Page 115 of Beautiful Broken Love

I pressed a finger beneath her chin and lifted it so our eyes could connect. “I’m not walking away, Davina. I’m not afraid to love you or to shout it so the whole world can hear it.”

Her eyes grew misty again, her mouth trembling, like she had so much more to say but wasn’t sure how to express it. I leaned down, kissing her with all the love and passion I had in me.

Damn, I missed her soft lips and smooth skin. I didn’t care about the salty taste of her tears or her mini sobs. If it came from her—if it involved her inanyway—it was all mine now.

Her fingers curled into my hoodie, and I sighed behind our kiss. I loved the hell out of this woman. She had no damn idea.

How was it possible that this woman, who was once a stranger, was now the epitome of my life? She was the center of my thoughts, the reason I finally believed in those two things many people talk about:love and soulmates.

She was mine, despite the circumstances, the losses, and the pain. She belonged to me and I to her. There was no doubt in my mind that we’d met in other lifetimes, destined to be, and now we were meeting again.

“I’m yours, D,” I whispered on her lips. “No matter what, I’m always going to be yours.”

SIXTY-ONE

DAVINA

After thanking Javier for helping me and giving cuddly hugs to Aleesa, I followed after Deke in his Ferrari to get to his condo.

He led me to the private parking deck and gave me a pass to stick on top of my dashboard as a guest. As we rode up the elevator, he took my hand in his, and I squeezed it, smiling up at him.

“So, does this make you my girlfriend?” he asked.

I laughed. “I don’t know, does it? Because I’m pretty sure you have to ask for someone to be your girlfriend.” I smirked, looking ahead.

“Oh, word? Okay, I see.”

The elevator doors split apart, and he led the way to his door. He let me in first, and I drank in the interior of his home, but not for long, because a large black dog came pouncing toward me.

“Zeke! You better not!” Deke called, but Zeke was already on his hind legs with his paws on my stomach.

“Oh my goodness, hi!” I rubbed his head as his tongue hung out and his stubby tail wagged. He panted, licking my hand every time I tried to stroke his head. “So you’re the roommate this guy talks all about?” I laughed as I looked up at Deke. “Don’t tell me you gave him the name Zeke to match yours?”

Deke smirked. “Damn right I did.”

I laughed as Zeke licked my cheek.

“All right, man. All right,” Deke said, tapping his butt. “Down, Zeke.”

Zeke obeyed, rushing to his owner, who chuckled and made his way to a glass container on the counter full of dog treats. He took three out and dropped them onto Zeke’s doggy pillow in the corner. I watched as Zeke sat on the pillow to devour his snacks.

“He likes you,” Deke said behind me. He wrapped me in his arms, reeling me back so that my butt was pressed to his groin. I held on to his arms as he buried his face into the crook of my neck. “You always smell so good.”

“Thanks.” I smiled. “I like your bachelor pad.”

“Appreciate it.” His lips pressed to my jawline. “Wanna see the bachelor’s room?”

I turned my head to look up at him, grinning. He released me but only to take my hand and guide me to the bedroom. I heard Zeke’s paws on the floor, but Deke commanded him to stay, then said, “I need a few minutes alone with my girl.” He winked at me, and I swear I melted.

When the door was shut, I studied his room. It was simple, masculine. The regular walls were painted a smoky gray, but the wall behind the bed had built-in panels. His bed was dressed in all black, with a black leather headboard.

Two nightstands were on either side, and floating lamps were above them. The other side of the room had floor-to-ceiling windows revealing the Atlanta skyscrapers.

“Wow,” I breathed. “This is not what I expected. I love it.”

“Yeah? Whitney designed it for me.”

I turned around to face him, about to apologize again about the lake house, but he swooped in and cupped the back of my head to kiss me. I moaned as I stumbled backward while he held on to my hip, guiding me to the side of the bed. When I sat, he pulled his hoodie and shirt over his head, and I removed my shirt too.

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