“Nobody was ever supposed to see that letter, Amelia,” I said. “That was the plan. To write it. To get rid of it. To move forward. But that was impossible because of you. I must have reached for the letter the night I left the gallery. I dropped it and kept going. And you found it. You fell in love with the story. You fell in love with the person who wrote it. You fell in love with the person it was written for. And yet it was your story the entire time.”
I turned my head and looked at her.
“The only time I ever felt safe was with you. Then and now. That’s what the letter meant to me. It was safe. I didn’t love the person who wrote it… well, I guess I did.” Amelia laughed. “I loved the way the person wrote it. The way the person was so real about his life for who he wrote it for. And I was jealous, Josh. Jealous of Delilah. I wanted to be Delilah. And know that someone loved me as much as he did…”
“Then you get everything you want,” I said as I turned to face her.
“Tell me what everything is then.”
“You are everything, Amelia. I’m sorry for the way I reacted when you showed me the letter. I felt exposed. Cornered. I felt that you were chasing a story that was your own and you were going to give it away.”
“I would never do that,” she whispered.
“I know. And it almost meant confessing everything to you. Bringing you back into my world. Because if I ever got another chance with you, it would be the forever kind of chance. There’s no getting away this time, Amelia. It’s forever or bust.”
Amelia placed my hand to her stomach. “I’m pretty sure we are at forever.”
“No,” I said. “You’re wrong.”
“Oh?”
I lowered down and brushed my lips to hers. They were soft, sweet, delicate and my salvation. They had the temptation of whiskey and the beauty of a perfectly placed stroke on a masterpiece. I didn’t believe in heaven, but her lips were that of an angel. I didn’t believe in fate, but she challenged time. I didn’t believe in much, other than the way I loved her.
I kissed her slowly and broke it to remind myself to breathe.
“Amelia, we’re just starting at forever.”
Chapter 47
The Only Place to Be
NOW
(Amelia)
His fingertips trailed up my exposed back, digging in enough that I arched it, thrusting my breasts at him. I was his for the taking. My inner thighs quivered with excitement as his thickness pressed against my core. I rocked my hips forward and back, teasing him, but I wasn’t going to win this battle.
My hands gripped tightly to the pillows on the bed as Josh pulled me down to him.
He left me aching for the touch of his tongue on my chest. He always knew how to make me beg for more.
My breasts touched his chest and pressed against him. A fresh warm surge trickled through my body even though I didn’t need it. My body shivered and longed for him.
But he was taking his time with me.
Each piece of clothing he took off came with a kiss to the area of skin exposed. I never thought it possible, but when he was on one knee before me, his lips kissing just above my ankle bone, it turned me on. It also helped the way he kissed up my entire leg to a sweet spot, writing the words I love you, Amelia with his tongue.
Our lips collided in a fury. My hair fell all around us.
The harder and faster we kissed, the harder and faster I drove myself against him, wanting him inside me. When I reached down, Josh grabbed my wrist and shook his head.
I groaned and threw my head back.
He kissed my neck, his tongue flickering with a speed that I had only felt somewhere else on my body.
I swallowed hard and shut my eyes, groaning, losing myself completely to him.
His left hand moved up my back and into my hair. He crunched up enough to put his lips to my ear.
“I fucking love you, Amelia,” he growled.
“Love you,” I managed to say in a breathless voice.
With his right hand, he crested over my ass, moved to my hip then cut between us. I jumped up a