Collide (Collide #1)(132)

When their breathing and bodies slowed, Gavin stared into her eyes. He gently moved her hair away from her face, still in awe that she was there beneath him. He took his time passionately kissing her, his tongue giving thanks to her mouth, her neck, and her shoulders.

As she looked up to him, Emily's hands slowly worshipped him back, her fingers smoothing through his hair, caressing down his chiseled face, and ultimately tracing his mouth.

Gavin had never felt so connected to someone before in his life. Holding her completed him; feeling her made him whole; and he needed to let her know that. "I love you, Emily," he whispered over her lips. "I think I've loved you from the second I laid my eyes on you."

He pulled his head back slightly, and Emily went to speak, but he placed a finger over her lips. "I don't expect you to say it back. I just need you to know this wasn't just sex for me." He placed another soft kiss along her jaw. "I want it all, Emily. I want to spend my nights holding hands with you," he breathed the words into her ear. "I want the all-day texting." He kissed her temple and caressed her cheek. "I want the laughing and the forehead kisses." He softly ran his lips over her forehead. "I want the date nights, the movie watching, and the breakfast making." He dragged his hands through her hair, his teeth tugging gently at her bottom lip. "I want the late-night drives, the sunset watching, the screaming, the yelling, and the crying." Still kissing her, he smiled against her mouth. "I know I'll definitely want the make-up sex that comes after all of the screaming and crying. I want the good, the bad, and the in-between. All of it is what's going to make us amazing together."

Although she found it hard to swallow, it didn't take long for her to reply because there was no second-guessing in her mind. Emily knew clear to the depths of her soul - through every fiber of her being - that she loved him, too. His touch, the emotions bleeding behind his words, and the sincerity in his eyes cast any fear of him - of them - away.

Staring at his beautiful face, she wound her hands around his neck, tears spilling from her eyes. "I love you, too, Gavin." Leaning up, she softly kissed his lips, and she could feel the shock moving through him. She kissed him deeper in an attempt to alleviate that shock. It worked because she felt his body starting to relax. "I want all of those same things...and I need them with you. I want to make you happy."

Leaning his forehead against hers, he took her chin in his hand and brushed the pad of his thumb across her lips. "There's no way you couldn't make me happy. It's impossible."

Gavin rolled to the side, taking Emily with him. With that, they made love - unrelenting and sweet - through the night into the early morning hours.
   





The lustrous sunlight spilling in through the window shades stirred Emily from one of the best nights of sleep she had experienced in months. With a long lazy stretch and a smile on her face, she pulled the mountain of tangled blankets tight around her chest, sat up, and leaned against the headboard. Her eyes scanned the expansive room for Gavin. The sound of the shower running in the bathroom echoed through her ears as her senses soaked in just how incredibly awesome her body felt.

Normally, she was never one to worry about the way she looked upon rising; however, this morning was different - very different. Knowing that her hair must've looked like a rat's nest and her face was most definitely sporting last night's smudged makeup, she promptly slid from the bed, dragging the blankets along with her, in an attempt to study her reflection in the mirror. When her bare feet hit the cold marble floor, so did something else. Looking down, she found a large box with a red bow tied around it. Picking it up, she sat back down on the bed. It was addressed to her - well, not her, but Molly.