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“You look absolutely sinful tonight. You already know that, though, don’t you?”
His head is cocked to the side, and that grin’s in place, waiting for me to reply. If he can dish it, he can take it.
“I don’t have any idea what you’re referring to, Father Lachlan,” I tease.
He does a full-body laugh that I can’t help but respond to with a smile of my own. His head tilts to the ceiling, and I feel his warmth radiating off him from his laugh.
“Come on, Avery. Let me do this right.”
He takes my hand and leads me to the living room, where I spotted the candles moments ago.
There are more lit candles on the coffee table. He has a charcuterie board, a bottle of champagne sitting in an ice bucket, and an extra champagne glass on the table as well.
I’m surprised he has all of this prepared for our first night together. He’s a romantic at heart, it seems. My doubts are continuing to be erased the longer the night goes on and it’s just getting started.
“This is beautiful.”
“As are you, my Goldie girl.”
Hand-in-hand, he lowers us both onto his deep-brown leather couch. This place looks nicer than what I was expecting a priest to be given or to be able to afford.
“I see those wheels turning again,” he says as he takes a sip of his drink.
“I just wasn’t expecting this, that's all.”
He scratches the back of his neck. For once he looks nervous about us together. Almost a sign that he is, in fact, human.
“I’ve been out of practice for a long time, Avery. I’ve never done anything like this for a woman before.”
Seeing a bashful Lachlan is new.
“It’s perfect.”
Lachlan pulls me closer to him so I’m practically in his lap. His fingers graze the top of one of my shoulders. Such an intimate gesture between two lovers.
“Forget about everything we have to deal with out there. You are mine tonight,” he whispers.
His eyes are focused on the spot he’s tracing so delicately. A slight gasp comes out of me before I can take it back.
“For tonight?” I can’t help but ask.
There is so much I could interpret from that.
“Avery, I’ll take you for forever, but I don’t think you’re ready for that yet. Let’s take this one day at a time. Can you do that for me, baby? Take it day by day and see those days turn into something bigger?”
Lachlan is so confident as he says this for someone who is wed to God. He scoops my hands in his and is looking at me so deeply.
“I don’t deserve someone like you. I’m trying to be honest with you. We have a lot to work through. I told you, I’m not a good man. There is a lot I want to share with you in time. But I’m not going to pretend that this isn’t happening. Do you know what I want?”
“What?” I whisper.
Silently praying the answer is as obvious as it seems but needing the reassurance, nonetheless.
“You.”
I can’t help but gasp. It’s a confession in his own right.
“I want this. I want you, too, Lachlan.”
