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“Why not? I don’t think you need to woo me when I’m already in love with you.”
I take a step back and look at her seriously. I need her to know this. Tad never treated her right. He never saw what he had. I cup her cheek in my hand and look into those ocean-blue eyes. “A woman should always be wooed. Whether it’s the start of a relationship or she’s been married for thirty years, a man who loves her should always want to woo her.”
Her eyes widen, her whole body softens, melting right in front of me. “I—I…” She sighs dreamily. “I want that.”
I kiss her cheeks and then down her neck. “Get ready for it. That’s how I’m going to treat you, like the incredible, smart, sexy, badass woman you are.”
She loops her arms around my neck and kisses me again. “I guess I can’t argue with that. But would you—would you stay with me tonight? I don’t need anything else to happen. I just want to sleep in your arms. It might sound silly but—” She stops, getting choked up.
“What?”
“I’m strong enough on my own. I don’t need someone else to complete me.” She quickly wipes a tear from her cheek. “But my heart has ached to be loved like this for so long, to fall asleep next to someone who can’t wait to wrap their arms around me, who smiles when they wake up and see me next to them. I don’t want to say goodbye to you tonight. I want to feel that. I want to wake up in your arms and feel what I’ve been missing.”
I bring my thumbs to her cheeks and wipe away her tears. My heart soars with pride knowing I’m the one who makes her feel this way. But I also want to punch Tad in the nuts, knowing how deeply she was hurting for so long. I understand her hurt, because I’ve felt the same way.
Grabbing the back of her neck, I pull her to me, firmly pressing my lips against hers and quickly sliding my tongue into her mouth. After a few minutes of kissing, I pull away, drop one last kiss on her forehead, and say, “I can’t wait to wake up with you in my arms.”
She pulls me into a tight hug.
Part of me can’t believe this is real. That I’m finally getting the thing I’ve dreamed of for so long.
After we pull apart, she stares at me for a moment, a devilish smiling crossing her lips. “Are you gonna need to sleep naked after what we did earlier?”
I laugh and poke her ribs. “You think you’re funny? No, I keep a change of clothes in my car. I’ll grab them and then I’m taking you to bed.”
“Mm. I love the sound of that.”
When I’m done getting changed into fresh boxers and a loose tee, I walk out into Zoey’s bedroom, finding her sitting on her bed in an oversized T-shirt. Her hair is back in a ponytail, and she looks utterly gorgeous.
“Wow, you sure know how to take a man’s breath away.”
She smiles as her eyes roll up and down my body. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
“Which side do you prefer?”
She shrugs. “I usually end up sleeping in the middle.”
“Me too.”
I pull the covers off the side closest to me as she slides underneath them. She turns off her lamp, letting the darkness settle in the room. I roll to face her and outstretch my arm. “Come here, baby.”
She’s next to me in a second, sliding one of her legs between mine. I wrap my arms around her as she nestles into me.
I lean down and gently kiss her lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
I rest my chin against her head and hold her close as she quickly drifts off. My eyelids grow heavy, and it’s not long before I’m falling into the best sleep I’ve had in years.
Chapter 3
Luke
LeavingZoeythismorningwas the absolute last thing I wanted to do. I stayed longer than I should’ve, making her pancakes and kissing the hell out of her before I left. I cruised into work an hour later than normal. Thankfully, I had no clients and running my own business affords me some flexibility.
It’s early afternoon and today has dragged on. Normally I love being here, but today I only had one tattoo client, and I can’t focus on anything business-related. Especially because I keep texting Zoey. She is the best distraction ever. Well, she was until she told me she was writing a sex scene and that usually gets her all worked up. I thought I was going to have to go in the bathroom and beat one off. She’s killing me. And I love every second of it.
There’s a quick knock on my door. Before I can even open my mouth to respond, Cece walks into my office.
