Ready for You (Ready #3)(74)
Pain lanced through my heart, worse than I’d ever known. It was worse than when I had turned and seen the look of pure horror on Mia’s face when she found Aiden standing in her living room. It was worse than when her mother had handed me the note that I thought would end my life forever.
The woman I loved couldn’t have children. My heart was breaking for her. Ever since I’d known Mia, she’d loved children. It was how I’d known we would be okay having a child so young—because I had Mia to guide me. Giving, kind, and selfless, she would have made the best mother.
“This is what you’ve been hiding from me?” I asked, sweeping away a tear from her cheek.
“Yes, I was so afraid to tell you. I was afraid if I told you about Aiden, you would ask why I left, and I didn’t have the courage to tell you.”
I couldn’t handle the separation between us any longer. I’d come here to put as much distance between us as possible, but now, watching her grieve and crumble before me, the mere inches between us felt like miles. Wrapping my hands around her waist, I effortlessly pulled her onto my lap, cradling her in my arms, as I savored the feel of her warm body against mine.
“Why? Did you think I wouldn’t love you? That I would blame you?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know…I’m broken,” she cried.
I smoothed the hair away from her face and bent down to kiss the tears away from her soft cheek.
“Baby, I would never, ever blame you for that. You’re not broken, and I could never love you less. It’s not possible. If anything, it only makes me love you more.”
Her frantic eyes stilled and met mine. They were red and puffy from the constant stream of tears, but she was still beautiful.
As much as I wanted to kiss her and take her for my own without looking back, I had to know that she was all mine beyond a shadow of a doubt.
“I don’t want to ask, but I have to. If that is the only reason you walked away from Aiden, don’t you think he deserves to know?”
“He knows. I told him the night he showed up here.”
My heart picked up, and I squeezed her tighter, fearing her answer. “And?”
“And he went back to Atlanta—for good.”
My eyes darted up to hers, searching her face for something, anything. “Why?”
“I said I thought, at the time, that was the reason I left. But I realized I ran from that proposal because he wasn’t you.”
It was all I needed to hear. My fingers dived into her hair, pulling her closer, as my mouth found hers. It had been too long since my lips tasted hers, and I instantly devoured her, feasting on her softness like I was starved.
Needing to erase the visions of Mia and Aiden that my mind had been creating all week, I lifted her off the couch. Never breaking our kiss, I carried her up the stairs. As I rounded the corner into her bedroom, I gently nipped her lip. She moaned against my mouth, and I felt it all the way down to my cock. Finally reaching her bed, I gently laid her down and took my time removing her shorts and tank top until she was in nothing but a pair of panties and a thin lace bra.
My hands roamed over every inch of her skin, feeling the curve of her hips, the swell of her br**sts, and the deep juncture of her thighs. Each brush of my hand sent shivers through her body, making her moan and arch her back in need.
“Please, Garrett,” she begged.
“I’ll take care of you, Mia. I’ll always take care of you,” I vowed.
She watched with hooded eyes as I made quick work of my clothes, lifting my shirt over my head with one hand and unbuttoning and dropping my shorts and boxers in seconds. Starting at her toes, my fingers traced her ankles, spread over the backs of her calves, and made their way up to her trembling thighs. My lips followed the same path, tracing a wet passage up her leg and continuing beyond. I kissed her flat stomach, the valley between her br**sts, and finally returned to her lips. Bracing myself so I wouldn’t hurt her under my weight, I lowered my body onto hers and sighed in pleasure as skin met skin. I felt like I’d finally found home again.
“This is what I want, Mia, forever. I don’t care about what you can or cannot give me. You’ll never be broken in my eyes. I just want you—forever. Only you.”
A single tear trailed down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb, brushing it away. I kissed the spot where it had fallen.
“No tears. Just give yourself to me, exactly as you are. Can you do that?”
She didn’t answer. Her fingers dug into my hair, and she kissed me hard. I instantly responded, returning her fiery passion with my own. Her legs wrapped around my middle, pushing my hard length against her wet heat. I growled, gripping her round ass with my hands, as I pulled her closer. I’d almost lost her. Any amount of distance seemed too much at that moment.
“Give me this for the rest of my life, Mia. It’s all I need,” I breathed in her hair before scattering kisses across her chin and cheek.
Lifting up on my elbows, I gently eased into her welcoming body, inch by inch, allowing both of us time to enjoy every blissful moment. Our eye contact never broke, even as I bent down and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Savoring the feel of our bodies once again connected, I went slow, taking my time to make sure every thrust hit just right. Her hips arched up to meet mine, as sweet sounds of passion escaped her lips.
I wasn’t just making love to her. I was giving everything to her. I was handing over my heart despite the difficulties we’d had and the road blocks we might face in the future. She was what I wanted in this world, and I felt this overwhelming need to show her with every kiss and lingering touch I gave.