“Anything else?”
Tapping a grape along her puckered lips, she rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “I’ll think about it and let you know.”
I tore off a stem of grapes. “You do that. Come on, I need to check on dinner.” I walked to the deck.
“You’re in jeans, no shirt. I’m in a shirt nothing else. What if your neighbors see me?”
“Nobody can see my deck. Come on out.”
“It’s dark and chilly.”
“Come. Here.” I laughed, turning the salmon on a cedar grill plank.
“Oh…” she stepped onto the deck. “It’s warm.”
I pointed to the two heaters on opposite sides and the one mounted above us.
“About five more minutes then I’ll feed you before you ‘wither away.’” Sitting on the end of a lounge chair, I tugged her hand, bringing her to straddle my lap, trying not to focus on her lack of panties.
“Thanks for inviting me for dinner.” She placed a small kiss on my lips.
I nodded, contemplating my next words. Finding any words in the presence of the only woman who managed toleave me speechless was a nearly-impossible feat.
“You look so serious.” She narrowed her eyes.
“Lake Jones…” The words, where were the words and why was I scared out of my fucking mind to say them, but just as scared to not say them? “What would you say if I told you I love you?”
LAKE
Right then.
Right there.
In that moment.
Cage Monaghan turned his head and kissed me on the lips in a proverbial my-heart-felt-the-breath-of-eternity way. I had one goal: to make him turn his head.
I shook mine. “I wouldn’t say anything. You’d leave me speechless.”
He cradled my face. My eyes filled with tears.
“You’re that girl, Lake. Had you not disappeared after that day in Omaha, I would be an elementary school teacher. I would not have chosen this life, because footballismy life now. I don’t know how to balance this anymore, and if I’m honest, I don’t want to balance it. I want to give it up for you. I want being with you to be what I do every day because I swear to God I know I can do it better than anyone else. I love you, Lake. I love you in a way that makes me uncertain of everything in my lifebutyou. I love you in a way that makes me want nothingbutyou.”
It may have looked like my face was in his hands, but it was really my heart. He looked expectantly at me. I had nothing, soI shrugged and let big, fat tears roll down my cheeks.
He kissed away my tears.
“I love… you too.” The words caught in my throat. They’d been there for so long, growing with each day, needing so desperately to be said. Part of me regretted waiting for him to say it. If there was one thing my brush with death taught me, it was the true fragility of life and the importance of saying what matters the very moment it matters.
Ben died and I lived.
And right then, right there… I knew why.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
NANNIES AND NEIGHBORS
Cloud nine carriedme home late that night. I wanted to stay, but I had to be up and ready for Shayna’s nanny, and the guy who made an official claim to the title Man of my Dreams was too much of a distraction. Leaving his bed in the morning would have been impossible after our perfect evening.
