Mind Games - Page 219

He took a beat, and with it, the anger seemed to drain out of him.

“But since this is about me right now, you need to understand the slow and easy’s not what I want. I want you. I want you in my life starting right now. And I’m going to tell you what I, very deliberately, haven’t said to another woman since I was seventeen. I’m in love with you. I’m in love with every part of you.”

Because she’d stopped rubbing her hand, he sat and took it in his. “You said you loved me. If that’s still on the table—”

“You don’t clear love off the table like an empty serving dish.”

“Then give me a chance. Give us a chance, Thea. If it won’t hurt you, dive in. See what I’m thinking, feeling.”

When she just shook her head, he took her other hand.

“Then I’ll tell you, and I’ll hope you believe me. I’ve never felt about anyone the way I do about you. Because there’s no one else like you. I don’t want to pick up where we left off. I sure as hell don’t want to go backward to see if we can get it rolling again. I want to start right now.”

She looked into his eyes, and didn’t need to go deeper than that to believe him. “Now’s good for me.”

“Just like that,” he said softly, and brought her hands to his lips.

“I could find a way to live without you, but I don’t see why I should. I want someone who understands who I am, and loves me anyway. And here you are.”

With their hands still linked, she leaned toward him. With the kiss, that first meeting of lips, everything inside her settled into place. Then she rose, drawing him up so her arms could wrap around him, and his around hers.

“Now’s currently my favorite word.” She sighed against him. “Now’s everything tied up in a bow. Come upstairs with me now. I’ve missed being with you.”

When her phone signaled, she sighed again, glanced down to read the display. “It’s Rem. If I don’t answer, he’ll just come back.”

“He wants to kick my ass.” Accepting, Ty stepped back. “I don’t hold it against him.”

She picked up the phone. “How are they? Oh, that’s good. That’s good. I know you mopped up your share of tears today, but you couldn’t have come at a better time. Yes.”

She flicked up a glance at Ty. “Ty’s still here. No, I don’t, and we can talk about all that tomorrow. I’m more than okay, Rem. You’ve done your good deed today, and I’ll let you know when I need you to do one for me. Now stay away. You really want to know why? Because I’m about to take Ty to bed. You asked. Bye.”

After ending the call, she put the phone down. “Everyone’s fine, and Rem wanted to make sure you didn’t need your ass kicked.

“Now,” she said, and boosted herself up to wrap her legs around his waist.

“Now’s also good for me.”

She drove him crazy as he carried her out of the kitchen, turned to walk upstairs. Quick, hot kisses along his jawline, fingers streaming through his hair. A light nip at his throat before her lips came back to his to savor long and deep.

“Something else comes down through my family,” she told him. “You should know. When we love, really love, we don’t stop. It’s … for all time.”

“I’ll take that.” He turned into her bedroom. “And I’ll give it back to you.”

He lay with her on the bed, looked down at her. “Thea in sunlight,” he said, “and she shines. I see you.”

Because he wanted it loose, he tugged the band out of her hair.

“I’ve told you, but now let me show you.”

As she had his, he savored her mouth. Let time spin out, for both of them. The sounds of pleasure that hummed in her throat urged him to take more. But his hands didn’t rush, not yet, as they roamed over her.

He’d missed the feel of her under him, the length of her, the shape of her, the scent that always seemed to cling to her skin. He took time to savor those as well even as she busily unbuttoned his shirt, when he felt her hands run over his chest, then his shoulders to tug it away.

“I want your skin against mine,” she murmured. “I’ve had to not want that. Now I can. I do.”

He drew the tank up and away. “You were dressed like this when I saw you dancing with a sword. That was a moment.”

He trailed a finger just above the sports bra. Then lowered his head so his lips took the same route.