Page 116 of Say You Will

“Those texts felt like confirmation of my biggest fear. My parents have both made productions out of how much they ‘love’ me, but they’ve never done anything real that made me feel loved. You never said it, but youshowedme. Even when you were furious, you did thingstoloveme. You served me dinner while you were pissed. You took care of me and gave me my injection, while you were angry.”

She sniffs. “I thought about it all night. Your stupid list I thought proved you didn’t care wasn’t stupid at all. It was youdoingthe loving. You could have come at me a hundred ways to convince me to marry you. Youknowme. You could have played on my sympathy by telling me people would lose their homes. It would have worked if I thought you had no other option. You could have found some way to blackmail me with some awful thing my parents have done.”

I scowl. “What would be the point if you weren’t happy?”

“If you hadn’t cared, the point would have been those shares.”

Leaning over Franki, I guide her until her back is flat to the thick rug. “I love you, Franki. How many times a day do you think is too many for me to say it?”

“I love you too. Why don’t you say it when you want to and try not to worry about keeping track?”

I slide my hand under her pajama top, her skin warm and soft and so damned beautiful.

Something hot and sexual demands that I make this right. I need this connection to her.

When I remove my glasses, she gives me a secret smile. I take her mouth, licking into her and loving the electric shock of pleasure that jolts through me at the touch of her sweet tongue against mine. Every one of her kisses does this to me. I’m lit up and flung into orbit.

The hard ball of tension inside me unspools into nearly painful arousal. “You’re staying with me.”

It’s not a question, but she answers. “Yes.”

Franki nuzzles into my neck, then drops kisses along the sensitive skin there until she’s reached my ear. I shudder as the vibration of her voice against me sets my nerve endings alight. I can’t decide if I like it or if it’s too much sensation.

“If we go to Vegas tonight, your cousin won’t be a problem.”

I’ve decided. I like it. I like it a lot. She’s using the edge of her teeth. Not too gentle, but not too rough. My cock is hard as steel, nudging against her outer thigh.

Her words register on a delay. “No. I’ll find another way to deal with him. I’m not having our wedding tainted by the stench ofeau de Lawrence.”

She sucks my earlobe between her teeth, then speaks into my ear again. “You’re so sexy when you mangle French.”

My palm and fingers span her ribcage. Mine. And I’m hers. All of me. Everything I have to give. I tug gently on her bottom lipwith my teeth, and she sighs and shivers. When she reaches for my zipper, I still her hand.

“We’re moving to the bedroom and shutting the door.” I tip my head toward Oliver, where he’s curled in his bed, snoring in whistling huffs. “If your attack wiener wakes up and decides I’m hurting you, I’ll end up with stitches in my ass.”As it should be.

She laughs, and I rise, giving her a boost until she’s standing before me.

When we enter the bedroom, I close the door then walk to the bedside stand and remove my firearm from its ankle holster, placing it in a custom drawer in the nightstand. I remove my suspenders and undo the buttons on my shirt as she stands near the end of the bed and chews her lip. When I yank the shirttails from my waistband, she makes the cutest sound. I finish taking it off and shake it out, folding it and placing it on the dresser.

“What would it take for you to really go nuts?” she asks.

I trail my fingers across Franki’s collarbone before I wrap her hair around my hand. “How crazy are we talking?”

Her breath skates across my lips when she whispers, “Throw your clothes on the floor.”

I whip her shirt over her head and toss it over my shoulder with a grin. I don’t even look to see where it lands because I’m too busy thumbing, then kissing, her nipples and swallowing back a groan.

When she frees my cock and shoves my trousers and boxer briefs down my thighs, I kick them and my boots off and leave them where they land.

She wrinkles her nose in delight. “Now, you’re out of control.”

Franki clasps me in a firm grip and strokes.

“If anyone could make me forget what I’m doing, it’s you,” I say.

When she begins to drop to her knees, I lift her into my arms, instead.

She huffs out a surprised laugh. “What are you doing?”

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