Page 109 of The Obvious Check
“Did Stanley have a nice walk?” Savannah asks casually.
That’s when my mind all but ceases to function.
“Savannah?” I swallow, taking her in. “Are you going to wearthatto bed?” I ask, the strain evident in my voice because shit… I’m going to have a problem keeping my hands to myself tonight.
She’s in nothing but my jersey.
Well, not exactly my jersey, it’s better. It’s her Mrs. Bright one.
Savannah looks down at it, her hands tugging at the fabric as she moves from side to side. The fabric hangs loose on her frame, swallowing her up in a way that makes my chest ache. The sleeves fall past her hands, but the bottom barely covers the tops of her thighs, leaving miles of bare skin exposed. “I thought you’d like it?”
“Fuck, Savannah, I love it. I just wasn’t expecting it and… well…”
I can’t say it. I won’t say it, because the number of times I’ve nearly come in my pants just looking at her is starting to feel borderline tragic. I can’t help it at this point. Not when she’s wearing that. Not when all I can think about is flipping her over and taking her while she’s wrapped in our name.
“I figured it was fitting for tonight,” she says softly as though she’s not just casually driving me insane.
I groan, dragging a hand down my face as she climbs into bed, pulling the blanket up like she hasn’t just shattered my last ounce of restraint. She shifts, getting comfortable, completely unaware of the internal crisis she’s causing.
I can’t do this. Not with the image of her in that jersey etched into my brain or the memory of her hands on me in the shower still simmering under my skin.
I’m seconds from combusting.
My jaw clenches, muscles straining as I move to the other side of the bed, pushing the sheets back and slipping in. I’m rigid as a damn statue, but it’s the only way I can restrain myself.
Without asking, Savannah curls up as I shift onto my side so I’m facing her. She looks up at me with those wide, sleepy eyes and I can’t help myself.
I know I shouldn’t be the first to say it. I know I should wait, but I can’t. She needs to know that all I ever think about is her. “I love you, Savannah,” I whisper, my voice rough with everything I’ve been holding back.
She doesn’t look surprised, not even a little. Instead, she smiles. It’s soft, sure and I want to say a little relieved.
“I love you too, Cade.”
Fucking hell.
She said it back, and I had no idea it would hit harder than winning the national championship.
My girl. My Savannah loves me like I love her.
I lean in, pressing my lips against hers, slow and deep, letting the moment settle around us. The words we just shared linger in the air, anchoring everything that follows.
She sighs into the kiss, her body softening against mine as her fingers dig into my skin. The kiss keeps going. It’s not frantic or rushed. It feels right. We’re relishing in a moment that will never be better.
I slide my hand along her waist, savoring the way she arches into me and moans out my name.
“Cade?” Her voice is quiet. “I want you to make love to me.” It’s so quiet, I might’ve missed it if I weren’t already tuned to every part of her.
I go still, my heart hammering as I pull back just enough to meet her eyes. I search her face, every inch of it, needing to be sure.
“I thought you wanted to wait? I’m happy to.”
She bites her bottom lip, her cheeks flushed, but her gaze is steady. “Yeah, I think I was just nervous last time, but I’m ready now.”
I pause, only for a second, because this matters.Shematters, but then her hand wraps around my bicep, grounding me.
“I promise,” she says. “I want this. I want you.”
Those words nearly undo me, because I know the weight of her decision. She’s giving me everything, offering it instead of being forced to give it.
