Page 133 of Bagging the Blueliner
We could go around and around all day, but there would be time for that later. Right now, I needed to tell this incredible woman what she meant to me so she would never have cause to doubt it again.
Pulling her onto my lap so that she straddled me, I stared down at her. How I’d kept myself in check all those years was beyond me. She was my equal, my partner, and I had wasted too damn long telling myself she wasn’t for me.
The perfect woman had been there, right in front of me, all along.
“Hannah, I love you. I love you so much that it killed me to push you away. Instead of comforting you, I shattered your heart. I will never forgive myself for putting you through that. But I hope I can show you every day just how sorry I am. There never has been and never will be another woman I love. You’re it for me.”
After an audible swallow, Hannah took a shaky breath before speaking. “I didn’t know what love was. I thought it was the mushy romantic stuff you saw in movies. It took some very wise women beating some sense into me to realize that real love is more subtle. It’s not always grand gestures; it’s in the little things. They weren’t hard to find once I knew what I was looking for.
“And then I got scared. What if I was reading the signs wrong? What if I told you that I loved you and you bolted? Relationships were so new for both of us that I convinced myself you were as clueless about love as I was. I talked myself out of telling you more times than I can count. I didn’t want to lose you. Silly me, I didn’t know I would lose you anyway.
“That’s when I knew for sure I was in love with you. It hurt to breathe when you were gone. There was this giant hole in my heart, and nothing could fix it. You make me whole.”
Her lips dropped to mine, and she said softly, “I love you, Cal.”
Squeezing my eyes shut, I let her kiss me, allowing her to lead. I’d caused her so much pain, but she hadn’t stopped loving me. I didn’t deserve her, but I was a selfish bastard and didn’t care. If she wanted me, who was I to say no?
She pulled back, and I murmured against her lips, “I love you so much, Hannah.”
“Wouldn’t kill you to say it every once in a while,” she teased.
Giving her ass a pinch, she squealed, and I laughed, feeling freer than I had in months.
“Now that that’s settled, where are we moving?” I asked.
Raising an eyebrow, her sass made an appearance. “We? Isn’t that a little presumptuous?”
Moving my hands soothingly up and down her back, I replied, “I meant what I said. I’m never letting you go again. So, the way I see it, you’ve followed me around like a lovesick puppy this past year, and it’s time I repaid the favor.”
Mock indignation filled her face, and she threw a hand to her chest. “I’vebeen a lovesick puppy? I think you have that mixed up.Youwere the one who’d had his eye on me for years and never said a word.”
“You have such an active imagination.” I bopped her on the nose.
“You really are a piece of work, you know that?” Hannah accused, shaking her head.
“Yeah, but you love me.”
Looking skyward, she breathed out, “Only God knows why.”
“I’ll ask again. Where are we moving?”
Peering down at me, color filled her cheeks as she shyly replied, “Nashville?”
My brows rose high on my forehead. “Nashville? And why don’t you sound more certain?”
Hannah blew out a breath. “Because I was running away. Memories of you were everywhere in Hartford. I couldn’tescape you, even when you weren’t around. I couldn’t keep my apartment. The idea of running into you in the elevator had me taking the stairs.”
Running a hand up her leg, I mused, “Is that why these bad boys are so toned? At least some good came out of it. You look hot as fuck.”
Shoving me in the shoulder, she rolled her pretty blue eyes. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that if I don’t have a reason to run anymore, maybe I shouldn’t.”
“Why Nashville?” I prodded.
Hannah avoided my gaze before answering, “I thought maybe I could try my hand at a singing career. The person I cared about most in this world rejected me, and I survived—barely—so I figured anyone else telling me I wasn’t good enough couldn’t hurt nearly that bad.”
Burying my head in her chest, I groaned. “I don’t know how to feel about that. On the one hand, I’m glad you’re finally ready to share your talent with the world, but on the other, I’m devastated that I had to break your heart for you to chase your dreams.”
“I don’t care about any of that so long as I have you.” Hannah ran her hands through my hair, gripping until she pulled my head back enough to look me in the eye. “Although I do have to tell you, I’m homeless and jobless, so I’m not quite the catch I was a few months ago.”
