“You don’t want that to ruin your playboy lifestyle, now, do you?” I teased.
“I don’t know if marriage is right for me. I mean I want it. But I’ve always been scared of it. Maybe because I’m so wild and carefree, a different breed of person. I’m the type of guy who loves to go for a midnight drive and skim around the corners at 160 mph. But lately, I feel like...I want something more.”
“You could run your father’s company.”
“I could. But I d
on’t know if I want to be tied down like that.”
“This company needs somebody like you.”
He looked up at the bright stars in the sky. “I’ve been thinking a lot about my near-death experience. I feel like I’ve been given a second chance, and that I should do something with my life. At first, I felt invincible. And I did some crazy things. Things only a lunatic would do. I’m out of control. How long can I keep living this shallow lifestyle?”
“I think Nick and Abby are having a big effect on you.”
“Maybe. I thought Nick was stupid to get married. But I’m seeing how wonderful it actually is. All my friends are settling down and starting families. I just hope one day that I can have what they do. I’m sure everyone is fed up with my outrageous playboy antics. Maybe the party is winding down. I’m tired of going home to a lonely house. Maybe I want to go home to a wife and kids, a family that loves me.” He looked away. “I think I had too much to drink. I can’t believe I’m telling you all of this.”
“Because you trust me. Or maybe you want to be redeemed for all of your sins.”
He chuckled. “No, really, I think you’re on to something. I do want redemption. I want the world to forgive my transgressions and look at me in a new light. I want to feel like I’m doing something wonderful, helping the world in some small way. Maybe I’m like my mom more than I know.”
“She sounds like a wonderful lady.”
“She is. How about you? Did you have good parents?”
“I came from a home where marriage was just incredible. We were all so happy growing up and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I hope one day I can be as happy as my parents.”
“You deserve to be happy and loved.”
I smiled. “Thanks.”
He pushed a strand of hair from my face. “I seriously can’t stop thinking about you. Because meeting you was the best thing to ever happen to me. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”
His lips softly grazed mine in a slow kiss.
“Thank you. I feel the same.”
He cupped my cheek. “You make me want to be a better man just so I can be more worthy of you. No woman has ever made me feel that way before.”
Tears welled up in my eyes; what he was saying was melting my heart.
“You’re the reason I haven’t left London yet,” he whispered, placing another slow kiss on my lips. “You set my heart on fire and you’re very easily becoming my world.”
“James, there is nothing I would rather do, and nowhere I’d rather be than with you. I’m falling for you hard.”
His eyes twinkled as I lay down next to him, then rolled onto my stomach before pulling myself up onto his chest. I trailed a finger down the front of his shirt, leaving open buttons in my wake.
“I’m all yours,” I said with heartfelt emotion.
James wasn’t the type to pass up such a tempting invitation. He propped himself up on his elbows, watching as my hand inch closer and closer to his belt. “Oh yeah?” His lips curved up into a seductive smile. “What do you have in mind?”
A rush of heat flushed through my body as I pushed him back onto the makeshift bed. “Lie down, Tarzan, and I’ll show you.”
Our lips crashed together in a passionate kiss.
Five minutes later, we were naked, panting, and tangled around each other to such a degree that I wasn’t sure if we could ever undo our impromptu game of Twister. His dark hair brushed against my bare shoulder as my legs tightened around his waist, holding on for dear life as he pounded into me with excruciating, exquisite thrusts.
Little tears began to form in the corners of my eyes when he flipped us suddenly upright, drawing me closer so I was straddling his lap. It had become a favorite position of ours, and we found it profoundly intimate, our pounding hearts pressed up against each other as we gazed into each other’s eyes.