“There’s no one else I could imagine as the mother of my children. With you… I can’tnotimagine having a family.”
His gaze holds mine, steady and certain.
“I want everything, Talia. Everything you’re willing to give me.”
My knees feel weak.
He slides one hand down to my waist and pulls me against him, slowly, giving me time to resist if I want to.
I don’t. I go willingly.
I fold into him like my body has been waiting to hear exactly this.
His arms wrap around me, solid and warm and sure.
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he murmurs into my hair.
I let out a shaky breath against his chest. “I’m sorry I ran.”
His hand moves slowly up and down my back, the motion soothing.
“It’s okay,” he murmurs into my hair. “You were scared.”
I pull back just enough to look up at him.
“You came after me.”
“Yeah.”
“You found me.”
His mouth twitches. “You’re not hard to track when you leave your evidence in my guest bathroom.”
Despite everything, I laugh.
His expression softens again at the sound.
Then I say the thing that’s been clawing at my chest for weeks.
“I love you too.”
The words rush out of me, like they’ve been waiting at the edge of my mouth for too long. “I love you so much—”
I want to say more, but—
He kisses me. Like he can’t help himself.
His mouth is soft and warm, tasting faintly of mint.
Relief surges through me so fiercely it feels like a second heartbeat.
When he pulls back, his nose brushes mine.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he says.
I believe him.
That’s the astonishing thing.
