Well Built (Book Boyfriend #3)(60)

He still found it hard to believe that she'd braved the city to come to him. "What are you doing here?"

She lifted her chin a notch, and the sudden fire in her eyes told him that she was prepared to fight for what she wanted. "I'm here to tell you that I love you, which is something I should have said a week ago. Because it's true. I never stopped loving you," she said, a vulnerable tremor in her voice. "And I can't imagine my life or my future without you in it."

His relief was so overwhelming he nearly dropped to his knees in gratitude. He wanted to take her in his arms and hold her forever, but there was just enough wariness still left in him to address the biggest conflict that stood between them. "What about your father?"

"Well . . . I don't care what my father thinks, because this is my life and my choice, and I told him so. Is he happy that I'm here? Absolutely not," she said with a soft, derisive laugh. "But I'm the happiest I've ever been when I'm with you, wherever that may be. And if that means we need to compromise and split our time between Chicago and Woodmont"-she exhaled a deep breath-"I'll somehow learn to deal with getting around in the city. I'll do anything to be with you, Kyle, because what we have is worth it, and I'm not giving you up a second time."

The fact that she was willing to make that sacrifice for him, for them, told him everything he needed to know. That she was committed to making this work, that she was willing to face the obstacles, that in the end, it was about the choices they made together.

He moved toward her, finally closing the distance between them because he needed to touch her so badly. When they were standing toe-to-toe, he picked up her hands and held them in his. She lifted her gaze to his, and the emotion there and the love for him shining in the depths nearly slayed his heart.

He raised his palms to her face, and, unable to stop himself from taking what he absolutely needed more than his next breath, he lowered his head to hers and kissed her-slow and sweet and infinitely tender. Telling her without words what she meant to him, that she alone made his world complete. She was his shining light, his north star that would always guide him home.

He finally ended the kiss, a soft, dreamy look in her eyes. "God, I love you, Ella Fisher."

She smiled, her expression radiant. "I love you, too. So much."

He skimmed his thumbs along her smooth cheeks. "But I'm not letting you move to the city."

The happiness and exhilaration in her gaze dimmed, and he realized she'd mistaken his words for a rejection. Ahhh, far from it.

He quickly corrected her wrong assumption. "I appreciate all the concessions you're willing to make for us, but this past week has given me a lot of time to think about logistics. Yes, my job and company are in the city, but my hours are completely flexible. We can live near or in Woodmont and you'd be close to the market, and I can make that one-hour commute. People do it all the time."



       
         
       
        

She leaned into him, her hands pressing flat against his bare chest. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Positively sure. We'll make it work. I promise, because there is no way in hell I want to go through another week like I just had without you." He gently brushed back a strand of hair from her face, letting his touch linger. "I'll keep my condo, and we can use it if we ever need to stay in the city-" She grimaced at that and he laughed. "Or if I'm working a late night and need a place to crash. But I really don't think that will be likely, because the only place I want to be every single night is in bed, right next to you, so I can wake up every morning to the most beautiful woman on the planet. So, maybe I'll just sell the condo."

She skimmed her hands up to his shoulders and around his neck. "We'll figure it out, together," she said, pulling his head down to hers for another kiss.

"Yeah, together," he reiterated against her soft, parted lips before losing himself in the delicious taste of her. Until he was absolutely insane with the need to get inside of her again.

He lifted her in his arms, and she squealed at being literally swept off her feet as he carried her to his bedroom.

After a moment, she relaxed and sighed as she trailed one of her hands along his shoulder and down his arm to squeeze his bicep. "It's a good thing you're well built, City Boy."

"I'm also built to last, baby," he said, meaningfully. He was a forever kind of guy.

"Yeah, you are," she agreed appreciatively as he set her down on her heels at the foot of his bed.