Page 81 of Yours, Now and Always
His hand slides from my hair to the back of my neck, fingers spreading there as if he needs to feel the shape of me,ownthe shape of me. His other hand grasps my waist.
“Say it again. Tell me you hated hiding it.” He brings his mouth to my ear. “Tell me you wanted to tear the world apart every time I had to act like I wasn’t already yours.”
I don’t even hesitate.
“I wanted to mark you.” I press my body into his. “Every time we went out, I wanted to leave something on you so everyone knew.” I bring my hand up to curl around his neck, gripping him possessively. “I hated any woman looking at you like you didn’t already belong to me. Like they had a fucking chance. I wanted to stab them when they stared at you for longer than a second.”
He goes still.
Gone.
His hold on my waist turns positively feral. His hand at my neck tilts my head, and then his mouth is on mine. Not slow. Not sweet. It’s hunger and heat and him making sure I remember exactly who I belong to.
When he finally breaks the kiss, he rasps, “Good. Because if one more man had looked at you like he didn’t know better, I would’ve put him through a fucking wall.”
He drags his thumb across my lip. “You wanna mark me?” His eyes bore into mine. “Princess, I’ve been waiting for you to show them I’m yours. I want you to fucking brand me so no one ever forgets.”
Holy god, the things my husband says to me. I can’t process this. Not right now. Not with all these feelings coming in so hot and fast. I’ve never been high in my life, and I can’t decide if Iever want to be again. I can’t decide if it’s the weed making me feel like every part of me is turned inside out, or if it’s being loved by Gage that’s doing that.
This man who builds me greenhouses and paths and fairytale fucking forests...and then says things likethat.
This man who doesn’t just love me. Hegives himself to me.
I don’t know where to put my feelings.
I want to mark him. I want to cry. I want to climb him like a fucking tree and make him say that again.
I want to run laps. I want to scream into the woods.
I want him.
I have him.
But I wantmore.
So much more, but I don’t even know what more is.
I grip his jaw. “I fucking love you, Gage. So fucking much. And I don’t think I will ever recover from the way you’re looking at me right now.”
“Fuck,” he growls, and then his mouth is on mine again, and I’m drowning in him.
He backs me toward the couch and we sink into the cushions. Gage pulls me into his lap where I belong and we kiss until our control starts to crack.
His breath is rough against my jaw when he finally speaks. “I thought I was ready to see you today.” He leans back. “I wasn’t.”
God.
I don’t think I was either.
“I missed you,” I whisper, and the words sound ridiculous, considering we’ve only been apart a short time.
But Idid.
I missed being looked at like this.
Touched like this.
Loved like this.
