King of Argyle stands in my tiny, dingy New York apartment, kissing me like there’s no one else in the world. His touch feels like heaven. His kiss is all-encompassing. He holds me close, and my world is complete.
Pulling back, the King looks into my eyes.
“Come back to Argyle with me, Cara. Be my wife. Have my child.”
I run my fingers over his cheeks and take a shaky breath. I gulp, trying to find the words to say what I’m thinking. This is a whirlwind, and I want to make sure we don’t jump into anything. But Theo’s looking at me so earnestly, so lovingly, that I’m starting to believe this is real.
I drag my eyes up to his. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to do this because of the baby.”
Theo’s lips tug. His eyes glimmer, and he shakes his head. “Don’t be silly, Cara.”
“I’m serious. This is a big decision.”
“Maybe,” he replies. His arm is still slung around my waist, and he sways gently with me in his arms. “But it feels easy. I want to be with you, Cara. The only reason I didn’t tell you earlier was because I didn’t want to hold you back. I wanted to let you chase your dreams.”
“My dreams have changed,” I whisper.
“So have mine.”
“You don’t want to be King alone anymore?”
Theo smiles before kissing my forehead. He lets out a long breath, then shakes his head. “I don’t want to do it on my own anymore. I want to do it with you.”
My heart expands more and more and more, until it feels like my ribcage is going to explode. The King holds me close and presses his lips to mine, telling me a thousand things without saying a word. His hands explore my body, tugging at my clothing until he splays his palms over my bare back. He slides his hands down to my waistband, groaning as he touches my curves.
His hands are reverent. His kiss is loving. His eyes hold the entire universe, and right now, it belongs to me.
I push his shirt off his shoulders and suck a breath in through my lips. My heart thumps as my hands skim over his brawn, igniting that familiar heat in my core.
It’s a fire that only Theo can light. Heat that only he can create. Energy that flows only when he’s near.
And that’s how I know that this is real, and it’s worth it. Worth changing my dreams for. Worth making decisions I never thought I’d make.
We undress each other slowly, without saying a word. Theo picks me up and wraps my arms around his waist, carrying me to the bedroom. He lays me down on the bed, caging me underneath his broad body.
I nip at his bottom lip, aching for him. Needing him. Wanting to give him everything all over again.
In the back of my mind, as Theo’s eyes darken, I wonder if he means it. Does he know what he’s signing up for? Is this really what he wants?
Or is he just doing what he’s always done—exactly what’s expected of him? Is this just another responsibility to him? Another burden?
Theo kisses my lips, my neck, my clavicle. I try to push the thoughts away and mostly manage to do it. I give myself to him, even if it’s just for tonight. Even if he’s only here out of duty. Even if this happiness budding in my heart will be snatched away all over again.
27
Theo
Making love to Cara is the sweetest joy. It makes everything else pale in comparison. Tangled in the bedsheets with her, I know that coming here was the right decision. I couldn’t have gone another day without seeing her. Inhaling her. Tasting her. Loving her.
As we lay in bed in post-coital bliss, I trail my fingers over her perfect body. She shivers, smiling.
“That’s nice.”
Sparks fly from my fingertips to her skin. Goosebumps rise on her skin wherever I touch it, and I know that there’s something between us worth cherishing.
“Cara,” I say softly.
“Mm?” Her eyes are closed.
“I love you.”
When she looks at me, her eyes are misty. A soft smile stretches over her lips, and she reaches over to rake her fingers through my hair.
“I love you too, Theo.”
My heart grows. It bangs inside my chest, beating for her. For us. For our love.
“Will you come back with me?”
Cara laughs. “Of course I’ll come back with you, Theo.”
“What about all this?”
Glancing around the bedroom, Cara arches an eyebrow. She throws her