Owned by Fate (Serve #1)(56)

“For both of us.” Slowly, he closed half of the distance between them, shooting a warning glance at a cameraman who inched too close to her. “It’s going to be a very long time before I forgive you—”

“I know,” she whispered into the deathly silence.

Something she couldn’t name shone in his eyes as he shook his head. “You still haven’t learned any patience yet, have you? I’m not finished, sweetheart.” Finally, blessedly, he reached her. “It’s going to be a long time before I forgive you for not being within reaching distance when I found out you love me. Every second I’ve spent today without you has been a nightmare. I’ve needed to hold you so f*cking badly.”

Caroline had to command herself to remain upright. Emotions rubbed raw rose to the surface, dizzying her where she stood. “What are you waiting for—”

She was in Jonah’s arms before the words fully left her mouth. Feet dangling off the ground, her body melted against his in her staggering relief. His scent, his strength infused her, slowly making her whole, telling her with absolute certainty she wouldn’t have been able to live without this. Without him.

“I don’t want you to let me go,” she said into his neck. “That’s what I should have said to you that day on the phone. And again when you were lying in my bed. I don’t want you to ever let me go.”

“I never did, baby.” He pressed his lips to her temple, holding her so close she felt like a part of him. “I’m incapable of it. I couldn’t even bring myself to try.”

Her breath left her in a rush. “Oh, thank God. I missed you so much.” She swiped at her eyes. “And I might deserve a televised rejection, but it’s not exactly on my bucket list.”

Jonah’s laugh rumbled in his chest. “You don’t do anything in half measures, do you, Caroline Preston?”

“Never.” She brushed her mouth against his ear. “Take me upstairs and I’ll show you.”

…

Jonah led Caroline through the crowd briskly, thankful they were away from the cameras. Not only did they make him uncomfortable, but he didn’t like them anywhere near Caroline. Following his woman, speaking to her, filming her. He’d tolerated them briefly only because he’d been unable to focus on anything but her. My woman. Christ, he’d underestimated exactly how f*cking perfect it would feel saying those words in his head, knowing they were real.

Don’t give up on me, she’d written. Did she honestly think that was a feat that could be accomplished in half a dozen days? The pain of not holding her had been a chasm in his stomach. She was here with him now. Twisting his key in the elevator, Jonah focused on that.

When the door slid open, he pulled her inside, pressing her up against the wall before it had fully closed behind them, not able to wait another damn moment. “So you love me, is that right? What am I going to do about that?”

The hopefulness in her eyes made his heart drum deafeningly. “Love me back?”

“Don’t ever say those words again as if they’re a question,” he grated out. “I love you so badly I could get lost in it and never find my way back out.”

Eyes closed, Caroline nodded. He watched awareness transform her then. She moistened her lips in a way that made him hot and impatient, aligning her lower body with his and shifting sexily against his arousal. So many emotions whipped around inside him at once. Aching, unrelenting love coupled with fierce sexual need. He needed to push inside her soon, take this blistering five-day edge off, so he could concentrate on them all. Figure out the best way to make sure she never stopped loving him for a goddamn second.

“Jonah?”

“Caroline,” he rasped.

“When I said I loved everything about you, I meant it.” She ran her hands over his chest, and it swelled toward her without conscious thought. “I want you to show me. Everything.”

Turned on to an excruciating degree, yet humbled at the same time, Jonah couldn’t stop his hands from molding her ass through her skirt, even though he knew it would decrease their chances of making it to his bedroom. And he really f*cking wanted her in his bed. “I need you to know that I want you, need you, without any of it. Do you understand that?”

“Yes.”

Jonah dragged his tongue up the side of her neck. “We’ll go slowly. You’ll find pleasure in everything we do or it ends. But it doesn’t have to start tonight, sweetheart. I can barely think beyond filling your body with mine and riding you with enough force to break through my wall.”

“I like the sound of that,” she breathed before shaking her head, eyes turning serious. “But I need to show you I have no doubts about us. This. What you need. I want you to know that I need it, too.”

“You’ve already proven that today, baby.”

“No. Not enough.”

Jonah’s pulse started to pound in that raw, thick way it did when he knew he’d be in control soon. He became aware of his hands, their heaviness. The height difference between himself and Caroline. All in a split second. He had an idea of what was coming, what she would say next, and knew he should deny her. But he didn’t want to. And when her eyes turned imploring, he knew even before she spoke that he was sunk. This was where they’d been heading since she walked through the door of Serve, even if neither one of them had dared hope for it. There was trust now, though. Love without barriers. Now, it was right.