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“Cal,” she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I...”
He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “You don’t have to say anything right now. I know it freaks you out. I know that’s why you keep pushing me away, and that’s fine. Just know I love you. I’ve loved you from the moment you walked into me at the rescue. And I’m not going anywhere.”
With that, he pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t the searing kiss of passion they’d exchanged earlier. This was intimate, slow, and timeless. It was as if Cal wanted to memorize her.
Ellie’s heart fluttered at his touch, a slow burn of desire building from her very core. His confession, so raw and sincere, had shattered any defenses she had left. Her arms found their way around his neck, bringing him even closer until there was no space left between them.
With a gentle moan, she kissed him back with everything she was feeling, her hands tangling in his hair as their tongues danced, teasing and exploring. The taste of wine and desire lingered on his lips, making her mouth water for more.
The stubble on his jaw scratched lightly against her skin as he nibbled on her bottom lip before trailing more kisses down her neck. His hands glided softly over her back, tracing the contours of her waist until they found the hem of her shirt. With a sudden movement, he lifted it over her head, revealing her lacy bra.
The air was chilly against her heated skin, but it wasn’t enough to cool the fire that burned inside her as he took one of her breasts in his hand, gently squeezing it through the fabric. She arched into his touch, yearning for him to remove the barrier between them.
His lips trailed back up to hers again, and she nipped at his lower lip, demanding entrance. He obliged with a groan, reconnecting their mouths as he slid the cup of her bra down. He released her mouth, and his warm breath fanned across her sensitive nipple before he captured it between his lips and sucked gently.
Ellie gasped in surprise as a shockwave of pleasure shot through her body. This was so different from their previous encounters— tender and caring instead of rough and desperate. It felt right in a way that she couldn’t explain. Her head spun as he moved to the other breast, paying equal attention to both before pulling away to look at her once more. His eyes were full of lust and adoration like she was some kind of goddess who’d graced him with her presence. No other man had ever looked at her like that.
“Cal.” His name was the only word she could form as her whole body throbbed with need. She was utterly lost in him—in the electricity of his touch, in the intimacy of their locked gazes.
“I love you, Ellie,” he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. It was a soft admission but uttered with so much conviction that it coursed through Ellie like a surge of electricity.
Love is always complicated. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth it.
Her stomach fluttered as her sister’s words floated through her mind.
Take the chance on Cal.
Nobody else was ever going to make her feel like this. Nobody else was going to look at her with such worshipful intensity. No one else could touch her soul like he did. Nobody else was ever going to love her like Cal did.
Yes. She would take the chance.
As the decision settled over her, a bubble of joy expanded to fill her entire body, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and burying her face in his neck. “I’m so sorry I kept pushing you away. I was just.. scared. You’re it for me, too. It’s you. I knew it since I walked into you that day at the Rescue. You caught me and kept me from falling, and nobody’s ever done that for me before. I’ve always had to rely on myself and my sister, and the thought of letting someone else in was terrifying. But I’m ready now. I love you too, Callum Holden.”
Cal froze for a moment before his arms wound around her more tightly. His body vibrated with barely repressed emotion, tremors wracking him as he pulled her in impossibly closer. Their heartbeats pounded in sync, a throbbing echo that filled the silence of the room.
“Say it again,” he murmured into her hair, his voice rough.
Ellie laughed softly, butterflies dancing in her stomach as she pulled back to look at him. His brown eyes were bright with joy, crinkling at the corners as his lips curved into a grin.
“I love you, Cal.” Finally admitting it out loud felt powerful and right on her tongue. “I love you so much.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to hear those words from you.” He threaded his fingers into her curls and showered kisses over her lips, nose, and eyelids. “Will you let me marry you and love you for the rest of our lives?”
“I’m a packaged deal now,” she warned. “True is staying with me.”
“Then I’ll love her, too, like she’s my own daughter. She deserves parents who actually care about her and put her needs above their own.” His hand splayed over her belly. “And when we’re ready, I want to add to our family—a couple of girls with my eyes and your curls.”
“And a boy with your perpetually messy hair and crooked smile.” She could picture it all so clearly, and a strange mixture of fear and exhilaration surged through her. It was as though she were standing on a precipice, teetering on the edge of a magnificent canyon with nothing but a vast expanse of open sky before her. Taking the leap, embracing the fear, and letting go of the doubt…
It was the most terrifying thing she’d ever done.
But with Cal, she knew she’d survive the fall into the unknown, into the thrill of what might be.
“Yes,” she answered finally. “Please love me for the rest of our lives.”
epilogue
“Has anyone seen Pierce?”
