“Iloved her. I loved her so goddamn much, and the amount of anger I felt towardher was … God, it wascrushing, because I think I kinda saw it coming,you know? The road she was on, it felt like it could’ve only led there, and then,when I met you …” She laughed without an iota of humor. “You wereexactlywho I envisioned her being with, and you wereexactlywhat I didn’t wantyou to be. This cocky, obnoxious asshole who didn’t know how to keep his mouthshut.” I smirked morosely and dropped my gaze to the picture of baby Greyson. “Butwhile you were everything I had hoped you wouldn’t be, you were also everythingthat Greyson needed, and it’s taken me all this time to realize you’re alsoexactly whatIneed.”
Ibrought my gaze to hers. “So, does that mean you’re sorry you called me aman-child?”
Tabbylaughed with a subtle shake of her head, as one hand reached out to brush overmy cheek. “It means I’m sorry I walked away. And that I thought I couldn’t bewith you because of some stupid job. And that you thought you had to cut yourfucking hair to win me over. Because I really do love your hair when it’slong.”
Throwingmy head back, I reached out, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her tostand between my thighs. “Oh, thank you, baby Jesus. I miss my hair so goddamnmuch.”
Tabbylaughed, and I pressed my cheek against her chest as I held her in my arms.“Apology accepted, Thumbelina. You can say it now,” I muttered breathlessly,listening to the sound of her booming heart.
“Saywhat?” she asked, threading her fingers through the hair I was never cuttingthat short again.
“Thatyou love me, that you’ll move in here and save me from the ghosts, that you’lllet me give you everything you want, that you’ll never let me stop.” She bentto kiss the top of my head and whispered something I didn’t quite hear. Ipulled away from her chest to narrow my gaze at her bitten lips and soulfuleyes, and asked, “What was that?”
Unravelingmy arms from her waist, she took my hands and led me out of the room. “I wantto see your haunted bedroom.”
“That’sdefinitelynotwhat you just said,” I said pointedly, smirking withexcitement for what I knew was coming. She pulled me toward the bottom of thestaircase. “And whatever you have going on in that head of yours, I’m not sureT’s really gonna appreciate it. He may or may not be a little old-fashioned.”
“Well,”she whispered, stepping onto the first step and leaning forward to lightlybrush her lips over mine, “you’ll just have to tell your ghost buddy to closehis eyes.”
44
tabby
“Yes,”I whispered against his lips, my backpressed to the door of the master suite I’d grown to know well in the monthsI’d spent showing and attempting to sell.
Withone quick peck on my mouth, Sebastian leaned back, eyeing me skeptically. “Wait,what?”
“Yes.That’s my answer.”
Hecocked his head, looking all at once intrigued and perplexed. As though therush of blood from his brain to groin had made him forgetful. I rolled my eyesand pressed my hands to his chest, pushing him gently toward the bed.
“I’llmove in here and protect you from the ghosts, even though I’m still notconvinced they’re here—”
“Oh,baby, they fucking are. You don’t get that vibe in here?” His eyes widened, hishead nodded subtly. “Just wait until you feel something watch you while yousleep.”
“Shutup!” I laughed, pushing him down to the mattress. “I’m trying to do a romanticthing right now and you’re ruining it.”
“Okay,okay,” he let up, reaching out to grab my hands and pulling me down to lay withhim. “You continue while I get these things off you,” and he set to work, unzippingmy jeans and sliding them off my legs.
Thechilled air in his room hit my skin and I bit my lip with anticipation as hedipped his head, pressing his lips over the black lace of my underwear. Hiseyes swept up over my body, locking with mine, and encouraged me to continue ashis thumbs hooked under the waistband.
Iswallowed. “I’ll let you give me everything I want,” I gasped as he threw thelace to the floor and swept his tongue over me with a hungry groan. “Jesus,you’re distracting me!” I whined, throwing my head back against the mattress.
“ThenI’ll remind you,” he responded with another long, languorous lick. “You weregonna make me promise not to stop, even if you say when.”
“Oh,God …” I groaned at the suction of his lips. “I’m never saying when again,” andtwo fingers slipped inside the cleft between my legs.
“Youpromise?” he asked, his voice muffled by my skin, vibrating and coaxing myfingers to thread into the mess of his hair.
“Ipromise.” My eyes met his and I nodded with affirmation and encouragement, myhips rising and falling with the heat of his mouth and the deftness of hishand.
Hebrought me to the edge, when my head was thrown back and my breath was trippedand ragged. His hand left me empty as he sat back, tearing away at hiscumbersome clothes and revealing the body of ink I had missed too much over themonths we were apart. My hands grappled for him, fingers digging into hisshoulders as I pulled him forcefully to me, and he laid over me to wrestle histongue against mine.
“Ifucking love you.” He broke the kiss to say the words and resumed before I hadthe chance to reply.
AsI waited with eager anticipation for his body to align with mine, I wondered ifhe just didn’t think I’d say it back. That I was willing to give up my home tolive with him without reciprocating the feelings he had for me. Maybe, Iconsidered, he just didn’t think he could be loved, not by someone like me, whoonce abhorred the idea of interacting with him. The thought sliced at my heart,and my gaze sought his, as my hands reached out to press their palms to his cheeks.
“Sebastian,”I said, with a choked gasp as one thrust of his hips brought me to a place Inever wanted to leave again.
