“After you got hurt when you tried to stop Sebastian and Toshi from fighting, I felt guilty. I thought this is all my fault. You got hurt because of me.”
“But it wasn’t your fault,” he says. “I was the one who foolishly thought I could stop them.”
I ignore him, continuing. “I thought the same thing – that I don’t belong with you. Not because I don’t want to be with you but because I thought I couldn’t be. I thought that as long as I was with you, you’d be in harm’s way. And I’d rather leave you than lose you.”
He cups my cheek. “I would have followed you to the ends of the earth. I mean, I went to Alaska for you, didn’t I?”
“Yet, you’d give me up to another man?”
“Only if that was what you wanted.” He strokes my cheek. “Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you.”
I place my hand over his. “And what if I say I don’t ever want to lose you?”
“Then you never will.” He takes my hand. “I love you, Clarissa Wagner. I don’t care what you are or what happened in your past or what will become of you in the future. I love as you are and as whatever you may be. I will always love you.”
He presses my hand to his lips.
My lips curve into a smile. “I love you, too, Kyle Summers.”
He, too, smiles, his blue eyes glistening like a lake under the first rays of the sun, his entire face lighting up.
I touch his cheek. He and I may be different now, but he’ll always be my best friend.
And my best man.
He leans forward, his warm breath tickling my skin. I close my eyes, waiting for his lips to brush against mine and when they do, I kiss him back. Grasping my chin, he kisses me harder and so do I, our tongues becoming entwined. It’s different and strange and heady and wonderful. The more our lips collide and meet in this dance that’s brand new, the more I realize there’s a delicious heat reaching all the way to my toes.
How long have I been wanting to do this?
And why on earth did I wait so long?
Too long.
As he grabs the hem of my shirt, I lift my arms up, letting him take it off before pulling his own shirt up and out of the way. Then I swing my legs so that I’m back on top of the bed, Kyle on top of me.
He strokes my cheek, his blue eyes looking deep into mine.
“Are you sure about this?” he asks in a breathless whisper. “About me?”
I nod. “It’s the only thing I’m sure of right now.”
He smiles, reminding me of a child on Christmas morning, but when he seals my mouth with his again, it’s the kiss of a man I receive.
A man who wants me, loves me.
And damn, I love him.
I run my fingers across his back as I return his kisses with equal passion but stop as he winces.
“Sorry,” he says. “It still hurts a bit.”
My eyes widen with horror as I realize what I’ve done. “I’m so sorry.”
“Shh.” He runs a finger across my lower lip. “It’s okay. You just...have to be gentle, okay?”
Oh, I can be gentle.
“Turn around,” I tell him as I sit up.