Don't Need You - Lilian Monroe Page 0,79

to mine, I know there will never be anyone else. Those deep, brown eyes will hold me captive until the day I die. She can fan her thick eyelashes over her cheeks and suck her lip between her teeth, and I’m her slave. She can break into my house whenever she wants to, and I’ll welcome her with open arms.

I come to stand in front of her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. God, she smells good. Orange creamsicle. Sweet. Tangy. Delicious.

“You don’t need to apologize,” I say, even though I’ve spent the last six weeks in my own special version of hell.

Serena shakes her head, covering her face with her hands. “I do. I’ve been awful. Weak. Afraid. I’m not worthy of your forgiveness or your love, but I’m here to beg for it anyway.”

An axe cleaves my heart in two. I close the distance between us, wrapping her in my embrace. She’s trembling, sniffling as I hold her against my body. Tentatively, Serena’s arms unfold and she wraps them around my waist. I take a hand, sliding it over her jaw, and tilt her face up to mine.

“You are worthy, Serena. Worthy of everything you could possibly want. You deserve love and happiness. You deserve a man who loves you as hopelessly as I do. You deserve to have a career, and friends, and to not carry the world on your shoulders.”

“I’ve been awful to you.”

“You thought you were doing me a favor.”

“I was stupid.”

My chest constricts, and I shake my head. “So was I. I never should have walked away. I should have knocked down your door every day until you realized what I feel for you.”

“I think I had to come to that realization on my own.” Her voice is small, yet strong. Crawling her fingers up my chest, she touches the lapels of my pilot’s uniform and runs the tip of her finger around the base of my neck. Her touch melts me in an instant. Flicking her eyes up to meet mine, Serena takes a deep breath. “Will you forgive me, Kit?”

Chuckling, I let my forehead dip down to touch hers. “There’s nothing to forgive.”

With a shudder, Serena lets out a sigh, and the walls between us vanish. I tilt her chin with a finger and take her lips in mine. Kissing her is the sweetest joy. I want to savor every second of it. Remember this moment for the rest of my life. Etch it into my memory so it can never be erased.

Serena trembles, her tears soaking her cheeks and mine as I hold her face and deepen the kiss. “Stop crying,” I say softly, kissing the tears that fall from her eyes. Salty, warm, and mine. Everything about her, I want. Her tears, her pain, her love.

“I’m trying.” She snort-laughs. “I didn’t know what would happen when you came home. I was afraid—”

“Never be afraid of what I’ll do,” I say. “I’ll never hurt you, Serena. Not if I can help it. I never want to make you feel like anything less than a goddess. An angel. My love.”

Pulling away, Serena sucks in a breath. Her lips are swollen and glistening, and my body aches for more. But she puts a palm on my chest, lifting her eyes to mine.

“I need to tell you about the miscarriage.”

“It can wait,” I say, leaning down to kiss her neck.

Serena shakes her head. “No. I want to tell you now.” Her eyes are serious, so I nod and gesture to the living room. She curls up on the sofa, tucking her legs beneath her as I take a seat beside her. I put my arm around the back of the couch, letting my fingers drift over her back.

Taking a deep breath, Serena looks at me. “I want to start this right, Kit, because it feels real. What I feel for you is stronger than I ever thought possible. I want you to know everything about me, so you can decide if you still”—Serena inhales sharply—“if you still feel the same way you did before.”

“I do—”

She shakes her head. “I have baggage. You need to know about it.”

“I’m a pilot. I carry baggage for a living.”

That earns me a smile, but Serena lets it drop. “I want to tell you.”

My heart softens, and I let my fingers drift to the nape of her neck. “I’m listening.”

32

Serena

I take a deep breath to gather my courage, not wanting to delay this any longer. I’ve kept