The well of tears in Dee’s eyes finally break and fall onto her cheeks. I cradle her face in my hands and try to swipe them away with my thumbs.
“The one who taught me how to love was taken from me far too soon, and the one who changed my entire life and taught me to love again is standing in front of me telling me she thinks she can’t be enough, when all she’s ever been is too much. I love you, Dee. I love you in a way I’ve never loved anyone before, and that’s because of Lily, not despite her. She’s my history; you’re my future. “
“Oh my god. I’m such an idiot,” she whispers tearfully.
“No, you’re not. You had a moment—we’re all allowed those. But I’m not going to let you get in the way of us, and that’s something I will never apologize for.”
Her lips part, but she doesn’t say anything.
“She would’ve wanted you for me.”
Dee jerks at that statement before shaking her head. “No, she wouldn’t. Because there’s nowhere else in the world she’d want to be than by your side.”
She trembles as I pull her body close to mine and I’m standing so close I’m all she can see. “You’re right, but when she knew she wouldn’t get the chance to be with us any longer, she made me promise I’d find someone who made me feel alive again, and loved, and like I’m one of the most important people in their world.” I cradle Dee’s face, tipping her chin so my eyes can lock with her wet ones. “The first time I saw you, something told me that would be you,” I say, resting my forehead on hers. “And, baby, I wasn’t fucking wrong.”
Dee kisses me this time, and it makes me want to beat my chest and growl in victory. Her tongue spearing between my lips, seeking mine and tasting deep and long, both of us pouring all of our passion and fears into this kiss, as if we’ve spent years apart, not mere weeks.
When we pull apart, we heave in much-needed air, her nose scrunches up and she’s glaring at me. “Don’t call me, baby. ’Cause when you do, I swoon, and we can’t have a serious, adult, potentially life-altering conversation if I’m weak at the knees and thinking about jumping you.”
My eyes soften as my lips curve into a slow-growing, shit eating grin. “If it gets a reaction like that, there’s no fucking way I’m going to stop calling you baby . . . baby.” My voice is rough and low. “Besides, I know the look you get when you want to jump me.”
Dee’s eyes flash. “What look?” She tries to wriggle loose from my arms, but I tighten my grip and keep her right where she is.
I pin her with a stare and shake my head, my gaze never once looking away. “Oh, no you don’t.”
“This is important, Rhodes. We’re talking.”
“Not anymore we’re not. We’re done talking. You love me. I love you. We’ve untwisted whatever it was that had you doubting us, and now . . .” I lower my mouth to her ear. “I’m going to spend the rest of the night making sure you know it deep down to your fucking bones.”
“Well, um . . .”
An amused grunt escapes my lips as I run my hands up her back and tug her body flush against my hard one. “You were saying?” I rumble.
“Maybe we should . . . Ah, fuck it.” She jumps into my arms and her lips collide with mine. I turn around and push her back against the living room wall, caging her in as I plunder her mouth.
“I agree,” I murmur as I run my lips along her jaw. “We should. Actually, we need to. I definitely need to. And from the way you’re squirming against me, you do too.”
She drags her hands through my hair and tugs my head up, touching her mouth to mine again.
“I love you, Dee, and I know I always will.”
A sob escapes her and she crushes her mouth to mine before pulling away and burying her face in my neck.
“Hey. What’s wrong?” I say, rubbing my hand over the back of her hair.
“Nothing. I’m just happy.”
“Okay . . . so why the tears?”
“’First you were being sweet. Now it’s because I’m ugly snot crying, and you’ll never want to sleep with me again if you see me like this.”
I chuckle, which earns a cute little growl akin to a baby lion cub. “I’ll never not want to look at you, sweet cheeks, ugly snot crying or not.”
She lifts her head and narrows her red-rimmed eyes at me, all brimstone and fire but still absolutely irresistible. “Prove it.”
“With pleasure.”
And that’s all the talking we do for the next few hours other than ‘yes,’ ‘more,’ ‘fuck,’ and my favorite, ‘please.’
Lying in bed later that night with Dee draped over my side, her fingers drawing lazy circles on my naked chest, the only thing on my mind is how happy I am to have Dee back here where she belongs.
She lifts her head to look at me. “So, I think we need to expand on our honesty policy and maybe set some ground rules,” she says, her voice soft and husky.
“Okay . . . hit me with them. There’s a rule of my own I wouldn’t mind implementing.”
“Whatever happens, don’t let me ruin this.”
“I promise you, I won’t ever let happen.”
“So what’s your rule then?”
I roll her to her back and lean over, holding her head in one of my hands. Locking my gaze to hers, I
