Page 162 of In Your Dreams, Holden Rhodes

I shook my head at her. “I never should have gotten that ring from my parents. That was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. I wasn’t thinking.”

“No,” she breathed. “I freaked out because I was scared. Being without you sucks and I don’t want to do it anymore.” She took a deep breath and my heart squeezed. She was scared, but she was still doing this. “I trust you. I want to come home and live with you and be in love with you. I don’t want to live in Toronto. I love Queen’s Cove.”

“What changed your mind?”

“You,” she said. “Nothing is as good as my life with you.”

My heart beat with love and longing. When we kissed again, she melted into me, and I sighed with relief.

“I love you,” she told me, threading her fingers into my hair.

“Ten, nine, eight,” people around us chanted as midnight approached.

She smiled up at me and my heart expanded in my chest. I let my happiness show all over my face.

“I love you, too. I won’t spend the next year without you.”

“Three, two, one!”

Her eyes were soft and full of affection. “Fine by me. Happy New Year, Holden.”

“Happy New Year, Sadie.”

65

Holden

Dim morning lightfiltered into the bedroom through the hotel room windows. Sadie and I had spent the last three days lying around in bed, naked and whispering to each other, making up for our time apart. Each night, we went out for dinner before we rushed home so I could make her moan my name.

On our path to the bed last night, we had forgotten to close the curtains. Sadie slept beside me, face smushed into the pillow, curled up on her side, with her hand protectively resting on my bicep. Her hair spilled over the pillow behind her.

I remembered her words from New Year’s Eve.

What changed your mind?

You.

My heart pumped harder in my chest, studying her pretty face, the curve of her cheekbone and part of her lips. This was one of the many ways I loved her—relaxed and peaceful.

How could I have ever given this all up because we couldn’t agree on getting married?

Her hand tightened on my arm. The way she moaned into my chest as she came last night replayed in my mind. I was already fully hard, no surprise, waking up to a naked, sleepy Sadie, all soft skin and curves and possessive touches.

My hand smoothed over her hair and she made a soft noise, eyes flickering behind her eyelids. I kissed her temple, inhaling her, before kissing her jaw line, tracing it with my fingers. She made a humming noise and smiled.

“You are so fucking beautiful,” I whispered, and she sighed. “I love you so fucking much and I’m lucky to have you.”

The corner of her mouth pulled higher and she cracked an eye open. “You’re such a romantic.”

I grinned at her, my heart flopping over in my chest at the affectionate way she said it. I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her into my chest, dipping down to kiss her. Her breath hitched against my lips when my erection pressed into her stomach.

“Wait.” She sat up straight, holding the sheet up. “I need to do something.” She swung her legs over and hopped out of bed.

“Get back in bed,” I demanded, but she laughed and disappeared into the bathroom before the door closed. “What are you doing?”

“I told you,” she called through the door. “I need to do something. It’ll only take an hour.”

“Anhour?” What the fuck? “I’m coming with you.”

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