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He moved in then, brushing her hair over her shoulder, cupping the side of her neck, gently moving his thumb along her jaw. “I’ve loved you since that first time, Alex.” He shook his head. “No. If I’m honest, long before then. But you were still so young, and I knew you weren’t ready for what I wanted with you. Then I broke up with Emily, and as soon as I saw you again, I knew I had to have you, that I couldn’t wait any longer.”
Her head was spinning. He loved her. He had always loved her. “What about blackmailing me into your bed?”
“You don’t trust easily, Alex, and I’d already hurt you. I didn’t know how else to get you to give me another chance, to spend time with me, to let me love you like you deserved.”
“You were never going to sell this place?”
He shook his head and pulled out his cell phone, opened his text messages, and showed her a reply from David Cannon.
Thanks for the referral. My car looks amazing.
“You sent Mr. Cannon to us?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I referred him; the decision was his. I barely know the man, so this wasn’t a favor to me. We aren’t business associates. I just met him through a friend.”
“He’s not the first, is he?”
He shook his head. “I believe in you, in this place.”
She sucked in a breath, the lump clogging her throat suddenly escaping on a giant sob. All the emotion she’d held back over the last few days—the last few years—came rushing forward. She had no hope of holding it back. She shook her head. “No Emily?”
“No Emily.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip.
“And you…you love me?”
“Yes, I love you. So fucking much,” he choked.
Her body started to tremble so hard her legs felt weak.
He pulled her into his arms, hands going to her butt. He lifted her off the ground, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, arms circling his neck. Hot tears streamed down her face and soaked into his shirt.
He kissed the top of her head. “I know I went about this all the wrong way, and I’ve acted like a jealous, overbearing asshole, but I promise you this—it stops now, baby. You didn’t deserve any of it. I let my past get in the way of our future. I won’t let that happen again.”
She tightened her arms around his neck. “I’m not your mom, and I’m not Emily, Deke,” she choked. “I would never
hurt you like that. Ever.”
“I know, baby.”
She vaguely felt him move. Heard him kick the door, tell Rusty to open up. Then they were going up the stairs to her apartment, and the next thing she knew, Deacon was lowering her onto her bed.
She’d been so damn blind, had turned Deacon into some kind of power-hungry monster in her head. All to protect herself from the truth, a truth she’d been too afraid to face.
She’d acted like a coward, had pushed him away all those months ago instead of taking a risk, afraid to love, to be loved in return.
But she’d known, deep down under all the baggage, the pain she hid behind, she’d known that Deacon would never hurt her, would never do anything to hurt his sisters. She knew this because she knew him. And because of three magical, wonderful words.
Deacon loved her.
Chapter Twenty-One
Deacon removed her boots, letting them fall to the floor.
Crawling up the mattress, he came down on top of her. It felt so good to have her beneath him. He’d been craving this, being able to touch her, feel her warm, smooth skin beneath his fingers. She felt small, almost fragile right then, and he slid his arms around her, holding her to him.
Jesus, he couldn’t believe she was giving him another chance, that she was finally his.
“Alex?” Her body shook, and her eyes were screwed shut, big fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She was killing him. “Baby…” He tried to brush away her tears but more replaced them instantly. “Sweetheart, please don’t cry…What can I do? How can I make it better?”
