“Finally,” she whispers softly.
Relief crashes through me so hard it almost drops me to my knees.
Peyton smiles shakily. “Because I’m completely in love with you, too.”
I don’t rememberthe drive home.
But I remember the way she feels in my arms when I carry her up the stairs to the loft, then sit her on my bed.
I squat down in front of her, carefully removing the sandals she wore at the airport. The one she sprained her ankle while wearing.
I remove one, then the other.
Her eyes are soft in the light coming from downstairs.
“Are you sure about this?”
Her hands fist my shirt, pulling me closer. “Never been surer of anything in my life.”
Then she kisses me, showing me exactly how much she means it.
I sigh against her, breathing her in, swallowing her gentle moans as my hands caress the smooth skin exposed above her dress.
My fingers find the zipper, and I begin pulling it down, breaking the kiss to make sure she’s okay with it.
Her fingers reach out, undoing the buttons of my shirt, her eyes flitting between them and me.
I grab her hands, pulling her to her feet.
She slips my shirt over my shoulders.
I pull the straps over her arms, then slide the dress down her hips.
She unbuttons and unzips my pants, letting them fall at my feet.
In unison, she steps out of her dress while I step out of my pants.
I drink in the black lace bra and panties, groaning aloud. “You’re fucking stunning.”
Her hands move to the waistband of my boxers. “So are you.”
Her eyes move from mine to my torso. Her palms glide over my abs, then to the tattoo on my rib.
She reads the words aloud. “Still here.”
My ribs ache phantom-like beneath her touch.
I grab her hand, my blood turning colder. “There’s a story there. But I... can’t explain it now.”
Understanding fills her eyes.
“I just want you.”
Her hands slide behind my neck, and she rises on her tiptoes, kissing me like I’m the air she needs to breathe. Like she knows it’s bad but trusts me enough to tell her about my tattoo when I’m ready.
The fire burning between us explodes into a mixture of longing and need. She yanks my boxers off, then I tear off her bra and panties.
I lift her, setting her onto the center of my bed, my weight pressing her into the mattress, even though I’m balancing most of it on my elbows, never breaking the kiss.
