Page 128 of The Locksmith's Promise

Connected.

“My Maggie,” he whispered. “My sweet baby.”

My body softened.

I nodded and we breathed out in relief as one.

Skin to skin.

I sighed and melted into the mattress as I ran my hands up and down his sides, stopping to cup the key on his ribs. Nothing had ever felt so good, so sweet, or so right as Baxter’s skin against mine.

My perfect counterpart.

Braced on his elbows, he held my gaze as he began to move slowly inside me.

“You are life, Maggie,” he muttered, thrusting deep.

A tear escaped the corner of my eye.

“Everything that is good,” he continued, rising to one hand and grasping the nape of my neck with the other to hold me in place.

I didn’t feel good, not with everything that happened.

With no means of escape, I remained mute against the onslaught of his tender words.

“And light,” he rasped, his hips slamming into me harder.

I hung on for the ride. This wasn’t for me, not this part.

This was for him.

A reclaiming of us.

I smoothed my hands down to his ass, digging my fingers into the muscle as he worked his body into mine, encouraging him to take what he needed.

He grimaced, his face twisting with grief as he dropped his forehead to mine. “You’re everything I ever dreamed of but never hoped to have.”

Oh, God.

I didn’t deserve him.

“I love you, I love you, I love you,” I chanted, wrapping my legs high around his waist.

“Oh, fuck,” he gasped, his long body bowing as he spilled inside me. “Maggie.”

I stroked him through his release, reveling in the easing of his body against mine.

A few moments later, he led me into the bathroom to clean up, then tugged me back to bed. Curling around me, he tucked his face into my neck, and we slept.

Hours later, I woke to Baxter’s mouth trailing scruffy kisses across my collarbone.

“Bax,” I whispered.

“We need to talk,” he murmured, his lips moving to the swell of my breast. “It’s going to hurt.”

I nodded, the misery he had eradicated with his body creeping back in.

“Both of us,” he added, cupping my breast in his hand and covering my nipple with his mouth.

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