Behind the need, behind all that strength, there’s still a hint of fear.
“You can touch all you want. But I’m gonna keep askin’. Enough you’re gonna yank that towel off just so you can smother me with it.”
Her lips twitch, the smile giving way to a nervous giggle before she sobers. “I’d never smother you, AJ. You’re the reason I remember what it feels like to breathe.”
The knot in my chest loosens a fraction. I shift her off my lap so we can lie down side-by-side, leaving enough space between us for her to make the next move.
“I’m yours, Grace. In whatever way you want.”
She releases the knot on the towel, and her gaze slides down my body, all the way to my dick. Wriggling closer, she presses her lips to mine. There’s no hesitation. No fear. Only the two of us together.
Her hands explore my torso, sketching tentative patterns over my ribs while she trails kisses down to my shoulder.
A drop of precum leaks from my tip. The scent mixes with her arousal, and she stills.
“Grace…” I reach for the towel, ready to cover myself in a heartbeat. “We can stop.”
With a small, steady smile, she lets her fingers brush my shaft. “I know we can. Maybe that’s why I don’t want to. Touch me. Please.”
I kiss her forehead, the tip of her nose, then pause a breath away from her lips. “Here?”
“Yes.”
I linger there, my tongue dancing with hers, until she cups my ass and gives it a squeeze.
My hand shakes as I smooth it down her spine, all the way to the hem of my shirt she’s wearing. “What about here?”
She shudders, but it’s not from nerves. “Yes.”
Undoing the buttons is pure torture. I pause after each one, my gaze finding hers, checking for any sign she’s pushing herself too far, too fast, too soon.
But every time, I see only desire in her eyes.
I help her sit up, ease the flannel from her shoulders, and drink in the sight of her.
I’ve seen her every day. Helped her in and out of the bath, washed her hair, fastened her bra. But every time, I tried to keep things…light. Quick. Gentle.
“You’re so damn beautiful,” I manage over the lump in my throat. “And I’ve missed you. God, I’ve missed you.”
A tear slips down her cheek. “You don’t have to miss me anymore, AJ. I found my way home.”
With a choked sob, I wrap her in my arms, hold her there, memorizing this moment. Every inch of her pressed against me is a vow. She’s still here. Still choosing to fight. Still choosing…me.
The guilt, the grief, and the pain I’ve carried for three years melts against the warmth of her skin, and I find something I thought I’d lost for good.
Hope.
Chapter Forty-Two
Grace
AJ’s lips, tongue, and teeth explore from the shell of my ear, down my neck, and across the hollow of my throat. My body is on fire. Tiny sparks race along my spine. Every part of me aches for him—my heart most of all.
We’re close enough for the heat of him to warm my skin, but with his hands braced on the headboard, he’s barely touching me.
“Please,” I whisper. “I need more.”
I wrap my fingers around his wrist and guide his hand to my breast.
