The words just come spilling out of me before I can stop myself. I had no idea how strong my feelings were until I expressed them out loud. She’s the love of my life. She’s everything.
And she’s staring at me in shock.
I wonder for a moment if I’ve gone too far, expressed too much, scared her off. But after a long moment of silence, she smiles.
She clutches me to her and her eyes light up like a kid on Christmas morning. And that’s how I know, even before she says it, that she feels the same way that I do.
“I love you too, Tate. I love you so much,” she says breathlessly. And then her lips are crashing down on mine, hungrily, desperate for this moment to last a lifetime. This has all been so amazing so far, but this moment tops all the rest. With her lips on mine and my arms wrapped around her, I thank my lucky stars that I found her.
“I love you,” I growl again between kisses. “I love you so damn much.”
I pull her onto my lap, and we kiss like our lives depend on it. And maybe they do. Because I know now that she’s my life support. Without her, I can’t function any longer. Without her, I wouldn’t want to. She has become the center of my universe, the sole reason for my happiness. I’ve never felt so much joy in my life, and I never want it to end.
And with her beside me, it never has to.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Macy
There’s magic in the air this morning when I wake up. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but it feels like the entire world is different, somehow. It could be that I’m waking up next to the love of my life in our house together for the first time. Maybe it’s because I feel more sure of my place in the world now than I ever have before.
Or it’s something I’ve yet to realize.
I snuggle in close to Tate, who is sleeping soundly next to me, treasuring these moments. I know that at some point we’ll have to get up. He’s got work to do, and I’m fully aware that I have to try and find my own ways to spend my time. But for now, all I want to do is relax and enjoy Tate’s company. I can’t remember the last time I felt this good. It’s possible I’ve never felt this happy before.
And that’s all because of Tate. My Tate. The man who would do anything for me. The man who makes me feel good when the rest of the world is busy trying to drag me down into despair. It’s still strange to me that Tate even exists. That he wants to love a woman like me when he could have anyone in the world. But I’m grateful for him. I know how damn lucky I am to have him. And that’s why I’m never ever going to take him for granted. I’m going to do everything I can to make him happy, to keep him at my side. I want to spend the rest of my days with this man, and for once, things seem to be going my way.
As Tate wakes up, his arms wrap around my body protectively, holding me close to him. I close my eyes and smile. It feels so good to be touched, to be held. The sex we’ve had these past few days has been incredible, of course, and I crave it with every waking moment, but there’s something so serene about moments like these, and I love it. I love the thought that every morning will be like this, that we’ll always get to wake up together. There’s nothing better than this kind of stability and happiness. I don’t ask for much, but Tate fulfills my every desire with ease. If things carry on like this for the rest of our lives, then I know I’m going to be the happiest woman on earth.
“Goddamn, is that the time already?” Tate groans as he checks his watch. “I guess I’ll have to start the day soon, but being next to you is too good to give it up.”
I smile. “I’ll be waiting for you as soon as you finish work, and you know I’ll come and see you throughout the day. Heck, I bet you might not even get anything done because I visit too much.”
Tate laughs. “Well, being unproductive isn’t so bad when I get to do it with you.”
His lips capture mine and he steals my breath away. I sink into the kiss, giving in to the sensation of his lips on mine. It feels so damn good. I never want it to end. But Tate eventually pulls away with a sigh.