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“Hey, you,” he said, stroking my cheek.
“Hey back,” I whispered.
The look in his chocolate brown eyes filled my heart and my soul with such warmth, I almost laid my head back down and stayed put. Almost, but I knew better. I had business I needed to attend to. Once that business was done, once and for all, maybe then, I wouldn't have to leave Eli's bed until I was damn good and ready.
“I actually have to head out soon,” I said, “but thank you for talking to me.”
“Of course,” he said. “Glad I could ease some of your fears, finally.”
“Me too.”
“So, does this mean what I think it means?” he teased.
“Depends,” I replied. “What do you think it means?”
“That I can finally be with the woman I love,” he said. “Exclusively. And that we can move forward with things like a real couple. Together.”
My cheeks hurt from smiling so much. “A real couple, huh?” I said. “Elijah Soloman finally going to settle down? Be still my beating heart.”
“With the right woman, hell yeah,” he said. “And I've known for a long, long time that you were the only woman I could ever see myself with for the long haul.”
My insides turned to mush as I listened to him speak. Just complete and utter mush. Eli brought my hands to his
lips and laid a gentle kiss upon the knuckles.
“I love you, Eli,” I said. “And yes, I want to move forward with things and be a real couple too.”
“Finally,” he said, letting out an exaggerated sigh as his head fell to his pillow. “I feel like I've been waiting a lifetime, and finally, I have everything I want in this world.”
“Is that your way of saying you love me too?”
“Hannah, do you even have to ask?” He scooped me in his arms and flipped us around, so I was on top of him again. I erupted into a fit of giggles. “Thankfully, I'll never get sick of saying it. Hannah Ross, I love you too, and I'm going to do everything I can to make sure you're the happiest woman on this whole damned planet. I swear that to you.”
His eyes sparkled and were filled with nothing but pure love, and his smile was sincere. A rare sight after his mom died, but something I could bring out of him sometimes. That was the first time I'd seen that smile in a long while though. It was a sight though, that I'd never grow tired of it. I leaned down and planted a kiss on his lips before pushing myself up.
I groaned. “I don't want to go, but I have to,” I said.
“You always know where to find me,” he said.
“That I do,” I said. “Come by my place this evening? If you're off, that is.”
“I'm off,” he said.
“Bring the little one, obviously,” I said, glancing back at the crib. “Maybe even be prepared to spend the night with me?”
He feigned shock. “Hannah Ross is asking me to spend the night at her place?” he gasped. “I think I'm dead from shock.”
I playfully smacked him with a pillow before getting out of bed and throwing my clothes on. At the rate I was going, I was never going to leave. Though, truth be told, I really didn't want to. The good news was, now that we were past the hard stuff, maybe Eli and I could have more moments like that together.
Many, many more moments like that.
I was walking on air as I slipped from his apartment, and I hummed as I walked to my car, totally oblivious to anything and everything except for the ooey-gooey feeling inside of me. The feeling of being in love with someone who loved you back.
Was there any better feeling in the entire world?
Chapter Thirteen
Elijah
