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“But then you came along, and you made me a believer. Not that love was a myth. You made me believe in love. What I’m trying to say in my clumsy way is I’m in love with you, Felicity. I’ve probably been in love with you since the moment I first saw you. There’s a dozen roses for every year we’ve known each other. And if you’ll give me a chance, I’d like the opportunity to give you many more dozen roses in the years to come. Can we start over, or better yet, pick up where we left off in the hallway of the Roosevelt and—?”
Felicity didn’t let him finish. She shifted the bouquet to one arm and threw her other arm around him, planting a kiss on his lips that left no doubt where she wanted them to go next.
When they finally came up for air, she said, “Austin Fortune, you’re still a piece of work, but you’re my piece of work and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you so much.”
At the sound of clapping and Maia’s whoops, Felicity turned around to see her mother and her friend beaming at them. As Austin put his arm around her, Felicity shifted the bouquet of roses from one arm to another. A few petals floated to the ground.
Beauty had finally tamed the Beast.
* * *
Afterward, Austin took Felicity, her mother and Maia to Commander’s Palace for a celebratory dinner. It was important for Felicity to bask in her accomplishments, surrounded by the people who loved her. Austin was so happy to be part of the celebration, but he would’ve been lying if he didn’t admit, the entire time, all he wanted was for the two of them to be alone.
He’d waited years for her—even if he hadn’t been fully cognizant of that fact until a few weeks ago.
Now, they sat in his living room. The only question was, where did they go from here? He handed her a glass of champagne. As he lowered himself onto the couch next to her, she smiled and gave her head a quick shake.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Nothing.” She squeezed her eyes shut and smiled. “This is dumb, but I just realized this is the first time that I’ve been to your home and it hasn’t been about business.”
Austin searched her eyes, looking for a clue as to how she felt about being there. Was it too much? Was she putting on the breaks? He knew what he wanted. He wanted Felicity and not just for the short-term. But he needed to make sure she wanted the same thing.
“I don’t want you to be uncomfortable?” he asked. “If you are, we can take things slowly—”
Suddenly, her lips were on his and her arms were around his neck. She claimed his lips in a kiss that seared his soul. She slid her hands into in his hair, pulling him closer. He responded by taking the champagne flute from her hand and setting it on the table. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tight, as if he’d never let her go. Every inch of her body was pressed against his. He lost himself in the heated tenderness of that kiss.
Once, the mere thought of caring for someone that much scared him, but no more. He’d already passed the point of no return. There was no denying the truth. He’d fallen. And hard.
He was in love with Felicity.
He pulled back and placed his hands on either side of her cheeks. “I love you,” he whispered, looking into her eyes, savoring the depth of their connection.
“I love you, too.”
Those perfect words passed over her perfect lips and wrapped around his heart, touching him in places where he thought he would never be able to feel anything again. Places he once thought were dead, he now knew were very much alive.
Desire grew as he held her and tasted her. In response his own body swelled and hardened. He loved the feel of her curves, sexy and supple to his touch. When he dropped his hands to her hips and pulled her onto his lap, she arched against him fueling his desire.
“I want you,” she murmured breathlessly.
He wanted to show her exactly how much he ached for her. Instead of using words, he stood and picked her up, carrying her to the bedroom.
The anticipation of their lovemaking sent a shudder wracking his whole body. He needed her naked so that he could bury himself inside of her. She wanted the same thing, because when he set her on the bed, she began to unbuckle the button on his pants, slid down the zipper and freed them of one of the barriers that stood between them. He shrugged off his shirt, unashamed of his nakedness.
