Page 153 of These White Lies

Her thighs tighten around my hips. “And I’m not letting you go.”

I smile at the challenge in her tone, before losing myself in the heat of her mouth again. I’m trying to keep every move controlled, conscious of her injuries, but when she gasps my name, her heels digging into my ass, my control is ripped away.

“Thought I lost you,” I grit out, driving into her, harder now, each thrust a vow. “Every second?—”

“You didn’t.” Her words are fierce, her body trembling with mine. “I’m here. With you. So, stop acting like I’m gone.”

Her nails scrape down my back, her hips tilting to meet every stroke, and the friction steals the air from my lungs. I angle my thrusts deeper, grinding up against her until her head falls back against the wall, a strangled sound leaving her throat.

Her body tightens around me, clenching like a vise around my cock. She shatters, and the sounds she makes takes me over the edge with her. Groaning into her neck, I hold her tight between my body and the wall.

When the tremors ease, I lower her carefully, her legs sliding down mine, my arm still locked around her waist. I press my mouth to her temple, to her swollen lip, to the bruises I wish I could take from her.

“You’re mine,” I whisper, the words raw against her skin. “Whether it’s just a flicker or you’re blazing hot enough to burn—You’re mine. And nothing will ever make me stop wanting you. So, no more dumb shit okay?”

She blows out a satisfied exhale. “Definite jackass vibes.”

I’m almostasleep when I hear her whisper. “I’ll do better this time around. I promise.”

I turn my head to brush my lips against her temple. “Do what better? Because I think I lost feeling in my legs at one point that last time.”

The hand resting on my bare chest shoves me gently. “I just mean I’m going to try not to retreat next time I get scared.”

I yawn and squeeze her ass. “Yes, you will, but it’s okay. I know how to convince you to take your armor off now.” She sighs softly against me, relaxing. “I’m not exactly the poster child for the emotionally well-balanced, and I’m probably going to be a terrible boyfriend.” I press a sleepy kiss to her lips. “And I’m sure you won’t hesitate to point out what I’m doing wrong.”

“And I’m sure you’ll say I’m being bossy.” Her yawn is bigger than mine.

“I fully expect to argue every day.”

“We won’t if you just do things my way.” She snuggles into me.

“But then we won’t have make-up sex.”

Her breath feathers across me in a laugh. “You want an R-rated happily ever after?”

“I was hoping for X, but as long as you’re there, I’ll take whatever ‘ever after’ you’ll give me.”

EPILOGUE

Elizabeth

The Christmas tree glows warmly in the corner of Brady’s condo—our condo—I correct myself. White lights weave through the branches of the enormous tree Brady insisted on. “If you’re going to do Christmas, you do it right,” he’d said, ignoring my eye roll and complaints about the mess.

But it’s all for show. I love it. It’s kind of odd how I sometimes have to pretend to be annoyed about stuff just so we can bicker. Sera was right that day. It’s kind of our foreplay. Besides, if I let him know all the time how excruciatingly happy I am, and how he is the best thing that ever happened to me, we wouldn’t fit in the condo with his ego, never mind the tree!

The first time I walked into this building, I thought he’d taken a wrong turn. Then the elevator opened directly into his place, and I realized the entire floor was his…

“Elite’s doing well.” I arched a brow.

He just smirked. “Guess so.”

I hadn’t wanted to go back to my house after everything. I told myself for weeks that I would figure it out after listing the house for sale. Then one night, while I was folding laundry here,Brady came in, tossed his keys onto the counter, and asked,“You want to rent a truck this weekend? Get the rest of your stuff?”

I was totally caught off guard.“Maybe. I can put it in storage until I decide.”

“Why? You live here now.”

That was it. No speeches. No negotiation. Just a simple fact he wasn’t willing to debate.