We didn’t need to.
Then he looked down at our hands.
“You know I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart squeezed.
“I know.”
“I should have said it years ago.”
“You’re saying it now.”
He looked at me.
Serious.
Steady.
“I want more than now.”
My breath caught.
He lifted my hand.
Pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
“I want mornings here. I want to fix fences you probablydon’t need fixed. I want to annoy your dad until he admits he likes me.”
I smiled.
“He already likes you.”
“Good.”
“I want you with me,” he continued. “Every day. If you’ll have me.”
The world seemed to go still.
Just the two of us.
The porch swing.
The setting sun.
His hand holding mine.
“I’ll have you,” I whispered.
Beast leaned closer.
Kissed me slowly.
Softly.
Like there was nowhere else he needed to be.
And for the first time since Gerald had come back into my life…
