Page 100 of Unpredictable
“You told me not to come back unless I was one-hundred-percent sure I wanted to be with you.” She blinked up at me, and I ached to caress her cheek, to smooth back her hair.
“And are you?” At this point, I just needed to know. Was she all in?
She cupped my cheeks. “I’m yours. Forever and always.” She hesitated a moment. “If you’ll still have me, that is.”
I pulled her into my arms, crashing my lips to hers. The kiss wasn’t gentle or timid. It was a claiming. She was mine, and I was hers.
“Of course I’ll still have you,” I said, slightly breathless. “Are you crazy?” I grinned, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I’m never letting you go.”
And I vowed that no matter what the future held, I would always fight for her, fight for us.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Harrison nuzzled into me from behind. It was warm beneath the covers, the sun barely filtering into the room. It had been a few days since he’d come home from the hospital, and I wasn’t in any hurry to move.
“Don’t you need to get ready for work?” His morning voice was delicious and gruff.
“Nope.” I grinned, rolling over in his arms.
“Huh?” He arched an eyebrow, looking devilishly handsome. His jaw was lined with scruff, and I dotted kisses along his cheek, over his nose, his eyebrows.
“Mm,” he sighed. “That’s nice.”
I grinned, shivering when he slid his hands up my sides, canvassing my skin. I was glad I didn’t have to get out of bed, because there was no way I’d be able to drag myself away from this man.
“Mm, baby,” he moaned when I climbed on top of him. “Yes.”
My nipples brushed against the hard planes of his chest, and I slid my wet center over his erection. Though the doctor had assured us Harrison could resume normal activities yesterday, I’d waited to have sex another twenty-four hours out of an abundance of caution.
But I couldn’t wait anymore. I needed this man. I needed him to fill me. I needed to reconnect, especially after all that we’d been through.
“Are you sure you don’t need to get ready for work?” He settled his hands on my hips. “We both know how grumpy you get about being tardy.”
I laughed, leaning forward so my hair fanned around us like a curtain. “Nothing—and no one—is more important to me than you.” I pressed my lips to his.
He gripped my hips, pulling me closer, sliding me over his cock. My eyes rolled back in my head, but I quickly returned them to Harrison. I knew how important eye contact was to him, and I wanted him to feel that I was present, with him.
Suddenly overcome, I said, “I love you, and I’m sorry.”
“Shh.” He pressed his finger to my lips, his eyes filled with compassion and lust. “Just feel.”
“Is that another lesson, Zen guru?” I teased, needing to lighten the moment.
I lifted, lining him up with my entrance. And as I sank down on him, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. And for the first time, maybe ever, I believed everything had happened for a reason.
I didn’t know if that man on the beach was Ryan—would never know. But I didn’t need to. I was at peace in the knowledge that I was where I was supposed to be.
And Harrison was the man I was meant to be with. He was compassionate and understanding, and he’d let me go even when he wanted me to stay. While some might have seen that as giving up, I viewed it as a true testament to just how selfless he was. And though he might not have been happy about my decision to go to Thailand, he’d respected it, nevertheless. He’d given me the space to be who I needed to be and do what I needed to do. And that was one of the greatest gifts you could give to someone you loved—the freedom to make their own decisions, their own mistakes, without guilt or judgment.
“I love you,” I whispered, feathering my lips over his skin. “I love you. And I’m so very grateful for you.”
He held me to him, both of us still a moment—as close as any two people could be. I could feel his heart beating against mine, in sync.
“I love you.” The words rumbled from his chest, and they resonated deep in my soul. “And I’m so glad you’re mine.”
I nodded, my eyes misting at the reminder that I’d nearly lost him. First, because of my insistence on finding Ryan, on getting closure. And then because of his kidney stone. I knew the situation with his health wasn’t that dire—thank goodness. But it was a powerful reminder all the same. A reminder I shouldn’t have needed in the first place. Life was short, and you had to focus on the present. On this one moment.
“What are you thinking about?” Harrison brushed my hair over my shoulder, our bodies still connected.
