“You’re so cocky.” She idly ran her fingers through his dark hair then let them trail down his cheek, his stubble tickling them. Her gaze fell to the tent in his pants. She moved her hand to unbuckle his belt, wanting to give him the same pleasure he’d bestowed upon her, but he stopped her.

“Not tonight,” he said.

“But you’re going to be uncomfortable if you don’t do something about that.”

“You’re not ready for sex.”

“I never said that.”

“You didn't have to.”

Since he was right, she didn't bother arguing with him. “We don’t have to have sex for you to get off.”

“I know, but really, it’s fine,” he said, his hand lifting to tenderly cup her cheek. “You’re nervous about this, about us, and I don’t want you to think that all I'm interested in is sex, because I’m not. I'm interested in you, princess. Sex can wait until you’re ready, and I don’t want to come until I'm buried deep inside you.”

That might just be the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her.

Florence nestled her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tucked against his chest. Thiswas nice. She’d never been held just for the sake of being held, and until this moment, she hadn't realized just how much she’d needed it.

Being held like this was so intimate, in Eli’s arms she felt safe and protected, but also cared about and wanted.

Maybe there was something in this happy ending stuff after all.

Chapter

Six

February 14th

4:32 A.M.

He knocked on her door and waited, unsure what kind of reception he was going to get when she opened the door.

It had only been a few hours since Florence had gently told him it was time for him to head home after that amazing make-out session. Watching her face as she came, feeling her muscles tightening around his fingers as he drew out her pleasure for as long as he could, that was something he could get used to.

But he wanted more.

He wanted a deeper connection, more than just making out and hot sex, and he was pretty sure this was the first step in getting it.

“It’s only me,” Eli called out when he could hear her moving around on the other side of her door.

“Eli?” She threw open the door and shot him a confused frown. “Is something wrong? It’s four-thirty in the morning,what are you doing here? Are you going to drive me to work, because I don’t usually leave for another couple of hours?”

“I am here to pick you up, but not to take you to work,” he explained with a grin.

“What? Where are you taking me then?”

“To Florence.”

“Florence?” Her eyes grew wide, and she stared at him in disbelief. “I thought that was just you trying to, you know, convince me to go out with you. I didn't think you were serious about it.”

“Dead serious. I told you, anyone whose name is Florence should visit there at least once in their life. What better time to go than for Valentine’s Day?”

“Isn't that kind of over the top for a date? I mean it must take hours?—”

“Ten,” he interrupted. “Ten hours.”

“We can't fly to Florence, we don’t have tickets, and by the time we got to the airport, and tried to find something, and waited for the flight, even if we didn't check bags it would take hours to get through border security, and…”