Page 119 of Clashing
It’d be fair if she rejected me after all I’d put her through, butfuck, please don’t reject me. The rest of my life would lose all its color if she weren’t in it.
“Are you trying to let me down gently?” Her arms fell to her sides. “Do you not want me anymore?”
Impossible.“No, Scarlett. I want you. All of you. All the way.”
Her lips parted. “What?”
“I want to be with you. We’re electric, Scarlett.” I cradled her face, and a lump formed in my throat when her eyes glistened. “And I want to take that charge with me everywhere I go. I want to wake up with you and fight and make up with you. I want your sarcastic comments. I want that sense of humor and sass every second of every day. I want to make dinner for you and spend the night with you and date you and go to every goddamn art show you ever have so I can watch you become a world-famous artist. I want you to be mine.” I pushed my forehead to hers. “All of you. Will you be my woman, Scarlett?”
Her wide eyes stared for so many seconds, I feared she might say no. My stomach tied into knots that wouldn’t release unless she said yes.
“Yes.” She kissed me and murmured against my lips, “Yes, I want that so much.”
Everything in me unraveled, and I was glad for it. I’d reform with her. Mold into the kind of man she deserved.
“Fuck, baby, I’m so into you.” I spoke between kisses because I wanted to be close to her. Now and every day of my life. “You’re so important to me. I miss you when I’m not with you.”
She whimpered and tangled her hands in my hair, pulling our kiss deeper. I slid my hand up her shirt onto her back. A huge sense of relief washed over me. She saidyes. She wasmine.
“Ryker.” She tipped her head back, and I kissed down her neck. “I miss you too. I want to be with you all the time.”
I told myself I wouldn’t tell her I loved her right away. I’d do things right. Wait for a special moment. But I couldn’t fucking wait anymore. I’d wasted too much time already and I didn’t want anothershould havemoment.Fuck it.
“Scarlett.” I cupped her face, adrenaline buzzing through my blood. No one had ever given me a rush like she did. “I’m in love with you.”
Her mouth fell open. “You are?”
“So fucking much,” I whispered. “I love you so much.”
She sniffled. “I love you so much.”
Self-loathing had embedded itself so deeply inside me, I never believed I could love someone. More, I never believed someone could loveme.
Then she spoke the words, and that lump in my throat grew. I crashed a kiss on the lips I’d never get tired of and always craved. Her arms locked around my neck and my chest swelled with a warmth and comforting sense ofhomeonly she could give me.
I wanted her to move in with me. I considered maybe all this was too soon, but we weren’t normal. We did things our own way. We had from the start, and I didn’t see a reason to stop now.
“Scarlett.” I eased back before I got too distracted by her lips. “One more thing.”
“What?”
“Move—”
It would’ve been perfect. It would’ve been the right time. Except the door opened becauseIhadn’t locked it, and in walked Danny.
“Hey, honey, I was cleared to come upstairs final—” He froze.
We froze. I wasn’t facing him, but Scarlett was. Her eyes widened. Silence stretched and I hazarded a glance back, but all Dan did was gape. We couldn’t bullshit him on this. She was in my lap; my hands were under her shirt. We’d gotten away with a few things before, but there was no way out of this one.
“Oh, God.” Scarlett slipped off my lap.
I stood and set a hand on her back as I faced Danny. She wouldn’t take the heat alone.
“Danny, I—”
“No. I want to talk to her. You go.”
I lifted my hands in surrender. “Danny—”
