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I smiled and he rose, continuing to undress before going into the bathroom. We’d been together for three months now and things felt incredibly natural between us. I was in love with him. I was sure of it, but I hadn’t found the courage to say it to him out loud yet. I wasn’t sure why I was so hesitant. Conor was in love with me. He told me numerous times, not to mention showed me in the kind and tender ways he treated me. It was just that I’d put it off for so long that it had become this big internal thing. I felt plugged up, a strange sort of fear keeping the words in.
I’d been in love before, or at least I thought I had been. But perhaps I wasn’t because how I felt for Conor was all-consuming. I thought about him constantly. He was always in my head, so much so that the feelings I had for him were a little overwhelming.
I went to the wardrobe where I’d hung the peach sundress I planned to wear to dinner. I paired it with some sandals then blow dried my hair. I was just finished getting ready when Conor came out of the bathroom with a towel tucked around his waist. I’d never get tired of seeing him like that. Sometimes I couldn’t believe my luck that I was with someone who looked like him. Not only was he kind and good and smart with a great personality, he was also pretty much physically perfect. Or at least that was how I saw him.
“Nice dress,” he said, eyes sweeping down my body.
“Thanks.”
He went to gather clean clothes from his suitcase and I sat on the bed, spraying some perfume on my wrists. I was still wearing the scent Conor gifted me on our first date.Synaesthesia. With its delicate notes of jasmine and bergamot, it had become my favourite.
I thought again about how much I loved him, and how terrible it was that I hadn’t said it to him yet. Conor threw a pair of jeans and a shirt down on the bed, his mouth lifting in a smirk when he saw I’d been looking at the restaurant menu.
“Why do you always have to decide what you’re going to eat ahead of time?”
“I love you,” I blurted suddenly and he blinked, his smirk fading. My heart was racing. I couldn’t believe I’d just said that. Was I sweating?
Conor’s eyes heated while my throat ran dry. “Oh, God, that was weird, wasn’t it? I don’t know why I said it like that. I’ve just been thinking it for a while now and I wanted to wait to say it to you in a more romantic setting but it just came out and—”
“Yvonne, calm down.” He gently took my hands as he lowered to sit next to me. “I’ve been telling you I love you for months. Why would you be so nervous about telling me you feel the same?”
“I don’t know. I just put it off for so long and made it into this big thing in my head.”
His features crinkled into the most handsome smile. “Well, that was silly of you.” He lifted one hand, holding my gaze as he pressed a kiss to my knuckles. A whoosh of breath escaped me.
“Yeah, I guess it was.”
“Yvonne?”
I bit my lip. “Hmm?”
His smile grew wider and impossibly more handsome. “I’m so fucking happy you love me.”
I couldn’t help smiling back at him. “I’m happy I love you, too.”
He chuckled low then dropped my hand, turning to grab something from his suitcase. He retrieved what looked like a small jewellery box and my heart started pounding again.No way. There was no way.
“I’ve been meaning to give you this,” he said, handing me the box and I relaxed a little. He wasn’t getting down on one knee, so that meant my initial reaction was incorrect. Thank goodness. Yes, I loved Conor but jumping into marriage was…well, maybe not so crazy, but still. There was no reason to rush into something like that.
I opened the box and found a key. Frowning, I glanced at him. “What’s this?”
“It’s for the townhouse. I figured since you come over all the time that you should have one.”
“Oh,” I breathed, my cheeks heating at the gesture. “Thanks, that’s great. I’ll get you one for my place, too.”
“You don’t have to. I just wanted you to be able to let yourself in any time. Besides, I have every intention of finding us a place to live together at some point.”
My eyebrows rose. “You’d want to move in with me?”
“Yvonne, you’re the love of my life, of course I’d want to move in with you. And it might happen sooner rather than later because I miss you any night you’re not in my bed.”
“I miss you, too.” I swallowed thickly, emotion catching in my throat.
Conor’s eyes flickered back and forth between mine. “So…maybe we should start looking for apartments?”
I leaned closer and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Maybe we should,” I agreed and his hands went to my hips, squeezing.
He groaned. “Are you absolutely sure I can’t talk you into room service?”
I smiled and kissed him again, shaking my head before drawing away. “No room service. Now go get dressed. There’s lobster risotto on the menu with my name on it.”
“Lobster risotto? Actually, that sounds amazing and come to think of it, I’m starved. Okay, I’m getting dressed.”
God, I really did love him. Smiling down at the key in my hand, I went and slotted into a small compartment in my bag where it wouldn’t get lost. My heart was all aflutter at the thought of us getting an apartment together, forging a life.
It took us so many years to get here and I couldn’t wait to spend every single year I had left with this man by my side, in my bed, in my heart, and in my soul.
END.
