“Only because it makes me so happy.” Her smile grows bigger until she’s laughing.
I lean down and kiss her beautiful smile, hitting mostly teeth. She arches her back so our bodies press together, and she says it again.
“I love you, Marcus Merritt. So damn much!”
Smiling against her mouth, I won’t lie. I’m pretty sure a rocket launched in my chest just then. Our smiles touch and melt into a deep kiss. I kiss her again and again, moving from her lips to her jaw to her cheek to her nose and back again to her lips.
“I love you, beautiful.” I have to say it one more time. “I want to spend every minute of every day with you as long as I live.”
She laughs more, rising to kiss me again. “Except we have to work.”
“I’m putting you on staff at the office. I told you.”
Shaking her head, her pretty eyes roll. “And I told you. You can’t afford me.”
Leaning down, I pull the skin of her neck between my lips giving her a little bite. “We’ll figure it out.”
“Oh!” She pulls away. “Don’t put a hickey on my neck! I swear, you’re such an animal.”
“You love it when I bite you.” Pulling out, I make my way down to her soft breast as she squirms, pulling the flesh between my lips, leaving a searing read line.
“Where’s that damn angel kiss?” I go lower, down to her ribs and she squeal-laughs. “Here it is. No angels. You’re mine.” Planting my lips over it, I give her another sucking bite.
“Marcus!” she cries.
My head pops up. Our eyes meet, and I love the flow of energy that passes between us, the sparkle in her gaze.
“I love you,” I whisper again, holding her.
She smiles and whispers back. “I love you.”
I release her and sit up on my feet, taking in the beautiful vision of her naked and glistening and twisted in my sheets. Two fresh red marks beam on her ivory skin.
“We should probably get dressed and go to the hospital.”
Nodding, she smiles, pushing into a sitting position. “They’re letting her come home today.”
“Mmm.” I hug her close. “I know that makes you happy.”
“It’ll make it harder for us to see each other.” My embrace loosens. I don’t like the sound of that. “Unless...” she hesitates.
“Unless?” Again, I release her, sitting back to gauge her expression.
Her voice is one click above a whisper. “What will we tell everyone?”
“That we love each other.”
“You’re not worried about what they’ll say?”
Taking both her hands in mine, I look at them. “No, I’m not. I love you, and I don’t care if that means your brothers want to kick my ass.”
She laughs and dives into my chest, her arms around my neck. “Haven’t you fought enough for one week?”
“I hope so,” I press my lips together, teasing. “But we’ll see how Stuart takes the news.”
“What about Elaine?” Her pretty gaze moves from my lips upward.
“Nah. She’s been harping on me to settle down for years.”