Page 60 of Soaring and Steadfast

But before he could take another step, Lila hesitated. There was something in her eyes, something unreadable but deep, something that made his stomach tighten with anticipation.

“What?” he asked, brow furrowing.

She tilted her head, her lips curving in that secretive way that made his breath catch.

“The carrot cake is inourapartment,” she murmured, pointing at the other building.

His heart stopped.

His brain barely registered the words before he turned to face her fully, staring at her as if he’d misheard.

“Our… what?” he breathed, the world tilting on its axis.

“I moved,” she said simply, giving a casual shrug, but the sideways glance, the warmth in her eyes, the teasing edge in her smile—they told him everything.

The air left his lungs in a rush. “You’re kidding,” he whispered, his pulse hammering against his ribs.

She just shook her head, her gaze never leaving his.

His throat tightened, and he reached for her, cupping her face as if grounding himself as if making sure she wouldn’t disappear. “You’re here,” he rasped, wonder and disbelief bleeding into his voice. “For good.”

She nodded.

“You’re mine from here on out…” His voice cracked, raw and full of emotion. “Every night. Every morning.”

A single word slipped from her lips, soft and certain, filling the space between them with something sacred.

“Always.”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

LILA

The moment Louis understood her secret about the apartment, the world around them seemed to shift. The air between them thickened, charged with an electricity so intense it was nearly suffocating. Her calm, steady, and sweet husband—the man who always carried himself with such careful restraint—had just had his world turned upside down.

And it showed.

His breath hitched. His hands clenched at his sides. He closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, as if trying to steady himself, but when he opened them again, something in his gaze nearly stole the breath from her lungs. A fire burned there, an unspoken promise, a desire so deep it could set entire cities ablaze.

“I hope you weren’t joking about wanting children.” His voice was low, rough, nearly breaking.

“I wasn’t.” The words came out barely above a whisper. Lila took a single step forward, and instantly, she saw something in his expression snap.

‘Sweet’ was a double-edged sword with Louis, she was learning. One minute, he was gentle, tender, the kind of manwho spoke with warmth and held her as if she were the most precious thing in existence. But the next… oh, the next second was when he unraveled, when the careful restraint fell away, when his kisses stole the very breath from her body and left her craving more.

He didn’t hesitate.

“Screw the bags,” he murmured, his voice unsteady, raw, as he scooped her into his arms without effort, his grip firm and possessive. She gasped, clutching at his shoulders as he strode forward with purpose. “Which one?”

“Ground floor,” she managed to say, but her heart was hammering so hard she barely recognized her own voice.

“Good. Stairs are overrated.”

“My thoughts exactly…”

“Keys?”

“Got ‘em.”

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