Page 78 of All The Happily Ever Afters

“What’s wrong, Catherine?” I ask her in a soft voice. “Did I hurt you?” I already know I did. It was her first time. I know she’s going to be sore.

Her body relaxes some as she gently shakes her head and replies, “No, it felt good.” Just good? She felt like fucking heaven. I knew she would feel like that. She tacks on, “Really good,” and a small smile plays at her lips.

“What’s bothering you, kitten?” I nudge her chin with the tip of my nose, and she turns in my arms to finally look at me.

“I’m scared.” Her confession puts my guard on high alert. Whatever her worry is, I’ll ease it for her.

“Tell me why,” I say and keep her gaze, willing her to tell me the truth.

“I don’t know what this is.” Her voice cracks, and it breaks my heart that she’s so insecure. I can’t blame her. I fucking jumped on her the second I got her back here. It was selfish of me. I run my thumb along her bottom lip and think about what I should tell her.

I finally settle on the truth. “It's whatever you want it to be.” I’ll take whatever she’s willing to give me. Maybe that makes me pussy-whipped. But I don’t care. I just want her.

“Do you want me still?” she asks with a pained voice, and her eyes shining with vulnerability.

A soft smile turns my lips up and I lean down to kiss the tip of her nose. “I finally got a taste of you, I’m not letting go now.”

“What if I want more than just sex?” she asks while looking down at the comforter and picking at nonexistent loose threads. Relief flows through me.

“That’s what you’re worried about?” I ask her, cupping her chin and tilting her face so she has to look at me.

“I--” she starts to say something, but then she moves her head out of my grip and looks away as she haltingly says, “I think I’ve loved you for a long time, Ryker.”

My heartbeat slows, and my skin heats. I don’t use that word,love. I don’t believe in it. One minute my parents loved me, and the next they hated me. I know I need to say something to her to ease her worries, but I don’t believe in that word. I splay my hand across her belly and pull her small body closer to mine. I kiss the crook of her neck gently. “I’ve wanted you for years, Catherine. Not just in my bed and screaming my name. But I wanted you next to me. I wanted to be good enough for you. I wanted to be the man who deserved to have you.” She looks up at me with her big doe eyes like she doesn’t believe me, but it’s true. Every word. “I don’t know that I am right now. But I’m working hard to be that man, and I want you. Not just for tonight, and not just for sex. I want you to be mine. Period.”

She surprises me as she takes my face in her hands and kisses me with a passion I wasn’t expecting. It’s a sweet kiss, but there’s more to it than that. It’s like all restraint has left her. There’s nothing holding us back.

I pull away just slightly and nip her bottom lip. I look into her eyes and see nothing but happiness. That’s better. I want her to be happy.

I let out a yawn and almost tell her to go to sleep, but then a thought pops into my head.

“How are you gonna tell your father?” I ask her. That worries me. Her father never liked me. Not that many parents did back then. And not that I could blame him.

She giggles. “He’s gonna have a fucking heart attack. But he’ll get over it.”

“You think it’ll be that easy, huh?” I’m not looking forward to that family dinner. My heart clenches in my chest. I can’t split her up from her parents. They were good to her, and they were right to keep me away from her. I don’t want to keep her from having something that I’m missing out on.

“I’m all grown up now, Ryker,” she says with a hint of humor. “Besides, you should’ve seen my last boyfriend.”

My body goes tense. I don’t like the thought of her with someone else. “I’m kidding!” she says with a wide smile before nuzzling into my chest.

I let my body relax and run my hand down her side. My fingers trail along her skin and give her the shivers. I let out a small chuckle.

“Dad might never approve, but he’ll get over it.” I nod once at her words. That’s true. And I’ll do my best to show them I’ve changed. “What matters is that I want you.”

I smile at her words. That pride fills my chest again.

It’s a feeling I don’t get often, and I want it every day from here on out.

“You have no idea how much I wanted you,” she confesses. But I do. I knew she wanted me, but back then it wouldn’t have been good for her. I wouldn’t have been good for her.

I huff a laugh. “Well I’ve got a hold on you now, kitten.” I kiss the tip of her nose. “And I’m not gonna let go.”

EPILOGUE

Ryker

Two years later

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