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I swallowed.
His hands came up to cup my face, and he lowered his mouth to mine.
My lips trembled against his.
My eyelids fluttered shut.
So hungry.
“Ares…” I sighed into his mouth.
He looped his arms around my back. One hand delicately traced the length of my spine as his lips tasted me anew. “I’m here.”
“Ares,” I whined, fearing the oncoming deluge.
His arm tightened around my back, the other grasped the back of my head and held me closer. “I’m here, Hope.”
He deepened the kiss.
Stealing my breath.
Stealing my mind.
Stealing my heart.
My hands clung to the sides of his shirt as he murmured sweet promises against my lips.
“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”
An ugly, guttural sound tore through my throat.
His voice pained, he chanted, “Baby, baby, baby…”
Sweeping me up into his arms, he headed for the family room and lay me down, then covered me head to toe with his long, hard body. Braced on his elbows, he caged me within the safety of his embrace. His hands cradled my head while his thumbs swept the soft hair at my temples. His thighs lay along the outside of mine.
Surrounded by him, finally, I could give voice to the fears that plagued me.
“I didn’t know if you’d come back to me.” My fingers dug into the muscles of his back.
“I wanted to come back sooner. I missed you, Hope.” He dropped kisses on the corners of my mouth, the tip of my nose, my eyes, down the side of my face to my jaw and back to my mouth.
Dark eyes shining, he vowed, “I won’t leave again.”
I let his words sink in.
Reveled in the softness of his mouth whispering sweetly reverent kisses over my face.
Basked in the sweetness of being exactly where I belonged.
Thought back to the night I wondered how much time to give him.
How much energy to expend on him.
How much of myself to give.
Had I known then what would be required, I would have balked.
Thank, God, I didn’t know.
