“I have scars too, and none of them are from something as beautiful as Calla.” He sat up and grabbed my hands when I moved to cover myself.

“Uh-uh,” he said. “Don’t hide from me.”

I relaxed, and he let my hands go. I could feel his eyes on me, then his hands, softly moving over my skin. He stopped at the scar from my C-section. “Is this it?”

I nodded, and he bent down to kiss it, tickling my skin with his beard.

“And where is the one from Dylan?” he asked with a knowing grin.

“Uh, you already kissed that one. Earlier, on the couch.”

He smirked. “Should I kiss it again?” His smile now was pure flirty Luke. It transported me back to the past, when our love had been simple and easy.

“You can kiss that one whenever you want. I recommend you do it often because that one hurt worse.” I was laughing. My insecurities had flown away, and I felt silly for even having them in the first place. I sat up. “My turn. I want to see yours.”

He smiled and held his arms wide. “Go for it.”

I started with the one on his chest that I’d discovered a few minutes ago, right below his nipple. I kissed it and laughed when it made his muscle flex. “Ticklish?” I asked.

“Some things never change. Be careful,” he warned on a grin.

I pushed his shoulders to make him lie on his back. He laughed and relaxed into the bed. “I have a lot of scars, baby. This could take a while. And mine aren’t pretty little pink and white ribbons like yours are.”

“I’m going to kiss them all better, Luke. No matter how long it takes. I’m going to know you again, every inch.”

His eyes grew serious. “Don’t ever let me go, Lily,” he said.

“Never, Luke. You’re mine, and I’m yours, and it will stay that way.”

He pulled me down on top of him and wrapped me in his arms.

21

Luke

“We should get up.” I opened my eyes at Lily’s whisper. I mentally rejected her words because I liked it right where I was. Lily was draped across my chest. I could feel every inch of her warm, sweet body against mine. Her beautiful hair was spread out behind her as she was tracing meandering patterns across my skin.

I was in sensory overload. It was like a dream. The dream I had been having since I’d left her had finally come true. I was in heaven, and I did not want to move. This was the moment I’d been hoping to have ever since I first saw her again. I hugged her tighter against me and shook my head.