Page 91 of Make You Love Me
I sigh. “Nothing happened between me and Henry. I canceled.”
His hand grips the back of his neck as he lets out a long exhale, relief settling on his face.
“I don’t want to be with Henry or lead him on.”
He places his hand on the cushion between us, palm up, and I slide mine into it. “Then, tell me what you do want, Nora. Why does it feel different between us this time?”
My chest tightens, and I breathe deep to release the knot forming there. “Because I realized something the other day and tonight only solidified it.”
“What’s that?”
No hiding now. May the truth set us both free. “I don’t want to lose you. But I also don’t want to hold you back.”
“What does that mean?”
I push forward despite the shock altering his expression. “A long time ago, I convinced myself we could never be more than casual. That you’d be happier with someone else. Someone who could give you a horde of beautiful babies and no baggage to trip over. Someone who hadn’t stomped on your heart. And that one day you’d find her and never look back.”
“I’ve never given any indication that I wanted anyone but you,” he says, his voice rising.
“Not exactly, but you do want the family I can’t give you.”
“So, you chose to push me away instead of letting me decide? Trusting in us?”
“Yes. At the time.” I look down at our hands bound together, surprised he hasn’t pulled away. Reveling at my luck and this man with a golden heart, I shake my head.
“And now?” he asks, and I scoot closer.
“If you’ll have me with all my issues, I don’t want to run anymore.”
He pins me with a frown, trying to process what seems like my sudden change of heart. Little does he know that over the last year, I missed him and remained celibate because my body and heart longed for only him.
“Anything else?” he asks flatly, making me wonder if I’m too late. It sends me into a tailspin until a faint grin emerges and alights his eyes.
“Oh, there’s plenty more,” I tease, letting hope plant a seed.
“Like what?”
“I want lazy weekends in bed, more bucket list adventures, and whatever happened last night on repeat. And I want to remember it this time.” I flash him a shy smile. “More than anything, I need to know what you’re thinking.”
In answer, he hauls me into his lap. I straddle his hips, letting my arms rest on his shoulders while my fingers comb through the hair at the nape of his neck. His eyes drop to my lips, and every cell in my body awakens. I could get used to this view, and everything his hands are saying. But my stubborn brain would like to hear them voiced anyway.
“Does this tell you what I’m thinking?” His powerful fingers squeeze my hips and drag me closer.
“It’s been a crazy day. Maybe you should spell it out for me.”
His hands trail up my arms and rest gently under my jaw, pulling my lips to his. He takes his time, soft and testing.
“Does this set the stage for a replay of last night?” I whisper against his lips, not letting him get too far away.
“I hope not.”
His breath skates over my cheek, and I have to work to deconstruct the walls going up. “What?”
“Nothing happened last night, Nora.” His hands relax and drop to my thighs. “Well, we started something incredible, but I stopped it.”
“Why?”
“What you just told me…you also mentioned it and more last night.”
