The drive to the hotel took less than five minutes, but it felt like an eternity. When we arrived, I almost threw Ember over my shoulder so I could run inside. But I didn’t think she would appreciate the gesture.
At the front desk, the clerk glanced between Ember and me, then smirked. When he caught the dark scowl on my face, his cheeks turned red, and he quickly looked down at his computer.
As soon as he handed over the key, we headed up to our room. The whole way there, I kept reminding myself that we needed to talk first. The only reason I was able to cling to that decision was because I was determined that the next time Ember and I had sex, she would know, without a doubt, that she was mine. Forever.
As we stepped inside the room, she glanced hesitantly at the bed, but I gently squeezed her hand to draw her attention back to me. "Later," I told her with a wink. I loved how I could make that pretty pink bloom on her cheeks, even after I’d kissed every inch of her body.
Over by the balcony door was a little table and two chairs. I sat in one and pulled Ember onto my lap, then threaded my fingers through her silky hair and clutched the strands to hold her head in place while I demanded, "Tell me why you snuck out on me."
Ember shrugged sheepishly. "After I got the call from my dad, I thought about waking you, but you were sleeping so peacefully.” Her gaze darted to the side, but I was still holding her hair, so she didn’t have much choice but to look at me again. “Plus, I didn't want you to feel obligated to come with me just because we spent one night together." I released her head to run a frustrated hand through my hair, and her eyes drifted down to her lap. Her voice was much quieter when she added, "And…I’ll admit it. I was being a coward. I wanted to avoid an awkward morning after, just in case that night meant more to me than it did to you."
"Ember," I said firmly, then waited until her green pools met my eyes once again. "Did you not hear anything I said last night?"
Her cheeks turned a little pink, and I suddenly remembered every filthy word that had come out of my mouth.
“Well, I'm glad some of it made an impression,” I quipped with a wicked smile. It quickly morphed into another frown when I forced my mind back to the subject at hand. “Yet you don’t remember that I claimed you and told you that you belonged to me?”
Ember sighed and folded her arms under her breasts, lifting them and making my mouth water at the memory of how they tasted. I couldn’t fucking wait to put my lips around them again. "I thought maybe you were saying those things in the heat of the moment. Or that it was temporary, that I belonged to you for that one night.”
The slight wobble in her voice squeezed my heart, and I tenderly cupped her cheeks.
"Let's get one thing straight, baby. I’ve been in love with you since the moment we met. You've owned me all this time, no matter how hard I tried to fight it. We belong together. You are mine, Ember, and I'm never letting you go."
“In love with me?" she gasped.
I gave her a quick, hard kiss before replying, “Hopelessly in love with you, baby.”
She drew in a deep breath, her expression hopeful but still a smidge dubious. “If you wanted me that first day, why did you spend all this time acting like you couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me?”
It was a fair question.
I sighed and pressed my forehead to hers. “I didn't think I could handle a relationship while trying to focus on getting my career off the ground. What I felt for you was so strong, I worried that I would lose myself in you.” I leaned back so she could see the sincerity in my expression. “I was a fucking moron. I should have realized sooner that I’m no one without you, that I can't live without you. You are as vital to me as the air I breathe, and any success I have in the future will be because I have you at my side."
Ember’s face dissolved into a bright, beautiful smile, and she placed her hands on top of mine. "I love you too, Nixon. But I didn't think you had feelings for me, so I was determined to get over you."
A growl rumbled in my chest at the idea of Ember moving on.
She chuckled. "I didn't say it was possible. Just that I intended to try."