Lincoln pauses in front of a large wooden door and drops my hand in favor of resting his palms on my shoulders. His hazel stare is serious when he speaks.

“I don’t know how long it’ll take you to accept it, Blue, but you’re my family too. And tonight, I need you.”

Fifteen

Lincoln

It’s been the day from hell, and I’m raw. There’s only one thing in this world that can soothe me, and that’s Whitney. Her blue eyes go soft when I tell her exactly what she means to me, and her lips part.

I lower my mouth to hers, taking the smallest taste. It’s not enough. With Whitney Gable, enough isn’t a concept. I’ll never tire of kissing her lips, worshipping her body, and hearing her say my name when she comes.

What I need tonight is everything that is her. I reach behind us and wrap my fingers around the handle. As soon as the door swings open, I pull her inside.

I haven’t had a designated bedroom at the estate since I moved out, but on the rare occasions I’ve stayed here since, this is my room of choice. Of all the guest suites, it’s the simplest. But tonight, all that matters is that it has a bed where I can spend the night wrapped around the woman I love.

The woman I’m going to marry.

A sense of possession rushes over me and I kick the door shut behind us, never taking my lips from hers. The slamming echoes in the room, bouncing off the high ceiling and dark green walls, but I couldn’t care less. Whitney’s tantalizing scent, a sweet mix of warm vanilla and coconut, invades my senses, and I can’t wait to see if her skin tastes like it smells.

I drop my hands from her hair and wrap them around her waist to pick her up and carry her to the bed. “I don’t give a damn what happens tonight, we’re not leaving this room. I don’t care if the entire estate is burning down around—”

Whitney pulls her mouth back to press a finger against my lips. “Don’t say that.”

“Fair enough,” I say as I press a kiss to the pad of her finger. “But I’m going to say this. I love you, Whitney Gable, and there’s nothing I want more than to spend every night of the rest of my life with you.”

Sixteen

Whitney

His words have the power to make me swoon.

“I love you, Lincoln.”

His features soften and his eyes drift closed. “Say it again.”

“I love you. I’ve always loved you. I will always love you.”

Lincoln bows his head to rest against my forehead. “I don’t deserve you. Not after everything I—”

“Don’t say it.” I press a kiss to his lips. “Because you’re wrong.”

Lincoln takes control of the kiss and presses me back against the bed. His lips skim down to my jaw and up to my ear. He pauses there.