Page 78 of Beautiful Harmony

She grinned. “Baby, you’re so deep, you’re in the Mariana Trench.”

He pulled her into his arms. “What I’m trying to say and royally fucking up is that I, for one, appreciate your dedication to fellatio.”

She laughed again. “You’re welcome?”

He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip before kissing her until she gripped his t-shirt and rubbed her pelvis against his growing erection.

He pulled back and said, “So, did you want to watch something on Hulu or…”

“Are you serious right now? You can’t kiss me like that and then expect me to want to watch some stupid show.”

His smile was adorable. “I’m worried you might be too sore.”

“I’m not,” she said. “But you’re sweet for being worried.”

He studied her, his voice turning low and soft. “You’re one of my best friends, Em. Of course, I would be worried. I never want you to be sad or upset or hurt.”

She touched his face with her fingertips, her throat aching at the emotion in Lucas’s voice. She rarely cried, and certainly never in front of anyone, but she could feel the tears threatening to appear.

He turned his head and kissed her palm before smiling at her. “You’re so beautiful, Em.”

Cold reality dashed over her. “Don’t say that to me, Lucas.”

He frowned. “Why not?”

“Because it isn’t true, and I hate it when you lie to me.”

She tried to step away, and he tightened his arm around her waist and, before she could stop him, swept her hair back from her left cheek and cupped her face. “I’m not lying, Emma.”

“Please don’t touch my face,” she said, pushing his hand away.

“Please don’t ask me not to,” he said.

“Lucas…”

He pressed a kiss against her mouth. “Please, Emma,” he breathed. “Let me look at you.”

She tried not to flinch when Lucas tucked her hair behind her left ear. She wanted to close her eyes, but she couldn’t look away from Lucas, couldn’t stop staring at him as he studied her face. She felt horribly exposed and was on the verge of pulling away when Lucas pressed another kiss against her mouth. His hazel eyes were warm with affection and desire and… love.

He traced her birthmark from her temple, down her cheek, and onto her throat. “You’re so goddamn beautiful, Emma. When I look at you, I see all of you, not just your hair, or your eyes, or your birthmark. Everything about you is gorgeous, and I wish you could see what I see when I look at you. A vibrant, stunning woman who is so fucking smart and talented. A person I’m proud to call a friend.”

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Lucas rubbed it away with his thumb. “You’ve asked me not to call you beautiful, and I have tried my hardest not to, but I can’t do it anymore. Calling you beautiful isn’t a lie, Emma. It’s not me flirting or trying to charm my way into your bed. It’s me telling a woman she takes my fucking breath away with how beautiful she is.”

He caught the second tear with his thumb, smoothing the small drop of moisture into her cheek. “The truth is, you are, and always will be, the most stunning, sexy,beautifulwoman I know.”

She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his throat as he hugged her hard. They stayed like that for nearly five minutes, bodies locked together, their breathing slowing and synchronizing until it felt like they were one.

She kissed his neck and rested her forehead on his shoulder. “Thank you, Lucas.”

He stroked her back with his warm hands but didn’t say anything. She leaned back and smiled at him. “C’mon.”

“Where are we going?”

“The bedroom,” she said. “You’re about to get your dick sucked so fucking hard, you’ll never be the same.”

He laughed and took her hand. “You’re the perfect woman, Emma Richardson.”

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