Page 51 of Meet Me in the Vines
“I don’t want to go back to work with you looking like this in front of me,” he rasps, peppering kisses down my neck and over my chest, making me giggle as my legs wrap around his torso.
“You stink. Go take a shower,” I counter.
The playful grin on his lips softens, his eyes follow suit. I tilt my head, observing him closely. The perfect dip of his Cupid’s bow, the definition of his strong jawline. He lifts his hand to my cheek, gently caressing my skin. Gooseflesh pricks along where his fingers trail, lightly touching the column of my throat.
His eyes graze my entire body, savoring me. Warmth creeps into my cheeks as I timidly cross my arms over my breasts.
“Nuh-uh, don’t hide from me, baby. Let me see you,” he whispers huskily, gently uncrossing my arms. His hands grip into my hips, gently lifting me off the counter to stand. The pads of his fingers lightly trace over my pubic bone, around to thesmall of my back. He slowly turns me toward the mirror, our eyes meeting in the reflection.
“I want you to see what I see,” he murmurs against my ear, sending shivers down my neck from his breath. He holds me from behind, melting into his chest.
“What do you see?” I croon. He presses his lips into my shoulder before responding.
“I see a woman who fought really hard to be here.”
An intense flutter moves through me. I soak in his words and stare back into my reflection. “I see the most beautiful person I’ve ever known,” he whispers, kissing my neck. “And I see us making it, Mouse. A real shot at this—nothing holding us back,” he says intently in the mirror, his dimpled grin melting my insides.
I see it too.
Donovan and I drive down the winding roads through the vineyard on the way to the house I grew up in. It’s weird to call it my house these days, because it doesn’t really feel likemyhouse since spending every night in Donovan’s cabin. It’s Gran and Pop’s house. I know that the moment I step foot into that place, I have to tell Pop everything. My stomach is in knots just thinking about it.
Donovan’s fingers intertwine with mine over the center console. He catches me staring and pulls my hand in to kiss it.
“You okay, Mouse?” he asks, concern growing on his face. I love that he knows when something is on my mind.
“I’m nervous to see Pop. I know I’m gonna have to unpack everything that happened with Kellan,” I murmur. Saying his name seems foreign now but still tastes like battery acid as itrolls off my tongue. “But these last few weeks with you have been amazing. It’s just hard to bring up the bad stuff when I’ve been in all the good with you,” I sigh.
A subtle grin tugs his lips as he keeps his eyes on the road. I lean over, kissing him on the cheek. We really can’t keep our hands off each other. I blame it on the ten years of separation.
“It’s going to be hard, but you are the strongest woman I know. Noah loves you and he trusts that you’re going to be alright. With or without me. You are enough on your own. You know that, right?”
I bring his hand to my cheek and kiss his fingers. My eyes well up with tears. I’ve never had anyone tell me I was enough. The way Donovan says it makes me truly believe that I can be strong on my own two feet, that I don’t need to be controlled by fear or manipulation anymore.
“I’d rather be alrightwithyou than without,” I admit, smiling into his hand.
“Always, baby,” he softly whispers.
“Do you love me?” I blurt out. The words come out faster than I could stop them.
What the hell, Audrey?
Donovan’s mouth gapes open, his eyes flitting back and forth between me and the road. I cover my face in embarrassment.
“I don’t know why I asked that. Don’t answer that. I’m sorry,” I mutter into my hands.
I feel the truck swerve to the side of the road and Donovan hits the brakes. I peek through my fingers as he puts the truck in park, the engine still running. He grabs both of my hands across the console and looks at me intensely with those navy eyes. He takes a deep breath and lightly kisses my knuckles.
“Audrey Wren Winthrop, I didn’t know it then, but I have loved you since I was eighteen years old. I loved you from the moment I watched you walk through the gate in your whitedress. I loved you from the moment I heard your laugh and kissed you in the gazebo. I loved you from the moment we made love for the first time, just two young kids not knowing what they were getting themselves into. I have loved you for the last ten years, and every moment since, and every moment forward.”
The words are too much for my heart to handle. I lunge forward and wrap my arms around his neck, kissing him like it’d be my last. He slides me onto his lap to straddle him and he holds me, his chin resting on my shoulder. “So, to answer your question? Yeah. I love you, Mouse,” he whispers.
I pull my head back and hold his face in my hands. “Say it again,” I whisper back, smiling so big my cheeks hurt.
He peppers me with small kisses and smiles against my lips, over and over. “I love you. I love you. I love you. I love you,” he murmurs, meaning every word. I throw my head back and laugh as he attacks my entire face with kisses. I catch my breath and lock in on those deep ocean blues.
“I, I—” I stutter, not being able to choke out the three words I want to say. The last time I said those words, I gave them to a man who didn’t deserve it. Donovan places a finger on my lips and shakes his head.
“Shh, it’s okay, Mouse. You don’t have to say it back. Only when you’re ready,” he whispers sweetly, melting me into his touch.
