Page 140 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

He stared down at me, intense and serious, and my hand automatically came to his arm.

“Because I love you,” he said, simply. “It’s always been you, Sadie, and now I know that. You wanted a piece of Toronto here, and I’d do anything to make you happy.”

His words plucked strings in my chest, filling my heart. I never knew I wanted to hear those words so badly. My throat clutched with emotion and I blinked at him.

“You don’t have to say anything.” He searched my eyes. “That’s not why I said it. I want you to know you’re perfect and the most incredible person I’ve ever met, and I love everything about you.”

“Even the weird blow-up doll jokes?” I whispered as a tear leaked down my cheek.

He took my face in his hands, gazing at me with more affection than I had ever seen, and I could have died of happiness.

“Yes, Sadie, even when you joke about me and that stupid doll, I love you.” He pressed a kiss to my mouth and I sighed into him, kissing him back.

I pulled back to study the space again. “I don’t want to go to dinner,” I admitted with a laugh. “This place is heaven.”

His expression warmed. “We don’t have to.” He moved around behind the bar and lifted a brown paper bag onto the counter. “Avery dropped off dinner so we could eat here.”

He unpacked the food and I hopped up onto the bar stool, gaze still roaming the space, taking in every detail.

I sighed with happiness before my gaze landed on Holden. “Holden. It’s beautiful. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

The proud, warm expression on his face made me forget every bad thing that had happened in the last year. “I’d do anything for you.”

I came around the bar, rested my hands on his chest, and felt his heart beat through his shirt. Holden Rhodes was fucking perfect, and here I was, humming and hawing about what to do next.

Even if I had my dream job back in Toronto, even if Willa and I were moving into the best, cheapest apartment in town, even if I had made Holden a deal that I’d find him a wife, I couldn’t.

I’dneverfind another man like Holden Rhodes.

My conversation with Elizabeth from her anniversary party replayed in my head, and what she had said about taking a risk.

A tear leaked out of my eyes and I wiped it away. The answer was so obvious.

“Why are you crying?” he asked softly, stroking my hair with his hand.

I sniffed and another tear spilled over. “Because I’m so happy with you. I love you, and I don’t want to leave.”

Wow. There it was, out in the open.

He searched my eyes. “You love me?”

I nodded, gazing up into his eyes. “So much. More than anyone.” More tears rolled down my face. “And I don’t want to find you a stupid wife.”

He burst out laughing and I chuckled. His arm wrapped around me to pull me into his chest and he lowered his mouth to mine, pausing an inch from my lips, watching me.

“Sadie, I have some bad news.”

I frowned. “What is it?”

“I’m firing you as my matchmaker.”

My face burst into a smile and I leaned up to kiss him. The scrape of his stubble against my skin soothed me and when he coaxed my mouth open to taste me, I sighed into him.

“Stay with me,” he murmured against my lips in between kisses. “Let’s keep being happy.” His gaze seared me, it was so intense. His eyes were electric as he searched mine. “We’ll figure everything out.”

There was a long list of questions in my head. What about Claire? What about Willa? What about my debt? What would I do for work?

I didn’t care, though. Like he said, we’d figure it out. I just wanted to keep being happy with him.

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