She took another deep breath. “And I don’t just want to be compatible. I want to be loved. Really, deeply loved. I want my man to fall so hard he won’t ever find a way to get up. I want to love that man with that same fierceness and passion.” She looked him right in the eyes. “I want everything or nothing at all, because I’m not willing to settle.”
He leaned toward her. “Grace, I know a few things about you from living with you these last few weeks. You have high self-esteem and you are very self-aware. I trusted you to know what you need and to tell me what those needs were because you are very aware of who you are and what your strengths and weaknesses are. You gave me hope when I hadn’t had any whatsoever; listening to you talk to Katie, I knew you were aware of other people’s needs and you worked hard to make certain those needs were met. You have a solid center in the midst of a horrific situation, and you’ve even achieved peace of mind in spite of Phillips, which is a fucking miracle.”
He reached across the table and caught her hand, his thumb sliding over the ring he’d put on her finger. “I want you to marry me. I don’t want you to get away.”
She took a deep breath. “Just because we’re compatible doesn’t meant you’ll feel—”
“Stop.” He sat up, letting her go, his command harsher than he intended. He made an effort to soften his tone. “It would be impossible for a man like me to know those things about you in such a short time, and yet I do because everything I’ve described as your characteristics are spot-on, right?”
At her nod, he continued. “If those are the traits in a woman I’ve searched the world over to find, it stands to reason I would already be falling in love with her when I found a woman with just those attributes.”
She blinked those long, feathery lashes at him. “You are?”
“I am. Are you finished with your dessert?”
She looked down at her plate. She’d eaten most of the slice. “Yes. I’m getting tired, and I don’t want to be tired.” Her uninjured hand slid along her thigh, rubbing back and forth.
He got up immediately and went around the table to help her out of her chair. In such close proximity, he found he couldn’t wait one more moment, doing what he’d wanted numerous times throughout dinner. He framed her small face with his large hands and bent to take possession of her mouth.
It was a takeover. His tongue found entry and he swept inside, taking control, kissing her the way he wanted. Claiming her as his. He was rough, demanding and possessive. He wanted her to feel his brand of love. Complete. Encompassing. Reverent. Carnal. All those things mixed together. Fire spread hot and liquid through his veins to pool in his groin. His cock ached for release, made its own imperative demands, so hard and thick he wasn’t certain he could take a step. He forced himself to lift his head and was happy when her mouth chased after his. He swept his hand down her body to settle between her legs, even more gratified to feel her slick, welcoming heat. She’d need all of it to accommodate him.
“We’re heading back to your room, Grace, but only until the doc says you no longer have to wear that sling to support your arm. You’ve only got another week, then we’ll move your things to the master bedroom.”
Grace nodded. He could see there was still a little apprehension in her eyes, but he couldn’t blame her for that. He was asking a lot of her and he hadn’t even talked to her about what he did as a rider and how that could possibly affect both of them should anything go wrong between them.
She turned toward the door but then glanced at him over her shoulder. “We can’t leave the dishes out here.”
He blew out the candles and then gave her his full attention. “I’ve got that taken care of.”
“Of course you do.” She sent him a smile and walked ahead of him to the door.
He reached around her to put his hand on the doorknob. Lowering his head to her shoulder, he bit the sweet spot between it and her neck. “You should have trusted that I took care of that detail, gattina.”