Limitless Love (Lotus House #4)(30)

“I’m scared,” she admitted.

Scared I could handle. Being pushed away…no. I licked my lips. “With reason. You have a lot at risk.” I’d give her that because she did. “Just know that I’m going to take what little you give and work to build on it. Regardless of what happens, I’ll be here, and I’ll sure as hell be here for Lily. You can count on that.”

She closed her eyes and a tear slipped from one and eased down her face. I swept it away with my thumb as she said, “You do love her.” It was a statement not a question.

I mentally did a jig knowing she was coming around. “She’s easy to love, remember?” I lifted my hand and ran a finger down Monet’s temple and then tunneled my fingers into her silky hair. I caressed her lower lip with my thumb. “Her mom’s not so hard to love either.”

She gulped, her eyes flying open. “Clay, don’t say things you don’t mean.”

“I wouldn’t do that. I know where things are headed, and I know they’re headed there fast. I can’t stop that train from moving full speed ahead, but I can try to pump the breaks a bit.” I shifted forward and kissed her softly, with enough pressure to know I meant every word. Just over a week in and I was falling hard and fast for Monet and her daughter.

“You could hurt me so easily,” she whispered against my lips.

God, don’t let me hurt her, I prayed softly. “I could, but I won’t.” I kissed her again with more intent, wanting her to feel my truth.

“Promise me you’ll go slow.” Her words sounded like a plea, not a demand. I would absolutely heed her request if that’s what it took for her to accept me as part of her world, as the man in her life.

“No reason to rush, beautiful.” I focused on her eyes, making sure she knew the magnitude with which I held this conversation.

She closed her eyes, cupped my cheeks with both hands, and pressed her forehead to mine. “Okay.”

“Okay, you’re going to take a chance on me?” I needed to hear the words. Her commitment to what was happening between us.

“Yes.” Her voice shook. “Yes,” she said again with more power and strength.

“And you’re going to trust me to be careful with you and Lily?” No matter what, I’d prove to her I was worthy of that trust.

She said that one word I was beginning to love. “Yes.”

I had to push it a little further just to make sure. “You’re going to start believing in this. In us?”

No hesitation this time when she replied, “Yes.”

“Can I have a million dollars?”

I felt her frown against my forehead and her fingers dig into my hair. “What?”

Thank God, she was following. I laughed, easing the tension between us. “Just making sure you were paying attention. With all those yeses, I had to be certain.”

She chuckled, and I took the opportunity to kiss her. Really kiss her. I laid my lips over hers and delved deep with my tongue. She was hesitant at first but soon got lost in the kiss and moaned, allowing me to go deeper. I couldn’t get deep enough, close enough. After a few minutes of kissing the living heck out of her, I ran my lips down her jaw and kissed along the column of her neck. I placed my mouth over the spot where her shoulder and neck met and licked and sucked. My special spot. I nibbled on the tasty flesh, and Monet pulled me closer, wrapping her nimble fingers around my neck, encouraging. Once I’d licked, kissed, and nibbled my way across her collarbone, I came back up, making sure to avoid the three-inch span of uncovered stiches.

Needing air, I pulled away from her mouth. “Christ, Monet, you’re the most radiant woman I’ve ever seen. You smell like jasmine and sunshine and taste like mint and heaven. I want to put my mouth on every inch of you. One day, when you’re better, I will. You hear me?”

“Clayton.” A solitary tear fell down her cheek.

I kissed it away. “You’re beautiful, and as of today, you’re mine.”

“I don’t know why you want me.”

Her words broke my fucking heart in half. I cupped her cheek again and looked hard into her soulful eyes. “Because you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman.”

“I’m not.”

“You are.” I pressed more firmly against her forehead and gave her the words I’d been dying to say. “You’re beautiful. Intelligent. Driven. Kind. Generous. Loving. An amazing mother. Monet, I could go on and on.”

She sucked in a quick breath. “This doesn’t seem real. You can’t be real.” Her body shook in my arms as her fingers tightened around me.

Another tear ran down her cheek. Once more I kissed it away, the salt tingling on my tongue. “I’m going to prove to you that I am. That what’s between us is very real.”

I cupped her face and stared into her eyes, trying to sear the truth of my statement into her psyche. I’d do whatever it took to make her see I was in this for the long haul and had zero intention of walking away. At that point, I didn’t think I could. Everywhere I looked, I saw my future staring back at me. A graceful woman I wanted more than anything. A little girl who needed a father figure. A man to take care of her. Of both of them. I wanted to be that man. I would be that man.

“Thought we were making pizzas, bro!” Atlas’s voice boomed from around the corner. He walked into the kitchen and then stopped cold. “Um, yeah, I can see you’re busy.”