Page 121 of Unfaithful

"I love you too. For eternity."

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The sun had risen long ago, yet we remained tangled beneath the sheets. He spooned me from behind, lazily nibbling my ear and shoulder as if his hunger for me were insatiable.

And I was insanely happy.

"It felt surreal," I whispered. "I still can't believe this is happening."

He hummed in contentment, grazing his teeth lightly over my neck before pulling me even closer.

"I should be the one saying that, Peaches." He grinned. "I've been in love with you for so long."

I remembered what he had told me the other day, that he had loved me for eight years. That confession still settled deep in my chest.

"When did you know you loved me?" I asked, turning to face him, needing to see his expression.

He fell back against his pillow, his gaze flickering with nostalgia before he spoke.

"I kept coming back to that restaurant," he admitted. "Again and again."

My lips quirked up. "Twenty-two times. I remember."

"Honestly, I don't know what made me so curious, so drawn to you, but I just had to see you again. I couldn't stop thinking about you." He paused, his gaze drifting as if lost in memories.

"But my love for you didn't happen all at once, Sara. It grew stronger over the years, deepening with every moment we shared. The more I got to know you, the harder I fell. But the moment I knew—truly knew—I loved you was that night at dinner when you told us about selling your house."

His eyes softened as they held mine. "I remember thinking how hard that must have been for you. You fought for that house, worked two, sometimes three, jobs just to keep it. You were so determined. So, for you to finally let it go, I knew it must have taken everything in you."

He tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering for just a moment.

"But it was your words that truly stunned me, that left me in awe. You confessed it shattered you, but it was that very pain that gave you the strength to rise again. You said that letting it go wasn't surrender—it was choosing to release something that once meant everything to you so that someone else could love it, care for it, and appreciate its beauty and the memories it held."

I remembered that dinner. I could still recall my own words, the emotions swirling inside me as I shared a piece of my past. It had been a moment of vulnerability, one I hadn't expected to leave such an impression on him. But now, hearing his recollection, I realized just how deeply he had listened, how much he had seen me even then.

He kissed me softly on the lips, murmuring, "The fact that you're here with me, in my arms, Peaches..." He paused, a softsmile playing on his lips. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around it."

"Archie..." I hesitated as a thought surfaced. "Will you still be traveling for work? The last time, when you went missing... I don't think I can go through that again."

His expression softened. "Yeah...? Did you worry about me?"

I nodded fervently.

He let out a deep sigh. "That was one of the scariest things I've ever been through. We were in this village, covering another conflict, and things got so bad that we had to escape, but they kept chasing us. There was no way to take the usual route, so we had to go through the jungle and ended up getting lost. For days and days, it felt like there was no way out. But I won't be taking those jobs again. I think I've had enough. Dad wants me to take over the business, and I've decided that's what I'll do."

"Good." The relief that flooded me was so overwhelming that I trembled slightly. I nodded at him, my voice steadier this time. "Good."

He bit his bottom lip as he smiled at me, a tenderness in his gaze. "Fuck, Peaches. I'm a man completely blinded by love for you." He exhaled contentedly. "And I feel so blessed, so grateful to have you. I promise to make you feel, every moment of every day, that you are my everything."

I felt utterly giddy with happiness, I just had to kiss him.

"I'll prove it to you too, Archie, that you're my one. I've never been more certain of anything in my life."

I pressed myself against him, feeling the heat radiating from his skin, his hardness pressing against my thigh. Desireignited within me once more, as if the hours before hadn't been enough. I needed him again.

"Let's spend the entire day in bed," I murmured. "We'll order food, eat in bed, and make love for the rest of the day."

He chuckled, his voice thick with amusement and longing. "That sounds like a damn good plan, Peaches."

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