Page 72 of Feel Me

Her pause is dramatic, her brown eyes filling with shock as she takes me in. She didn’t expect me to say what I did. And before her, I never would have. But she’s my everything, even though no woman was supposed to be.

“I thought you didn’t believe in love.”

“There was a lot I didn’t believe in before you,” I admit.

I mean what I say. This whole time without her, it’s as if I’ve been missing a part of my soul. If that’s not love, I’ll be damned if I know what it is.

My knuckles skim over the curve of her waist. “I’ve spent a long miserable month without you, and I’m done,” I tell her. “I don’t want to pretend there’s nothing between us and I don’t want to go forward without you.”

She drops her chin. I’m not sure why until she lifts her face to meet mine. “You haven’t been with anyone else?”

“No.” I stroke her jaw with my thumb as a single tear escapes her eyes. I hate what I’ve done to her and need her to believe me. “You mean more to me than anything and anyone, even my fucking career.”

I adjust our positions so we’re kneeling in front of each other and take her hands in mine. Her hair is a mess, and her makeup is smeared, but I swear to Christ, I’ve never known anyone more beautiful.

“I know I fucked up,” I say, watching her hang on my every word. “And I know that I hurt you. I’m sorry. God, I’m sorry.” My lips sweep over hers, my body and soul begging her to believe me. “But when I say, I love you, I mean it, and I only mean it for you.”

“I love you, too,” she says, her voice trembling. Her fingertips graze along my chest. “I just don’t know where we go from here.”

“From here we show the world,” I say.

I snag onto her waist when we hit a bump and she loses her balance, kissing her again, and again after that. She meets my mouth with equal passion, our hands raking over our bare skin.

She clasps my wrist when my hand slips between her legs. “We need to get dressed,” she stammers, her cheeks flushing a deep red.

“I’m not ready to,” I say, brushing the tips of my fingers along her inner thigh.

She whimpers, her lashes fluttering. “Later,” she says. “I promise.”

Her lips crash on mine. It takes a hell of a lot of effort for us to break apart but we finally do. I lead her back to the rear seat, picking up our discarded clothes along the way and laughing as we sort through the pieces.

I yank on my briefs and pants, my stare passing along her face and those curves that heated beneath my touch.

She notices, flashing me a teasing grin as she slips her hearing aids back on. “Will you zip me up?” she asks, giving me her back and gathering her dress around her.

“Only because you’re asking me,” I say, trailing kisses between her shoulder blades.

She moans. “You’re really making it hard to stay dressed.”

I finish pulling up the zipper. “Good. Remember that when we’re back at my apartment tonight.”

“Tonight?” she asks.

“Yes, tonight.” She sounds surprised I want her with me, not that I blame her. I’ve been a total ass, but now that I have my shit together, I’m going to prove what she means to me.

“I still have your things at my place.” I wrap my arms around her. “Say you’ll stay with me.”

“I’ll stay,” she says, so quietly, I barely catch it.

I start to pull her in for another kiss when I realize where we are. “Shit. We’re almost there.”

Panic spreads across her features as she adjusts her breasts beneath her dress. “Oh, no.” Her head jerks to the side. “Do you know where my panties are?”

“Nope. Haven’t seen them since I ripped them off with my teeth.”

“Declan!”

I scramble to the floor, searching for what I recall is a thong. I glance over my shoulder. “You sure you need underwear?”

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