Page 143 of Bossy Hero

I take the paperback from her hand, tossing it to the side so I can grab her. “Aww, come on, gorgeous. Don’t be mad. I’m taking an interest in your hobbies. I thought you’d be happy about it. I think it’s kind of hot that you read sexy romance books. Maybe we can read some together.”

In response to my persistent tugging at her arm and waist, she slowly eases onto my lap. I settle my hands around her waist, encouraging her to straddle me.

Once she’s in place, I bare my teeth at her and make an over-the-top hissing sound. With one hand around her nape, I dive in, pretending to bite her neck. “Ivontto suck your blood.”

Her laughter fills the room as she squirms on my lap, attempting to pull away.

“Ah, ah, ah, Maddie. You’re not going anywhere. For the vampire king must feast on your lifeblood.”

I go back in for more, nipping and kissing her neck, barely able to contain my own laughter. She writhes and bucks in response to my tickling.

“Easy there, sexy,” I caution her, bringing both hands to her waist to halt her movement. “You keep grinding on me like that, and my manhood will be throbbing.”

“Oh no.” She mock gasps, hand to her chest. “But will I give myself to you willingly?”

“I’ve been fucking wondering that for years and years, Maddie.”

She flexes her hips, a devilish glint flickering behind her enchanting blue eyes. “You already have me willingly and then some.”

My head falls back against the couch cushion, affording me a better view of her body swaying over me. “Is that right?”

She leans forward, chasing my mouth. “You know I’m yours, right?”

In an instant, the vibe changes. It’s no longer flirty and fun. It’s more. The way she holds my stare telegraphs her meaning explicitly. She’s genuinely asking how I see her. How I see... us.

It feels as if I’ve climbed another flight of stairs in my quest for her heart. This time, instead of running away from me, she paused at the next landing, waiting for me to catch her.

I answer truthfully. “It’s getting easier to believe now that we’re not hiding our relationship.” I fill my lungs, my eyes searching hers. “I’m sorry for how it happened, but I don’t regret being outed. Do you?”

Her face goes lax, and her body stills. She doesn’t speak, and for the first time in a while, I struggle to get a read on her. My hands flex around her waist as I wordlessly encourage her to respond.

“I’ve hidden something from you since the night I was shot.”

My breathing slows, but my gut is calm as a lake at dawn. In her eyes, I see that what she’s about to say is significant. Yet I’m not scared to hear it.

“What?”

“Well, I didn’t tell you until now because I worried you wouldn’t believe me. I thought the timing was too coincidental, and you certainly didn’t need something else to distract you. I promise I made this decision before?—”

My head cants to the side. “Spit it out, Maddie.”

Her chest heaves with a deep breath. “In the restaurant that night, I started processing some feelings I’d avoided for a long time. I was willfully blind to the truth because it was painful and frightening. So I avoided it and perhaps blamed my actions on other things. And then...”

Despite fiercely craving the rest of her confession, I don’t prompt her to continue. I won’t rush her. She needs to do this in her own time.

She always has.

I’ve known it since day one.

That’s why I’ve given her so much patience and leeway. Although not a game in the traditional sense, she’s always been the endgame for me. Maddie’s so fucking worth it. Not just worth the wait but the pain too. The longing. The loneliness. The hurt she caused me each time she denied me.

I had to teach her what loyalty means by showing her loyalty. What patience means by being obstinately patient. I had to show her what love is by loving her unconditionally and with a tenderness she’s never known.

Oddly enough, she wasn’t the only one learning all these years.

I needed to teach myself I’m worthy of the love we were building.

While worrying her lip, she holds my stare and glides her hands around my nape. “You did something before we left the restaurant that was the final push I needed. By the time we got outside, I had made up my mind to stop hiding our relationship. I was gonna discuss it with you when we got to your place.”

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