I wasn’t sure how long it lasted, but the crowd below had been sparse when we’d finally left the Renaissance Hotel in the early hours of the morning. Our mouths had been swollen, maybe even a little bruised, and my entire body had been one big throb. Nardo and Pietro got us back to the apartment, and we’d fallen into bed, kissing again.

Sleep hadn’t been on our minds as we kissed until the sun came up. Then my phone went off, pulling us both out of the lust-filled fog we had fallen into. Emmie had wanted to know if I was flying back to California with her later in the day or if I wanted to take a commercial flight later in the week so I could spend extra time with Ryan and my family.

I needed to get back to Creswell Springs, but I didn’t want to leave Ryan yet. He’d taken the decision from me, however, along with my phone, and informed Emmie he would ensure that I got home safely. Reluctantly, we’d gotten out of bed and gone over to the compound to visit with his family for a little while before getting on one of the Vitucci jets.

It had always been hard for me to leave Ryan. After the magic of the last two days, the thought of saying goodbye to him when he returned to New York was more painful than normal. We weren’t even halfway into the flight, and I was already fighting tears.

I tried to hide it, but Ryan could read me better than anyone in the world. Taking my hand, he kissed my palm then placed it over the center of his heart. “Soon, we will be together every day. A few more months and you will be back in New York full time.”

His tone was soft, but he couldn’t mask the tension in his face. He was just as destroyed about leaving me as I was.

“Why do the months feel like years?” I whispered. “June feels like forever away.”

“I’ll be back before June.” Taking my hand, he tugged me to my feet and then down onto his lap. “As often as I can get away, I’ll be in Creswell Springs with you. Even if we only get a few hours at a time together, it will be worth it just to hold you.”

Clenching my eyes closed to keep the tears from spilling over, I buried my face in his neck. “What if you get tired of doing the long-distance thing? What if…you fall out of love with me?”

His arms crushed me against him. “Nova, I’ve loved you since I was eight years old. What I feel for you will never change.”

“But what if it does?” I choked out, voicing my biggest fear.

He grasped my chin and tilted my head until he was looking into my face. Blinking my eyes open, I looked at him through wet lashes. “Is that why you want to wait to get married? You’re afraid I’ll stop loving you?” He clenched his jaw, causing a muscle to tick in his neck for a moment before he spoke again. “Are you giving me an out?”