Casual Affair

She stared up at him, her heart stuttering in her throat.

His grin spread. “I’m moving here to DC Running all U.S. operations. Permanently.”

Relief whooshed through her.

She was so happy right now, all she wanted to do was wrap herself around him and demand he take her straight up to her bedroom. But she made herself ask the hardest question of all. “If Paxton Designs takes the contract, there will have to be some boundaries between you and me, at least at work. Can you handle that?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“And if I ever say I need space again, you’ll understand I just mean I want some alone time for a few hours? You won’t go moving to another country?”

He chuckled. “Yes to all of that.” He tipped his head. “But if you use it as an excuse and try to run away from whatever problems we might have, don’t be surprised if I refuse and lock us away in our bedroom until we’ve sorted them out.”

She finally let loose her smile. “I can live with that.” She threw her arms around him and brought their mouths closer together. “And no more trips to London without me, okay?”

He met her smile with his. “Peter has ordered me to stick around DC for the foreseeable future. The man’s in love, too, so he understands what it’s like to be away from that one special person.”

She stopped breathing, everything around her coming to a halt. Not from panic as before, but— “Wait. Did you say ‘too’?”

He nodded, a gleam in his eyes. “I did.”

“You’re… You’re in love with me?”

He hugged her closer. “Oh, haven’t I said that?”

She smacked his arm. “No, you haven’t.”

He just laughed. “Yes, Bea, I am in love with you,” he said into her hair. “And I want a real relationship with you. I want us to be an official couple, with the boyfriend and girlfriend titles, and everything. I want all of that, if you’ll have me.”

She was so overjoyed she thought she might float away. She couldn’t believe they were finally right where they should be. It felt like this moment had been an eternity in the making, waiting for him to come back to her. And say all the words she’d longed to hear. Every last one of them.

“I love you, too,” she whispered. “So much.”

His eyes fell closed and he brought his mouth to hers. But before their lips touched, two pigeons took off in flight only feet from them. They both jumped back in surprise.

She had to laugh. Not exactly white doves—apparently, pigeons were the best she could manage—but they would do. With a flurry of wings, they flew into the sky and disappeared. The moment was perfect. She could practically hear the church choir.

She took it as a sign.

Then he finally, finally, finally covered her mouth with his, and they both released moans of pleasure.

He tasted just as she remembered, like bourbon and cinnamon, and pure masculinity. Although her lips hadn’t forgotten the feel of his, this kiss felt very different than any of the kisses that had come before. The emotions they had finally revealed made it deeper, more meaningful. And it was fueled by desires she no longer had to repress.

The passion between them hadn’t fizzled, that was for sure. It had only gotten hotter, flaring brighter now. The hunger she felt for him was more potent—more urgent—than ever before.

For the first time, she had given him permission to claim her fully, and he’d done the same. There was a sense of belonging buzzing in the air, and it was having a very primitive, carnal effect on her. She figured they should probably move the party inside before they started grinding against each other in broad daylight.

She pulled away before they got completely swept up in the passion. She took his hand and turned to lead him inside, but then squealed when he threw her up over his shoulder and carried her over the threshold.

Felicity’s jaw dropped at seeing them like that. “Um. What are you doing with my sister?”

He glanced over his shoulder with a grin on the way to the bedroom. “My intentions are entirely dishonorable.”

“And I can’t wait,” Bea assured her sister. “By the way,” she added as an afterthought, “you lost our bet. Gabe the Babe will be waiting for your call!”