart stops.Did she just…?
“You…you what?”
She lifts up onto her toes, a sweet smile on her face, and whispers the words against my lips. “I love you, too, Nico.”
I kiss her then. I can’tnotkiss her.
I press my lips to hers, pouring every ounce of love, relief, joy, and apology into the kiss. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been able to kiss her for the longest time, or maybe it’s because I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to kiss her again, but nothing has ever felt more important than this moment.
I don’t let her go, even when the kiss finally ends. I might even pull her closer. Touching my forehead to hers, I breathe, “God, I missed you. I hated not talking to you. Not touching you. Not seeing you.”
She shifts even closer, her smile still in place as she melts against me. “I missed you, too,” she says quietly. “So much.”
I could stay like this forever, but a moment later, she pulls back slightly and says, “There’s something I need to tell you.” Before I can panic overthat, she says quickly, “I’m not an escort anymore.”
Surprise mixes with relief. But what comes out is a breathless, “Thank fuck.” I attempt an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, I don’t want to start off a relationship with rules, and Iespeciallywant you to tell me to fuck off when it’s appropriate, but I’ll be honest: I don’t think I could have handled you sleeping with other men.”
I wince at my own words and try to defend myself. “I mean,maybeI could come to terms with it if it was a sexual empowerment thing, but I’m 99% sure you hated it, so I feel like I can?—”
Her hand covers my mouth. She’s smiling, looking at me adoringly. And I relax a bit.
“You would’ve been well within your rights to ask me to stop, Nico. I don’t think I could have handled you with another woman, either.”
I perk up at that, a grin sliding across my face as I pull her hand away. “No? Interesting. I wonder what jealous Scarlett looks like.”
She quirks an eyebrow. “Flirt with another girl and find out.”
My laughter is loud, my chest filling with warmth as I tighten my arms around her. “I would never. I only have eyes for you, Red.”
A hum leaves her chest as she beams up at me and wraps her arms around my neck again. “Good.” But then her smile slips and she says in a soft voice, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”
I grow serious at her words. Before I can respond, she hurriedly adds, “Ishouldhave told you. Especially since I pulled back on clients weeks ago. As soon as I started having feelings for you.” She looks up at me, a plea in her eyes. “I’m sorry I ever made you doubt that I had feelings for you,” she whispers.
A breath rushes out of me. “Oh, baby, no…” Taking her face in my hands, I tilt it up so she can see the truth in my eyes when I say, “That was never your burden to carry. My doubts weremyissue. You never need to apologize for my own blindness.”
When she sniffles, still looking unsure, I press a kiss to her lips. “Because Iwasblind,” I say softly, my forehead touching hers. “You made your feelings obvious in a dozen different ways. I was just too scared to pick up on them.”
Thankfully, that seems to reassure her, because she pushes up on her toes to kiss me again.
“I bet none of them were as obvious as that picture your mom took of us,” she says with a light laugh.
I quirk an eyebrow as I pull her over to my couch. “Agree to disagree on that. Baby, you told me your real name on our fourth date.”
It’s cute, how stunned she looks as I tug her into my lap. “Wow. I guess you’re right. For all I knew, you could’ve been a serial killer.”
I nuzzle into her neck, wondering if I can cancel my plans for the next century to keep her here. “A serial killer who gets off on making your fake orgasms real? Doubtful.”
“Oh my God.” She covers her face with her hands, her shoulders shaking with a silent laugh. “I still can’t believe you caught that.”
“It was how you could tellmyfeelings were growing,” I murmur into her skin.
Scarlett lets out a happy hum as she turns to snuggle into me, and we sit quietly, absorbing finally being together.
But after a moment, I straighten with a sigh. “On the topic of quitting jobs… I officially retired.”
Her eyebrows shoot to her hairline, breath catching. “Really?”
I nod, lifting one hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “You made me realize my heart wasn’t in it. I made the announcement yesterday.”
