She lets out a giggle and then cups the side of my face, letting her thumb brush just under my eye. The look on her face is so tender that I could stay like this, basking in it, for the rest of my life and be happy. “If your child is younger than twelve months, stuffed animals are bad. I’ll even admit that I kept them away from Cammie until she was around two and a half or three. She’s fine now. I never let her have a lot of them, mostly because I don’t like clutter, and they can be bad for allergies.”
“Oh,” I mutter, starting to feel stupid.
Daphne leans down pressing her forehead against mine, both of her hands on my face now. My eyes close from the sweetness of everything I’m experiencing. “What am I going to do with you, Eli?” she whispers. She sounds almost torn and my heart tightens in my chest.
“I’m hoping you want to keep me,” I admit laying myself completely bare to her. After the way Nora did me and withmy history, I’m scared as hell. I’d rather face down a club of men pointing automatic rifles at me than to risk this woman destroying me by sending me away—but I have no choice.
“You better watch it, Eli. It’s starting to sound like you more than just care about me. You even claimed Cammie as ours.”
Shit. I didn’t realize I did that. “Does that upset you?”
“No. You’ve already shown her more care than her own father has in her life.”
“I love her,” I admit.
She smiles, “I can tell. Now, I’m just wondering how you feel about her mother.”
I quietly clear my throat, looking into her beautiful green eyes. Without realizing it, my hands move to her gorgeous, copper curls, letting them thread through my fingers. Everything about this woman appeals to me—calls to me in ways nothing ever has before. She’s my home. I know it down in my soul. “I’ve been wondering the same about you,” I hedge.
“My divorce isn’t final yet, Eli.”
“It will be. Besides, your ex has moved on. I don’t see why you can’t. That is, unless you are still in love with him.” Just saying that to her makes me mad. I’m not sure I can hold myself back if she admits that she still has feelings for him. I’ll destroy him for what he’s done to her. Maybe if he’s out of the way, she’ll eventually come to?—
“Come back to me, Eli.” I stop mid-thought and turn my attention back to her. She’s smiling down at me. “You zone out when you are struggling and trying to sort things out. Do you want to tell me what you’re thinking?”
“Do you want to tell me if you still love your shit-for-brains ex.”
She laughs. “Shit-for-brains?”
“A man would have to be dumb as dirt to ever toss your love aside and choose that bitch to warm his bed. He might be stupid, Skittles, but I’m not.”
She smiles and this time a tear slips from her eye that has nothing to do with her earlier laughter. “I don’t love him, Eli. Lately, I’ve been wondering if I ever did. We got together in high school, and I thought it was love. We were comfortable together. He had a vision for his life and said he supported mine. The two of us were going to face the world as a team.” She lets out a cold laugh. “Obviously that never happened.”
“I want you, Daphne. I want to build a life with you, with Cammie and maybe, if you’re willing, even more kids. I fell for you the minute I saw you and it just keeps getting stronger. I’ve only felt fear one other time and the thought of you turning me down, of being forced out of yours and Cammie’s lives terrifies me like nothing else ever has.”
“My life is a mess, Eli.”
“I don’t give a damn. I want to be the man you lean on as you rebuild it. Hell, I’ve been frozen since leaving Nora. I’d like for us to rebuild our lives together. I’m not Dane?—”
“Thank God,” she laughs.
I grin. “I’m not him. I know how precious you and Cammie are. I promise you, I’m in this forever.”
“Eli—”
“We can go as fast or as slow as you want, sweetheart. I’m not trying to rush you. This is just me laying my cards on the table and telling you that I want and need to be in your lives.”
“Lives?” she giggles.
“Yours and Cammie’s. You’re a package deal and honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way.”
“Shut up, and kiss me, Eli,” she whispers.
I take her mouth in a hungry kiss, letting her feel all of the passion that I’ve tried my best to temper when I kissed herbefore. Something very fucking near to a growl releases from her mouth as she kisses me back. My cock was already aroused once she sat on my lap. With the ravenous way she’s not only meeting my kiss, but taking what she wants, I’m rock hard. My fingers bite into her hips as I hold her down, grinding myself against her body. I feel like I’m on fire for her. It’s my turn to growl as her body begins rocking against me. My hand slides up to tunnel under her shirt, my calloused fingers brushing against her silky-smooth skin, that’s so hot to the touch, it feels as if it marks me for life. There will never be a time when I don’t want this woman.Never.
I know I can’t take her—not here. The timing is all wrong. Yet the need to watch her come is so strong that I can’t stop myself. I let my fingers continue to travel, until I’m pushing under her bra. I palm her breast loving how the hard nipple pushes against my hand—as if begging for more.
“Eli,” she whimpers as my lips travel from her mouth down the sweet valley of her neck.
