Page 113 of That One Night
“Yes.” She nodded, because she’d promised herself she’d tell the truth in all things. “I know it feels so soon, and maybe it is too soon for you. And I can shut up about it if you want me to. But yes, I love you. I’m in love with you.” She let out a long breath. “And now I wish I’d chosen a better…”
Before she could finish her sentence, Hendrix was lifting her against him, until she was straddling his legs, her body facing his. He pressed his mouth against hers, his lips moving with hers, like he was so desperate to kiss her that he had no idea how to stop.
She had no idea either. Truth was, she didn’t want it to stop. Didn’t want to ever stop kissing this man who was willing to fight dragons and chase goats for her. She rocked her body against his, and he let out a guttural groan, his excitement growing beneath her as they plundered each other's mouths.
When he pulled away, Hendrix was smiling at her like she was the best thing that ever happened to him. And she was grinning right back, because she knewhewas.
He cupped her cheeks with his hands, his lips parted, his eyes on hers. “Emery Reed, I love you so damn much. You’re my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night. I have noidea what I did to deserve you, but I can promise you I’ll never take your love for granted. Not now or ever.”
As declarations went, it was pretty breathtaking. Enough for her to grab his face between her soft palms and start kissing him again, her body hot against his as she showed him just how happy he made her. He held her tight, kissing her back, murmuring her name as her fingers tangled into his hair, her nails scraping his scalp.
“You think your mom likes me enough for me to stay over tonight?” he asked her, once they ran out of breath and had to part.
“Unless you have a death wish, I’d probably say no.” She wrinkled her nose, leaning up to kiss him again because damn, this man sent her pulse soaring.
“Then you’re going to have to stay at my place,” he said. “There’s that matter of your list.”
“My list?” She frowned, looking confused.
“You didn’t complete it, remember? There’s one more item left.”
She wasn’t sure why she was so happy that he remembered her list. She should have known that he would. He’d been there since the beginning – the skinny dipping disaster – and all through her attempts to find herself completing Maisie’s challenges.
“Staying up talking all night,” she murmured.
He grinned at her. “We can talk. But there are other things that can keep us awake too. I have plans for you.”
“We’ve already ticked that item off,” she said.
“Wait, what? Sleeping with me was on the list? You never said that.”
She shook her head. “It’s a long story. Maisie is a pain in the ass sometimes.”
Hendrix kissed her softly. “I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
“Not as much as she’s looking forward to meeting you.” Emery grinned, because Maisie had screamed with the latest update she’d given her. “Now this talking thing. Can it start later? Because I have other plans for you first.”
The words were barely out of her lips before he was scooping her up from the swing and carrying her inside, because he was always so damn impatient. She started to laugh as he kicked the front door open. Frank lifted his head up from his favorite spot at the corner of the house, seeking out the cause of the noise that had awoken him.
Seeing it was them, he laid back down and closed his eyes again.
Hendrix headed straight for his bedroom, laying her on his bed and stepping back, like he was trying to take everything in.
“Don’t move,” he murmured, as she tried to sit up to ask him what the delay was for. “I just need to take this in.”
“What?” She smiled, confused.
“Emery Reed on my bed. Publicly unengaged. Single.”
“Not single,” she whispered. “I’m yours now, remember?”
“I remember,” he said roughly, leaning down to take her mouth with his. “And I’m never gonna forget it.”
“Don’t look so nervous,” Hendrix told Emery the next weekend, as they drove in his truck to officially meet his family. To be fair, he’d struggled to hold them all at bay for the last seven days. Word had spread fast around the Hartson clan after he’d called his mom to let her know what had happened on Saturday, and he’d spent the last week being grilled by them all, desperateto know when they’d officially get to meet the woman who’d managed to tame him.
Or in some of their cases ‘re-meet’ her. Because his mom was determined to make a good impression this time.
“What if they don’t like me?” Emery asked him, looking anxious as she smoothed down her skirt. “They must have heard the rumors, after all.”
