Текст книги "A Lover's Lament "
Автор книги: K. L. Grayson
Соавторы: B. T. Urruela
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Текущая страница: 18 (всего у книги 25 страниц)
“A Thousand Years”—Christina Perri
PUSHING MY WAY PAST THE other passengers, I hurry up the ramp. My flight was delayed by an hour, which ultimately meant our flights landed at the same time. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem. Today, however, it is.
I haven’t talked to Devin since yesterday. After he hung up, I received an email with his itinerary, and I haven’t heard a word since. Did I piss him off to the point where he didn’t want to see me? I told him that what I had with Wyatt is over—that it was over long before he came into the picture. Shouldn’t he trust me?
Running through the terminal, I find Gate 13, only there are people swarming everywhere. Weaving may way through the crowd, I get as close to the ramp as I can. Pushing up on my tiptoes, I jump around, trying to get a better look, but the crowd is too thick. And that’s when I realize … these people are waiting to board. I glance down at my watch and then elbow my way to the information desk.
“Excuse me,” I ask, tapping the counter.
The perfectly coifed woman looks up, clearly irritated with my tapping, but right now I don’t have time to give a damn. “Can I help you?” she asks.
“Flight 4402 from JFK,” I say, pointing out the window to a plane on the tarmac. “Did it just land? Are the passengers still on board or—?”
“They’ve already exited the plane, ma’am.”
“Shit,” I hiss, running a hand through my hair. My heart plummets inside my chest and tears prick my eyes. “Thank you.” I offer her the best smile I can muster, and then I turn to look for the sign indicating Baggage Claim.
“Miss?”
I spin around and look at the woman that just inadvertently ripped my heart out. And I’m not just being melodramatic. If I missed Devin, then I have no way of getting ahold of him. I have no phone number, no address for his mom’s house, and I have no idea what hotel he’s planning on staying at. Essentially, I’m all alone—in Pittsburgh of all places. “Yeah?”
“The passengers probably haven’t made it to Baggage Claim yet.” Yes! A smile creeps across my face and she returns it. “If you hang a left at the bathroom right there,” she says, pointing to the left, “go down the escalator and then hang another right, you can probably beat them. It’s a shortcut.” She winks, and I take off.
She was right. Baggage Claim was only a hop, skip and a jump away. The only downfall? This place is fucking packed. By the looks of it, every damn plane on the tarmac landed at the same time.
There’s no way I’ll find Devin in this crowd.
My eyes scan the room, and once again I’m hopping around on my toes, trying to get a good look but seeing a whole lot of nothing. What little hope I had is dwindling fast, and after a solid ten minutes of searching, I decide to call uncle. I’m exhausted, in desperate need of a shower, and my hair probably looks as though I stuck my finger in an outlet. And let’s not forget my heart … it’s pretty beat up right about now too.
Wrapping my hand around my hair, I pull it off of my neck before draping it across my shoulder. Now what? Spinning around, I readjust the strap of my purse and scan the room one last time before going to collect my luggage. People are bustling past me at warp speed, kids giggling and running around, men and women pushing their way through the crowd to get closer to the carousels. When I see a young woman throw herself into a man’s arms, it’s like a punch to the gut.
That should be me.
Tears spring to my eyes, and I take a step toward the baggage carousel when I catch a glimpse of camouflage. A wave of people walk past me, but my feet are rooted in place as I wait with bated breath to see what—or who—will be waiting for me when they pass. As though Moses himself was there, the sea of people part, leaving me with a perfect and uninterrupted view of—
“Devin.” The sound of his name on my lips sounds distant and foreign. Everything around me is one big blur, streaks of color trying to break the hold my eyes have on the soldier in uniform.
There’s a tingling in my chest that I’ve never felt before, and as I suck in a hopeful breath, waiting for him to look up, my chin starts to tremble.
He’s looking at me, his gaze wandering around my body, and when his eyes finally make their way to mine, that tingling in my chest radiates outward, shooting sparks of familiarity to all parts of my body. The hair on the back of my neck stands up, my hands shake and those tears that had been welling up in my eyes finally decide to burst free.
Devin takes a hesitant step … followed by another … and then another. Finally kicking into gear, my feet move forward, but I only get a few steps before two warm arms wrap around me, dragging me in close. A sob rips from my chest as I bury my face in his neck. Fisting my hands in the front of his jacket, I anchor myself to Devin.
“Katie.” His warm breath fans the side of my neck. I can’t imagine what we look like to everyone else, two people holding on to each other for dear life, both of us—well me, for sure—afraid to let go in fear of what could be lost.
Loosening my grip on the front of his jacket, I slide my hands to his back and toward his neck, holding him to me. My fingers move to tangle in his hair, only there isn’t much hair, so I do the next best thing—the thing my heart is aching to do.
Cupping his face in my hands, I pull back just enough so I can look in his eyes, which are swimming in tears. Without breaking eye contact, I drag his mouth to mine and our lips crash together like waves on a shore.
My eyes drift shut, my head tilting to the side to give him better access. He takes the invitation willingly and pushes his tongue into my mouth, sliding deep, exploring and tasting.
Devin’s hands are everywhere—gliding down my arms, gripping my waist and then sliding up my back before finally settling. One hand wrapped around my neck and the other pressed firmly against my lower back, he holds me close to him. Our bodies are flush, not a lick of space between us. His heart is beating so hard that I can feel it against my chest, and his body pressed against mine is the sweetest thing I’ve felt in a long time. It feels like just yesterday we were doing this for the first time.
Devin pulls back and my heavy eyelids bob open. “I missed you so much,” he mumbles, his lips brushing against mine. The sound of his voice causes shivers to run down my spine, and I tighten my grip on him.
“I missed you too,” I say, my body relaxing against his. He groans and his lips find my cheek, my nose, my chin, my neck … they hit on every place they can reach before landing back on my mouth. Only this time, the kiss is sweet and gentle, completely different than the one just a minute ago.
So many things are running through my head and being said right now … so many emotions being conveyed. Relief. Comfort. Happiness. Regret.
Devin’s grip loosens and I close my eyes tightly, desperate to stay in this perfect little bubble for just a few more moments—not wanting to let reality and unspoken words tarnish the here and now.
“Let’s get out of here, Katie.” His green eyes are swirling with so much love that it’s nearly impossible to miss. “I want this more than anything, but not here, not in front of all these people.”
A grin pulls at the corner of my mouth and his hand fists my shirt at the small of my back. “You can’t look at me like that, Kit Kat. I’m barely hanging on by a fucking thread just being this close to you. My body feels like it’s gonna explode, but I want to do this right. Just me and you.”
Well shit. How the hell am I supposed to say no to that? It’s unfair, really, that he can be so damn convincing.
“Where are you staying?”
His brows furrow and then he sighs. “I forgot to book a room. But come on, we’ll find somewhere to go.”
He grabs his bag off the floor, and it’s funny, because I don’t even remember him having a bag. Lacing his fingers with mine, he leads me toward the suitcases that are being shuffled in circles, waiting for their owners to claim them.
“By the way, I have a room at the Hilton. There’s only one bed, but you’re more than welcome to share it with me if you want,” I say, laughing when his steps falter, nearly sending him face-first to the floor.
“I feel so much better.” Devin walks out of the bathroom, a towel hung low on his hips and knotted in the front. Droplets of water are scattered across his chest, and when one slides down his abs, disappearing in the thick white cotton covering his happy trail, I bite my bottom lip.
It should be illegal for someone to look as good as he does. All straight lines and chiseled muscles. He’s a hazard to women’s health, really. In fact, he should have a flashing sign hanging from his head that warns—
Devin snaps, securing my attention. “Eyes up here.” When I look up, he has a smile plastered to his face. Busted! I wait for him to say something, to make some sort of embarrassing comment about me not being able to take my eyes off of him, but he doesn’t. The expression on his face shifts, his lips purse, brows dip low … he looks uncertain.
Devin clears his throat. “Do you want to take a shower?”
Not at all what I was expecting him to say, but okay, I’ll bite. “Yes,” I say with a nod. “I definitely do, but I don’t think I can move.” Flopping back on the bed, I close my eyes, roll to my side, and curl my body around a pillow. “I could probably sleep for days if you’d let me.”
I don’t hear him approach, but I can smell him. I’d know that smell anywhere. It’s spicy and sweet, all rolled into one, and I would give anything to bottle it up just so I could pull it out whenever I’m not with him. A warm hand glides down the side of my face.
“I’m so sorry, Katie,” he whispers, catching me completely off-guard.
My eyes fly open, my heart suddenly hammering inside of my chest. “For what?” I ask, wondering if he’s going to give me the words I’ve been dying to here in person for the last ten years.
He’s crouched on the floor next to the bed, his face only inches away from mine, but the deep lines of tension on his face are unmistakable. “Everything,” he says, his voice full of regret.
“Don’t,” I whisper, cupping my hand to the back of his neck. I will not let these few precious days be tainted with something that I’m already past. Yes, I still want answers, but they can wait. He opens his mouth, but I swallow his words with a kiss before pulling back. “You don’t have to apologize—”
“I do.”
“No.” I shake my head. “Not right now.” His mouth drops open, a look of astonishment gracing his beautiful face.
“Is this real?” he whispers, climbing into bed next to me. “Are you really here with me?” His voice is full of disbelief as his fingers trace along my hip and over my belly. My stomach twitches as his fingers find their way to my collarbone.
“It’s real, and I am.”
He smiles as though he didn’t actually expect to me to answer. Those magical fingers feather across the skin of my neck before his thumb finds my bottom lip. My body is humming with sexual energy, and without thinking, I suck his thumb into my mouth, nipping playfully at the pad.
Devin’s eyes widen, flashing with what I can only describe as pure desire. Releasing his thumb, I place my lips on his. “We should talk … shouldn’t we?” he asks, sounding completely uncertain.
Reaching for the towel, I pull at the knot, feeling the soft cotton drop open. It takes every ounce of strength I have not to look down, but my hand doesn’t have the same amount of self-control as my eyes. Circling my fingers around his cock, I slowly begin to work him.
Devin hisses, sucking in a sharp breath, and his eyes drift shut. I love that I can make him do that, and I wonder what other noises I can get him to make.
“Katie, if we start this, I won’t be able to stop.”
“I don’t want you to stop.” His heavy lids open and he watches me from under a hooded gaze. “I don’t want to talk, and I’m tired of thinking. I just want to feel,” I say, looking down. The sight of my hand on him is erotic and a surge of moisture goes straight to my core. “I want to feel you.”
Finally, his hands move to my shirt, sliding under the material and slowly lifting it over my head. I sit up, just enough to let him tug it off of me. Devin flicks the clasp of my bra and the lacy material loosens around my body. In a slow and calculated move, he slips a finger under the strap and pulls it off.
“Where do you want me, Katie?”
He kisses the swell of my breast before sucking my nipple into his mouth. “Oh, God.” Dropping my head back, I close my eyes, taking it all in. He releases me with a wet pop, and my eyes open to find him nose to nose with me … watching me. “Keep doing that,” I pant, wanting his mouth back on me.
“You didn’t answer me.”
“Huh?”
“Answer me, Katie.” The tone of his voice shouldn’t turn me on, but it does, and I am in no way ashamed to admit it.
“What was the question?” Doesn’t he know my brain is mush right now? I’m so turned on that it literally fucking hurts.
“Where do you want me?”
“Everywhere,” I breathe. “On me, in me, wrapped around me. I want every part of you touching every part of me.” My words must’ve been exactly what he wanted to hear because, in a matter of seconds, my panties are nowhere to be found and Devin is hovering on top of me, his thick erection cradled between my legs.
“I need to hear you say it.”
“I want you, Devin.” Wrapping a leg around his waist, I dip a hand between us and guide him to my entrance. “Make love to me. Please.”
In one fluid motion, he rocks forward, stealing every ounce of breath I have. My hands find his back and I close my eyes, memorizing the moment. The way his muscles ripple beneath my fingers, the feel of his breath against my skin, the way his hips roll with every thrust.
This isn’t just sex, and it’s more than making love. This is two souls reconnecting—becoming one. In this moment, we are letting go of the past and opening ourselves up to a future that’s full of endless possibilities.
This is only the beginning.
Needing to be closer, I fuse our mouths together. I stroke my tongue against his, waiting for him to fight for control, but he doesn’t. Surprisingly, he follows my lead. Our kiss is passionate and so different from our teenage kisses.
Breathless, I pull away. “Touch me.” I don’t have to ask twice, and as though he knows exactly what I need, Devin slips a hand between our sweaty bodies. His fingers find my clit and he presses down, rubbing it in tight circles. My breathing picks up, turning into a light pant, as he brings my body to the edge. Then he picks up the pace, his hips rocking into mine, faster and more demanding.
“Open your eyes,” he growls, the sound nearly sending me right over the cliff. But somehow I manage to hold on, wanting nothing more than to drag this out as long as I can. “Watch us, Katie,” he says, glancing down at the spot where our bodies come together. My gaze follows his and I watch for several seconds as he pumps in and out of me, the sight so damn erotic that it pushes me straight to the edge.
Digging my nails into his skin, my back arches. Rocking hard, his hips slam into me. His thumb rubs rhythmic circles on my clit, and when his body stiffens above mine, I explode into a million tiny pieces. Tossing his head back, Devin moans. The sound rumbling from his chest is hands down the sexiest noise I’ve ever heard come from a man.
“That was fucking amazing,” he says, peppering kisses across my face.
“You’re amazing,” I whisper.
And I love you … so much.
“How Long Will I Love You”—Ellie Goulding
HOT. WHY AM I SOfucking hot? And why is there an arm draped over my stomach? There’s an arm draped over my—
“Shit,” I hiss, flying up in bed, the sheet clenched to my naked chest. My eyes snap to the person in bed next to me, and when I find Devin’s emerald eyes smiling back at me, I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You okay?” His voice is thick and husky, causing parts of me to tingle that probably shouldn’t tingle at—I glance at the clock—nine o’clock in the morning.
“Yeah.” Lifting the covers away from our bodies, I glance down. Yup, naked as the babies I help deliver. And hello, Devin is completely naked too. I drop the cover back over my body. Devin has a devilish smile plastered to his face and warmth creeps up my neck. “I, uh … I guess I forgot. I’m not used to waking up with a man next to me.”
“We’re gonna circle around and discuss the last half of that statement in a second. But really, you forgot?” Devin sits up, his movement causing the sheet to fall around his hips. I try to keep my eyes on his, I really do, but it’s too damn hard. His chest is drool-worthy, and don’t get me started on those abs. There are easily … one, two, three, four—
“Six.” Devin snaps his fingers and I look up.
“Huh?”
“It’s a six-pack,” he says, laughing. I don’t feel at all bad about getting caught ogling or counting his abs. His body is a chiseled mass of perfection. “Now let’s talk about this forgetting business. If you forgot already, then I obviously didn’t do a very good job.” His voice softens when he brings his mouth to my neck. Running his finger along my collarbone, he slips his hand under the sheet, pushes it down and exposes my chest.
The cool air wafts over my skin and my nipples pucker. “Maybe you should try again. Just do a better job this time … at, uh … you know … oh fuck.” I’m not sure when Devin dipped a hand between my legs, but frankly, I don’t care. He pushes a finger inside of me, twisting it around before curling it upward.
“Lie back,” he demands, his eyes hooded. Well, I certainly won’t make him beg. I drop back on the bed and he rips the sheet from my body. Pushing up on an elbow, I look down. His hand is still lodged between my legs, and he’s watching as his finger slides in and out of me.
Watching him work me to the brink is surprisingly erotic. It’s something I’m not particularly used to, so I squeeze my eyes shut before I do or say something to embarrass myself.
“Watch me, Katie.”
I don’t need to watch, soldier, I can feel it and it’s fanfuckingtastic.
I peel my eyes open anyway. His eyes are on mine, intense and swirling with desire. I always did feel pretty around Devin, but right now, the way he’s looking at me, I feel sexy.
“You like that, don’t you?” he asks. I nod, mostly because I can’t form words. My body is coiled tight and a light moan falls from my mouth. “What do you want now, Katie?”
Good God, stop talking.
“I—I don’t know.”
“You do know.”
“Don’t stop,” I pant, fighting the heaviness of my eyelids. I want nothing more than to toss my head back and let myself go, but now that I’ve started, I can’t stop watching.
“Wasn’t plannin’ on it. Now tell me what you want.”
“Touch yourself,” I blurt, feeling heat infuse my cheeks when I realize exactly what it was I just asked him to do.
“You want me to touch myself?”
I nod, watching with rapt attention as he grips himself with his free hand and slides it slowly up and down his shaft. “Does this turn you on, Katie?” he asks, picking up speed with both hands.
“Yes. God yes. It’s …” My words trail off when my legs start to tremble. I won’t be able to hold on much longer. Everything around me goes dark and I finally give in. Squeezing my eyes shut, I toss my head back.
Devin yanks his hand from my legs, but before I even have time to react, I’m being flipped over. My nipples push against the sheet when Devin rocks into me, and I arch backward as the sensation sends sparks of pleasure straight to my toes.
“I love being inside of you,” he whispers before brushing my hair out of the way and kissing the back of my neck. “You feel so fucking good, it hurts. This is perfection. You’re perfection.”
His words push me over the edge, and I cry out as my orgasm slams into me with much more force than I’m used to. My toes curl, my skin igniting with intense heat as my hips rock in tandem with his. “Fuck, that’s hot,” he growls. Devin grips my hair, circles it around his wrist and tugs lightly, drawing my head back. It’s soft and sweet, completely contradictory to the way he’s slamming into me. When his lips find my neck, he bites down lightly on the skin below my ear and I whimper. His body goes rigid above mine and his grip tightens on my hair as he pushes into me several more times.
I feel a rush of moisture and Devin groans, a string of unintelligible words falling from his mouth. There are no words to describe what he just did to me. It’s never been like that … not even last night. My body goes limp and the feel of his weight on my back is comforting. Slowly, he pulls out of me and I’m instantly left with a feeling of emptiness—a feeling I’m suddenly not too fond of.
“Shit,” Devin hisses, dropping his head to my shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Katie.”
“For what?” I ask, having absolutely no idea what he could be apologizing for after what we just did.
“I wasn’t thinking,” he says, his voice low. “I didn’t … we didn’t use protection, last night or tonight.”
Oh, that. Good thing I’ve got it covered. “I’m on birth control. I take it regularly and I haven’t been on antibiotics, so we’re good to go.”
“Okay,” he says, blowing out a quick breath. “Had me worried there for a second. Not that I wouldn’t want to … you know, have babies with you and everything … but—”
“Just stop.” I laugh, loving the way he instantly clammed up at the mere thought of me getting pregnant. Typical man. “We’re good. It’s all good.” He kisses the back of my neck.
Devin slides to the left of me, wraps an arm around my back and nuzzles his face close to mine. He kisses my nose and then my mouth, and when I finally gather enough strength to open my eyes, his are closed.
Peaceful. That’s the best way to describe the look on his face. He looks content and peaceful, and I have a feeling that he doesn’t experience those feelings very often. His lips part, his warm breath fanning across my face. Reaching up, I run my thumb along his lip, followed by his cheekbone. I’m trying to memorize everything about him that I possibly can, because I know that soon I’ll have to let him go. And after being with him again, I’m not sure how well I’ll handle that.
Between his letters and the phone conversations we’ve had, I got the sense that he still owned a large part of my heart, but being wrapped in his arms, the familiarity of his body against mine, I realize now that was stupid. He owns all of it. He always has and he always will.
“I love you,” I whisper, not sure if he’s even awake to hear me.
“I love you more.” His eyes open. They’re glossy, and the way he’s looking at me speaks volumes, but those three words coming from his mouth pull tears from my eyes. He was gone … for ten long years I had to live without him, and my feelings didn’t wane one bit. Sure, I was angry and pushed the love aside, but it was too strong for me to fight. All my heart needed was to be near him again to remember that it beats for him.
Wyatt never stood a chance … no man would’ve ever stood a chance. Because there is only person in this world for me, and that’s Devin Ulysses Clay.
“Say it again,” he says, threading his fingers into my hair.
“I love you.” My lips land on his for a soft kiss. “I love you. I love you. I love you.”
His face scrunches up as though my words physically hurt him, and I pull back. But before I can ask what’s wrong, he says, “I’m so sorry, Katie. For everything.”
“Shhhh.” I press my finger against his mouth, but he easily shakes me off.
“I need to get this out. Please, just let me get this out.” I understand he has things he wants to say, but I’m just not sure I want to hear them anymore. He said he was sorry and I believe him. That should be enough, right?
But the determination I see on his face tells me this is a fight I won’t win. “Okay,” I whisper, cupping my hand around his neck, drawing his mouth to mine. “I want to say something first though.” He nods, but his face is still drawn tight as though the words he needs to say are weighing heavily on his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what you say. In the grand scheme of things, it doesn’t matter why you left. What matters is that you’re here now, and when you tell me you’re sorry, I know you’re telling the truth because I can see it in your eyes.” I kiss him once, twice and then a third time before pulling back.
“You’re perfect, you know that?”
“No, I’m not.” I sigh. “But I sure do like hearing it. In fact, feel free to tell me that every single day for the rest of my life.”
His eyes widen at my off-handed mention of the future, but he doesn’t miss a beat. “Are you talking forever, Katie?”
“Forever isn’t enough,” I whisper, draping my arm over his back. The breath rushes from his lungs and I smile to myself.
“I don’t deserve you.” That’s bullshit. I open my mouth to tell him that, but he pushes his finger against my mouth, the same way I did a few moments ago. “Listen. I just need you to listen, okay?”
I nod, his finger still pressed to my lips.
“Good girl.” Devin lets his hand fall, but it doesn’t travel far. He props himself up on an elbow, his other hand resting firmly on my hip. “You were my world growing up. I lived in a house, but I never had a home … you were my home, Katie.” Tears spring to my eyes, and when one slides down my face, he gently wipes it away.
“I knew I wasn’t good enough for you, but I was selfish so I had every intention of keeping you anyway.” Devin’s eyes dart to the side as though he’s contemplating his next words. When they find me again, I can see the uncertainty. Whatever it is he’s about to say may very well impact me more than I think. “Until I talked to your dad.”
“My dad?” My brows furrow and I push up, mimicking his position. “What does my dad have to do with it?”
“Remember that last night?” I give him the patented are-you-kidding-me look and his eyes soften. “Sorry, of course you do. Anyway, I watched you walk into the house, and I was getting ready to pull away when your dad walked up.”
He did? How did I not know this? “I didn’t know he was even outside that night.”
“Trust me,” he says. “I didn’t either. He scared the hell out of me.”
“What did he say?” I ask. My nerves are already kicking in, adrenaline flowing in waves through my veins, because I have absolutely no idea what my dad could’ve had to do with Devin leaving me without a trace. Daddy knew how much Devin meant to me; he would have never done something to jeopardize what we had.
Would he?
Devin’s head drops. “He didn’t tell me anything I didn’t already know. But the way he presented it—”
“What? What did he say?”
“He wanted the best for you, Katie. He wanted you to have a husband that could provide you with the kind of life you deserve, and he and I both knew I wasn’t that guy. Wyatt was that guy for you, and your dad thought the same thing.” I cringe at his words, but he continues. “I knew that if I saw you again, that if I talked to you about it, you’d tell me it was all a bunch of shit.”
“Because it is all a bunch of shit.”
“I know,” he breathes, dragging his eyes back to mine. “Trust me, I know. It’s my biggest regret in life. It’s the one thing I would give anything to go back and change, but you have to understand where I was coming from. I was living a shitty life with an even shittier mother, and I was being forced to move a thousand miles away. There was no way I was going to be able to afford to go to college, let alone get a decent job, and I didn’t want to hold you back. I wanted you to have the gorgeous house with the white picket fence and two point four kids.”
“But I only wanted you.”
“I know.” He takes a deep breath. “I know that now. But at the time, my head wasn’t in a good spot, and I knew that the only way to give you a clean break was to leave and not come back. And trust me, it was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.”
Devin’s chin quivers, the movement so slight I almost miss it. I have no doubt that he feels awful for leaving me the way that he did. “You broke my heart.”
“I know. I broke my heart too. I thought about you every fucking second of every fucking day, and if Mom had had a phone, I probably would’ve called and begged for forgiveness the first chance I got. But she didn’t. Hell, I couldn’t even afford to call you from a payphone. Things were rough there for a while, and honestly, I’m glad you didn’t have to see it. It’s a good thing you weren’t there, because I would’ve leaned on you way too much.”
“I want you to lean on me, Dev. I want to be that person, the one you turn to when you need something—anything. I want to be your best friend and your confidant and everything else.”
“You are.” Sitting up, Devin pulls me into his arms. His grip on me is tight, and his chest is heaving as though he just ran a marathon. “Trust me, you are, and I never forgot that. I made a terrible mistake walking away from you, and I swear that I’ll never leave you again. I know you said it before, but I need to hear you say it now. Do you forgive me, Katie?”
“Yes.” With that one little word, I feel his body relax against mine. He needed to hear that much more than I realized. “I forgive you.” It’s easy to say because it’s true, but there is still one little thing nagging at the back of my head. “I can’t believe Daddy made you feel that way,” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.
“Don’t. Don’t be mad at your dad. He only wanted what was best for his little girl, and I don’t blame him. I was a hotheaded teenager, and it didn’t matter how he said it, his words only meant one thing to me.”
“Say it,” I dare, pulling back, “and I will kick your ass.”
“I love you,” he says, laughing, the dimple in the side of his cheek popping out. I’ve missed that damn dimple. Leaning forward, I press a kiss to it.
“I love you, too.” Nuzzling against his chest, Devin pulls me in close before settling us on the pillows. We lie like this for several minutes, both enjoying the quiet, but my mind can’t help but wander. If he would have told me what happened with my dad a long time ago, I probably would’ve been pissed, because he should have known better than to think any of that. But I’m older now, and the situation he was in at the time is easier to understand as an adult than it was as a starry-eyed teenager.
