Page 79 of Hello Handsome
I looked down at his hands holding mine and noticed that for the first time, he wasn’t wearing his gold wedding band. Even the indentation on his ring finger was gone. Mind still reeling from the sight, I said, “But this is your wife’s flower bed.”
“It was.” He looked at the flowers in bloom. “And I’ve honored her by keeping up with it every year. It’s time I honor another woman I love.” He met my eyes, the intensity in his gaze matching his words.
My heart pulsed, making its presence known. “Gray...” It was all I could manage.
But his grip was firm on my hand. “I know I hurt you after the gala, but what I’ve come to accept is that Maya was my past. And you, Aggie, you are my future. My present. I’m tired of missing out on what life could be because I’m afraid of losing you, too.”
His voice scraped over the words, just as raw as I felt.
I’d always wanted to hear the words from him, but my brain held up a barrier of pure disbelief. “But these last six months… you’ve only asked me about Enzo.”
Tilting his head to the side, he said, “You’re theirs first. I’m hoping you’ll be mine second.”
“What are you saying?”
He reached up, brushing back a strand of my dark, straightened hair. Then his fingertips trailed softly along my jaw. “I’m saying I love you, Aggie. I love you, and I want to be with you. I’m sorry it’s taken me twenty years to tell you so.”
I leaned into his palm, loving the mix of warmth and callouses there. “I’ve loved you all this time.” My voice cracked. “I thought I would go to the grave without knowing what it felt like for you to love me back.”
Moisture shone in his eyes as they flicked from my gaze to my lips and back again.
This was new for both of us. But leaning closer to him, tipping up my jaw, pressing my lips to his—that was as natural as taking a breath.
My stomach flipped with excitement, and my heart sped like it couldn’t beat fast enough to land next to his.
Gray’s hand traveled from my cheek to my neck, holding me close in his embrace, and I wound my arms around his neck, loving the feel of his strong chest against mine.
My body responded to him as if it had been preparing my whole life for this exact moment. Every bit of me was a nerve ending, begging to be touched by this man who held me like I was the most precious gift in the world.
He tasted my mouth as if it were his last meal.
He kissed down my jaw to my neck, like he ached to feel my skin against his lips.
And his fingers wrapped through my hair, refusing to let me go.
I forgot we were in his front yard and that wedding guests were a hundred yards away. Forgot about everything except for finally being close enough to touch this man I loved.
And I could feel...
Oh, I could feel his hard length pressing against my abdomen through the taut fabric of his slacks.
My thighs clenched together instinctively, and a soft moan fell past my lips of its own accord.
“God, Aggie,” he groaned against my neck. His head lowered into my shoulder like he could barely stand upright. “You are my undoing.”
I tilted my head to speak into his ear, feeling bold and ready to claim everything I wanted from this man. “Then show me.”
He raised his eyes and met my gaze with a heat I’d never seen from him before. Wordlessly, he took my hand and led me into his house, the door shutting behind us.
We passed through the living room. Through the kitchen. And into his bedroom with the furniture we’d purchased together.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel like a second choice or the other woman.
I realized he’d been making this home ours for months now, laying the groundwork forus. Maybe that’s what we’d been doing all these years, preparing for this moment.
Cutting through my thoughts, he pulled me closer, kissing me again like he was annoyed at the time that passed without our bodies pressed together.
I moaned against his kiss, feeling sensitive to his every move. My nipples were tight against my bra, and heat pooled at my core. Letting my instincts guide me, I reached down to feel his length, gripping it around his pants.
