“I—”
My feet leave the floor and I squeal. I’m in his arms a beat later, and my hands gravitate to his jawline.
Blue eyes drop down, pinning me where I’m suspended. “I missed you, London. But I know you had things to take care of.”
“I did.”
He pads for the door, and a moment later it swings open. “You about done?”
“Absolutely, sir.”
“Oh, this isn’t going to end well for you, baby,” he says with a chuckle, and there it is, his smile that steals the air from my lungs.
“Promise?” I weave my hands into his hair, coaxing his mouth toward mine.
“Always,” he breathes.
The door slams behind us as Petal flies from her bed.
His mouth crashes to mine.
Chapter 32
MILES
Aman can never actually hold his beating heart between his hands. Our palms will never feel the beat of the life force that keeps us alive. But London in my arms is pretty damn close.
Her lips on mine feels like I’ve made it past the mundane and into some place ethereal. Fine fingers tug at my hair as I stumble my way to the bathroom.
Petal is jumping up, desperate to see her mama.
Sorry girl, you’ll have to wait.Daddy has plans for this woman in his arms. Many, many plans.
Plans—well, dreams—I thought were lost until about five minutes ago. The weight of grieving what we had was starting to become too heavy. So now, with London in my arms, I feel... whole.
Whole and lighter.
My sneakers squeak over the bathroom tile, and I set her down. She’s exploring my face, like we’ve been apart so damn long she’s just now learning it all over again. My heart swells.
“Beautiful, this old man needs a shower.”
Her pert nose screws up as she pretends to sniff me.
I chuckle. “You’ll keep, yeah?”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’ll join you.”
Not what I was?—
Her hands are tugging at the hem of my running shirt. I lift my arms and she’s on her tiptoes, pulling the shirt over my head. She kneels, big brown eyes looking up at me as her fingers curl around my shoelaces and loosen them. When I’m shoeless, she taps my calf, and I lift it. She peels one sock off and then the other.
My shorts go next and then my briefs, until I’m bare. Heart on my damn sleeve for this incredible woman who walked through fire, reset her compass, and came home, all at the same time.
I’ll never be more grateful for the blessings she’s sent my way just by returning the love I’ve craved from the start. And for her to choose us twice...
My blood bounds through my veins.
She hesitates, still on her knees.
