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His declaration shatters my last shred of resistance. I cry out, my body no longer under my control. It belongs to Creed.Ibelong to Creed.
He joins me in my bliss, moaning through his own release as he holds me tight. Then he collapses on top of me, pulling me into his arms.
As we struggle to catch our breath, I rest my hand against his chest, savoring in the rapid beating of his heart.
“It’s yours,” he says breathlessly.
I lift my eyes to his.
“It’s always been yours, Esme. Even before you realized it.”
“And my heart is yours, Creed.” I take his hand and press it to my chest. “Today. Tomorrow. Always.”
“Today.” He brushes his mouth against my cheek. “Tomorrow.” He moves to the other cheek before hovering his lips over mine. “Always.”
“Always.”
ChapterForty-Five
Creed
My mobile buzzeson the nightstand, jolting me awake. I fumble around for a few moments before silencing the alarm. The room is still shrouded in darkness, the small gap in the drapes indicating the sun hasn’t yet risen.
When I feel an arm wrap around my torso, I sigh, basking in Esme’s touch. It doesn’t matter how many times I made love to her last night. Or the fact I slept with her in my arms. I doubt I’ll ever tire of feeling her hands on my body.
I turn in the bed, pushing a few tendrils of her hair behind her ear to admire her. No makeup. Hair a mess. Eyes droopy from sleep. But she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“It wasn’t a dream,” I remark as I brush my lips to her forehead.
“It wasn’t a dream.”
I run my fingers up and down her back, replaying the last twelve hours in my mind.
When I showed up at Harriet’s and saw Esme for the first time since New York, waking up in her bed was the last thing I expected. I’d spent the past several months convincing myself of my place. And it wasn’t here. It was with Rory and AJ.
But something inside me snapped last night.
Or maybe the lightbulb finally went off, especially after Esme told me Adam wasn’t taking her to her mother’s grave the night he died.
At first, I didn’t understand why that mattered. Not when it was nearly ten years ago.
But as I walked the city streets, probably looking like I was absolutely crazy, all the puzzle pieces locked into place, showing me the truth that had evaded me for years.
And the truth is that Adam wouldn’t want this for me. He’d want me to be happy. Would want me to stop living in the past.
I’d convinced myself Esmewasmy past.
In reality, she’s my everything. Past. Present. Future. Eternity.
“So…” Esme’s voice pulls me back to the present. “How is this going to work?” Her question comes out timid, as if she’s not sure she’ll like my response, especially after the way things blew up in New York. “Or are we back in that same gray area we were all those years ago?”
“I don’t think we have any choice but to be back in that gray area. At least for a little while.” I pull her closer, hoping the kisses I leave on her head reassure her I’m not going to push her away again.
But I’m not surehowthis is going to work. I haven’t wanted to think about it, even though the thought’s been in the back of my mind since I jumped into my SUV and drove over here in the late night hours. It almost had me turning around and returning to my life.
“Things are complicated,” I sigh.
“I’m more than aware of that.”
