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“You love me?” she whispered, like that was an outrageous thing to say.

“Yes, Grace. How can you doubt it? You mean so much to me, babe.”

To my astonishment, she became teary-eyed. “I figured I’d have to heal completely to deserve to be loved.”

“You deserve everything, and I want to be the one to give it to you. I wouldn’t change a thing about you, Grace.”

“I love you so much, Zachary. I can hardly believe the things you’re saying.”

I stepped even closer, kissing one corner of her mouth and then the other one. I could feel the adrenaline leaving my body. I’d been so on edge since reading her second text. Only now was I starting to relax.

“We’re in this together, Grace. Everything is a journey. And I’ll say it again—a million times if needed. You don’t need to have it all together or anything to be worthy of love. I love you. I love you more than I thought I could be capable of. You don’t have to do anything to earn it.”

She looked up at me from beneath her eyelashes. Her mouth curled up in a small, shy smile, but then it grew in size. Then she put her hands on my shoulders. I knew what would follow even before her feet left the floor. I braced myself just before Grace jumped into my arms, my hands immediately going to her ass cheeks to hold her up—and she was fucking commando.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Zachary

I groaned, but she sealed her mouth over her mine as I held her tightly. Her ass was damn near perfection.Shewas perfect. Why didn’t she see it? But it didn’t matter. I was going to be there at her side every day to make her see how perfect she was.

I kissed her hard, and she whimpered slightly as I walked with her through the living room. I liked holding her up, but I could kiss her even better if I could prop her against something. The kitchen island would do. I set her ass on it and rested my hands on her thighs, deepening the kiss.

I was dying to have her. But for now, I wanted to explore her mouth. I wanted this intimacy, so I slowed down, enjoying tasting pistachio and chocolate on her tongue. I fucking loved the sounds she made—small whimpers at first, then outright moans. I pulled her ass closer to the edge of the counter, spreading her thighs so I could comfortably step between them, then clasped her ankles with both hands, keeping them in place the way I wanted them. Her whimpers and moans became even more pronounced. She moved her hands from my shoulders to my chest, tugging at my collar.

I pulled back with a smirk. “You always want my shirt out of the way.”

“Of course.”

Her mouth was already red. I kept her legs in place as her fingers worked on my buttons, then moved my hands farther up her calves until I reached her knees. After she finished with my shirt, she pushed it off my shoulders.

“Fuck, Grace.”

I captured her lips again. Her mouth was addictive—today even more so than usual. Maybe because we’d both admittedhow deeply we felt for the other. Maybe because Grace was finally accepting that she was mine.

Wanting to kiss the rest of her body, too, I pulled back, looking down into her cleavage. “I deserve a prize,” I murmured.

“For what?”

“For not jumping your bones the second you opened the door. You look so damn sexy in this nightgown. It might be my favorite.” I touched one of her breasts over the fabric, and she instantly arched her back. “But now I want to take it off.”

She grinned. “Hmm, I didn’t see that coming at all.”

She shifted on the counter until her nightgown was past her ass, and then I tugged it over her head. I always liked how messy her hair got after I undressed her.

“You’re so fucking gorgeous. I’ll worship you every single day.”

I changed my mind. This counter might not be good for fucking because she was much higher than my dick. But I could do other things in the meantime.

I lowered my mouth to her breasts, and she propped herself up with her palms behind her. She was leaning back at the perfect angle so that I could explore her breasts. She raised one leg, planting her foot on the counter.

Deciding that I wanted her in the bed after all, before we got too caught up in ourselves, I straightened and lifted her into my arms, carrying her to her bedroom.

She giggled. “Someone remembered to find the bed first this time.”

“What an exception, right?” I said before lowering her onto the bed and getting rid of the rest of my clothes.

She looked at me hungrily, especially at my cock. It was already hard.