Page 98 of Sweet Surrender
“What?” he replied, dumbfounded. He expected her to have been chased off by now with some bullshit lie from Taylor as usual. He had been counting on it. That Elizabeth was still standing in front of him only fanned the tiny flame of hope that had sparked to life during Taylor’s speech. Just because she had stared at him the whole time while giving a heartfelt speech about love didn’t mean she loved him. But not chasing off a potential love interest for the first timeever?Hello Hope, my name is Beau.
He needed to find Taylor, now.
“Excuse me,” he grunted, blowing past Elizabeth. He couldn’t see Taylor in the bar but spotted her office door was shut and made a beeline for it. He burst in, seeing her looking out the window, her knuckles brushing across her lip in a gesture he knew like the back of his hand. He slammed the door behind him.
“What the hell, Taylor? I went to the bathroom and when I came back, she was still there?”
She looked at him like he’d grown another head. “What?”
“I was counting on you! What are you playing at? Why didn’t you tell her that I have bad breath?”
“Because you don’t.”
“That I’m a criminal?”
“Because you’re not.”
She was taking the wind out of his sails with her small voice and wide green eyes shining up at him with untold emotion.
“Tiny dick?”
She shook her head, a small smile hovering where he wanted to kiss. God, he missed her kisses. He’d been living off the memory of them alone for the last month and he needed the real thing soon or he would go insane.
“Complete asshole?”
“You’re the best man I know.”
His head dropped forward, resting his chin on his chest. “You’re killing me here, sweetheart.” His feet moved before he could stop them, eating up the space between them until he was in front of her. “Then why isshestill here?” he growled.
“Because I want you to be happy.”
He closed his eyes against her vulnerability before it clawed its way through his chest.
“Because I love you,” she said simply and his eyes snapped open, capturing hers. “I couldn’t say the words when you needed them. You’re right, I was scared, but I’m saying them now. Tell me I’m not too late?”
He didn’t even hesitate, just pulled her tight against his body and crushed his mouth to hers in the sweetest kiss he’d ever had. Because he’dfinallywon. She surrendered and he had finally wonher.
She opened on a moan and he swept his tongue inside, tangling it with hers, lust plowing through his chest as her grip tightened on his shirt, hands fisting the material.Paradise.
She pulled away. “It’s always been you, I was so stupid, how did I not see it? We’ve wasted so much time!” she cried, tears slipping over her lower lids and trickling down her beautiful, splotchy cheeks. He kissed each one away, shushing her worries.
“Don’t say that. We’ve got our whole lives to go yet. We have all the time in the world to love each other. You have my whole heart, forever.”
She nodded but nibbled her lips, his eyes going directly to them, wanting to replace her teeth with his.
“What is it, sweetheart?” he asked, stroking her back, his fingers trailing her spine through the thin material of the dress that had wreaked havoc on him all damn day. He couldn’t wait to peel it off her later.
“I’m still scared,” she said, her voice low.
“Tell me.”
He held her tight and soothed her as she whispered her darkest fear to him. That she wasn’t enough for him, that he would get bored, that he would leave. And when she finished, he stared down into those eyes shining like polished gems and he laughed. Her brows slammed together, and he tried to stop laughing.
“I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at your fear at all. Wait, maybe I am? But sweetheart, I’ve known you for a really long time and not once have I ever,everbeen bored. Do you honestly think either of us would let this get boring?”
She wrung her hands together then squinted up at him. “No?”
“Exactly! There’ll be some tough times, I can’t lie about that because all relationships have them but boring? Sweetheart, you couldn’t be boring even if you tried. In fact I should be worried you’ll get bored of me!”
