Sawyer rears back with a chortle. “Hell yes, I did.”

Chapter 32

Sawyer

She grins as she sits on her knees before me. As if I hadn’t been hit enough today, one close look at her feels like a swift punch to the gut strong enough to knock the wind out of me. She’s all wind-whipped, wavy hair, pink cheeks, and tight jeans. She is so fucking gorgeous my heart skips a beat.

It slays me how lucky I am to have her here with me, and wonder what it would be like if we lived together. I want to be the man she comes home to, the man who will love her like no other. I want to peel her jeans right off, pull her into my arms, and kiss her until she warms up under my touch.

She releases a shuddered breath as she watches me cautiously. “He was being a jerk about the photos before—and I feel dumb for not telling you about them—but this thing between us? He sees it, and it’s like waving a red flag in front of a bull. I’ve never seen him so mad.”

I clear my throat and look deeply into her eyes before I ask, “Would this be the wrong time for the fun fact that bulls are red/green color-blind? It’s actually the waving that gets them riled up, not the color.”

“Sawyer …” She gives a delighted laugh, scooting between my legs. Her hands reach out to grip my hips and she leans in, resting her forehead against my chest for a second before tipping her head up to look at me again.

“I’m glad to put a smile on your face—” I hesitate, gathering my thoughts. I want to get this right for her so she understands the depths of my feelings. “I need to make something very clear. I understand why you’d be concerned about what I think but know that I’m only worried about the effect this is having on you. I knew there was something going on.” I run my free hand through my hair as I think. With a bit of regret, I say, “I should have done something more, something sooner. I didn’t know if you wanted me butting in because I didn’t know if you feel for me the same way I feel for you. I don’t give a flying fuck about anything except making sure you are safe and happy. I don’t care about photos or appearances or what people might think of you or us. Because we are all that matters. I know your heart, Hadleigh. And I want you to know mine. Do you understand?”

She blinks rapidly and nods. “I shouldn’t have hidden what was happening. I’m not used to trusting people. And believe me, my girls had some choice words last night when they found out everything. They told me that if you were really the right guy that you’d understand when I explained and that you deserved to know the truth.”

“But am I who you want, Hadleigh? Because I want to be the one who gives you everything you need. The one you trust. With everything. Not just the good stuff. Because I think I could be that for you.”

She looks up at me, those beautiful brown eyes glassy but sparkling as she places her hands on my shoulders. “I want you, Sawyer. I want to be with you. I want all of you.”

“I will fight for you, Hadleigh. I will fight for us. No matter what. Every time.” I drop the frozen veggies and stand, lifting her, sweeping her off her feet and holding her against my chest. Raw emotion surges through me as I carry her into my bedroom, dropping kisses all over her upturned face along the way. She touches her fingers gently to my swollen lip. The way she’s looking at me makes me feel whole, like I’ve found the missing piece of me.

I set her down on her feet and immediately capture her mouth with mine. We are frenzied, lips and tongues kissing, licking, sucking. The pain of my split lip only serves as a reminder of what lengths I’ll go for her. With a gasp, I tear my mouth from hers. “I didn’t need to ask if I’m who you want. I feel it in the way you kiss me.” I dive back in, holding her close as I taste the sweetness of her lips and feel her heart beating in rhythm with mine.

Her hands slide under my shirt, and she runs them over my heated skin. “I need to feel all of you, Sawyer.” Her cheeks are stained with a blush born of excitement. Her eyes dance and flicker with arousal. My hands coast over her body, touching her everywhere I can reach.

I don’t hesitate; I peel those tight jeans off of her, just like I’d imagined earlier. My dick twitches to life, insistent behind my zipper. She pulls her sweater over her head at the same time I tear out of my jeans and T-shirt. I scoop her up and climb onto the bed with her. She looks so beautiful lying there, her dark tresses a stark contrast to the white pillowcase behind her. I cover her body with mine, reveling in her softness, in the swell of her breasts, in the way she strains against me—like she can’t get enough. I bury my lips against her neck, kissing and sucking on her sweetly scented skin as she moans in my ear. She reaches behind her and unclasps her bra, shrugging out of it and flinging it away.

My hand snakes between us and dips inside her lace panties. My fingertips find wet heat, her skin so slick my cock is ready to be buried deep inside her. But I hold off, wanting to touch her, to watch her writhe as I fuck her with my fingers. Her hips jerk off the bed as my thumb finds her clit and presses down in tight, quick circles. I slide my fingers through her arousal, then slip two inside of her.

Her eyes roll back and her mouth parts as I stroke her slowly at first, then faster. She rides my hand like she can’t get enough. “Yes, Sawyer. Yeeeees.”

While her eyes are closed, I lick her nipple, then breathe on it and watch it pucker. Her eyes fly open, and she pants then moans loudly as I take her nipple into my mouth, sucking hard and swirling my tongue around. I’ve never realized I could adore someone else so much. But I do. I adore this woman.

My cock is hard as steel as I listen to the sounds she makes for me. I shift to the other nipple, and just as I pull it into my mouth, her core spasms around my fingers, hips involuntarily rolling against my hand. I kiss her hard while her body continues to clench. I want her next breath, her whimpers, her everything.

I kneel and slide her panties down over long, smooth legs I know I’ll never get enough of.

Breathing hard, she finally looks into my eyes. “I love how you make me feel, Sawyer.”

I shove my boxer briefs down. My heart weeps with the knowledge that this woman is the best thing that has ever happened to me. “How do I make you feel, baby?”

“Wanted.” She hesitates. “Like I’m the only one you’ll ever need.”

She lies there before me looking so vulnerable, I can’t stand it. “Do you trust me, Hadleigh? Because I want to give you everything.” I lower myself to her, cradle her head between my hands, kiss her lips softly. I gaze into her eyes. “I want to be your everything.”

Her teeth rake over her bottom lip, and her chest heaves. She reaches down and takes my erection in her hand, sliding it through her wetness before lining it up against her opening. “I trust you. Love me, Sawyer.”

When she says that, I understand her immediately. All along, she’s been looking for the person who will love her for who she is. I’m that man.

I thrust deep. “I love you, Hadleigh. I’ll love you forever.”

And I mean it—I do. Surrounded by her scent, her cries, and her body, I know I have never loved anyone the way I love Hadleigh Beckett.

I whisper sweet words in her ear while I plunge in and out of her body, out of my mind with the way I feel for her and how quickly it’s happened. No one will come between us. No one. Not ever again.