Page 98 of Does He Know?

“You know I can’t.”

I nod. I fucking hate it, but I agreed to let her lead us. “Fine. Let’s go home.” Her mouth falls open when I call my place home, but I pretend not to notice. She climbs off my lap and I stand. “I’ll go ahead of you.”

“Probably best,” she agrees.

“Be safe, baby girl.”

“You too.” I kiss her cheek and force myself to walk out the door without her.

As soon as I get home, I pull my truck to the side of the driveway and open the garage door. My truck is too tall to fit inside, but it’s perfect for her car. I pace back and forth until I see her car. I guide her in and quickly hit the button to close the garage door, before rushing over to open hers. I lace our fingers together and lead her inside. We don’t stop until we get to my room. I close the blinds to block out the sun, and quickly strip down to my boxer briefs.

“You don’t have to,” I tell her when I see her chewing on her bottom lip. She’s trying to decide whether she should strip too. I know skin-to-skin contact with me is her favorite.

“I want to.”

I nod. I don’t push her either way. This is her call. I just want her in my arms. She could wear a fucking parka for all I care. I just need to hold her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her getting undressed. She leaves her panties on, moves to lock the bedroom door, and then comes back to the bed. I hold the covers up, and she climbs in next to me.

I don’t hesitate to pull her into me, wrapping my arms around her. “Fuck, baby girl, I love you. Thank you for giving me this. I won’t let you down. This second chance, it’s everything.You’reeverything.”

“I love you too.” She rests her head on my chest, and just as soon as she does, she sits up in bed. Tentatively, she reaches out and rubs her hand over my new tattoo. “Wh—When did you get this?” she whispers.

“The day you were supposed to come home for spring break.”

“Where did you find this?”

“It was in a pile of papers on the desk. I knocked them off by mistake and this is what I found. I knew I had to have it. It reminds me of our date under the stars.”

“Because it is,” she says. She looks at me with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry, baby. I had to have a piece of you with me always.” I reach down and rub her hip over her lily tattoo.

“I have a piece of you.”

“You have all of me.” I tap my chest, and she lies back down. “Promise me you’ll be here when I wake up.”

“I’ll be here.”

“Love you,” I mumble, kissing the top of her head, and falling fast asleep.

I wake with a jolt, my heart racing. My arms tighten around Emerson as I exhale. She’s here. It wasn’t a dream. She’s in my bed, and if I have any say, she’ll always be here.

My body relaxes into the mattress, closing my eyes.

“You okay, Rome?”

My eyes pop open to see her peering at me. “Yeah, baby girl. I’ve never been better,” I say, kissing the top of her head.

She moves to straddle my hips. I rest my hands on her thighs, feeling the silky softness of her skin. “You’re beautiful.”

She blushes and looks down. Her fingers roam over my chest until her palm is lying against my heart, over the tattoo that she drew. “I still can’t believe you got this.”

“You own what’s beneath. It’s only fair that I get some ink to symbolize that.”

“Roman Bailey, a sweet talker.” She smiles.

“Only with you.”

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