Page 122 of Falling for the Billionaire Best Man

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DORIE

Even as relief flooded me, a small part of me hesitated. Could I trust him? Could I trust this? I thought we shared a similar moment just a week ago and then he pulled the rug out from under me.

I pulled back slightly, just enough to look up at him. He looked like he was waiting for me to say something—like he was bracing himself for me to push him away.

And he wasn’t wrong. I did feel like I should consider this decision carefully. I wasn’t sure it was smart to jump in with both feet again.

“Kaisen, this can’t just be a one-time thing. A ‘kiss and make up’ moment. If we’re doing this, if we’re really doing this, you can’t shut me out again. I can’t handle being the one who loves you more than you love yourself.”

“Dorie, I—” He stopped, swallowing hard. “I know. And you’re right. I’ve been running from everything. From us. From how much you mean to me. But I’m done running.”

He leaned his forehead against mine again, his breath warm against my skin. “You’re not the one who loves me more than I love myself,” he murmured. “Because I love you more than anything. And that scared the hell out of me.”

I stared up at Kaisen, my heart pounding in my chest. I wanted to believe him. I really did. But a part of me was still fragile, still bruised from the way he’d walked away before.

“Kaisen, you can’t just say things like that and expect me to forget how it felt when you pulled away. I need more than words. I need to know you mean it.”

He didn’t hesitate. He dropped to his knees right there in the middle of the bakery, his hands reaching for mine. His eyes were wide, desperate, and so full of emotion it made my breath catch.

“I love you, Dorie,” he said. “I’m not just saying it because I’m scared of losing you—though I am terrified of that. I’m saying it because it’s the truth. You’re it for me. You always have been. And if I have to beg on my knees for the rest of my life to prove that to you, I will.”

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, but I didn’t let them fall. Not yet. “You don’t have to beg,” I whispered, my throat tight. “All you ever had to do was ask.”

Before I could say another word, Kaisen stood, his hands still holding mine, and pulled me toward the back kitchen. He didn’t stop until we were standing in the middle of the room.

His eyes locked onto mine, as if he was trying to see straight into me. “Dorie, I’m not going anywhere. Not this time.”

I barely had time to nod before his hands were on my face, pulling me closer. His kiss was different this time—less desperate, less frantic, but no less urgent. It was deliberate, like he was trying to tell me everything he couldn’t put into words. His lips moved against mine with a slow, burning intensity that made my knees weak.

One of his hands slid down to my waist, pulling me flush against him, while the other stayed tangled in my hair. I could feel the heat of him through my hoodie. I kissed him back with everything I had, my hands sliding up his arms. I gently squeezed his biceps, relishing in the feel of him.

He deepened the kiss, his tongue brushing against mine in a way that sent a shiver down my spine. My body reacted instinctively, arching against him.

He pushed up the hoodie and pulled it over my head before dropping it on the floor. I barely had time to register the cool air against my skin before his mouth was on mine again. My fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, desperate to feel him, to erase any space between us. He shrugged out of his tux jacket and let it drop. I pushed his shirt off his shoulders, my hands sliding over the hard planes of his chest.

He broke the kiss just long enough to pull my tank top over my head, his eyes darkening as he took me in. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his voice rough with need. His hands traced the curve of my waist, sending shivers through me. I reached for his pants, struggling with the button and zipper until they gave way. He stepped out of them, kicking them aside, and then he was back, his body pressing against mine.

I could feel every inch of him, hard and wanting. It made my breath catch. His lips found my neck, trailing kisses down to my collarbone as his hands explored every curve. I leaned into him, letting out a soft moan as his fingers brushed over the sensitive skin of my stomach. He quickly undid the button on my jeans and pushed them down. He pulled back just enough to look into my eyes, his own filled with heat and something deeper, something that made my heart ache.

“Dorie,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “I need you.”

I nodded, unable to form words as he lifted me effortlessly onto the counter. The cool surface against my skin was a sharp contrast to the heat of his body.

I pulled him closer, my legs wrapping around his waist. His hands were everywhere, tracing my curves, pulling me tight against him. He dipped his head and kissed me again.

“Dorie, I love you.”

“I love you,” I said.

“I don’t have any condoms with me,” he murmured even as his hand slid between my thighs. “I didn’t come here with the intention of doing this.”

I paused and leaned back, capturing his face in my hands. “Kaisen, do you plan on having sex with anyone else?”

He chuckled. “Hell no.”

“Well, I’m not going to be taking another man to my bed. It’s just you. Now and always. I’m on the pill, so…”