Page 102 of Come Back for Me
I’d only ever been with him that one night, and then I was with Kevin. If you ask my now ex-husband, he’d tell you I was terrible in bed.
I worry that Connor will feel the same.
My head drops to the steering wheel as I fret over a whole new set of things for a few long minutes until I hear a knock on the window beside me and scream.
“What the—”
Connor is standing there, looking at me with concern in his eyes. “You planning on staying here?”
“I’m planning on trying to remember how to breathe first.”
He gives me a soft smile and opens the door. “I heard the car and waited, but you didn’t come into the house.”
“I was having a sort of freak out, but I’m okay now.”
I get out of the car and take his hand. When we get to the front door, he turns to me. “Ellie, I don’t want you to be nervous. I want to talk, and hopefully, we can—”
My hand presses against his lips, silencing him. We’ve talked and talked and talked. I’m not up for more of that tonight.
No, tonight, I’m done with words.
“I’m not nervous, Connor.” And then I stop myself. I don’t want to lie to him. “Okay, I am, but not for the reasons you think. I’m nervous because, for the first time in my life, I feel like things are good. You’re everything, and I want us right now—”
Connor’s lips are on mine before I can say anything else. They are soft, sweet, and nothing like they were last night.
We aren’t worried about time or anyone else tonight. We have nothing to stop us from loving one another now.
I pull back, needing to say what’s in my heart. “I love you.”
“You have no idea how much I love you, Ellie. There’s no way I could ever explain it.”
I lift my hand, brushing my fingers against his stubble. “Then show me. We can talk after.”
He hesitates for a second before leaning down and scooping me up into his arms. We don’t say anything else because, sometimes, more words aren’t needed.
We reach his bedroom, and he pushes the door open. My head rests on his chest, and I can hear the steady thrum of his heart. I want to memorize this sound. Each second of this night, I want embedded in my brain.
To be loved, truly loved, is all I’ve ever wanted.
He sets me on the bed and then takes a step back.
“What’s wrong?”
“Wrong?” he asks.
“You . . . you’re well, you’re over there.”
Connor closes his eyes and breathes through his nose. “I have things I need to say.”
I get to my feet and go to him. “We’ve talked a lot the last few months, and right now, I want to feel. Will you let me feel?”
He wants me to ask for what I want, and I’m doing it. I don’t want to talk about our pasts or our future. I want the present.
“I’ll give you everything you want.”
I shake my head. “All I want is you.”
I lean up on my toes and bring our lips together. He has no idea how frantically my heart is pounding in my chest or how him saying those words was enough to bring me to my knees, but it did. The trust I have in us is staggering.
