Page 75 of Sweet Passions at Bayside
How could something feel so good and hurt so bad at the same time? “Iwantyou to love me,” she managed. “But I can’t be the thing that drives you and your father farther apart. How could I ever live with myself if I made things harder for you? It’ll break my heart every time I think about it.”
“The only thing that would make things hard for me would be if you push me away. Don’t do it, doll,” he warned. “Don’t ruin what we have.”
“I’m trying to save your family so you don’t end up resenting me. That’s what you do when you care about someone, isn’t it? You step back and make yourself miserable so they can be happy?”
He put space between them, still holding her with a death grip, his confused eyes boring into her. “No, Emery. It’s not. When you love someone, you never let them go. You do everything within your power to help them be the best person they can, to achieve their dreams,andto get through nights like tonight. But you don’t run away. You don’t become a martyr. Love isn’t easy, Emery, but wewillbe worth it.”
“I told you I didn’t know how to do this! I don’t even know what’s right or wrong anymore.” She threw her arms up, tears flooding her eyes. “I’m pretty sure this stupid pain in my chest is my heart exploding because by beingmyself…” She closed her eyes as the truth stabbed her again. She was trembling all over, and vaguely aware of other couples watching them as they came and went from the resort. She tried to lower her voice and said, “By being myself, I’ve caused even more trouble between you and your dad.”
He grabbed her wrist, stepping closer, and said, “Stop right there. This has been coming for a long time.”
“Thiswhat? Thisfight?” She crossed her arms. “I knew I’d mess us up!”
He shook his head and gathered her in his arms again. “No,” he said gently. “Putting an end to my father’s wrath.”
He brushed his lips over hers, the slow, intimate touch taking her by surprise.
“And you and I coming together was also long overdue,” he said firmly. “I love you, and I want you back in my house. Inourhouse.Ourbed, Em. You know you love me, and you know you want this—us—just as much as I do.”
She buried her face in his shirt, unsure of what she should do or say. She loved him so much she was ready to walk away just to keep from hurting him more. But walking away would hurt them both.
He lifted her chin as he’d done so many times before and gazed lovingly into her eyes. “You deserve me, and I deserve you. Don’t let my father make you think otherwise.”
“Iknowwe deserve each other. I’m pretty great, and you’rebeyondamazing. But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with coming between you and your father.”
“You didn’t. He did this. Not you.”
He kissed her softly, and though she tried to pull away, he held her tighter, kissed her deeper, soothing and exciting her at once. His grip loosened, and his fingers tangled in her hair. And in that moment, Dean’s warm comfort eased the tension in her chest, and she gave herself over to their kiss. He sighed against her lips, a long, deep breath that filled her lungs, as if he needed to feel her love as much as she needed to feel his.
Their lips parted slowly, and he pressed a series of tender kisses over her mouth, cheeks, and forehead. When his lips brushed over hers again, he whispered, “I love you, Emery, and I’m not going to let you go.”
His father had somehow used her to get to him, and that gutted her, but if she’d ever been certain of anything in her entire life, it was that she didn’t want to lose Dean. She pressed a kiss to his chest and gazed up at the man who had seen the real her and loved her anyway. “I love you too, with my whole heart. And I’m not going to let you go either, but we can’t pretend that whatever took place in there didn’t happen.”
“Youloveme!” He looked up at the sky and closed his eyes, whispering, “Shelovesme!”
Laughter bubbled out with more tears. “Ido. I love you. I love you so much, and I’m scared to death that I’m going to mess up your life.”
“No, doll. Never. The only thing you’re going to mess up is our sheets, as often as you’d like.”
She buried her face in his chest again, happiness and worries battling for dominance. When he lifted her chin and pressed his lips to hers, happiness trampled those worries and she kissed him back.
“I love you,” she whispered. “But before you make a decision about me moving back in, I just realized that I didn’t even get to say goodbye to your mother. She’s going to think I’m a lunatic for running out, and then she’ll hate me, too. You were right. I’m kind of chaotic.”
“You’re my chaos, lover girl, and I wouldn’t want you any other way.” He took her in a sweet, languid kiss. “I have never had second thoughts about us, and I don’t now.Ourhouse needs you in it.”
“Even though—”
Her words were lost on the soft press of his lips.
“Even though,” he whispered.
“Okay, but your mom…?”
“My mother adores you,” he said calmly. “I’ll call her tomorrow and explain. But right now I need to get you away from all of this negativity. It’s not good for your mind.” He kissed her forehead. “Your body,” he said tenderly, and kissed the center of her breastbone. “Or your spirit.” He pressed his lips to the area above her heart, and she felt the shattered pieces of herself working their way back into place.
Chapter Twenty-Three
THE DRIVE HOME was tense and silent. Emery kept a death grip on Dean’s hand, her face turned toward the passenger window, while Dean relived the storm that had taken place with his father. He’d tried so hard to be civil for all these years, but he was done fooling around. It infuriated him to think that Emery would back away, even for a second, because of his father.
