Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss(91)

                 She was still staring at him like she had no idea what to say.

                 “You scared me, Ash. You barged into my life, turned it upside down with your take-no-prisoners attitude. You were the one thing I couldn’t control, couldn’t put in its proper place, and I tried. Oh, I tried. I was determined that you weren’t going to be a threat to me. I hated how rattled you made me feel and how I went soft every time you entered a room. I thought somehow if I covered you up that you wouldn’t shine quite so brightly and that maybe I could better control my reaction to you or at least I wouldn’t feel like my guts had been ripped out every time you smiled at me.”

                 “Wow,” she whispered. “I have no idea what to say, Devon. I had no idea I affected you so badly.”

                 He shook his head. “Oh, God, no, Ash. Don’t you see? You are the very best part of me. It wasn’t you. It was never you. It was me.”

                 No longer able to keep his hands from her, he stepped forward again and pulled her close so that their faces were almost touching and he could feel the warmth of her breath on his throat.

                 “You are the very best part of my world. You are my life. I cannot imagine an existence without you. I don’t want to. What I did was unforgivable. It was the result of ignorance and stupidity of the highest magnitude. I can only tell you that if you let me back into your life that you’ll never have cause to doubt me again. I’ll spend every single day proving to you that you are the absolute center of my universe. You wanted a man who adored you beyond reason. Someone who accepted you for the beautiful, amazing woman that you are. Look no further, Ash. He’s standing in front of you with his heart in his hands. No man will ever love you more than I do. It isn’t possible.”

                 Her eyes were huge in her face. Brilliantly blue, sparkling like the most exquisite gems. Her cheeks were brushed with rose and her throat worked up and down as she swallowed. Tears glittered like diamonds, clung to her lashes but didn’t fall. He wouldn’t let them this time. If she never cried again, it would be too soon for him.

                 When she opened her mouth to speak, he simply put his lips to hers and kissed her long and sweet. He was shaking as he crushed her to him. For the last week he’d despaired of ever getting this close to her again and now she was warm and soft in his arms and so very precious.

                 “Don’t say anything yet,” he whispered. “There’s still something I want to show you.”

                 He pulled away, gathered her hand in his and pulled her along the road. She walked with him haltingly, as if she were in a solid daze. As they rounded the sharp bend, she stopped in her tracks and gazed in wonder at the sprawling house on top of the hill.

                 In the distance, dogs barked and she turned her head, her brow furrowing as she searched for the source of the noise. And then over the hill, two dogs bounded, making a beeline for Ashley.

                 “Mac! Paulina!”

                 She dropped to her knees just as the dogs launched themselves at her, licking and barking excitedly as Ashley tried to hug them.

                 “Oh my God, where did you come from?” she whispered.

                 Devon glanced up the hill to see Cam standing there and Devon waved his thanks before turning his attention back to Ashley and the sheer joy in her eyes.

                 One of the dogs knocked her over and she went laughing to the ground, snow sticking to her coat as she lay gasping for air.

                 Devon carefully picked her back up and fended off the animals as they tried their best to lick her to death.