Ax took a piece of my hair between his fingers and stroked it. “I couldn’t leave it, baby. I…” He looked down, seeming embarrassed, and then back up at me. “I’ve slept with it every night for the past five years. Until very recently, that is,” he added with a nervous smile. “Is that weird?”

I thought my heart was going to burst out of my chest. This man loved me. Like really loved me. “No, honey. It’s not weird. It’s…” His eyes showed me every emotion he was feeling. The pain he had gone through. The happiness at having me back. The deep, unending love. “I love you, Axel.”

The look of joy on his face would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. He cupped the back of my head and pressed his mouth against mine in the sweetest kiss we had ever shared. It was like every bit of our love was concentrated in our lips as we nipped softly at each other.

“I love you, too, my sweet Blaire. With everything I am.” One more kiss, and then he pulled back, his look becoming hesitant. He took a deep breath and said, “Come with me.” He kissed the side of Carrie’s sleeping face and adjusted the covers over her before rolling out of bed. I eased out of my side and walked around to him. Ax took my hand and led me through the bathroom and into his closet. He pulled me to him and said, “Say it again. Please.”

I grinned and said without an ounce of hesitation, “I love you, Axel Broxton. I’ve never stopped loving you.” He hugged me so tightly I could barely breathe.

“Do you know how many years I’ve wanted to hear those words?” he said into my neck.

“I’ve been wanting to tell you. I just… I’m sorry. I should have said it sooner.”

He pulled back and looked at me. “No, sweetheart. You said it at the perfect time.”

“I can’t believe you kept that bear and slept with it. Mr. Macho Football Man sleeping with a teddy bear. What would your teammates think?”

“Let’s just keep that between us, huh? And I slept with it because it smelled like you for a really long time. It was all I had left of you.” I could still see an echo of pain in his beautiful blue eyes, and all I wanted to do was to take it away.

My lips brushed his gently. “Well, now you have the real thing to sleep with.”

“Hell yes, I do,” he said with his sexy ass grin. “Sit with me; I have to show you something else.”