Page 35 of Make Me Stay

I smiled. “If I didn’t love you before...”

He slipped his work-roughened hands around my lower back, sliding his fingers under the band of my shorts to skim the edge of my bikini. “I will never get enough of touching you. Every curve, every inch of soft skin.” He lowered his mouth to mine, brushing my lips softly. “Your smile, the way you take care of my family. The way you won’t settle for anything less than what you deserve.”

My eyes stung. “No one has ever said anything like that to me.”

“You deserve to hear it daily. I’ll make sure you know how much you’re appreciated. I’ll also fuck up.”

“Oh, I know you will. Because if you ever disappear again instead of talking to me, then I’ll?—”

He shut me up with a hot kiss. Enough that I forgot what I was going to say. “I won’t,” he whispered between increasingly hotter kisses. “If we have an argument, I might need to cool off, but I’ll always come back to you.”

“I can handle that.”

I wrapped my arms around his neck. I could handle just about anything as long as we did it together.

When he finally pulled back enough for me to breathe, I couldn’t wipe my smile away. “Did you say house?”

He laughed and sat down on the beach, then he pulled me down in front of him. “Want to see a few of the ones I earmarked?”

I leaned back on him as he wrapped his arms around me to show me his phone.

And I let myself plan our future.

Epilogue

Kai

Six Months Later

“Keep your eyes closed.”

“Kai, we’re supposed to be at your parents’ place by four.”

“Thanksgiving dinner will still be there, don’t worry.” I checked to make sure she wasn’t peeking as I led her up the driveway.

We’d been house hunting for months and while a few of them had been almost maybes, none had really put me in a chokehold. Not like my girl did, anyway. I needed the perfect place for the perfect girl.

She still stole my breath all these months later. Her hair was down, and she wore some sort of fuzzy sweater that made her even more touchable, but it was the tight jeans and boots that knocked me out.

Focus, Kai.

I had a house to show her. I patted my pocket, making sure the ring box was there before I took her arm.

“Eyes still closed?”

“Yes.”

“You lying?”

“Kai!”

“Fine, fine. Open them.”

She gasped, then her hands covered her mouth. She turned to me and those midnight eyes filled. Then she slowly walked up the drive.

“I know it needs a little work, but the bones are great, and I just happen to have a few brothers who will help on the remodel.” I hurried ahead of her and up the walk to the porch.

Our realtor was so annoyed with us at this point, he just gave me the combination for the door and let me look alone.

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