Page 144 of Ever With Me

He met her gaze and, despite the serious expression on his face, a smile lit his eyes.

She didn’t wait for him to come to the door, running out to greet him instead.

As she threw her arms around his neck, he caught her and hoisted her up and onto his waist. “Hi, baby,” he whispered in her ear, then caught her lips in a deep, thorough kiss.

Maybe there were paparazzi there.

She didn’t give a shit right now.

She pulled back, searching his gaze. Sunset was well on its way and his eyes reflected the golden hue of the sky. “Hungry?”

“Depends on what’s for dinner. You?”

Maddie bit her lip, throwing a glance at the blank faces of the two nearby bodyguards. It was one thing to have them be in their shadows, but these intimate conversations were hard to have in front of them. “Um . . . maybe. I was going to say I made you something.”

Brooks gave her a questioning glance, then threw his head back and laughed. He set her down, then swatted her on the ass as they moved toward the door. “I meant,are you hungry?But now that I know having you for dinner is on the table, I’ll take you up on that.” He held the door for her.

“Having me for dinneron the tablesounds much better than what I made,” she murmured in his ear, then kissed his neck.

He closed the door and pushed her up against it, his hand palming the bare sliver of skin between her crop top and her skirt and sliding to the small of her back. “If you’re going to play sexy housewife, you should think about dressing for the part,” he growled, then nipped her earlobe as he squeezed her breasts, hard.

She pulled the knot on his tie down, her lips inches from his. “Maybe I am. Or maybe I’m not wearing anything at all under this skirt.”

His eyes glimmered with pleasure, then he slid his hand from her back, down her waistband and over her bare ass. He groaned, his knees buckling ever-so-slightly as he pressed into her. “God, I love you.”

She didn’t mean to freeze at the words, but she did.

What?

He loves me?

He drew her chin between his thumb and forefinger, searching her gaze as though it had just dawned on him he’d said what he’d been thinking out loud.

I love you.

I love you.

“I love you, too,” she whispered.

Their mouths came together in a kiss, slow and lingering, her heart racing as his arms swept her against him tightly.

Brooks loves me.

But she knew that.

He’d been so worried a few nights ago after the fishing trip, ready to leave everything and make himself miserable because of his fears and need to take everything on himself.

Yet he’d stayed.

She’d needed him, and he’d stayed.

And then he’d agreed to her long-distance plan, which meantforeverseemed like a possibility now.

I love this man so much.

Lifting her into his arms, Brooks carried her into the bedroom. He slowly disrobed them both, then made love to her, lingering over her body, his mouth and hands caressing her, his gaze and words worshipping her. Not frantic, or hot and heavy, but sweet yet soul-achingly sexy, their fingers intertwined, bodies consumed with one another’s.

And absolutely perfect.

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