you.”
Hill’s eyes sparkled in the low light of the living room, and he cradled her face in his hands. “I would love nothing more in this world than to be your husband.”
The words sang through her like the best song she’d ever heard.
“Wish granted,” she whispered, and that was the last thing she got out before Hill lowered his head and kissed her against the door until her knees went to jelly beneath her.
Somehow over the next few minutes, they made it to their bedroom, kissing along the way, without tripping over furniture. Items of clothing got dropped behind them like bread crumbs and no more words were needed. They were getting married. Married.
Andi had spent a long time not trusting her gut, not believing it when it gave her the green light on things. That intuition had let her down a long time ago. But in this moment, she’d never felt more certain of any decision in her life. The feeling deep in the pit of her stomach, at the very core of her, was like the clear ring of a bell on a quiet night resonating through her. What she’d thought was her gut feeling all those years ago when she’d trusted Evan Longdale hadn’t been this, hadn’t felt like this. This was what gut-level knowing really felt like. Her gut hadn’t lied to her back then. She’d simply been outmatched—an innocent child who was victimized by a master manipulator.
As she and Hill stepped through the doorway into the bedroom, she let go of that old story, freeing that ghost who’d haunted her for so long. And silently she whispered to that little girl, I’m sorry. None of it was your fault. But you’re going to be okay.
Andi walked backward into the bedroom, letting Hill unhook her bra and toss it to the floor. Yes. She was definitely going to be okay.
By the time Hill tumbled Andi onto the bed, she was fully naked against the dark-green comforter, her thoughts zeroing in on the man in front of her and her body buzzing with arousal. Hill flicked on a lamp, and she watched him watch her as he finished undressing.
She loved the privilege of seeing him completely bared. Exposing himself like that to her had once been so hard for him. He’d perceived his disability as a weakness, as something to hide. Even after they’d gotten together officially, it had still taken him a month before he let her see him in the wheelchair he sometimes used when his leg was aching too much from the prosthesis.
But now, now he trusted her to see every private part of him, body and soul. It was a gift she didn’t receive lightly. She only wished that he could see what she saw when she looked at him. Strong shoulders, beautiful body, soulful face, a thousand places she wanted to kiss and touch and taste. Every bit of him turned her on.
Hill gave her a sly smile as he sat on the edge of the bed and removed his prosthesis. “I love how you look at me.”
“Like I want to eat you?” she guessed.
He laughed and stretched out next to her, sliding his big hand over her belly. “Something like that.” His hand drifted down between her legs, his fingers finding her slick and ready. “The feeling’s mutual.”
She bit her lip and hummed her approval as he dipped a finger inside her, the sensation of his callused finger sending tingling awareness radiating through her. He was always so focused and precise when it came to her pleasure, like a musician learning every nuance of an instrument. What will this do? What sound will this elicit? What music will this make? He’d also helped her unwind the knotted emotions she’d had about sweet sex, about romantic words in bed. She could enjoy the full range of options now because she trusted Hill without reservation. Romance was no longer a weapon of mass destruction in her world. Slowly, patiently, he’d shown her how good things could be—one sexy experiment at a time. She was more than happy to be his subject of study.
In fact, she was conducting her own experiments as well—a thesis on what made her sexy, quiet man lose all that artful calm. Even after more than a year together, she was still discovering new tricks and ways to drive him crazy. As he teased her, ramping up her arousal, she reached out and wrapped her hand around the smooth, velvet