Page 221 of One Big Little Secret

“Every single time,” I rasp, bringing my lips home.

Oh, shit.

She tastes like new beginnings, all salt and fading sadness and the cinnamon-orange scent ofSalem Hopper.I don’t need some expensive perfume like her friend’s company cranks out to get harder than a diamond just from breathing this woman.

I only need her.

Every brittle, broken piece.

If I have my way this time—if I have a second chance—I won’t leave her worn. I’ll keep her together, safe and whole, complete in a way she’s never been. I’ll also make her damn tired of hearing how much I love her.

She lets out a small gasp, almost a moan. I practically forget what I came here to do.

As much as I want to sneak back inside before the others notice and fuck her senseless, there’s something else I need to say first.

“For the record, I made one more mistake,” I whisper against her mouth, pulling away just long enough to see her dark eyes consumed with the same need roaring in my blood. “I should’ve told you I loved you a hell of a lot sooner.”

Her jaw pinches tightly. She trembles in my arms, pushing back so she can read my eyes.

I give her the truth, and nothing but, standing silently until she answers with a smile. “I was a little shocked. I thought you’d never say it.”

“We’ve already established I fucked up, woman. Do you forgive me?”

With a solemn look, she plants her feet against the ground and presses her hands into my shoulders like she’s about to say something heavy. I slide my hands to her waist and wait.

“I forgive you, Patton—but only if you forgive me for freaking out and getting scared. It’s hard to get past that when it’s all I’ve ever done my whole life.”

“Done,” I whisper.

“Me too.” Her smile sharpens. “I’m done being a black cat. I want this. I wantyou. I even stood up to my parents. They flew in when they heard about Arlo, begging me to move in with them… I couldn’t have fought back before. Not before you.”

“I’m proud of you,” I whisper, leaning down to kiss her again, but she pushes a finger against my lips.

“I wasn’t finished. Because I don’t just love you back. You… you drive me wild. Some days, I want to strangle you. But despite that, I can’t stop thinking about you and the family we could be. I know this won’t be easy, but that’s also what makes it so, so good. I want to stand my ground. I want to fight for this, Patton, for you and me and Arlo. No more escape attempts or sudden freak-outs, I promise.” She takes her hands off my shoulders and cups my face with a sweetness that resonates in my bones.

“Big words. You sure about that, Lady Bug?”

“Yes! I’m positive I can’t do anything else,” she whispers. “Because I’m in love with you, dork. Plus, Arlo will kill me someday if he finds out I messed things up with his hero.”

I chuckle with a warmth that ripples through me.

That’s it, right there.

Everything I hoped for and more—what I was counting on her saying—but hearing it hits different. It’s like seeing a painting of a gorgeous sunset versus witnessing the real deal in person.

It turns out, loving someone else and telling them is the strongest drug known to man, and dangerously addictive.

Hearing it with the joy in her voice and the tears in her eyes isn’t enough.

I want to hear it forever.

I want to watch the shape of her lips as she speaks every syllable.

I want to whisper it back to her when I’m balls deep inside her, making her look at me before her body convulses.

What started as pure temptation has become a brute need like air and water. But first, there’s one more thing.

“Salem,” I growl, slipping a hand into my pocket and pulling out the small box I brought home. “Being away from you made me realize how much you mean to me. It also made me hate how much time we’ve wasted.”

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