Page 57 of Irresistible

“We don’t speak the same language yet, do we?”

“In some ways I think we do, but we haven’t had enough time together to find out what the other needs to feel loved.” Sweeping her hand up toward the house, she grinned. “I think this is a major act of love on your part.”

“Why do I feel like there’s a but coming?”

“Not a but, more of an as well. I feel loved when I have time with you. Sitting here together or taking a walk makes me feel connected. I’m moved not by things but by your presence.”

Sitting back, he wrapped his hands behind his head and let out a breath. “When I couldn’t be there for you after Drew attacked you, it really hurt you. I can see that now. You needed me and I wasn’t there.”

“Yes. I needed you, and I was mad at myself for allowing that to happen. I felt duped because you said you were my backup and had my six.”

“Then I disappeared because I didn’t trust myself to be around you. I saw Drew’s actions and was horrified, and then I turned around and almost killed him. I saw too many similarities and it scared the shit out of me.”

“Which I totally get…now. I’m so proud of you for taking a step back and doing the hard work to make sure you were ready for a relationship. I think it had to happen the way it did. It just didn’t feel good at the time.”

Unlacing his hands, he leaned forward and took her hands. “Honey, I love you, and I hope you’re going to give us a chance.”

“I want us to have a chance, and I know we have a lot to figure out. This house makes me feel like you’re fast-forwarding to the end and we don’t even have a middle yet. I want to date you and build a relationship, so we can end up sitting on that beautiful front porch fifty years from now and watch our grandchildren run around catching fireflies. I want to know what your love language is and then try and speak it to you every day.”

“Can we date and live together?”

“Are you asking me to live in sin?”

He stood and bent down on his knee. “Honey, as much sin as we can manage.”

Taking his face into her hands, she ran her finger over his cheek. “Your face is so precious to me. It was the one I looked to when I was jumping off roofs, and the one I looked to for approval. Now that I see the man you’ve become, and I consider it God’s good grace that you’re the one I get to love.”

“I’m going to ask you to marry me one year from today, and when I do, you will be absolutely sure of your answer. Come home, Lilly, and let’s live in this house and figure how to make us.”

Sniffling, she felt tears start to stream down her face. “I think I’d like that.”

Moving his thumb over her cheeks, he grinned. “Thank you.”

“I hope you’re still saying that after we’ve been living together for a couple of months.” Kissing him quickly, she then wiped her face.

“Oh, honey, I’m going to be thanking you every morning and every night and maybe at lunchtime, if I can manage it.”

“Is that with or without ribbons?”

“Both. This is a big house and we’ve got two acres. I imagine we’re going to find a lot of places to show each other how much we love each other.”

Pushing him back, she laughed. “You’d better finish eating, then, because we have a new king-sized bed to christen.”

He grabbed her and laid a kiss on her that left no doubt what she was in for. “And a big jar of ribbons to go through.”

Watching him stand and then adjust his jeans made her laugh. “Everything okay?”

“Sure, honey. Now quit talking and start eating, ’cause we have things to do.”

When he sat down and winked, she knew the boy she’d met when she was seven had turned into the very best sort of man there was. Honorable, smart, courageous, and…irresistible.

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