Page 56 of Finding Forever

“I’m Leon, Maverick’s business partner and best friend.”

“Hi, I’m—”

“I know exactly who you are,” he cut her off, his smile turning devilish and pissing me off.

“Leon, leave,” I said firmly.

He threw his hands up in his signature show of surrender, but winked at Gina before he left. “Pleasure finally meeting you,” he said.

Gina smiled, amused.

“You two try not to have too much fun.” He closed the door behind him, and I was finally alone with her.

Gina stood before me, shifting nervously from foot to foot.

“I’m really sorry,” she spoke with a frown. “I jumped to conclusions, and I should have trusted that you wouldn’t act out without a reason. Or intentionally do anything that would negatively impact me.”

Inching closer to her, I inhaled her scent and got an instant dose of oxytocin that I greedily wanted more of. I continued to move closer to her until there was nothing separating us except a sliver of space.

“I shouldn’t have snapped at you,” she said, just as my arms enveloped her in an embrace that my body was starving for.

Considering we hadn’t talked, and I hadn’t had a chance to explain, I smelled Enrick’s hand all over this. I knew he was going to meddle the second he walked out of my study shaking his head last night. I couldn’t say I was mad if the result was this.

Gina, back in my arms and not trying to shut me out of her life for good. Relief engulfed me as I hugged her tightly to my me, absorbing her warmth. As I reveled in the relief of being back in her good graces, she peered up at me lovingly.

The raw emotion I saw in her eyes made me hold my breath.

“The only reason I ever pushed you to do anything was because I saw how miserable you were around Chris and I know you and Mycah deserve better. I wasn’t trying to belittle you or control your life,” I said, kissing her forehead, and then her nose, and then her lips.

It was a chaste kiss that ended before it could start.

“I’m sorry,” she said for the third time since coming into my study. Her words were heavy and I could hear the remorse in her voice. “I’ve been the only one taking care of me for so long that it felt foreign when you tried to suggest things because I thought I was doing such a good job.”

She laughed dryly.

“I got defensive when I should have accepted help.”

“I just want to make your life easier, baby. But if you insist on being the only one taking care of you, I guess I’ll have to cancel the custom Mercedes Benz I ordered for your birthday.”

Gina’s laugh was all-consuming. When she recovered from it, she hit my shoulder as if I had just told the funniest joke known to man.

“Custom Benz, right,” she dismissed.

But when I held her gaze unflinchingly, her expression quickly morphed into one of disbelief.

“Maverick…”

“Let me be there for you. Let me spoil you. I can’t think of anyone who deserves it more.” I punctuated my words with another soul stirring kiss.

Gina paused for what felt like hours, and I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she let my offer sink in.

“I think I’m starting to warm up to the idea of someone taking care of me,” she whispered. “It’s nice to know someone is thinking of me and wants to spoil me.”

“Gina, I’ve fallen in love with you and I’d be a fool to let you go and give anybody else a chance to cater to you in the way that I want to.”

She breathed a sigh of relief and I saw her visibly relax. “I think I’ve fallen in love with you, too. And I don’t want anyone but you.”

Unable to resist her another second, my lips devoured hers as she gasped into my mouth, surprised. The shock was short-lived because she returned the kiss with fervor and a whimper that activated my tunnel vision. My body grew hard in a matter of seconds, the anticipation of touching her becoming fully realized as she wrapped her arms around my neck and let me take the lead.

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