Page 93 of Tough Nut to Crack

"I never thought I could have this," she whispers, her throat clogged with emotion.

I turn her in my arms, curling a finger under her chin when she tries to keep her gaze turned down.

"Look at me," I urge. "Know that I'm not going anywhere. Know that when I say I love you, it means I love every part of you, inside and out, and that's never going to change."

She blinks up at me, another round of tears threatening on her bottom lashes.

"I'll prove it every single day for the rest of our lives, but you're going to have to give me a chance to do that. I can't handle the running away and hiding. I don't want you trying to avoid me. I want you to have enough faith in me and enough confidence in us that you know that you can have a tough conversation with me and we're going to survive it. Never be afraid to speak what's on your mind."

"This is what you wanted to talk to me about?"

I dip my head.

"I thought you were going to lay down the law about it being a sex-only arrangement. I thought you saw something on my face that I wanted more from you, and it freaked you out."

"I'll be honest. I am a little freaked out, but only because I've never felt this way before, not because of how I feel. I'm scared I'll mess it up too. We're learning and navigating this together, Riley, and there's not another person walking this earth that I'd want to do this with."

"It sounds too good to be true," she says.

"Isn't that the way true love works?"

"I wouldn't know," she answers, but I take it as a good sign that she no longer seems like she wants to escape my embrace.

"I think that true love makes others want to hurl like they can't get away fast enough."

"That's what it felt like when Madison, Adalynn, and Claire were talking about their significant others this past weekend."

"I avoided the men's get-together because they're all happy and in love and sickeningly sweet on their significant others."

"But that's what you want for us?"

"Without a doubt," I answer without hesitation.

"What now?" she whispers before her teeth close down on the corner of her bottom lip.

I swear this woman could just walk by me, and my body is ready to lay her out on the floor and spend hours worshipping her.

I give her a slow, devious smile. "I have a few ideas."

"Is that right?" she asks, her lips turning up in the corners for the first time since we came into her house. "Tell me more."

"You want me to talk dirty to you, baby?"

"I want to know how you feel, how I make you feel. I hear what you're saying. Believe me, I've locked it all away to mull over later, but I need to know that this is more than just sex."

"I think we're perfect for each other," I say as I shift my weight from one leg to the other.

I don't mind giving her exactly what she needs, but my body is on fire. It's been so long since I've had her under me that I'm finding it rather difficult to pull my mind from that space.

"I love that a salad is a side for you, not the entire meal."

"It depends on the protein content," she says, making laughter bubble out of my throat.

"I can't wait to watch you suck the meat off of a chicken wing because I know exactly what those lips feel like wrapped around my cock.

"That's... graphic," she says with her nose scrunched, but there's still a hint of humor in her eyes.

"I love that you have an appetite both in bed with what I have to offer you and also when we've burned so many calories that you're ready to eat tacos in bed after. When you put on weight while growing our babies, I'll put on weight right along with you."

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