WHEN MORNING COMES, I feel the warmth of Emery's body curled against mine. Her hair is sprawled across my chest, an arm draped over my stomach, and for the first time, this isn't a dream of mine. We both want this.

Last night, we crossed into a territory we'd never been to before, but as much as I tried to warn myself that it'd terrify me if it ever got to that point, nothing was scary about what we did last night. Nothing at all.

Kissing and making love to her felt like everything finally fell into place. I've held onto these feelings for so many years and buried them deep down inside that they festered and brewed and contributed to the brooding and misery I've carried since childhood. And granted, I haven't actually told her I'm in love with her, but she's a smart woman. She knows I wasn't talking about the bracelet. At least, I hope.

She stirs and lets out the cutest fucking yawn I've ever heard. I play with her hair until she's finally awake, and then she props her chin on my chest. She's smiling. She doesn't regret it.

"Good morning," I say sweetly.

She shakes her head.

"What?"

Hiding her mouth with her hand, she says, "I have morning breath, Ev." I let out a burst of laughter and wince when she smacks my chest, still keeping her hand over her mouth when she adds, "It's not funny! I'm being serious."

"Em, I'm laughing because your morning breath is the last thing on my mind right now. I'm in awe of how perfect you look when you wake up."

She snorts, but her hand doesn't leave her mouth. "Do you see this bun?" Pointing to the floppy mess on her head with her free hand, I reach out to give it a tug.

"I see every piece of it, and I love it. Now move your hand so I can give you a kiss."

She shakes her head. "No way in hell."

"Don't make me move it myself."

"You wouldn't dare."

I arch my brow, letting her know I most definitely would, and when she tries to wriggle out of my grasp, I roll on top of her, my heart racing at the giggles that escape her mouth. That hand of hers is clamped tightly, and it takes three attempts before I'm finally able to pry it off and give her a smacking kiss on the lips.

"You are ridiculous!" She shrieks. "Seriously. You'll be the death of me."

Just for that, I give her another kiss and then another, trailing my tongue down her neck and making her squirm beneath me.

I shouldn't be thinking of Liam, but it makes me question so much when she reacts this way. They dated for eight years. He never wanted to wake her up and make her feel good? They never felt that rush of passion that couldn't wait for them to brush their teeth?

I shouldn't ask it, but it comes out anyway. "You've never had morning sex?"

She shakes her head. "Unless you count when you..."

"Woke you up between your legs?"

"Yes," she replies breathlessly.

I could ask her more, ask her why it wasn't the same with Liam, but truthfully, none of it matters. Eight years of her life may have been wasted, but I'm who she's sleeping with now, and I'm only looking toward the future. From here on out, Emery will experience nothing but undeniable pleasure. She'll experience a connection so strong that she'll never worry about morning breath again.

"Well, aren't I the luckiest man alive?"

I sink between her legs and do what she loves most. I'm licking her most sensitive spots as images from last night flood my head. After we showered, I took her for another two rounds. Once as I fucked her from behind, and another to look into her eyes once more. I've never had someone that I want screaming my name as a curse one second and moaning it in bliss the next until her—the woman of my dreams.

"Em?" I mutter against her skin.

"Hm?"

Glancing up between her thighs, I ask, "What do I have to do for you to agree to be my date to Izzy's wedding?"

She sends me an exasperated glare. "You're asking this now?"

Yes, because with her locked in this moment with me, I'm hoping to persuade her. I know we aren't dating, but maybe a week in paradise... Maybe when it's just us without the fear of paparazzi getting in the way, we can see what it'd be like if we were dating. I have no clue how she feels about me, but if it goes well, would she want to try this? Would she agree to break the news to Liam?

"I don't have the money to go," she admits, "and before you even ask, no. You aren't paying for me."

"But I want to take you as my date."

"No," she reiterates. "You already pushed my buttons by paying for the dress for the charity gala. I'm not letting you pay for anything else."

"Okay, but what if I told you that you did have the money?"

She scoots away from me to sit up, tugging the comforter over her naked body. "What do you mean?"

This wasn't supposed to come out like this, but if it means getting her to come with me, so be it.

"The money you've been getting for rent..." I start and hold a finger up when her mouth drops open. "Look, I've just been putting it aside to help you save for a place, and you have more than enough to pay for your plane ticket. The resort is all-inclusive, so you wouldn't have to worry about anything once you're there."

"Why the hell wouldn't you tell me this?" She seethes. I watch her leave the bed to slide on her underwear, and then she throws on the lavender dress she wore last night to my birthday dinner. I hate that she's covered up now, but I knew this would happen when I told her. She wouldn't be Emery if she weren't upset. "I told you I don't need help, Everett. I told you to keep the money. Why are you always trying to fucking provide for me?"

I rise from the bed to stand in front of her. "Is that such a bad thing, Em? To have someone be there for you and want to protect you? To make sure you don't go back to being evicted ever again?"

"I don't need it," she replies bitterly, but she's blinking away tears despite how much she's trying to hide it.

I reach up to swipe the tear trickling down her face with my thumb. "I know you don't need it, and I never thought you did. I have no doubt that you can provide for yourself, Em, but I care about you, and part of caring for you means doing what I can to help you. Not control your life, but help. There's a difference."

Her bottom lip trembles, and the distant look in her eyes tugs on my heartstrings so forcefully I fear I might fall to my knees. "It's scary," she whispers. "To trust someone. I don't want to lean on you because what if you—"

"I would never leave you." I grip her by the shoulders until she's forced to look me in the eyes. "Even when we didn't see each other for three years, I didn't leave you, Emery, and if I had known you were struggling, I would have taken you in the minute you couldn't afford rent. You can lean on me, okay? Because even when you chose someone else... Even when you loved someone else, I never left. Not once."

She scans my eyes, on the verge of sobbing. "I... I didn't know..."

I cut her off before she can break my heart. Before she tells me Liam will always be special to her, and if given the choice, she'd go back to him. Instead, I gulp and ask, "And now that you do?"

She smiles softly, not what I expect her to do, before she replies, "I think it means I'm going to the Maldives."

Author's Note:

I LOVE THEM

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