Page 127 of Worth the Risk

“I know,” she concedes.

But I don’t think she does, not truly.

Placing a hand on her cheek, I admit, “Do you know when I last kissed someone?”

“Yeah, me… downstairs.” She gives me a little smile to try and lighten the somber mood that’s fallen between us.

I shake my head. “Before that?”

She shrugs again. “Should I?”

“The last time I kissed someone… was you. The night we made love, here in this very bed. You, Kylie. I never would with anyone else. It was too intimate, and I never wanted that with anyone else.” I gaze into her eyes and hope she understands. “They meant nothing to me. You mean everything to me.”

After giving me an adoring look, she kisses me. It is a gentle kiss. It isn’t a prelude to sex but of the love we both still share for each other.

I feel it, and I know she does too.

“How many were there after me?” I ask her hesitantly.

She takes in a breath and whispers, “One.”

I wish there were none, but I’d be the biggest fucking hypocrite to say anything about it.

“It wasn’t the same for me either,” she adds. I wait for her to elaborate. “It wasn’t you. It wasn’t what I feel when I’m with you, and I didn’t bother to try again. You’ve ruined me for anyone else.”

I understand what she means. Sex with anyone else was never at the heightened proportions as it is when I’m with her. There was no connection close to ours.

“Manda and Mom say we all have our one. The one we’re meant to be with forever.” She places another gentle kiss on my lips. “Leo, you’re my one.”

My heart is in my throat, and I can’t find the words I need to express how much her pledge affects me.

Instead, I express myself physically.

Rolling her onto her back, I lie on top of her, kiss her slowly, and gently make love to the girl I know is my one as well.

ChapterThirty-Nine

Kylie

In his massive garden tub, I lie in front of Leo. His arms are around my shoulders, and my hands are on his thighs, gingerly rubbing them. I want to talk to him about what he said in bed yesterday when we had sex for the first time.

“About what you said in your room, about us. Did you, well… did you mean it about not running from us anymore?”

Tugging me closer, he takes in a deep breath, then exhales it. “Yes. I want to start again, Kylie. We lost so much time, and I don’t want to lose any more with you and Riley. My feelings haven’t changed. I was hurt and angry, but I still love you, and that shit is never going away. I couldn’t imagine spending my life with anyone but you. No more running from this.”

My heart flutters in excitement. I hadn’t expected him to say that, but I hoped he would. Leo was always so guarded when we first started dating, and I expected the same from him again.

My heart soars.

I turn in his arms so we’re chest to chest, heart to heart, face to face.

“I still love you too, Leo. After realizing we’d been manipulated, it was easy to let the anger go, and the feelings I still had for you buried inside me became strong again.” Maybe even stronger. This is the man I love, the father Riley deserves. At one time, I thought I could not have picked a worse father for her, but now I know I could not have chosen any better.

A heartfelt smile lights up his face, and he leans in and kisses me. Placing my knees on either side of his hips, his erection hits me right where I need it. I could take things further, but since we’re being honest, I need to tell him where I was yesterday and what I learned.

I wanted to tell him last night, but being with him took priority. After knowing he bought this house—our house—I knew he still cared even during the years we were apart, and I wanted nothing more than to be with him.

Breaking our kiss, I peer into his eyes. I want transparency going forward and need to tell him about my conversation with James yesterday. “I had coffee with James yesterday.”

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