Page 70 of Dangers of Love

More than anything, I wanted to take her in my arms and show her everything I was feeling, but I knew we had to get through this if we were ever going to be more than sex.

“From the first moment I saw you, I wanted to protect you,” I continued, “and you seemed determined to make that an impossible job. When you told me you were pregnant, all I could think was that now there were two of you to protect, and if I hadn’t been able to keep Leo alive, how could I manage to keep you safe? I still feel like that, but I know how I reacted wasn’t the right way. I should have told you that I’m terrified that something is going to happen to you and the baby. Asked if we could talk through stuff. I’m sorry for how I handled it.”

She ran her fingers through my hair, and I leaned into her touch. She kept getting closer, not farther away, and I hoped that was a good sign.

“I’m sorry too,” she said. “I can’t expect you to know what I’m feeling if I don’t tell you. And I shouldn’t have blown off your concerns or acted like they were unreasonable. We’re parents, and we have to do what’s best for our family as a whole. I should have told you how I felt rather than going on the defensive. And I definitely shouldn’t have walked away. Part of the reason things with my family got so bad was because I never wanted to work through conflict. So much of what I’ve done in my life has been easy, and I don’t like it when things are hard.”

I took her hand in mine, my thumb brushing back and forth across her knuckle. Part of me worried that she was going to break up with me, but I refused to let that part get the upper hand. She didn’t sound like someone who was giving up.

“I came back because I wanted to fight for you. For us. I’m done backing away from something just because it’ll take some work. Some things we have to go through fast because of our situation, but we can’t skip steps.”

I took a slow breath to steady myself and then asked the question I didn’t actually want to ask. “Do you want to break off the engagement? Step back from that until we work through all our issues?”

“How about I keep the ring, and then when I’m ready to pick a date and start wedding planning, I’ll propose to you?”

I chuckled and pulled her into my arms. I kissed the top of her head. “Whatever you say.”

“Let’s not do this again.” Aline’s voice was muffled against my chest, but I could hear the hint of a smile. “Here’s an idea…show tunes.”

“Um…what?”

She pulled back to look up at me with a smile that said she was thinking something mischievous. “I love musicals, and I think whenever we start arguing, we should sing a show tune. They make everything better.”

I wasn’t sure if I looked horrified or amused, but whatever my expression was made her laugh, and it was the laugh I loved, the one that lit up her entire face.

“I love you.” It was out of my mouth before I knew the words had even formed.

Her mouth fell open a little bit, like I’d genuinely shocked her, which was sort of funny since I’d figured that my proposal would have pretty much topped any other sort of surprise. It should’ve been the first thing that I’d surprised her with, that confession, but I couldn’t go back and say it before proposing. And if I was being honest, I wasn’t sure that I could have admitted it then. Admitting it would’ve meant I had more to lose.

At least, that was the way I’d thought before. Now, I realized that not admitting it didn’t make the danger any less. It just meant I wouldn’t get any of the good. Having her, having a family with her, that was worth the risk.

“I love you too.” She beamed at me, and we just sat there for a few minutes, smiling at each other before she wiggled her eyebrows. “Does this mean no show tunes?”

I laughed. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m definitelynotthe one in the family with the musical talent.”

“That’s okay,” she said as she ran her finger along my bottom lip. “You haveothertalents.”

My eyebrows went up. “Are you trying to seduce me?”

She slid her hand down my chest to my lap. “Is it working?”

I wanted to make a smartass, sexual comment, but my concern for her was still there. Not the near panic from before, but enough to make me ask a question. “Are you sure you want to do this? You’re feeling okay?”

“Yes to both questions.” She pressed her lips to mine in a brief but scorching kiss. “Now, take me to bed.”

She didn’t have to tell me a third time. Less than five minutes later, we were both naked and falling into bed together, laughing and kissing, limbs tangled. Touching her, having her touch me, had the same electrical effect on me as it’d had before, but there was a lightness now that wasn’t there when things had been great between us. Like the things that we’d just shared had had a weight to them, and now we weren’t carrying it alone.

The realization made me smile, and that was when she slid her fingers into my hair, pulled my head down, and brought my mouth to hers. I made a sound, pushed my tongue between her lips, devouring her as my hands touched everything I could reach. Soft breasts. Sensitive nipples that hardened as I teased them. The delicate feel of her bones under her skin. Strong legs wrapping around my waist.

“Inside me,” she whispered as she bit my bottom lip. “Now.”

It didn’t take much for me to do as she asked. We both groaned as we came together. She was hot and tight, her body fitting perfectly with mine. We moved together, finding a mutual rhythm that had friction and pressure in all the right places. Perfection.

Deep, lazy strokes. Thorough kisses. Muscles bunching and relaxing. Moans and whispers.

When I rolled my hips, a little whimper escaped her, so I did it again.

“More, more,” she begged.

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