Loving the Secret Billionaire (Love at Last #1)(29)

When she slid her hand into mine, hope swelled inside me, thick and warm as a blanket.

“We’re doing this date thing.” I gave her a smile and squeezed her hand.

“It can’t be easy for you.”

“I’m not worried about them.” I tilted my head to the side and I could swear the people at the next table shuffled around hurriedly. “I’m worried about you.”

“Don’t be. You had me at… Well, honestly, you had me. I needed time.”

“You needed to do it yourself. I get that now. I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re righteous.” She made a little question of a sound and I went on. “I like that about you. You make me want to be a bigger, better man.”

“You are a good man, Zach.”

“And you’re a good woman.” I drew her hand to my face, breathed in the scent of her skin and kissed her knuckles. Like coming home.

The waiter chose that moment to drop our entrées at the table before walking off, but neither of us ate right away.

“I thought about you all the time,” her whisper came from close by, as if she’d leaned in.

“Yeah?” I smirked. “Me too.”

“I’d have come back eventually.” Her words shocked me. “But I needed time.”

“Didn’t want you to, baby.”

“Why not?”

“You’d never have trusted me. Ever. I needed to show you that you could.” My voice went growly with emotion. I cleared my throat and went on. “I had to become a man you could trust. The man you needed in your life.”

“I trust you.”

I’d never been so damned thankful.

“Thank you, Zach.”

“No, baby. Thank you.” I sucked in a big last breath for this. She needed to understand how important she was. “Remember the honeysuckle, that first night?”

She huffed out a laugh. “If I close my eyes, I can almost smell it.”

“You’ve changed it for me. Forever.”

“How so?”

“You asked me that night how I knew you were beautiful? Well, to you, honeysuckle’s pretty to look at. Smells good and whatever else you like. To me, it’s drenched with scent—like heaven. I can’t see it, but I can hear the bees buzz around it, the birds dipping in for a taste. I can feel its beauty. When I was a kid, I wanted to eat it, to roll in all that sweetness, to soak it in through my pores.” I grinned, remembering the time I’d tried just that and been stung to hell. “I know, from experience, that a light touch is all those flowers can take. For the flower, and for me.”

“I’m not sure I…”

“You’re honeysuckle. You’re beautiful and strong. Everything I want. You fill up my senses and make me happy. I want to dive into you, but I know I’ve got to do it the right way or I’ll crush you.” He chuckled. “You don’t need me to survive, in fact, I need to make sure I don’t get in the way. Cause I want you to come back. Year after year.”

“Are you saying I’m a weed?” Her laugh was the best sound in the world.

I leaned in for an extra little close-up dose and reached out to stroke the side of her face. “What makes a weed a weed, anyway?”

I ran my thumb down her strong little nose to those plump, sweet lips and cupped her cheek. I wanted her to give me all her weight, wanted her to sink into me. I wanted her back at my place, on top of me, under me, around me.

Her whispered “I love you,” sent a shiver through me.

“Sure?” I could barely get that word out, my throat was so hoarse.

“Definitely.”

“Thank God.” I huffed out a breath full of relief, leaned over the table and kissed her like I’d never let her go. There was no better taste in this world than her lips. After probably way too long, I pulled back, squeezed her hand, and smiled. “I was worried I’d have to run for mayor to get you back.”





Epilogue





Veronica



* * *



Sixteen months later…

“Oh my God, babe, that smells ridiculous.” I leaned over my husband’s shoulder as he pulled the turkey out to baste it for about the bazzilionth time.

“In a good way, right?”

I snorted. “Yes, yes, give it to me. Now.”

“Good lord, you are ravenous.” He shut the oven door and straightened.

“Have you forgotten about this? It’s like you don’t realize how much more of me there is to feed right now.”

His hand settled on my belly and he did that little sigh thing I’d become addicted to recently before turning to whisper in my ear. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten. I’m crazy about this belly.”

He nipped me and I had to lean into him—just for a second or two—before my phone rang.

“Weirdo,” I whispered with a smile.

“Mm hm. No way. You can say whatever you want, but your pregnant body is the hottest thing I’ve felt in my entire life.”

I shivered, because it was true. I’d been on fire for the past four months. Well, between the bouts of sickness. But in the sack… my God, these hormones made me wild.