“Forgive me,” he murmured, the sound muffled but the plea clear.
I knew we had more talking to do. There were a lot of things we had to say. Questions I needed answers to. But the fact was that I had missed him so much. I understood what he meant about being Ronan with me. I felt I was Beth with him. He saw through my brave front to the worry I carried inside. His arms were the safe place I had been longing for. His touch was a healing balm, and his smile made my world brighter.
I pressed a kiss to his hair. “I have forgiven you.”
He lifted his head, his eyes glassy. “I’ll do better.”
“I know.”
“Kiss me, Beth.”
I lowered my head and pressed my mouth to his. Instantly, the world faded away. He pulled me tight, moving his legs and lifting me to his lap. He kissed me with an intensity and passion that made me shiver. His tongue stroked along mine, possessive and deep. He splayed his hand over my back, holding me close. The other hand, he slid into my hair, fisting it as he dragged his mouth across my cheek and down my neck, licking, nipping, kissing, and teasing.
“I missed you. Your taste, the feel of you,” he groaned. “How your hair feels in my hand. I love your curls.” He captured my mouth again. “How you feel pressed against me.”
The heat of his body soaked into mine. My breasts ached from the feel of his firm chest, my nipples hard peaks. I gasped as he moved his hand, cupping and stroking my nipple.
“God, Beth—”
I whimpered, the breeze picking up my hair and the cool air hitting my skin. It reminded me that we were outside, and although this was a relatively private place, anyone could show up. I eased back, Ronan following my body, his mouth seeking mine, protesting his displeasure with a little grunt. I cupped his face.
“Too fast,” I whispered.
He opened his eyes. “I know. I was getting as much of you as possible before you stopped me.”
I couldn’t help kissing his full mouth again. His lips were red and swollen, damp from my tongue. “Incorrigible.”
He grinned. “Yep.”
“I have to go home.”
“Can I come in and see Evan? I want to talk to him.”
“He would love that. Lucy will want some Ronan snuggles.”
“I’m up for that.”
“Okay.” I slid from his lap, trying not to notice the huge bulge in the front of his sweats. We weren’t ready for that.
Yet.
But it didn’t mean I couldn’t look.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ronan
Lucy’s little arm squeezed my neck, her fingers digging into my skin. “I miss you!” she exclaimed.
“I missed you, Lucy-loo.”
She met my eyes, her gaze surprisingly intense for such a little girl. “I habdn’t had ice cream in forevah.”
I threw back my head in laughter even as Paige groaned and Beth laughed.
“I’ll take you later,” I promised.
“Okay.”
I set her down and met Evan’s gaze. He looked between me and Beth suspiciously.
“So, you’re back?” he asked.
“How about you show me what you’ve been doing with your Lego stuff, and we can talk?” I offered.
He glanced at Beth, and she nodded, smiling softly at him.
“Okay.”
I followed him to his room, and he sat down on the bed but didn’t offer me a seat. I kept standing, waiting for him to talk.
“You made Beth cry.”
“I know, and I regret it.”
“Are you going to do that again?”
I ran a hand through my hair and crouched down to his level. “Not intentionally. I really like your sister, Evan. I did something that upset her, and she was angry. I will never do it again, but I can’t promise to never make her cry. Men do that a lot, unfortunately.”
“Why?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Basically, we’re idiots.”
He puckered his lips, regarding me, obviously torn between his loyalty to his sister and his fondness for me. “She’s okay with you?”
“I think so. We’re moving forward.”
“What did you do?”
I sat on the floor, and I told him. At least the CliffsNotes. He listened to me, his head cocked, never interrupting.
“So, let me get this straight,” he said. “You’re really rich, live in a house by the water, you have a really, really big family, and you like my sister?”
“I like you too, bud.”
“So, I’m not in the way?” he asked, lowering his voice. “You didn’t break up with her because of me?”
I was horrified. “Why would you think that?”
He shrugged. “She does everything for me, Ronan. She works hard so I can go to therapy. She makes extra cakes to get me more treatment. She uses her tip money to buy me Lego kits. I thought maybe you’d broken up because she was spending time with me that she should spend with you. I didn’t know how to tell her it was okay. Because I liked you,” he added. “And she was happy.” His voice quivered. “Then you were gone, and we were both sad. But she was extra sad.”