Page 58 of Never Going to Care

There’s a teasing lilt to her voice, “It doesn’t matter now?”

“No. It doesn’t matter now because you love me.” A little bit of doubt wiggles through when I ask, “Right?”

Celeste smiles with her entire beautiful soul. “I do. I love you, Hale.” Her gaze dives deep into me. “I didn’t say it because I was in danger, and this is some sort of heightened situation thing. I knew before you picked me up today. I was planning to ask you about moving in past the two week deal and I planned to tell you how I feel.”

I grip Celeste’s jaw, my thumb running back and forth across her skin. “It’s fucking adorable you thought there was an option of you not staying past the two weeks,” I growl.

She arches an eyebrow. The way she challenges me in ways big and small make my cock harder than steel for her. Does she have any idea the way she affects me? Does she really know and understand how my heart beats for her?

Fuck. I hope so.

If she doesn’t then I’m going to spend the rest of my life telling her. I won’t stop. I won’t let a single day go by when I don’t tell her.

I kiss her lips softly. “Love you so damn much, woman.”

She smiles against my lips, “I know. You’ve shown me in so many ways and you’ve told me. I just,” she pauses as if searching for a way to express herself, “needed a little time to trust it.”

“I get it.”

And I do. I understand her. It feels like I’ve known her for so much longer than I have. It feels like she’s always had a piece of my heart and it was just a matter of finding her. Maybe that’s exactly what it was.

Our lives led us to right here and I don’t want to be anywhere else. I never will.

There’s a knock on the door which has me sneering in that direction. How dare anyone interrupt us. I ignore it, needing her taste on my tongue again. I kiss her soundly instead of answering the door. Whoever it is can wait.

“I know you probably don’t want to be interrupted, but you both need to come down and talk to the police,” Landon’s voice drifts through the door and I break away from kissing my woman to glare at it.

“If you’re naked, get dressed,” Blaze deadpans.

It’s as close to joking as the man gets an I bark out a laugh in response. Celeste blushes a pretty pink color and gets up slowly. When I stand next to her, I adjust my cock in my pants. She looks me over and licks her lips like she can’t wait to taste me.

I grit out through my teeth, “Not helping, Starlight.”

“Who says I was trying to help?” She flashes me a cheeky smile to match her teasing tone.

I can’t resist and pull her to me again, kissing her softly until Landon bangs on the door. I flip him off even though he can’t see me. I hear his chuckle from the other side as if he knows what I’m doing. He probably does; he’s the same damn way with Piper. Thankfully I haven’t walked in on anything untoward happening in the office, but it wouldn’t surprise me if I do one day.

I stomp over to the door after lacing my fingers with Celeste’s and pulling her along behind me. I bark at the two men standing there, two men who I think of as brothers, “You could be patient.”

Landon narrows his eyes at me. “Iwasbeing patient. If you don’t think the cops wanted to find out what happened from the witnesses before now, you clearly have lost some of your faculties.” My eyebrows hit my hairline and he sighs before mumbling, “Not that I blame you, but still.”

I make a humming sound as Celeste giggles. When I look at her, I feel my entire body soften. She’s amazing.

How can she be laughing now? We just found some guy waiting for her who was delusional and wanted to do her harm. I’m going to chalk it up to her knowing she’s safe with me.

I turn to my woman and lower my voice, “Are you ready to do this?”

Celeste squares her shoulders like a fucking warrior and nods sharply. “I’m ready. Let’s give them what they need and then let’s go home.”

Home.

Home.

The word echoes through me, thrumming and reverberating, coming back to me in her silky voice like a caress and a future. I kiss her forehead because I know if I press my lips to hers then I won’t be able to stop. There will be time for that.

I lead her downstairs with my hand on the small of her back, knowing we both need the contact. I need to know she’s safe. She needs to know I’m right here and I’m not going anywhere.

“So, you guys are good, huh?” Landon ribs us as we head down the stairs.

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