in her lap, holding her tight. I don’t ever want to let go.
I don’t know how long I hold her before she slowly, cautiously, puts her hands on my back and I shiver. For so long I’ve wanted her hands on me—innocent, sexual, I don’t care. I just wanted her touch. And now I’ve got it.
I look up into her tear-filled eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her.
She sniffles.
“I made up excuses because I was afraid.”
“Of what?” she whispers, and now’s when I realize they’ve stopped playing.
“You. I knew if I had you, I’d never let you go. But, sunshine, you’re so young. I thought you’d be with me, get tired, and then go off wanting to live the rest of your life.” She opens her mouth and I put my index finger over it. She huffs and I smirk. She’s so damn cute. “But I’m done wasting time. I’m done being a fucking idiot.” She nods at this and my smirk grows. “Nicole, swear to Christ, you’re the most exasperating woman I’ve ever met.” She glares now. “But you’re also the sweetest, sexiest, most beautiful… you’re it for me. You walked on that bus and I felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks filled with all those red hearts you women daydream about—only these filled my belly and my heart.”
“No, sunshine, no waterworks,” I tell her when her tears begin to fall. “I know you’re with Lucian—sorta—so I’ll understand if you need some time to work things out, but I hope you’ll give me the chance I’ve been wasting since the day we met. I hope you’ll let me love you how you deserve to be loved,” I whisper against her lips.
No pause. Not even a second before she launches herself at me, her arms thrown around my neck, her legs around my waist. I sit back on my heels and hold her to me, burying my face in her neck.
“You’re so dumb, Ben Kingston,” she whispers.
I nod. “I know.”
“Is this because I’m sick?”
I shake my head. “You were sick before.”
“Then what…?”
“Let’s just say a good friend knocked some sense into me,” I tell her.
She pulls back, looking me over.
“No fists were thrown,” I tell her.
“Oh, good,” she whispers.
“What do you want, Nicole? Right here, right now, in this moment, what do you want?” I ask, putting it all on the line… pride, love, all of it.
She rolls her eyes. Damn, this girl. She’s fucking amazing. I grin.
“Dumbass, a true dumbass,” she tells me. Then she leans forward, her face so close her nose is touching mine. “What do I want?” she asks.
I nod.
“You. Every single dumbass, stubborn, idiotic piece of you,” she tells me.
“As far as declarations of love go, that one needs some work,” I tell her. She lifts her chin and narrows her eyes.
“You made me wait forever!” she shouts.
I nod solemnly. “I did. I’m sorry for that. More sorry than you’ll ever know. Months wasted because I thought I was doing the right thing.”
She scoffs. “From now on, I’ll make the decisions. Your version of right and wrong is warped.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. Loud and long and her smile lights me up inside. She’s my sunshine.
“Seriously,” she says. “It’s you, Ben. I knew it the same minute you did. But be sure, because I can’t—”
I cut her off with the press of my lips to hers. Her breath catches and I pull her in close, her body molding to mine, the warmth of her sunshine reaching the cold dark places within me and filling them with her sweetness.
I pull back, licking my lips, watching as she opens those beautiful eyes that are just a little dazed.
“I told you before and I meant it. I knew when I finally had you I’d never be able to let you go. This is as real as it gets. This is forever. Do you want forever with me?” I ask.
She nods frantically and I chuckle.
“That’d be a ‘yes’,” Lucy announces with a sniffle.
“Well, it’s about fucking time, Kingston,” Sera says.
I ignore them all. Instead, I pull my girl back into my arms
I don’t know how long I hold her before she slowly, cautiously, puts her hands on my back and I shiver. For so long I’ve wanted her hands on me—innocent, sexual, I don’t care. I just wanted her touch. And now I’ve got it.
I look up into her tear-filled eyes.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her.
She sniffles.
“I made up excuses because I was afraid.”
“Of what?” she whispers, and now’s when I realize they’ve stopped playing.
“You. I knew if I had you, I’d never let you go. But, sunshine, you’re so young. I thought you’d be with me, get tired, and then go off wanting to live the rest of your life.” She opens her mouth and I put my index finger over it. She huffs and I smirk. She’s so damn cute. “But I’m done wasting time. I’m done being a fucking idiot.” She nods at this and my smirk grows. “Nicole, swear to Christ, you’re the most exasperating woman I’ve ever met.” She glares now. “But you’re also the sweetest, sexiest, most beautiful… you’re it for me. You walked on that bus and I felt like I was hit by a ton of bricks filled with all those red hearts you women daydream about—only these filled my belly and my heart.”
“No, sunshine, no waterworks,” I tell her when her tears begin to fall. “I know you’re with Lucian—sorta—so I’ll understand if you need some time to work things out, but I hope you’ll give me the chance I’ve been wasting since the day we met. I hope you’ll let me love you how you deserve to be loved,” I whisper against her lips.
No pause. Not even a second before she launches herself at me, her arms thrown around my neck, her legs around my waist. I sit back on my heels and hold her to me, burying my face in her neck.
“You’re so dumb, Ben Kingston,” she whispers.
I nod. “I know.”
“Is this because I’m sick?”
I shake my head. “You were sick before.”
“Then what…?”
“Let’s just say a good friend knocked some sense into me,” I tell her.
She pulls back, looking me over.
“No fists were thrown,” I tell her.
“Oh, good,” she whispers.
“What do you want, Nicole? Right here, right now, in this moment, what do you want?” I ask, putting it all on the line… pride, love, all of it.
She rolls her eyes. Damn, this girl. She’s fucking amazing. I grin.
“Dumbass, a true dumbass,” she tells me. Then she leans forward, her face so close her nose is touching mine. “What do I want?” she asks.
I nod.
“You. Every single dumbass, stubborn, idiotic piece of you,” she tells me.
“As far as declarations of love go, that one needs some work,” I tell her. She lifts her chin and narrows her eyes.
“You made me wait forever!” she shouts.
I nod solemnly. “I did. I’m sorry for that. More sorry than you’ll ever know. Months wasted because I thought I was doing the right thing.”
She scoffs. “From now on, I’ll make the decisions. Your version of right and wrong is warped.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. Loud and long and her smile lights me up inside. She’s my sunshine.
“Seriously,” she says. “It’s you, Ben. I knew it the same minute you did. But be sure, because I can’t—”
I cut her off with the press of my lips to hers. Her breath catches and I pull her in close, her body molding to mine, the warmth of her sunshine reaching the cold dark places within me and filling them with her sweetness.
I pull back, licking my lips, watching as she opens those beautiful eyes that are just a little dazed.
“I told you before and I meant it. I knew when I finally had you I’d never be able to let you go. This is as real as it gets. This is forever. Do you want forever with me?” I ask.
She nods frantically and I chuckle.
“That’d be a ‘yes’,” Lucy announces with a sniffle.
“Well, it’s about fucking time, Kingston,” Sera says.
I ignore them all. Instead, I pull my girl back into my arms
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