Page 102 of Pretty Little Scars

“It probably served you well when you were young.”

Her eyes bounce up to mine, and she tilts her head, like she hadn’t thought of that before.

“You’re probably right. All of my siblings and I have issues from our childhood. We didn’t get out unscathed. There’s a lot of anxiety, some self-doubt, and I haven’t slept well since I was a toddler, but all in all, we’re pretty great.”

“Back it up. You haven’t slept well?”

“No.” She dabs her mouth with her napkin. “He liked to terrorize me at night, when the others were asleep and couldn’t protect me.”

“Baby.”

“I had to be on high alert, always. Because I wouldnotallow him to hurt the others the way he did me.”

“So you got the worst of it.”

“I mean, no one had it great, Tucker. But yeah, I distracted him to me, rather than let him hurt the other girls more. But I have to tell you, I sleep like a fuckingbabyin your bed. Even when you couldn’t be there because of that mountain lion, I sleptlike a baby angel on a cloud, and now I’m addicted to it, so if you’re trying to butter me up with this fantastic meal and this beautiful sunset”—she gestures to the view, where everything is cast in gold—“just to then break the news that I have to go back out to the cabin, I might toss the rest of this wine in your face.”

I press my lips together to keep from laughing and then shake my head. “I’m so fucking in love with you that I won’t let you leave my bed for anything, Duchess.”

Her jaw drops and then closes again.

“That’s not the first time I’ve said that,” I remind her.

“I thought I was dreaming last time.”

“No. You weren’t.”

Her eyes bounce back and forth between mine as she nibbles that lower lip, and then her chin starts to tremble, and I can’t stand it anymore.

I walk around and sit in the empty seat next to her and kiss her cheek, her temple, before planting my lips right next to her ear.

“You’re incredible. You are changing my life for the better, Duchess. So don’t you ever think for a second that I don’t love the hell out of you. And you can say it back whenever you’re ready to meet me there. I’m in no rush.”

She takes a shaky breath and leans into me. “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened in my life.”

“Same goes, baby. Now, I need some ice cream.”

“Oh, I’ve been wanting to try Sundae’s.”

“Let’s do it.”

It’s not quite dark when we park in front of the ice cream shop, and when we push inside, the scent of freshly baked waffle cones and sugar assaults us, making Darby moan the way she does when I’m inside her.

“I’m gonna need you tonotmake that sound here.”

My girl laughs and squeezes my hand. “I can’t help it. It’s already my favorite place in the world.”

“I thought our bed was your favorite place.”

“Okay, this is second.” She glances up and her eyes go wide, and I can only smile because I already saw him.

Zack is leaning on the counter, eating an ice cream cone, charming Indie, who’s blushing and laughing at something he just said.

“I’ll call the cops if he’s harassing you,” I say to Indie, who snorts and walks our way.

“If I can handle toddlers in my shop, I can handle him,” she says, and Zack scowls.

“Did you just compare me to atoddler?”