Page 148 of Fumbled Into Love

That’s what settles my reality.

I get to spend the rest of my life in fear that Nathalie’s going to pinch my ass…and I’m fuckingthrilled.

When she kisses me again, it’s soft and tender and hesitant. The first kiss to start something new, something permanent.

“No more fucking rules,” I grumble against her skin. “I’m burning that list.”

My eyes flicker to the drawer where the paper lives and I imagine holding a lighter to it and watching it burn to ash.

It’s a glorious image.

“No! We have to put it in the scrapbook.” Nathalie sobers, sitting up in my lap. “What does this all mean?”

My hands fall on her hips and I savor the feeling of her skin beneath my palms. There’s a rock lodged in my throat as I say, “I’m hoping you’ll be my girlfriend.”

“You’rerealone?” Her smile is playful, teasing and so beautiful. “I think I’m tired of being a fake girlfriend.”

“And I want you to move in with me. Only if you want. If you want to move back into your apartment, I’ll respect that, but I’m pretty sure that place should be condemned and Creepy—”

She blessedly cuts off my rambling.

“You’re okay with my mess?” I nod. “Then I would love to live here with you. I’ll try to be tidier, though. I can work on that.”

The concern that flies across her gaze tells me she’s not confident in her ability to be tidier and I open my mouth to tell her she doesn’t need to change that for me, but she shakes her head and I let it go. If she wants to try, then who am I to stop her?

I love her, regardless of if she becomes tidier.

“Now, I want to kiss you and not have to pretend that it means nothing,” I say, “because kissing you iseverything.”

Nathalie rolls her eyes, but her blush gives her away.

“Always so dramatic,” she teases, but her eyes dart to my lips. “But I think that’s a great first step in our new, real relationship. May I suggest working our way through the bases after you kiss me?”

“Fuck, yes,” I groan, taking her mouth in a claiming kiss.

It’s overflowing with raw, untethered emotion as her hands clutch my cheeks, guiding the kiss. Tears spring to my eyes as Ihold onto her waist, using her as a tether to Earth as all of the emotions the adrenaline was hiding crash against my chest.

Hope. Happiness.Belonging.

Since I moved to Seattle, there has always been a lack of belonging. That empty feeling dulled slightly when I met Jack, Henry and Declan, but it was still there, a persistent pest.

I wanted to belong to someone. Be the shoulder they leaned on. Their cheerleader and number one supporter. And I wanted someone to belong to me, to offer those same things to me when I need them.

Never thought I would find that in the woman I strong-armed into acting as my fake girlfriend.

Our clothing is discarded in minutes and as Nathalie’s nails trail along my skin, leaving a trail of electricity in their wake, she leans in close, lips hovering an inch away.

“I love you,” she whispers reverently before sinking to her knees.

My throat bobs at the sight of her, so beautiful on her knees.

So stunning as she takes me into her mouth.

This is heaven, being here with her, knowing that she chose me. I nearly come undone when she swirls her tongue around the tip of my cock.

“Fu-uck,” I groan, fingers tangling in her hair, guiding her up and down. Her hand works in tandem with her tongue, stroking and licking and teasing until the muscles in my thighs jump and twitch.

Her hand slides down my thigh to cup my balls and I groan. “Oh, shit.”

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