“I love you too,” she said brokenly, finally able to speak around the huge knot in her throat. “I love you so much, Swanny. I’m so sorry I haven’t said it before. I guess we were both afraid. I’m so sorry I forced you into this position when I should have been the one to be honest with you the moment I knew I was in love with you.”
“Oh God,” he whispered. “Thank God. I was so scared, Eden. You have no idea. I’ve never put myself on the line like this. Never thought I would. It scared the shit out of me. It’s taken me days to work up the courage to tell you everything in my heart. I know I’m not good enough for you, but God, I want you. I love you so much. I don’t want to be without you. Ever.”
She growled in response, her eyes narrowing as the tears stopped and she glared down at him as ferociously as she could, given the emotional magnitude of the moment.
“I swear to God, Swanny, if I hear the words ‘I’m not good enough for you’ one more time, I’m going to strangle you. That’s the most ridiculous, absurd thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. Not good enough for me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
She was huffing with indignation, and he smiled. Then he laughed, the sound light and carefree, as if it had been years in the making. He relaxed beneath her, joy spreading over his features, warming his eyes. He’d never been more beautiful to her than in this moment. Lying beneath her so happy and at ease. As if she’d single-handedly slain every one of his demons. She realized then the power she had over him, and it didn’t make her feel good at all. She wanted them to be equals. She didn’t want the power to hurt him, ever. But she also realized now that they both had the power to hurt each other because they were too intertwined, too connected. Soul deep.
Soul mates.
It might sound corny as hell. Something from a book or a movie. But it fit. Because she knew to her bones that Swanny was the only man for her. There’d never be another after him. How could there be?
“Promise me you’ll never say it again,” she said, taking a more serious, quieter tone. “Only I get to decide who’s good enough for me, and I say you’re perfect for me. Excuse my potty mouth, but I don’t give a flying f**k what anyone thinks. And if you think I’m going to hide my association with you or refuse to be seen in public with you, then I’ll kick your ass from one end of this room to the other.”
He burst into laughter again and then gathered her tightly in his arms, hugging her to his hard body. He pressed a kiss into her hair and then inhaled, squeezing her even tighter until she could barely breathe. And yet she didn’t mind. She was locked against him, where she belonged. She’d never felt safer and more secure than she did right here in this moment with him wrapped solidly around her, a barrier to the outside world where danger lurked and someone stalked her, waiting and watching for an opportunity to harm her.
“I guess this means we’re an item, then,” he said, an obvious grin in his voice.
“Damn straight we are. I know we have some things to work out. Namely our careers. But for now I vote we put that conversation on the back burner and focus on here and now and the fact that what I want most is for you to make love to me.”
“Never let it be said I denied my lady anything,” he said cheekily, tugging playfully at her hair.
“I like your attitude,” she said in a sassy voice, matching his own playfulness.
God, but she loved this. That she could be herself. The real Eden Sinclair. No cameras. No acting. No glamour or makeup. No fancy clothes. Not the supermodel the rest of the world saw. With Swanny she was just Eden. A woman with needs just like every other woman in the world. Normal. And she’d found perfection. Utter perfection. What more could she possibly ever ask for?
He rolled suddenly, reversing their positions so she was beneath him. He stared down at her, his eyes glittering with molten desire.
“Then you’ll like this a whole lot better,” he said, just as he lowered his mouth to hers.
Oh yeah. She did like it a whole lot better now that he was kissing her. Sealing their love with more than just the words. He was fulfilling the promise of so much that the word entailed with his body. His tongue. His gentle hands as he caressed the length of her body.
He seemed impatient with her pajamas. Sliding his hands underneath her top as if desperate for the feel of her skin. She arched like a cat into each touch, purring her delight as he inched her top higher until finally he ordered her to put her arms up so he could hastily yank the material free of her body for good.
Willingly, she complied, and then he went to work on her bottoms, pulling them down in mere seconds, tugging them from her ankles before sending them sailing in the opposite direction her top had landed.
Then he chuckled softly as he stared down at her completely naked body from his position on his knees at her feet.
“You cheated,” he accused. “You set me up, planned for this. No underwear? How daring, sweet, innocent Eden. You may have the face and the heart of an angel, but you have the soul of a wicked temptress. Swear to God, you’ll be the death of me yet.”
She merely grinned, then arched her body invitingly. “You just going to sit there and list all my faults or are you actually going to do something with me now that you have me naked and in bed?” She stared pointedly at his still-dressed body. “Seems to me you have a lot of catching up to do.”
“I can sure as hell fix that,” he muttered, already reaching to strip his T-shirt off, his muscles rippling with the effort.