Page 85 of No More Heartbreakers

As he looked down at me, his beautiful gray eyes were nearly charcoal, darker than I’d ever seen them.

“The fairy tale. The romantic ending. Giving yourself to the one man you love.” He shook his head and shrugged. “Obviously, it’s not me, so…”

I watched him adjust his clothing and search the kitchen countertop for his keys. Sitting silently, I fought the sudden onset of tears, incredulous that he was leaving, just like that.

Aric’s expression was hard now—not angry, but definitely not happy.

Was I really going to let him walk out the door? A spiky mass of panic throbbed in my chest.

“I do,” I whispered.

He stopped his search, and his head whipped around to look at me.

“I do…” The wordlovefroze at the end of my tongue, refusing to come out. “…care about you… very much.”

I swallowed, stunned at how difficult it was to express my feelings, as real as they were. “And I don’t want it to be over between us.”

Aric came back to me in quick strides and fell onto his knees in front of the couch. His large hands covered the tops of my thighs as he stared into my eyes with stormy emotion.

“I don’t want to force you into anything. And I haven’t wanted to give you an ultimatum. But I need… something. It’s getting harder and harder for me to be with you, not knowing whether you… what you’re thinking about us. I need to know you think I’m worth committing to.”

“Oh Aric.” I took his face between my palms, reading his defenseless expression. I’d been horrible.

He hadn’t told me much about his father, but I knew the man had basically abandoned Aric. Apparently I’d made him feel like I was constantly on the verge of doing the same thing.

A tear made it past my control and slipped down my cheek, and Aric’s breath hitched. His hand came to my face, holding it as his thumb smoothed over the tiny drop.

“Please tell me that’s not a good-bye tear.”

I shook my head, causing my cheek to rub against his hand, spreading the moisture. “No. I don’t want to say goodbye. I want…”

Oh God, I was going to say it. I couldn’t stop myself. “I want to be with you. I want to be yours. I want you to be mine.”

“Heidi,” he whispered. Then he surged forward and kissed me, his hands coming up to hold my head, all the gentleness replaced by something fierce and profound.

He kissed me like he would consume me, and I wanted him to.

I scooted forward on the sofa cushion so my legs clamped onto his sides where he kneeled before me on the floor.

Now that I’d admitted it, my need for him crashed over me with a violent force. I couldn’t pull him close enough.

My fingers scrambled to hold on to him, grabbing his hair, stroking his neck and shoulders, sliding into the neckline of his t-shirt, seeking contact with the delicious heat of his skin.

His mouth abandoned mine only long enough for him to strip his shirt off in one swift move, and then he was back, sliding his hands through my hair, touching my face.

My fingers roamed over his chest, his hard abdomen, the muscles moving over his ribs. I would never stop being amazed at his body.

I pulled out of the kiss and just looked at him. With his clothes on, it was still obvious Aric was lean and well-built. But only seeing him like this was it possible to appreciate the true power and beauty of him.

Thick muscle and sinew rippled under smooth skin. The dusting of blond hair on his chest and forearms glinted in the lamplight as he moved, making him look like some sort of mythical golden god.

I wanted to touch him all over, wanted to feel the delicious weight of his body on top of mine.

This time it wasn’t just to satisfy an urge or to get it over with. I wanted him to be part of my life, part of me.

“Let’s go to bed,” I whispered.

He stilled, staring at me with an intensity that almost made his eyes glow. “Say it. Tell me again.”

---