reached down and joined us in the sweetest, most loving of kisses imaginable. I could feel tears prickle my eyes, could feel emotion choke me as our mouths connected just as our hearts did.
Everything about us was in sync. That was why his earlier reaction had surprised me. He knew me better than he knew a combustible engine… Christ, I needed to show my man what he meant to me.
Even though the leather and the denim were rough against my skin, I hitched my legs on his hips and tugged him closer to me. My arms slipped around his shoulders as I clung to him, holding on with every ounce of strength in me as he thrust his tongue into my mouth, languidly making love to me that way, stealing my breath, taking my heart with him along for the ride.
My nerves bled away, my anxiety and the day’s adrenaline buzz disappearing with it. When we were together, nothing else mattered. Nothing.
I groaned as his pace sped up, and I knew that even if he’d felt unsure about my motives before, he recognized my intent, recognized what I needed from him even if I wasn’t altogether certain.
He pulled away, letting his lips drop down to kiss the corner of my mouth, over to the crest of my cheekbone, my eyelid, my temple. He anointed them all with a kiss as he rasped, “Ah Lily, what the fuck do you do to me?”
My smile, when it came, was smoky and overwhelmed. “Love you?”
He shuddered at that, before he rasped, “I wake up every day wondering if today is going to be the day you realize what you’ve let into your life.”
My brow puckered, and my smile faded. “Why would you think that?”
“Because I’m no good, and today proved that.”
“Today proved that you’ll fight for me when I’m too weak to fight for myself. I’m not going anywhere, Link. You’re true to me, and I’m true to you.”
“I see all those preppy fuckers around town eying you up—”
“Like the club snatch doesn’t eye you up?”
He sniffed. “What kind of fool wants a burger when he’s got a steak at home?”
“Paul Newman, eat your heart out,” I retorted. “You’re my steak, Link. How the hell don’t you know that?”
He pushed his forehead against mine, once again stunning me with his vulnerability.
Earlier on, he’d nearly carted me from Sarah, one of my family’s victims, and his brother’s funerals, then he’d turned Captain America on me, letting me have at my father but taking over when doubt had crept in, and when my dick dad had made me think shit about my soul that I didn’t know I cared about.
Link had taken the burden onto himself, well, it was time for me to share it.
“Link?” I rasped, my hands digging into his back, kneading his cut as much as the supple leather would allow.
“What?”
“Will you marry me?”
He stiffened at that, then his eyes flared wide as he pulled back. “Huh?”
“You heard me.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m sure I didn’t.”
I heaved a sigh. “You got water in your ears or something?” I grumbled. “Where’s my cocky lover, huh? My pain in the ass—”
His mouth was on mine again, this time it was Link. Not the man who’d shown a side of himself I saw rarely, one that made me want to cosset him because I wanted to know every aspect of his nature, his personality.
But this was the man I knew well.
He took my mouth like the rampaging Viking he was, thrusting his tongue against mine like he’d be thrusting into my pussy soon. Rather than scare me, it filled me with fire. I couldn’t be scared of Link. I just couldn’t. I knew his body too well, mine knew his weaknesses and strengths, and he knew my triggers so I didn’t have to worry about him overtaking me. Not that I thought he would. Just, my insecurities were as overwhelming as his.
The weight on me was one I recognized, the kiss I knew, the dick that burrowed into my softness was one I’d held and touched and stroked and sucked.
Every part of this man was registered and filed in my brain, and there was no fear to be had. No fear whatsoever.
He pulled away from me, harder this time, and when he flung himself off the bed, I gaped at him, but not for long. My gape turned from confused and concerned to hungry as he stripped down within seconds, baring every delicious muscled