She looked down embarrassed.
“You’re a smart woman. Fiercely loyal. Organized and clearly, I could use help there. Beautiful. You challenge me. I see you, Trina. Even as you try to hide sometimes.” I drew her to the bed and had her sit. Then I went to the vase on my dresser and pulled out a flower. “Do you remember when we were ten or so, and you stayed with us for a little bit.”
She nodded. “My mom had run off and my dad disappeared for a few days.”
“Do you remember flowers showing up? On your bike? In your backpack?”
She looked at me, cocking her head. “Yes. Sinclair said I had a secret admirer. I figured it was her trying to make me feel better.”
I held out the flower. “It was me trying to make you feel better.”
Her breath hitched. “Ryder. I never knew.”
I sat next to her. “You looked so lost. I could remember thinking it looked like a part of you had died. The sparkle in your eyes had gone. You never smiled or laughed. But when you’d find a flower, your lips would lift. Just a little, but enough that I felt like it made you happy.”
“You were a romantic even then.” She rested her head on my shoulder as she brought the flower to her nose and inhaled.
“All I’ve wanted to do since then is make you happy.”
She turned her head. “You do.” Her lips pressed against mine. At first her kiss was soft and sweet, but within seconds she turned up the heat and my dick shot to full tilt. “Will you touch me, Ryder?”
“Whatever you want. If you’re sure.” This time I wanted to take whatever time she’d need to adjust to the idea of staying with me.
“I am. I love it when you touch me. I feel free. Like the real me when I’m with you.”
Good. Then I was doing my job. We were a bit frantic as we undressed, but because I wanted this to last a long time, I slowed things down as I lay her back on the new bedding. I lay my body over hers, pressing her into the mattress. I wanted her to feel me with her. To trust that I’d be here.
She pushed at me, rolling us until I was on my back and she was over me. “I want to run the show this time.” She had a sexy smile on her face.
“Oh? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to try and drive you mad, and not with my smart mouth.”
“I like your mouth.” The image of her mouth sucking me off made my dick jump.
“I meant my smart aleck mouth. This time I’m going to love your body until you’re begging me.”
“I’m about to start begging already,” I said rubbing my hands along her curvaceous hips.
She pressed her hands over my chest and rubbed her pussy lips along my dick, making me hiss.
“Ryder?”
“Yeah, baby,” I said, my hips lifting instinctively with a need to be inside her.
“I love you.”
My gaze jerked to her eyes.
“I never told anyone that.”
I levered up, wrapping my arms around her. “I can’t tell you what it does to me to hear you say that because I love you too, baby.”
“It still terrifies me.”
I nodded. “Me too. I know that this is a big step for you. I really do, baby. I promise to care for your heart. I ask that you do the same with mine.”
She leaned forward and kissed my chest. “I’ll fuck up, I’m sure.”