Page 110 of One Touch

In two steps I pulled her to me, crashing my mouth to hers. On a moan, I dove deeper, claiming every molecule of her being as mine. The last, most precious part of me clicked into place with Kate in my arms.

When we finally broke apart, her lips were pink and swollen. “Beckett, the house ...”

“It’s yours, if you want it.”

She blinked up at me, and I brushed my thumb across her swollen bottom lip. “Mine?”

I stepped back so she could take in the sweeping view of Lake Michigan. “You gave your input. From the windows to the porch swing ...” I gestured to the two swings hanging from the ceiling of the porch.

Her eyes went wide. “You didn’t!”

Kate moved toward the swing and sat. “I was only half joking when I commented that traditional porch swings were old fashioned.”

I shrugged. “You weren’t wrong. These are more whimsical. A lot more fun.”

She beamed up at me as I stepped behind her to gently push her on the swing. “I never felt like this place lived up to its potential.” I chuckled at the irony. “Kind of like me. Working on it was a part of my therapy. Doing something for myself. A project that truly meant something to me.”

Kate stayed silent and panic sliced through me. “Unless you don’t want it. Say the word and I’ll bulldoze it to the ground. We can start fresh if—”

“No. No, it’s perfect. But how did you do all this?”

I slowed the swing and stepped in front of her. “Gloria helped me close out the remaining projects in Chicago. I’m done. Officially dissolving Miller Custom Homes in an effort to find something else.”

Kate swallowed hard and looked at me. “Something else?”

I scrubbed a hand across the back of my neck. “I was kind of hoping you might need a contractor for your nextHome Againproject.” I peeked up at her and shrugged. “If you’ll hire me.”

Kate’s delicate hand moved to her mouth as she stifled a sob. I knew it was now or never—if I didn’t get it all out there, lay it all on the line, I would never be able to say what I needed to.

“Kate, I never realized how small I was living. How much my negative self-image was seeping into every part of my life. But the day you casually touched my arm when you were taking a picture, I knew. That’s all it took. One touch.”

Kate wrapped her arms around my neck, and I sighed into her, relief flooding my system. Her embrace rooted me to the ground. I pulled her closer, reveling in the fact that she was standing in my arms with her heady perfume mixing with the coastal spring air.

Her voice was small when she finally spoke. “I didn’t wait for you.”

A buzz vibrated my skull as my stomach plummeted. I pulled her back to search her eyes for answers.

Tears glistened on her lashes as she continued: “I didn’t wait. I missed you so badly, but I didn’t wait. I lived my life. I laughed and danced and made new friends andlived. I stopped compromising and prioritized myself for the first time. But you know what I realized?”

My throat was thick. “What is it, Katie-girl?”

“I don’t need someone to choose me, because I chose myself. I know I can be happy and centered and lovedright here. I needed that breathing room to really discover that part of myself. But through it all, I never stopped loving you.”

My hand found the side of her face as I tipped her head back. “I choose you, Princess. I’vealwayschosen you. I have loved you since before I thought I was worthy of that love. Just let me prove it to you.”

My mouth moved over hers. I savored the press of her body against mine as my hands moved over her back.

Months. Months without the woman I love in my arms.

Never again.

The crisp spring air cut through my shirt, and I bundled Kate closer to give her my warmth.

She smiled up at me. “I can’t believe you did all this, right here, without me realizing it. Were you in town the whole time?”

“While the Brutish Builder is good, he’s notthatgood.” I grinned at my woman. “You asked for space, so I respected that. I handled a lot of the project remotely while I tied up loose ends in Chicago. Duke sent pictures if I needed to make decisions. Your input from the Instagram posts made things a hell of a lot easier.”

Humor danced in her eyes. “You are sneaky, Beckett Miller.”

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