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“And most of all?” He walked right up to her, touched her chin, and lifted her beautiful, perfect, unforgettable face—the same one that haunted him—to his. “I want to spend the rest of my life kissing you, touching you, making you scream out in pleasure. Because…because…” His grip on her tightened, and he laughed nervously at himself. Just three little words. How hard could it be? “Because…I love you, Daisy. I love you, I love you, I love you—and I want to tell everyone how happy you’ve made me, when I thought I’d never be happy again.”
Her jaw dropped, and she rested her hand on his chest.
“I know I fucked up, and I hurt you, and I’m so incredibly sorry. I can’t change that, but I can swear to do my best to never hurt you like that again,” he said passionately. “To accept you for who you are, and what you are, and to love every second of our life together.”
She finally broke her silence, shaking her head slowly. “Mark…”
“I know. My time’s up, Daisy.” He lowered his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. “It’s your turn to talk. So, do you want me to stay…or go?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Holy crap, this is really happening.
Mark Matthews, the man who’d once told her he had no desire for relationships, or love, or anything real, was in her apartment, telling her he loved her and asking her to love him back.
Silly man, didn’t he see she already loved him?
If not, how could he have messed her up so badly when he told her he was done with her? She was terrified to let him in again, to give him this chance he was asking for, but even more terrified that if she didn’t, she’d regret it for the rest of her life. The way Mark made her feel, the way he made her laugh, was special. It was a one of a kind, once in a lifetime thing.
She’d loved William with all her heart and always would.
But with Mark, it was different. It was like he was a piece of her, one that had been missing all along, and now she felt empty when he wasn’t there with her, making her roll her eyes at him and laugh at his corny jokes. He was a part of her, and she was a piece of him, and nothing would ever change that. Not anger. Not fear. Not heartbreak.
They were meant to be.
It was why they felt so right from the very start.
Because they were.
His hands on her waist faltered, and he nodded, stepping back. “All right. I’ll go. Just know that I love you, Daisy, and I’ll always love you. If you change your mind, I’ll be here. Waiting. I’ll never stop waiting for you.”
“Wait.” She caught his hand. “I hate you, you know.”
He winced, but nodded. “Yeah. I know.”
“No, you don’t get it. I hate you. Like, passionately. Violently. I curse your name at night, when I’m in bed alone. I think about you and a rage fills me that nothing can compare to.”
He stood completely still, staring straight ahead.
“Lauren once told me the only way to hate someone that much…” She licked her lips and touched his cheek. “Was if you loved them first. Passionately. Violently. Completely.”
He froze, mouth parted, and stared.
“So, yeah, I hate you because you made me love you. I swore I’d never let another man hold so much power over me that losing him would kill me, but you did it. You made me care about something besides my job. You brought me out of my shell and forced me to live. Losing you…it killed me. It’s still killing me. I miss you. I miss the way you hold me. I miss your laugh. Your smile. The way you stare at something with complete and utter concentration when you’re focused. I miss your determination. Your stubbornness. The way you smell. But most of all, I miss the way you kiss me like I’m the only girl alive. The way you make me feel when you touch me.” She touched her heart. “Here. Just like you. I feel it. The emptiness. The pain. The loss. I don’t want to feel it anymore.”
He opened his hands then fisted them at his sides. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?’
“I’m saying that I love you, too. You’re the best mistake I’ve ever made, too, Mark.” She held her arms out. “You want to know what I want from you? I’ll tell you. I want all the things you do. The kisses. The laughs. The hugs. The family. The fireplace. Ginny. Happiness. You. Me. Together forever. I want that. I want it all.”
“Then it’s yours,” he rasped, his voice raw and broken and real. “It’s all yours.”
He closed the distance between them, picked her up, hauled her into his arms, and hugged her so tightly she couldn’t even hug him back—and she didn’t even care. He was here, and he was holding her, and for the first time in four days, she could breathe. He pulled back, staring down at her with wonder. “I love you, Daisy O’Rourke.”
She cupped his face. “I love you, too, Mark Matthews.”
He let out a passionate, authoritative growl, and his mouth met hers. He claimed her, heart, body, and soul, and she took it all from him, too, as he backed her up to the couch, gently lowering her to it. He covered her body with his, and she gasped, wrapping herself around him as tightly as possible. And she was never letting go. Not ever again.
He buried his face in her neck, breathing in her scent, and slid his hand between her legs. She only had on a thin pair of panties and a dress, so not much stood in his way. He shoved them aside, and teased the entrance. His thumb circled around her, making her breath hitch in her throat. “So ready. So mine.”
