“I just need some time,” I said, my head spinning from the idea that Dexter Daniels could love me.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he said. “But that can’t start until we’ve figured out how we get you back to London. What good is any of my money if I can’t use it to help the woman I love?”
“I don’t want your money, Dexter. It’s not why I love you.”
He pulled me so close I could feel his heartbeat against mine. “You love me?”
How could he doubt it? “I think I loved you from the moment I first saw you across the ballroom that first night.”
He closed his eyes in a long blink like he was drinking down a glass of cool water after being lost in a desert. “We’ll figure this out, Hollie. Your parents. Your sister. We’ll do whatever it takes. Do you trust me?”
He’d flown halfway around the world to come and find me. And he hadn’t slung me over his shoulder and demanded I get the first plane back to London. He loved me and I loved him and he wanted to help. How could I say no?
I reached up and clasped his face in my hands. “I love you so much. Will you marry me?”
He grinned. “Every day of the week and twice on Sunday.”
I had the feeling it wouldn’t be the last time that Dexter Daniels would do anything I asked of him. And that was only one of the reasons I loved him and would do anything he asked of me.
“I just need one more thing from you,” I said.
“Name it,” he asked.
“Kiss me?”
Thirty-Five
Dexter
Three hours was a long drive when I’d won back the love of my life and all I wanted to do was strip her naked and bury myself in her. But I was a patient man.
“I thought you’d be staying at the Heathman,” she said as she took in the hotel room I’d checked into yesterday.
“You want to move?” I thought the place was okay but if Hollie wanted something different, we’d check in somewhere else.
“No, I like this place—it’s blingy. And it’s big. Like twice as big as our trailer.”
“You make it sound like you were living in a caravan.” I set down her case and toed off my shoes.
“It has wheels, Dexter.”
“Do you think you want to keep living in the flat or shall we move somewhere else? It might be nice to have a place that’s been ours from the beginning.”
She linked her finger into the waist of my trousers. “You are a sweet and thoughtful man.”
“Shhh,” I said, putting my finger to my lips. “Don’t tell anyone.”
“Secret’s out. Everyone who knows you, loves you.” She pulled out my shirt from my trousers and slid her smooth, warm hands up my torso. Christ, I’d missed her touching me. I’d missed holding her. I’d missed hearing her laugh, listening to her snore, watching her dress and undress.
“Promise me we won’t be apart for this long again,” I said, pulling at the zip of her jeans.
“I promise. I don’t ever want to miss you like I did these last couple weeks.” Relief funneled into my chest at the thought that she’d missed me. She’d said she loved me. She’d even proposed, but I wanted more. I wanted her near me all the time. I didn’t want to miss out on a second, and I couldn’t imagine a time when I’d ever feel differently.
She pulled her hands from my chest and I shuddered at the loss of warmth. She fingered the hem of her top and then pulled it over her head, revealing that silky skin. “You want to eat first?” She blushed. “Not me. I mean like get room service or something?”
I chuckled. She was adorable. “First you. Then room service.” I picked her up and she wrapped her legs around my waist.
“When we’re back in London, I’m not going to let you leave our bed for a week.”
She pulled me closer. “Our bed?”
“Yeah. Our bed. And no more escaping to the guest room wardrobe if you want to make a call. We can convert a bedroom into an office for you.”
“You know how to turn a girl on.”
I set her down on the bed and unhooked the bra strap from her shoulder, dropping a kiss in its place.
“Oh baby, if you think that’s good, you’ve not seen anything yet.” I trailed my tongue over the globe of her breast and took her nipple in my mouth, first flicking it with my tongue and then catching it between my teeth and applying increasing pressure until she moaned. God, I’d missed her sounds. Her touch. Her everything. I never wanted to be without this woman.
“I like you like this,” I said. “Half-dressed because neither of us can wait.” I sank to my knees, opening her thighs and pulling her underwear to the side. I took a deep breath, taking in her perfectly sweet scent, and skimmed my hand up her stomach before I took my first taste.