Page 117 of Hate to Love You

I suck in a deep breath, unsure of where to begin. I’ve traveled all this way to tell him how I feel and the words that need to be spoken are stuck in my throat. Tears fill my eyes, and I have to blink them away. Brody reaches over and scoops me out of the chair, hauling me onto his lap. Surprised by the movement, I stare at him with wide eyes.

There’s a slight twist to his lips as his arms snake around my body and press me close. His voice is low and just like always, it strums something deep inside me. “Jesus Christ, Davies. You’re killing me over here. Just say the damn words and put us both out of our misery.”

The thick tension that had choked the life out of me dissolves.

Believe it or not, I giggle. Tears splash onto my cheeks and stream down my face. I swipe at them with the back of my hand. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

He smirks and shakes his head. My heart flips over in my chest. Did I ever think he would look at me like that again?

I wasn’t sure. I was so afraid I’d lost him.

Before I can open my mouth and say anything, his fingers attack my ribs. I shriek with laughter so loudly that it causes people to turn and glance our way. But I don’t care about the unwanted attention. I only care about the man holding me in his arms.

“Say the words, Davies. Or we can sit here all night long, and I’ll tickle you until you pee your pants.”

He’ll do it, too. But that’s not why I’ll say the words. I’m going to tell him everything that’s in my heart because it’s the truth and he needs to hear it. He needs to know just how much I care about him.

“I love you, Brody,” I say between gasping breaths. “I love you so much.”

His eyes go soft and his fingers still. I loop my arms around his neck and tug him close so that I can press a kiss to his lips.

“I love you, too.” He leans his forehead against mine but still holds my gaze. “You mean everything to me. You know that, right?”

“Yes.” How could I not? Even before he told me the night he surprised me with dinner, he showed me in a hundred different ways each and every day. It kills me that I caused him one moment of pain. “I’m so sorry for hurting you,” I say with sincerity. “I thought letting you go was the best thing for you.”

A shadow passes over his eyes. “I know what my dad did. I’m sorry he put you in that position.”

I exhale a breath, relieved that everything is out in the open. “I should have told you right away. But…I was afraid it would cause problems between the two of you. He’s all you have.”

“Don’t worry about my dad. We’re solid. He needs to learn to back off, that’s all. We’ll be fine.” He sobers, becoming more serious. “Just promise you’ll never keep anything from me again. If there’s something that needs to be discussed, we’ll sit down and hash it out. These last couple of days without you…” He shakes his head and grimaces. “They were a killer. I don’t want to go through that again. Promise me.”

“I promise, Brody.” I drop my gaze. “I’m so sorry.”

“The only thing that matters is that you’re here in my arms where you belong.”

I sigh and lay my head against his strong chest.

He’s absolutely right.

This is exactly where I belong. With him. Always.

“Good. Now that we’ve straightened that out, we can move on to the next order of business.” He shifts me around in his arms and gets to his feet.

I frown. What’s he talking about? “We have business?”

“Damn right, we do.” With me held securely in his arms, he walks with a determined stride toward the elevators. “You’re going to make the last couple of days up to me.”

Holding back a grin, I arch a brow instead. “Oh, am I?”

Heat flares to life in his eyes. My tummy trembles in response. I don’t know how he does it. All it takes is one look, and my panties melt.

“Yep, and you’re going to start by doing that little swirly thing with your tongue that I love so much.”

I burrow against his strength, feeling more content than I ever have. “I thought you liked when I…” leaning toward him, I whisper in his ear.

He groans. “Fuck, baby…you know I love that, too.”

“Yup, I do.” I slant my eyes at him as a smug expression settles on my face. “I guess it’s a good thing for you that I’ve finally learned what to do with my mouth.”

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