When he finished, he kissed me softly on the mouth, giving me a kiss that was slow but still passionate. His dick softened inside me, but he still made me full anyway, made me feel like the most desirable woman in the world.
The woman he loved.
He gently pulled out of me then rolled onto his back, his body softening now that he could relax. He didn’t have to excuse himself to the bathroom to wash off like he used to. Now we could just lie together when we were finished, tangled up in each other’s arms in mutual satisfaction.
He lay on his side and looked at me, his chest rising and falling more slowly now that his body had caught up on rest. A shadow was along his jawline, and his coffee-colored eyes were filled with a brighter hue. His new shirt lay on the ground, and my picture frame was on his nightstand. Well, my nightstand now.
My hand went to his chest and touched the ring that hung on the chain. The diamond was as bold and brilliant as ever, a reminder of the commitment I’d made to him. I wanted to wear it because I missed it. I also wanted to wear it because I was ready to be everything we promised. I was ready to be his dutiful wife, the woman who would take care of him and put up with his bullshit for all eternity.
He kept his eyes on me.
My hands moved to the back of his neck so I could unclasp the chain.
He grabbed both of my wrists then brought them to his lips for a kiss. “I’ll give it to you some other time.”
“Why can’t I have it now?”
He kissed my hands again. “Because I’m not ready to give it to you yet.”
16
Maverick
Christmas morning was just a continuation of Christmas Eve.
Perfect.
Abigail left breakfast in front of the door so we could take it whenever we wanted it. We spent the morning lying in bed in front of the fire, watching Christmas movies, and being snuggled up together under the sheets.
Lots of lovemaking happened in between.
I’d never fucked the same woman so much in my life. And I’d never made love to someone before. It didn’t matter how slow and mediocre the pace seemed from the outside. It felt so good in the moment, even when we were barely moving because we spent most of our energy kissing.
It felt good to be in love.
My wife was amazing. I wouldn’t change a thing about her. I hated my father so much, but now I was grateful he made me agree to this arrangement. If I hadn’t…this never would have happened. I would have been a lonely bachelor with no sense of belonging. It would have been unfulfilling…and depressing.
She snuggled into my side and kissed my shoulder. “When did you know?”
She could have been asking a million different things, but I knew exactly what was on her mind. “I’ve always known.”
“Always?” she asked incredulously. “That seems unlikely.”
“I did… I always knew.” I’d played Russian roulette with a psychopath to buy her freedom. I wouldn’t have done that for just anyone. Maybe my sister and maybe Kent, but that was it. I wouldn’t have chased away her admirers unless I felt like I owned her in some way. I wouldn’t have been scarred by the sight of Brandon in her apartment if I didn’t love her. “I don’t know when it happened exactly. It was so slow and unnoticeable at first. I always knew it was there but pretended I didn’t. When you told me how you felt, I couldn’t lie anymore. It forced me to confront my feelings, but I was too much of a coward to do it. Having you back has made me so happy that I couldn’t contain it anymore. It just slipped out.”
“Well, I’m glad that it slipped out. I always thought you felt the same way. When you took on Kamikaze, I didn’t believe you did that out of obligation. It seemed like it was more meaningful than that.”
I would have given my life for her because I wanted to. “It was.”
She rubbed her hand across my chest then pressed another kiss to my shoulder. “When Kamikaze was gone, you didn’t ask me to leave. We could have gotten a divorce, but you never asked for one.”
“Because I didn’t want to be divorced. I didn’t want to admit that I loved you…so I just didn’t think about it. But now it’s all I can think about.”
Her fingers continued to caress my body, to feel the hardness of my muscles and the softness of my skin. “I loved you a long time ago…even when I still hated you.”
“You hated me and loved me at the same time?”
“Yes…”
I smiled slightly. “I’m hard to love, so I believe that.”