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Strange. Scary. Unfamiliar.
Those are the feelings I thought would bubble up at hearing those words.
I didn’t think I’d ever be able to say it back to just anyone.
“I love you too, Cian.”
Easy as pie, I say it. And it feels right. I feel warm and safe and covered in love.
The surrender isn’t scary at all. It’s a feeling of relief. As if I’ve been waiting, and now is my moment.
Nothing has ever felt like this.
He seems equally relieved. “Good.”
Then, all at once, the logistics bear down on me. “But you live in Dublin. I live in LA. Are you ready for a long-distance relationship? If not, what do we do?”
I half expect Cian to say let’s deal with that later and enjoy the moment while it lasts. To his credit, he gets me.
“How about I move in with you and take care of Duchess while you work?”
This takes me by so much surprise that I laugh out loud.
But honestly? I don’t hate that idea.
“Duchess will love that. But what about your family?”
“They’ll love Duchess. My sister’s dog looks scary, but he’s a gentle giant.”
I laugh and playfully swat his shoulder. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
Cian hasn’t let up cupping my face, and he angles me down for a gentle kiss, then presses our foreheads together. “I know. I just want you to feel certain this isn’t a short-term thing. This is a forever thing.”
That, too, doesn’t scare me. I feel as though I’ve been waiting for this. I feel it in every fiber of my being, not just my heart.
“A forever thing means seeing me at my worst,” I say.
“Remember I saw you after you sweated off all your mascara at the end ofAnne of Green Gables.”
I nod, recalling that memory. “And right now, you’re seeing me in nothing but a thong and nipple tape, which is not entirely my best look.”
“You look beautiful.”
“I need to go to the bathroom and remove this tape,” I say.
“I can help. Show me.”
I look down at him skeptically. “Are you sure?”
“Serenity.”
Moments later, I’m digging through my tiny handbag for the roller of coconut oil.
“What do I do with that?” Cian asks when I turn to him and hold it out. As he stands there, I am aware that he’s still partially dressed, and I’m mostly naked. “First thing you do is take off the rest of your clothes. I don’t want to be the only one naked,” I laugh.
When our remaining clothes are discarded in a pile on the floor, and I’m in nothing but tape, we sit facing each other on the bed.
I hand him the coconut oil. “Pop the top off. Good. Now, just rub it on there. Saturate it. And the adhesive will come off. Easy.”
