Page 139 of The Twilight Theft

He laughed quietly, that gorgeous smile of his lighting up his face. “With chocolate hazelnut inside, yes.”

“All right.” I gave him a curt nod, failing miserably at looking serious. “I’ll move in with you.”

The oven beeped, but Drew leaned in, pressing his lips to mine.

“Is that seriously an oven timer again?”

His tongue traced my upper lip. “Let it burn.”

“If those are my croissants…”

He grabbed an oven mitt, pulled the baked goods from the upper wall oven without checking for doneness, and dropped them unceremoniously on the counter. All while keeping his gaze fixed on me. “You didn’t take off this time.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck and sighed. “Turn off the stove, too. We’ve got two weeks to make up for, roomie.”

He flicked it off and moved the pot. “No more standing still?”

“It’s never been my strong suit.”

He grabbed me by the waist and lifted me to the counter.

I was caged in between a cheese plate, a cooling rack covered in chocolate chip cookies, and my boyfriend. Life was pretty good.

Drew picked up a cookie and held it out for me. Still warm, it was soft and chewy. Sweet, with a surprise of something nutty inside. The chocolate dripped out as he pulled it away from me. “You like?”

“I love.” I took it from him and put it back on the rack, then draped my arms around his neck. Food wasn’t what I wanted.

He stepped between my legs and stared into my eyes, the corner of his sexy lips drawing up slowly. “Was there another word to come after that?”

The last time I’d said it was probably to my mom or my sister when I said goodbye. Before that would have been Tanner.I love youdidn’t hold good memories for me.

“Jayce Monroe…” Drew’s hands skimmed up my thighs to my waist. “You told me you wanted someone who wanted you. Just you, and not things you can give them.”

I nodded. Where was he going with this?

“Well, I want two things from you.” His thumbs brushed lazy circles over my shirt, his intense gaze not faltering. “Your honesty and your love. Do you think you can give me those?”

Could Drew and I make new memories? Here in this huge house, just the two of us? Or traveling the world, working for Reynolds Recoveries? Part of my brain wanted to make a crack about lacking a filter between my brain and my mouth, so the honesty part was always easy.

Instead, I savored the butterflies swirling around my stomach and leaned in. No more leaping away. I inhaled deeply, the scent of leather and sandalwood mixing with the aroma of baked goods. “Okay, maybe ‘you’ goes at the end.”

“I think we need to add vulnerability to that list of what I want.” He pulled me closer to the edge of the counter, so we were nearly flush. “And in case there’s any doubt, I love you, too.”

Then he finally kissed me.

His tongue slid into my mouth and caressed mine, a low moan deep in his throat warming me from the inside out. He tasted like chocolate chips and fine red wine. Like expensive coffee with a dash of vanilla and a hint of forever.

Maybe it was a dream. Maybe it wasn’t.

I’d take it either way.

Because I had my man. And he was the best damn dream I’d ever had.

---