Page 86 of How to Play the Player

“Oh, god. Yes, baby,” he encourages, his movements becoming less controlled, more urgent. “Come with me.”

His hand slides between us, circling my sensitive bud with just the right pressure. The dual sensation of him inside me and his skilled touch above pushes me over the edge. Pleasure washes over me, more intense than before. My inner walls clench tightly around him.

“Quinn.” Nathan follows only moments later, my name a prayer on his lips as he finds his release, his body tensing and then relaxing above me, inside me. His weight drops onto his forearms, keeping himself fully inside me and maintaining our closeness.

For several minutes, we simply breathe together, not wanting to break the connection. His fingers trace lazy patterns on my shoulder, my hair, as if he can’t bear to stop touching me now that he has me back in his arms. I feel the same, my hands roaming the strong planes of his back, relearning the dips and curves of his muscles.

Eventually, he shifts to the side, gathering me against his chest where I can hear his steady heartbeat. My leg drapes over his, my arm across his torso, our bodies fitting together as if designed for this very purpose.

“What are you thinking?” he asks after a long, comfortable silence, his voice gentle in the darkened room.

I consider the question, trying to untangle the jumble of emotions inside me—satisfaction, hope, lingering traces of fear, overwhelming love. So much to process.

“I’m thinking that I never expected this,” I admit, tracing abstract patterns on his chest with my fingertip. “That two weeks ago, I would have said this was impossible.”

“And now?”

I prop myself up on one elbow, looking down at him in the dim light. His features are soft, open, more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen them.

“Now I’m thinking that maybe some things are worth rebuilding.” I trace the line of his jaw with my fingertip. “Even if it takes time. Even if it’s hard.”

Nathan catches my hand, pressing a kiss to my palm. “I’ll spend every day proving that this—that we are worth it. That you can trust me again. I got you, and you got me.”

“One day at a time?” I smile.

“One day at a time,” he agrees, pulling me back. “I know there’s no erasing the past, but I want to learn from it.”

“That’s what I want, too.” For the first time in a year, I let myself finally live in the knowledge that Nathan is mine, thatthere is, and always will be, a future with him. It won’t be perfect and not without its challenges, but that’s exactly how I want our relationship to be. A love that’s ours.

Just as I’m drifting off, I feel Nathan shift beside me. His movement pulls me back from the edge of sleep.

“Quinn,” he whispers, sitting up. “There’s something I need to ask you.”

The seriousness in his voice chases away the last remnants of drowsiness. I turn to face him fully, finding his expression both nervous and determined in the dim light.

“What is it?” I ask, suddenly wide awake, timid.

Nathan takes a deep breath, then reaches for his pants on the floor. My breath catches as he pulls out a small velvet box.

“I bought this a year ago,” he says, his voice soft but steady. “A week before…everything. I was going to ask you when the NorthStar deal went through.”

My heart is hammering against my chest as he opens the box, revealing a stunning oval-cut diamond set in a delicate white-gold band. It shines against the moonlight filtering through the curtains.

“I never returned it,” he continues, his eyes never leaving mine. “Even when I was at my angriest, even when I thought I was meant to hate you forever…I couldn’t let it go. Couldn’t let what we had go.”

Tears fill my eyes, blurring my vision as he takes the ring from its velvet nest.

“I know it’s fast,” he says, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his voice. “We’ve only just found our way back to each other. But I don’t want to waste another day, another minute without you knowing exactly how I feel, what I want.”

He takes my hand, the warmth of his palm steady against my trembling fingers.

“Quinn Marie Sanders, I’ve loved you from the moment you walked into my life, and I never stopped, even when I tried to convince myself otherwise. Will you make me the happiest man on earth and marry me?”

Tears escape, rolling down my cheeks as joy consumes me to where I can hardly breathe. For a moment, I’m speechless, overwhelmed by the magnitude of this moment, of today in general. Of what we’ve overcome to get here.

“Yes, yes!” I finally manage, my voice breaking on the word. “I’ll marry you.”

His smile is radiant as he slides the ring onto my finger. It fits perfectly, sitting on my ring finger as though it was meant to be there.

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