Dane(61)

"Shortly after I realized I'm in love with you, too. Thinking of you  choosing a couch and tables meant for a bachelor pad made me realize how  much I desperately wanted you to pick the ones meant for a family. And  then I thought about you as a family man with someone else, and I  couldn't handle it. That's when I knew I was in love with you. But I  didn't know what to do about it, because I didn't know how you felt.  Then, on Thursday, the furniture store called the office looking for  you. They were calling to confirm the delivery. I knew I shouldn't have,  but I needed to know, so I asked which items they had on the truck.  They told me, confirming they were all the pieces I'd picked."

She wiped away a tear I hadn't even known had fallen.

"You chose me, Dane. Knowing you picked out and bought every piece I'd  chosen proved to me that you chose me. You chose the family man, chose  the couch and tables and entertainment center that I had liked. That's  when I knew how you truly felt."

"Then why did you disappear? Why didn't you come to work today?"

She shrugged and looked to her lap, but I wouldn't let her turn away  from me. I placed my finger beneath her chin and made her look me in the  eye.

"I was excited to come to you, to tell you how I felt, but then Janette  came to my office to talk to me." Her glossy eyes met mine. "I know you  know. You don't have to act surprised. I don't know how you figured it  out, but I'm kind of glad you did. I'm glad she did. We talked … a lot,  and even though it was good, it kind of overwhelmed me. On top of my  feelings for you, discovering your feelings for me, I then had to  organize my thoughts and feelings about Janette knowing she's my mom. I  needed space to sort it all out."

"And you have it all sorted now?"

"Yes. When I left the pier to turn in my resignation, I knew without a  doubt I wanted to be with you. When I found out you'd moved, that's when  I knew the answer to your questions. It was one thing when I discovered  you'd ordered the furniture, but it was another thing entirely when I  realized it wasn't for the condo you'd shared with Gabi. However … nothing  solidified my decision more than finding out you were the one who  bought the house I wanted, and you did it without knowing."

"Say you love me," I whispered against her lips with my eyes closed.

"I love you, Dane."

I held her against me and kissed her as if it were the first time. As if  the act of kissing had been undiscovered until this moment. Until my  lips met hers. Because no one had ever kissed like this. No one had ever  felt this much joy, relief, or passion before. This kind of love was  what everyone else strived for, and I'd found it with Eden.         

     



 

I dragged her off the ledge, and with her legs and arms wound tightly  around me, I carried her inside. I didn't stop until I'd made it to the  bedroom, where I laid her gently on top of the mattress and held myself  over her. I stared into her emerald pools and allowed myself this one  moment to take it all in.

Slowly, she slid her hands up my chest to cup my face. It was enough to  push me into action. To wake me up so I could see this wasn't a dream.  This was real. Eden was in my arms, in my bed, in love with me. And I'd  never let her go again.

She laid still with her hair fanned across the pillow while I removed  every piece of her clothing. I didn't stop until I had her bare beneath  me. I wanted to give every inch of her attention, worship every fiber of  her being, but she wouldn't let me. With a firm grip in my hair, she  drew me up her body until every part of us lined up. She removed one  hand and slid it down my chest, into the elastic waistband of my shorts,  and wrapped her delicate fingers around my throbbing cock.

"I won't last long if you keep doing that, Eden." That was all I needed  to say to make her stop and push my shorts down my legs until I could  kick them over the side of the bed.

With our eyes locked, she guided me into her. I'd never felt anything  like it. As I pushed all the way in, I realized why it was so amazing. I  stilled, fully seated in her, praying she wouldn't make me stop.

"I'm not wearing a condom, Eden. And I don't have any."

She blinked a few times and then said, "It's fine. Keep going."

"Are you on anything?"

She nodded and shifted beneath me, enticing me to move. I didn't make  her do it twice. I slowly withdrew and then rolled into her again. Over  and over until my thrusts were short and deep. I didn't want to come too  soon, needing to wait until she was with me, so I shifted our bodies so  I was on my back, pulling her on top of me without losing our  connection. With her hands planted on my chest, her fingers splayed  across my bare skin, she began to ride me. Her head tilted back and her  eyes closed. Her walls tightened and I knew she was close, but I wanted  to fall over that cliff with her.

I sat up, drawing her chest into mine. Gripping her hips, I guided her  movements, matching them in time with my thrusts. Pulling moan after  melodic moan from her and swallowing as I tasted her tongue.

"I can't hold on much longer," I said against her lips, feeling my balls  tighten. "I need you to come, Eden." The last thing I wanted was to  have to pull out before she found pleasure.

"I'm almost there. Come with me, Dane."

"I need you to go first." My words were wrapped in desperate pants, unable to catch my breath.

She opened her eyes and met my gaze. Without missing a beat, she cupped  my face and told me the sweetest words known to man. "Come in me."

I held onto her tighter and slammed her into me, feeling her core grip  me. It only took another second before she was panting in my ear,  whimpering. Riding out her orgasm and squeezing every drop of come from  me. Reaching the peak in tandem was more than ecstasy. It was no longer  my pleasure. It was ours. Achieved together, at the same time. As if we  weren't two separate entities, but one unit.

Whole.

I fell back and took her with me. We rolled onto our sides, facing each  other. Her gaze flitted over my body and stopped on my side. I knew  immediately what she saw, but I didn't say anything. I watched intently  as she studied it, first with her eyes, then the very tips of her  fingers, making sure to not touch the ink itself, but rather the outer  edges. It was the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Perfect, red  apples hung from the top, with a dove perched on one of the branches.

"What's it mean?" she asked as she met my stare.

"You. Us. Everything I've ever wanted."

"What's that? What do you want?" Her words were quiet as if anticipating my answer.

"A life. A family. With you."

"That's what the apples represent? Family?" she asked, and I nodded. "What about the dove? What does that mean?"

"Hope."

Tears filled her eyes a split second before her lips met mine.

We spent the next fifteen minutes basking in the glow and holding on to  one another. But when her stomach growled, I knew it was time to get up.  "Come on. Let's get you fed." I found my shorts on the floor and  stepped into them. Then I grabbed a shirt from my drawer and tossed it  at Eden to wear. I'd only done it to keep her from getting completely  dressed, but once I saw her in my T-shirt, I decided I never wanted to  see her in anything else again.         

     



 

"Go ahead and see what I have in the kitchen. I'll be right there."

She gave me an odd look but did as I said. I waited until she was out of  the room before I went to my nightstand and grabbed what I was  searching for. When I made my way into the kitchen, I found Eden  standing in front of the open fridge, the light outlining her curves. I  tugged her away and lifted her to set her on the counter. She squealed  and then giggled, but my chest was too tight to join in on her  giddiness.

"I never asked you properly. So I'm going to do that now. I'd get down  on one knee, but these floors are really hard. Please don't hold that  against me." I was so nervous, but as soon as she held her palm against  her chest and smiled, I knew it would be all right.

I took her hand and placed the ring at the tip if her left fourth  finger. But before I could slip it on, she gasped and yanked her hand  away. "You have a ring?" She was stunned, which made sense, but what  confused me was the worry in her tone.

"Yeah … but if you'd rather pick out your own, we can go tomorrow. I'm  sorry, I didn't even think about you wanting to choose your own ring. I  was too excited-"

"No, Dane. I don't want to pick out my own ring. I just …  Where did you get it from?"

"It was my grandmother's."

Her eyes softened, yet they were still filled with apprehension.

"What's wrong, Eden? I don't understand. Are you changing your mind?"

"Not at all. I want to marry you. And I want you to give me whatever  ring you choose. I'd be honored to wear your grandmother's ring, but I  don't know how I feel about wearing someone else's ring."