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He’s behind me now. So close the heat from his body seeps through my clothes and I want nothing more than to have him hold me. Gripping my shoulders, he kisses the back of my head.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ryan came by the bar tonight. He saw the article.”
His muscles tense up slightly before he releases a breath, relaxing again.
“What did he say, baby?” He loops his arms around my waist and I lean into him. Tears build in my eyes. But it’s not from the fear or anger I was feeling just a few seconds ago. It’s from the intense relief of being in Nix’s arms.
“Well, first he called me a bitch then he said that I was his and he was coming for me.”
“What happened to him?” His body is rigid again, anger rolling off him in waves.
“Chance and Storm took care of him.”
“Good,” he growls. “I can’t believe he was stupid enough to say all that to you with so many damn witnesses. Especially after the article.”
“I think he’s losing control, Nix. It makes me even more afraid.”
He squeezes me tighter and plants a kiss on my neck.
“I know, sweetheart.”
Words that Ryan practically drilled into me run through my mind. That he couldn’t live without me, that he needed me. Is all of this my fault?
“I didn’t do this, did I?”
He spins me around in his arms. “Do what, baby?”
“Did my leaving make him like this? Is this all my fault?”
“No!” he barks. “Absolutely not. You listen to me, he screwed up his life. This is all on him.”
“He always said that he needed me. That he would be lost without me. What if this is all my fault?” Now that the thought has entered my mind, I can’t seem to let it go. Could I have prevented all of this? Nix’s arms tighten around me and I look up to see him glaring at me.
“Emma, I want you to listen to me very carefully. None of this is your fault. Not a single thing.”
“But—”
“Not a single fuckin’ thing.”
I chew on my bottom lip as I watch him. It’s hard to convince myself that I’m not responsible in some way. Remembering everything that Ryan did to me helps a little though. Nix is right. Ryan did this to himself. He made these choices.
“Okay,” I finally reply and he releases a breath.
Leaning down, he kisses my forehead and pulls me into him. “Come take a shower with me?” he asks after holding me for a minute.
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
He winks and scoops me up with a playful grin on his face. I can’t take my eyes off him. I love everything about this man, from his sexy smirk to his unending patience with me, and everything in between.
I try to remember a time that I was this happy with Ryan and I can’t think of a single instance. Sure, there are times when I was happy, but not this happy. Sometimes, it feels like I’ve known Nix forever even though we only met a few months ago. I have to wonder if I’m crazy for thinking of a forever with someone I’ve known for such a short time. But this really isn’t something that can be controlled. When it happens, it happens. Love has no time limits or requirements.
“I love you,” I whisper as we enter the bathroom.
His eyes are swimming with so much love that I can feel it. One look from him and I can feel his love, my body soaking it up like a sponge. It’s another thing that lets me know that this thing is real. It would be so easy to lie, for him to say the words that I want to hear, but you can’t fake the love pouring out of his eyes right now. You can’t fake the total devotion on his face, or the way he holds me like he never wants to let me go. It’s so different from the way Ryan used to look at me. Though I didn’t realize it at the time, when he looked at me, he was putting up a front, pretending to love me. I wish I could have seen it then.
“I love you, too, Emma.” He cradles my face in his hands, his thumb stroking over my cheek, and my eyes flutter closed. His lips pressing against mine has my brain shutting off completely, and the world around us fades away. He pulls me even closer, molding my body to his. I moan when his erection presses into my belly and he takes advantage of my parted lips, slipping his tongue in between.
