Forever After All - Kaylee Ryan Page 0,63
which takes effort. All I want to do is run to her and hold her close. “I do like you in my clothes. Do you know what else I like?”
“What’s that?” she whispers.
“I like that you’re here with me.” My hands land on her hips, and I move in, pressing her body to mine. “You know what else I like?”
“Tell me.”
“You in my bed, in my arms.” I kiss the tip of her nose and release her. “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.” I disappear into the bathroom. After taking care of business, I strip down to my boxer briefs and brush my teeth. Turning out the light, I make my way blindly to the bed. I can see her form, lying on what I’ve come to refer to as her side. I waste no time sliding under the covers, moving over to the center, and wrapping my arms around her.
Her breathing evens out, and I think she’s fallen asleep. I let my eyes drift closed when I hear her soft voice.
“Rip?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Do you think we should talk about this? About last night?”
“Is that what you want? To talk about it?”
“I think we should,” she counters.
“I’m listening.”
“We had sex.”
“Yes.”
“Do you remember it?”
“Bits and pieces. I remember walking back to your suite and following you inside. I remember kisses. There were lots of kisses.”
“I remember asking you to stay.”
“Yeah, you asked me to stay.”
“I don’t remember the actual sex part,” she admits.
“Me either.”
“So, where do we go from here?”
“I’d say where we are is a damn good start.”
“Here? In your bed?”
“Yep.”
“What does that mean? How is me in your bed a good start?”
I’m quiet for a few minutes, processing how to handle this. She’s had a rough day, but I swore I wasn’t going to hide from this any longer. “The day you left for college tore me apart.”
“What do you mean?” She rolls over in my arms to face me. I can’t see her face, but I can feel her breath on my cheek. We’re so close.
“I’ve wanted you for so long, McKenna. I can’t tell you the exact day you stopped being my sister’s best friend and more to me. Hell, I think you’ve always been more to me. You were my first kiss.” I find her lips in the dark and give her a chaste kiss.
“Why didn’t you ever tell me that?”
“You had big dreams, Kenna. I was afraid if we started something, you wouldn’t go through with them. I wanted you to achieve everything in life you always dreamed of.”
“I’ve always had a crush on you,” she confesses.
“I had hoped.”
“So, what now?”
Rolling over, I turn on the bedside lamp so we can see each other. Climbing out of bed, I walk to her side and drop to my knees. She sits up, moving her legs to hang over the side of the bed. There’s confusion written all over her face. I know this is corny as fuck, but if she needs me to spell it out for her, I will.
“McKenna Dawson, I want you to be mine. I want to spend as much time with you as I can, and I want this relationship to grow. I don’t want us to see other people, and I want to touch you and kiss you anytime that I want.” I pause and bring our joined hands to my lips, pressing featherlight kisses against her knuckles. “I have something to ask you.”
“O-kay?” She’s curious yet hesitant.
“McKenna, will you be my girlfriend?” I ask. “And before you say yes, that title seems too insignificant with the way I feel about you. Full disclosure: I want you to be more than my girlfriend. I want to build a life with you.”
“Are you….” Her voice trails off as she swallows hard.
“Not tonight. Not in this moment. Tonight, I just want confirmation that you’re mine, and I’m yours, and we’ll work on the ‘forever after all’ part together.”
She smiles so big her face lights up. “You remember that?”
“I’ve never forgotten a single moment that I’ve shared with you.”
“I was seven.”
“And I was nine, but I still remember. One day, I hope that when we say our vows, it will be for real.”
“Am I dreaming?”
“No, baby, you’re not dreaming. This is real. This is us. If you’ll have me.”
She nods as a lone tear trails down her cheek. “I’ve always wanted you. I just… I thought you were just being nice and flirty the last few weeks.”
“Oh, I have been. But not because