Page 128 of Receiving His Mercy
She raised her eyes to his. “I know. I’m checking out the rest of you.”
He rolled her over onto her back and she squealed, giggling.
“Oh, you were, huh? And did you like what you saw?”
“Hmm. Yeah, it’s not bad.”
“Not bad?” he said with mock fury. “Not bad? You brat.” He started tickling her and she let out squeals of laughter as she attempted to fight back.
In the end, he managed to pin her to the bed as she stared up at him with what she thought was probably a goofy grin on her face.
“I love you, Travis Andrews.”
And then she froze as she realized what she had just said.
Fuck.
Bollocks.
Monkey balls.
What the fuck was she thinking? It was way too early to tell him that she loved him. Would she scare him away? She’d already told him that she’d had a crush on him as a teenager. That was humiliating enough.
“Sorry,” she said hastily.
He frowned down at her. Shit. What was he thinking?
Oh, bollocks.
“Why are you apologizing after telling me that you love me?” he asked gruffly. “Did you not mean it? Do you regret saying it?”
“What? No! Of course I meant it. I just . . . it’s too early, isn’t it? For me to say that to you, right? Have I scared you off?”
“You really think that telling me that you love me would scare me off? All it means is that you are even more mine than you were before.”
“Really?” Caren wasn’t worried that he hadn’t said it back. Because she’d loved him for the longest time. It wasn’t fair to expect him to fall in love with her after a short time.
“Really.” Leaning in, he kissed her. “And it’s a good thing since I love you too.”
“You don’t have to say that,” she whispered.
Travis raised his eyebrows. “Do I strike you as a man who says things just because he thinks he has to?”
“No. No, you’re not that man at all.”
“No. I’m saying it because I mean it. I love you, Caren Stanford. And you are mine.”
She nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck as tears dripped down her cheeks.
“Tears?”
“Good ones,” she told him as he kissed her cheeks.
“I only want you crying good ones from now on,” he bossed. “Or tears that I give you during a punishment or a scene. Understand?”
“Yes, boss!”
“That’s Sir to you. Although ‘boss’ has a nice ring to it as well.” Leaning on his side, he grabbed a tissue and cleaned her up.
