“This needs to come off,” he says.
I lift my arms, allowing him to pull the shirt over my head. The cool air raises goosebumps across my skin, but his hands follow immediately, sweeping across my shoulders.
“This, too,” he murmurs, fingers already working the clasp of my bra.
The fabric falls away, and I press my face into the pillow as his thumbs dig into the tight muscles of my back with just theright amount of pressure. I moan softly as he works his way down my spine, each touch melting away the tension.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he whispers, pressing a kiss between my shoulder blades.
“Mmm,” I manage, too blissed out to form words.
“Turn over.”
I comply, rolling onto my back. His eyes darken as they travel over my exposed skin.
He lowers his head to press a kiss to the valley between my breasts, his stubble creating friction against my sensitive skin. When his mouth closes around my nipple, I arch into him with a gasp, my fingers tangling in his hair.
He takes his time, lavishing attention on one breast and then the other, alternating between gentle kisses and more insistent pulls that send jolts of pleasure straight to my core. His hands are kneading, thumb circling the hardened peak before drawing it back into his mouth.
“So perfect,” he whispers against my skin. “Every inch of you.”
His mouth trails back up my body, pressing soft kisses along my collarbone and neck until he’s hovering above me.
“Everything I do,” he says firmly, his voice rough with emotion, “every choice I make…it’s for you. For us.” His thumb brushes across my cheekbone. “Not just now, but later, too. For a life where you don’t have to worry about anything, where we’re steady. Secure.”
His gaze searches mine, softer now, but no less certain. “I’m thinking about all of it, Violet. The future, the finances…making sure we’re good. Really good.” His hand slips to my jaw, holding me there. “I hope you believe that.”
The raw honesty in his voice makes my chest ache, and all I can do is nod.
I lift my hand to his face, drawing him down to me. His lips meet mine, tentative at first, almost questioning. It’s the first real kiss we’ve shared all day.
His mouth is so warm and soft against mine. I part my lips, inviting him deeper, and he responds with a quiet groan that vibrates through me. His tongue slides against mine, tasting me as if we have all the time in the world.
I whimper as he captures my lower lip between his, sucking gently before releasing it to deepen the kiss again. His tongue strokes mine with languid movements that have heat pooling low in my stomach, each brush more intimate than the last.
He breaks the kiss just long enough to tug his shirt over his head before returning to me and settling between my thighs. His hands find mine, fingers threading together, lifting them above my head and pinning them gently to the pillow.
“Violet.” My name comes out on a breath, reverent and wrecked all at once. “I’ve loved you since before I even knew how to name it.”
My pulse stumbles, but I don’t look away.
“I loved the way you’d dog-ear your favorite pages in every book, even though it made you feel guilty afterward. And how you’d hum when you concentrated, real soft. I’m not even sure you knew you were doing it.”
My throat tightens.
“I used to count the freckles on your shoulders.” His voice goes a little rough. “You had this one right here,” he releases one of my hands to ghost his fingers over my collarbone, “that would show up in the spring and fade by fall. I missed it every year I didn’t see it.”
I blink hard, my heart thudding painfully.
“You used to eat the yellow M&Ms first,” he continues. “You said they were the happiest color.”
My eyes fill with tears. I don’t even know if I’m breathing anymore.
“I never forgot a single thing about you, and I still love you. Now more than ever.”
“Say it again,” I whisper.
He gives me one of his devastating smiles. “I love you.”