“I know. And I forgive you,” I said as I pecked his chin.
Ryan cocked his head. “You know?”
“I talked to Lisa. She told me about what happened when you went to her house and she gave you the envelopes.”
“Have you read them?” he asked.
I nodded. “All of them. Many, many times.”
Ryan rolled to his side, but didn’t let me go for long. Before I could blink, he was pulling me into his chest. “How are you feeling about it all?”
I melted into his arms and closed my eyes. It had felt like ages since he held me like this. The ache inside eased instantly. “Shocked but not surprised, I guess.”
“Have you talked to your mom?”
“Yeah. Once.” I let out a shaky breath. “I think it’s going to take me a while to get over it. And I told her that.”
“I’m proud of you,” he said as he wove his fingers through my hair and cradled the back of my head.
“I talked to Amber and Greg, too.” I nuzzled closer, seeking the safety I always felt in his arms.
Ryan tightened around me. “How’d that go?”
“As good as could be expected. I’m not putting any pressure on myself to figure out what the future with them looks like right now.” I found his hand and laced our fingers together. “This is the only future I care about right now.” I looked up and met his eyes. “Did you open the book?”
Ryan nodded. “You didn’t have to put me in the dedication. All you had to do was unblock me so we could have this talk.”
“I wanted to,” I said. “I wrote that book because of you. It’s . . . kind of about us. But if readers ever ask, the answer is that it is a hundred percent fictional.”
His responding laugh was warm and rich. “Your secret is safe with me.” He pressed his lips to my forehead. “I can’t wait to read it.”
“Fair warning, it’s completely unedited. The real version is with my editor. You have the first draft. I had one copy printed. It’s the only one that exists.”
Ryan pushed away just enough to look me in the eye. “I thought you didn’t let anyone read your first drafts?”
“I don’t.”
“But you gave your first draft to me.”
“You’re not just anyone.” I pressed my lips to his in the softest kiss. “You’re disciplined beyond belief. You’re passionate, and you go after everything you want in life without hesitation. You have the best sense of humor. You always put me at ease or brighten a bad day. You’re easygoing and are always up for an adventure. You’re level-headed and even-tempered. You have this . . . this hunger for knowledge. I love the way you want to learn everything and anything. You love people. You love helping them become the best versions of themselves. I know that because I feel like I’m the best version of myself when I’m with you. You’re a somewhat questionable driver, but driving to Kansas with you was the most fun I’ve ever had on a trip that should have been sad. You love with your whole heart and don’t hold anything back. And most of all, you’re mine.”
Ryan’s mouth tugged up in a smile. “Was that ten things you like about me?”
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. “Maybe.”
“Willow Winslet.” Ryan rolled me onto my back and pinned me down. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were trying to Ford Method me. The deliveries to the house—those were the five senses. Blair Dalton’s podcast . . . You set that up so I could shine. You even got to know my mom.”
I lifted my brows. “Is it working?”
“Very much,” he said as he wedged his knee between my legs and pushed them open.
“Then let me tell you two more things,” I gasped as he looked me dead in the eye and cupped my sex in his palm.
“Go on,” Ryan said as those beautiful eyes turned dark.
“You show love with your words and actions. But you receive love by spending time with people.” I whimpered when hesqueezed my breast, kneading it in his hand. “And physical intimacy. Definitely that one.”
A low growl rumbled from his throat. “Big on physical intimacy.”
