Leaning forward, he kissed her head. “Me too.”
She smiled up at him and they shared a moment of relatable insecurities.
She returned her cheek to his lap. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.” He stroked her hair, leaning back and accepting the night wouldn’t be ending as he’d hoped. “I know you’re trying.” He continued to run his fingers through her golden strands.
“I like when you bring me food.”
He grinned. “Good, because I like feeding you.”
“No one’s ever brought me food before.”
He frowned, adding another mental tick to the list of nurturing practices Erin was raised without. “That’s basically the main way my family expresses love.”
She smiled, her fingers toying with the clasp of his belt buckle. “Well, my family never showed affection, so our food usually came from a can.”
It hurt to imagine anyone growing up in a house like that. His family argued and yelled, but they loved each other and always made sure that was clear. “I’d love to cook with you.”
Cooking in the kitchen wasn’t a chore in their house. It was an act of love and bonding. His parents probably connected more in that room than their bedroom. The kitchen was the heart of his home, and he loved how alive it always seemed.
“I’d love that, too. I only really know how to make one good thing.”
Her father’s crumb cake. That cake was damn delicious, but he’d never ask her to make it for him again. “We can make whatever you want. I know tons of recipes by heart.”
She smiled and shut her eyes. He sensed her calm returning and loved that they could find moments of stillness like this, sitting comfortably with each other in the silence.
He traced a finger over her eyebrow. The crease between her brows relaxed, her face so angelic. He gently moved her hair away from her cheeks, tracing her features and getting lost in her beauty. “You’re so gorgeous.”
“Things aren’t always what they seem.”
“Hey, don’t do that.”
“It’s true.”
“No, it’s not. I don’t like when you put yourself down. We all have room for improvement, but we shouldn’t grade ourselves on our weaknesses alone. You have a lot of strengths. Focus on them.”
“What are my strengths?”
“Are you fishing for compliments?”
She smirked. “Yes.”
He chuckled. “You’re fierce. You don’t back down from a challenge. You’re not easily intimidated. And, you say what’s on your mind.”
“So, I’m a bitch?”
“That’s not what I said.”
“You’ve said it before.”
If she wasn’t lying so docilely in his lap, he’d think she was picking a fight. “Well, what the hell did I know? I’m just getting to know the real you.”
She sighed as if the thought worried her. “Careful, it’s frightening in my head at times.”
“I don’t scare easily. Besides, I like figuring you out.” The pad of his thumb traced the bow of her lips. “I know you’re tough, but you can be so incredibly soft. Your softness is a secret. I like that no one suspects it’s there. I want you all to myself.”
Her lashes lifted and she looked up at him. “You can’t say something like that—”
“Sure I can. It’s true.”
“You didn’t let me finish.” She paused and he waved a hand for her to go on. “You can’t say something like that and not kiss me.”
She was too damn tempting to resist. He toppled her to the floor, rolling his body on top of hers as he took her mouth in a demanding kiss. She met his passion with her own, so he moved fast, not giving her time to think or get lost in her insecurities.
“Tell me you want me, again,” she whispered, pulling at his hair and biting hungrily at his lips.
He groaned. “I want you. I want your soft lips and your sweet body. I want your mind and your secrets. I want your kisses and your moans.” He dragged his tongue up her throat to her ear and whispered, “But most of all, I want your trust, because I know it’s not something you easily give.”
Her breath hitched as he caught her earlobe between his teeth and pulled.
“Will you trust me, Erin?”
A soft moan met his ears as her nails clawed down his back. He didn’t expect her to answer, because Erin only said what she meant and didn’t waste words to make other people comfortable. But she also didn’t say trust was impossible, and that gave him hope.
Her knees hugged his hips as his erection pressed impatiently against her. Shoving her sweater up, he captured a nipple in his mouth. “I want you, Erin. Right now.”
She pushed down his pants, her tongue darting into his mouth as she gripped and stroked him. Peeling her leggings away was an act of elastic determination. The damn things kept rolling back up and she laughed at his obvious frustration.
When he finally got her naked from the waist down, he lined his body up with hers and slid into her with one sure stroke. She arched beneath him, her fingers bunching in his clothes as he drove into heaven.