Page 26 of Too Sweet
“But you? You’re my entire world. So for Valentine’s Day, I wanted to do something to honor you and to show you just how deeply I love the woman you are.”
I whip my shirt off, then proudly turn around and give her my back. When her little gasp reaches my ears, I can’t stand to not see her face. I look over my shoulder, eager to witness her reaction.
With both hands pressed to her mouth, she stares, wide-eyed.
“Is that…”
The words are drenched in emotion. I feel a tightness in my chest as I watch the realization of what I’ve done sink in.
“I gave you my jersey and my number. I know, legally, you took Decker’s last name. But I wanted to do something special to make sure you knew that you own me, Hot Girl. Body, mind, and soul.”
“Can I touch it?” she whispers.
I grin, then nod. “No nails, though. I just had the final session last week, so it’s still healing and itchy as hell in a few spots.”
The heat of her breath tickles my skin. One fingertip traces the nine letters of her name, which are nearly ten inches tall and span my entire upper back.
J-O-S-E-P-H-I-N-E
When she reaches the bottom of the last E, I turn around and kiss her fiercely. She returns the kiss with just as much intensity. It’s only the frigid air chilling my skin that prevents me from deepening the kiss and seeing where this goes, right now, out here on the deck.
Begrudgingly, I pull back. But I keep her wrapped up in my arms as I share my truth. “I love you, Josephine. You’re permanently etched into my skin and forever imprinted in my soul.”
“Loving you is easier than breathing, Nicky.” She cranes back, teary-eyed, and presses her forehead into mine. “Thank you for seeing me and for loving me so well.”
Chapter 14
Kendrick
“Come on, Mama. You’re wrinkled like a prune.”
I secure the towel around my waist, then offer Jojo my hand.
She slowly rises out of the water, a fucking vision all wet and pliable from our soak. I scan her luscious curves as water sluices down her torso and legs. Is it strange to admit I’m jealous of water? Nah. I’m obsessed with this woman. There’s no shame in the way I crave her.
She uses my hand for balance as she steps over the ledge and out of the tub. “Should I be concerned that we just took a bath and you didn’t even attempt to fuck me?”
Goddamn. The sass from this girl.
Although I guess it’s a fair question. I can’t recall the last time I had her in the shower… in the bath… or hell, even in the hot tub back at the isle, and it didn’t lead to more. Fucking her wet is one of my favorite ways to have her.
When I’m sure she’s steady on her feet, I grip her chin and tip her head back to meet my gaze. “You know getting dirty with youthen cleaning you up is my favorite, Mama. But this afternoon wasn’t about me. It was about you. To take your mind off things. To help you relax. Because it’sValentine’s Day,” I quickly clarify before capturing her mouth in a hard kiss. “And because nothing satisfies me more than taking care of my woman.”
She doesn’t argue as I wrap a fresh towel around her body and secure it. What she does do is hit me with those gorgeous bright blue bedroom eyes framed by thick lashes. Ignoring her wanton stare, I guide her toward the vanity and grab another clean towel off the stack. Blotting the wet ends of her hair, I catch her heated gaze in the mirror.
“Don’t look at me like that, Mama,” I warn. Kyl’s been texting me for thirty minutes about dinner, trying to hurry us along. “The boys are waiting on us.”
She bites down on her plush lower lip, her eyes never leaving mine.
Chuckling to myself, I reach across the sink and grab a brush and a hair elastic, then get to work brushing out her hair.
“One or two?” I ask, holding up the single elastic.
“One is good,” she replies.
I make quick work of twisting her hair into a thick braid. When I’m done, I move the plait to one side, smooth my hands over her bare shoulders, and place a kiss at the top of her spine.
The bath clearly helped soothe her nerves. I think she’ll be thrilled with what we have planned for the rest of the night, too.