Page 75 of Tall, Dark, & Ginger

My stomach flutters. “You do?”

“Ridley, you amazing man, can’t you see I’ve been falling all along?”

Warm relief spreads through me, releasing the knot of tension in my chest. “I wouldn’t let myself get too hopeful. I’ve been waiting for you to decide you wanted to see what otheroptions were out there for a guy like you, and trust me, there’d be many. I guess I hoped you’d see me as a contender.”

Wren scoots across the couch, climbing onto my lap and draping his arms around my neck. “You’re way more than a contender. You’re the only one I want. Why would I go out and look for something less than what I already have? I can’t believe my luck, honestly, but I don’t want to question it. I just want to embrace it and this life with you.”

I brush my fingers across his cheek, searching his eyes and conjuring the words I’ve never once said in a romantic way. “I love you, Wren. I’m absolutely wild about you.”

He smiles, his eyelids fluttering. “That feels amazing. Like a wound being healed.” He leans in and presses a quick kiss to my lips. When he pulls back, there’s awe in his eyes. “I love you, Ridley.” His breath hitches. “And for the first time in my life, I know this is how it’s supposed to feel. No fear or insecurity. No pressure. Just…” He inhales and slowly blows out the breath. “Love.”

I slide my hand up his body to rest it on the back of his neck. “Thank you for trusting me. I know it was hard, but you did it.”

“Thank you for being the man I hoped you were.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

WREN

The smileon Ridley’s face could light up a city block. His hand is soothing as he gently massages the back of my neck.

“So we’re in love with each other,” he says, his voice filled with the same awe I feel. “What do we do now?”

“The same thing we always do? Pick a movie, cuddle until the horniness takes over, then fuck until we fall asleep?”

He chuckles, brushing his thumb across my chin. “I have a slightly different proposal.”

“I’m listening.”

His hand moves down my body to my chest, rubbing a circle there. “How about you fuck me?”

My breath catches as my stomach flutters. “You want me to?”

“For a while now, rabbit.”

“I’m not sure how to start.”

Ridley smiles, tugging me close for a deep kiss. Everything after that is a familiar rhythm of two lovers who know each other well. The clothes come off while the kisses continue and my brain processes the reality of what happened tonight. We love each other and I know it’s real. Ifeelhow real it is.

In between moans and kisses, Ridley rolls over and grabs the lube from the nightstand, pressing the bottle into my hand while he digs in the drawer for a condom.

“Want to get tested together next week?” he asks before kissing my neck.

How does Ridley make something like that sound romantic and sexy? “Yes.”

“Mmm, me too. Then we can fuck without anything between us. Can you imagine?”

“No.”

“I can. I do it all the time. You ever top before?”

“A long time ago.”

“I can’t remember the last time I bottomed.” He raises his head to meet my eyes. “It’s gonna be hot, rabbit. Just do what feels right. Take what you want from me.”

My stomach flutters as I nod and gently push him onto his back, then slide down his body until I’m between his legs. His cock stands tall, tempting me to taste, so I do, managing to suck him a little while I fumble with the lube bottle to get my fingers slick.

Ridley moans my name as he slowly pumps his hips, which gives me a chance to focus on finding his hole and rubbing there. He grunts and a burst of precum lands on my tongue, pushing me to find my stride and drive him as wild as he does me.

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