Page 187 of Wildest Dreams

“Let me,” she says, those gorgeous eyes burning into mine.

I glance down at her, still cautious, but then I nod and drop my hands down to caress her soft thighs. I massage her gently as her fingers work their way down the buttons.

I grunt quietly when she finishes unbuttoning it, and she tentatively begins pushing the cotton off of my shoulders.

Breathing hard, I take her wrists, and I keep my eyes on hers as I kiss her knuckles. Then I settle her hands in my lap, taking over so that she can have the full effect.

She bites into her little smile, eyes wild as she watches me.

“What did you do?” she whispers, giggling when I can’t resist giving her another kiss.

I swipe my tongue over my bottom lip, shucking the shirt down my biceps as I watch her reaction. I’m so nervous that my chest is pumping like crazy, but I try not to blush too hard as I finally toss the shirt to the side of the couch.

My shaking hands encase her hips and I wait for her to see it.

Her eyes find it immediately and then they’re straight back up to mine.

In the next moment her arms are wrapped like a vise around my neck, as she squeals and reaches up to cover my face in kisses.

I grunt, squeezing her thighs, and I kiss her back, trying to gauge her reaction.

“You like it?” I ask her gruffly, hoping to God that she does.

Tears cascade down her cheeks as she strokes her palms up my jaw.

I clear my throat, overcome by her sudden show of emotion. “Ash, baby, you’re crying.”

“Happy tears,” she whispers up to me.

“Happy tears or not – don’t want you crying over me.”

She reaches up to kiss me again and I hunch down to meet her in the middle, practically growling in relief as her hands caress gently down my forearms.

After a moment she pulls back and I watch her in wonder as she holds her arm out next to mine.

Her little love-heart freckle that I love so much sits tiny and perfect, just below her elbow.

And now, in the same place on mine, is a small dark piece of script – the only tattoo that I’ll ever need.

Her name.

Aisling.

She drops her forehead to my chest for a moment, her shoulders shaking as she tries to compose herself.

The heat pumping out of my chest is enough to make us both get a little lightheaded, so I leash a hand through her hair, tugging her head back so that I can look at her.

“You got a tattoo for me,” she whispers, holding still as I brush the tears off her pink cheeks.

“Yeah,” I murmur, laughing quietly when she gives me her little smile. “So we match.”

She shakes her head, tears still falling even as she giggles, and she strokes her fingers reverently beneath the tattoo wrap banded over the ink.

“I love it,” she whispers.

“I love you,” I whisper back to her.

“I was… always so scared of wearing my heart on my sleeve,” she says, eyes wide and sparkling as they look up into mine. My own eyes sting with tears but I blink them back, my hands wrapped tight around her waist as I hold her preciously against me. “Tanner, I love you so much,” she whispers. “I’m so grateful that you never gave up on me.”

---