Page 168 of It's Always Us

Her nose presses into my cheek as her lips move along my jaw, taking her sweet time. The tips of her fingers brush the small black script lettering over my ribs.

I pull back, forcing her to meet my eyes. “Your love . . . it makes me forget.” I rest my forehead against hers. “Nothing can ever erase it and . . . I don’t want it to. It brought me here . . . with you.”

Her eyes stare into mine as if she’s making sure it’s true. She blinks so quickly. “I loved you then . . . so much. But now . . . ”

“I know,” I whisper. And I do. I know because every day I see Bree, I know what she did for me. I feel it every time I watch her with our girls. When she’s waiting for me after a game, the pride in her eyes almost knocks me over. Because I know she’d do it all over again just the same, to give me a chance.

Her arms link around my neck, her body pressing against mine.

“I love you, and it won’t ever be enough,” I whisper.

Her hands move to the sides of my face, her thumb tracing the scar above my eyebrow. Remnants of the last blow, not even close to the worst of them, but symbolizing the end of one kind of darkness only to enter an entirely different kind. Until she came along.

“It was enough to last me eight years apart from you.” Her breath whooshes across my lips. “This . . . what we have, our family . . . it’s more than enough to last me a lifetime and beyond.”

I kiss her, no time for soft and slow. The heat in my belly roars as I toss her onto the bed and find the button on her jeans. Her hands glide over my skin, keeping me close.

Our mouths and tongues move in sync with practiced precision. I grip her waist, needing her.

She laughs, and I lean down to kiss her smiling mouth.

“You know, I was thinking.” My fingers push at her bra.

“Uh, oh.” Her hands move to the sides of my face, angling her mouth over mine, kissing me achingly slow. A distraction technique, maybe.

Not going to work. I brace myself above her. “Nice try.”

She smiles, biting her bottom lip.Damn her.I hold her wrists, making sure she knows I mean business.

“Don’t even say it, Mark,” she warns, but I’ve never been good with caution.

She pulls up, gently biting my lower lip. It’s another nice attempt to deter me.

“I was thinking . . . ” She closes her eyes, lying perfectly still. I kiss her just below her ear. “That.” Her cheek. “You.” My lips move over her skin. “Need that Mustang tattoo.”

Her eyes flick open.

I place kisses over her body with every shred of patience I can muster. My turn for torture. “Right . . . here.” My lips run along her ribs right underneath her heart. “Just a tiny one.”

She exhales slowly and smiles, one that pulls all the way to her eyes. “Maybe I should.”

“What’d you think I was going to say?” I know exactly what she thought, and it’s not that I’m not thinking it.

Her arms link around my neck, smashing my body to hers. “Don’t even pretend you’re not ready to give Sean and Shane a run for their money.”

I grin. “Oh, I am. But baby, I’m saving up for round two. I plan on practicing. A lot.” I brush my lips to hers. “Next time, I’m shooting for three.”

LEX

One Year Later

“Would you shut up?”

“Man, one more comment like that, and I’m burning yours to a crisp.” Mark points the metal spatula at Shane, turning back to the grill. He picks up right where he left off, singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’,” directed at Hank, the oldest of Maggie’s siblings that she and Shane have cared for.

I glance at him, and he looks like he’s one second away from ditching us and booking an early flight to London.

“Come on, man.” Mark is disturbed. “You’re Hank Matthews. The young David Beckham. Shit. You’d probably be a better quarterback.”

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