Chapter 38
Xander
“We’re so close!” Dahlia grips the railing. She’s hopping from foot to foot, practically vibrating. Her giddiness is palpable as she’s singing the song they’ve put on as filler between bands. There’s an ache in my chest at realizing this is the first time I’ve seen her happy. Truly happy.
She looks over her shoulder at me. Her sunshine smile takes over her face. She looks so fucking radiant.
If I didn’t already love her, I would have fallen right then.
“This is amazing.” I can barely make out her words as she shouts over the crowd, then turns back to the stage.
The band starts to set up, and she’s screaming with the rest of the fans. For a fleeting second, I selfishly want to keep all of her attention on me, but then it’s gone. All that matters is the laughter on her lips and the joy that radiates off her.
I’ve been telling Dahlia to take what she wants. She’s just starting to reach for more. It’s easy to see that she worries about asking for something she can’t have. I can almost hear that insecure voice whispering to her that she doesn’t deserve it.
I’ll crush every memory that’s ever made her doubt her worth and replace it with something better. Something that makes her feel whole. I’ll stay by her side, proving every day that she’s worth it. Worth everything. I won’t stop until she knows it.
Dahlia reaches for me, pulling me closer until my chest is flush against her back. Her heartbeat pounds steadily against me, strong and real. Our fingers lace together where my hand rests at her stomach, and I lower my chin to her hair.
She sings loud and off-key, laughing when her voice cracks. Each sound runs through me, loosening things I didn’t know were still locked tight. The walls I’ve spent years building crumble with every laugh she lets out.
My eyes close, and I breathe in her scent, focusing on where the warmth of her skin seeps through her shirt, into my palm.
In a stadium full of people with music blasting and screams filling the air, she is the only one who fills my senses.
Her voice, her scent, the way her body moves against me.
My entire world is in my arms. And she’s fucking happy.
In a life full of sins, she is my only salvation.
The music fades for a beat as the band changes songs, and she crashes into me, knocking me off-balance. Her arms loop around my neck, fingers sliding through my hair as her mouth finds mine. She laughs against my lips, the sound breaking me open in all the best ways.
I deepen the kiss, taking over, filling her mouth until the sounds she makes turn to moans. The grip on my hair stings, but it only drives me further, and I grip her thighs and lift her until she’s wrapped around my waist.
She’s lost to me, hips grinding against my cock, not even caring where we are. She doesn’t notice when another song starts, and it nearly kills me to pull away.
She looks dazed for several seconds, staring at my mouth like she doesn’t understand why we stopped. I have to lock my jaw together to stop myself from kissing her again. I drop her legs down, and her eyes widen as if she is finally noticing our surroundings.
The bright smile returns to her lips as she goes to watch the band, but she twists back, holding my face between her hands, and kisses me again.
She searches my eyes as if she can read all of my secrets, her gaze filled with awe, a softness taking over her as she looks deeper.
Like she can see everything I am and wants me anyway. She bites her lower lip. “Thank you.”
My heart stutters, and the world tilts. I will do anything to get her to look at me like that again.