Chapter 39
CASSIDY
The weight of his confession has left me speechless. The moment his forehead rests against mine, the grief shifts into something new. I’m still sitting in his lap with my arms looped around his neck. I can feel the frantic thrum of his heart against my chest. It’s a mirror of my own.
He pulls back enough to look at me, his eyes searching mine with a vulnerability that strips me bare. The billionaire, tech genius CEO is gone. Now there is only Max.
“You love me?” I whisper.
“Desperately.” He doesn’t wait for me to answer. His hand slides from my waist to the back of my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair, tilting my head back as he claims my mouth. The kiss isn’t gentle. It’s a collision. Max kisses me like I’m the only oxygen in the room.
I let out a soft, broken moan. My fingers tighten in his hair, pulling him closer. The simmer of heat I always feel with him has grown to a wildfire. It surges from my lips to my toes.
Max groans low in his throat, a sound of pure, unadulterated need. It vibrates through my entire body. His other hand comes up to cup my face, his thumb stroking my cheekbone with a possessive tenderness.
Every time I think the kiss is reaching its peak, he deepens it, his hard cock growing beneath me, his grip tightening as if he’s afraid I’ll vanish if he lets go for even a second. The kiss finally slows until we both come up for air.
“Please know this isn’t because I’m tired of feeling alone.
” He exhales, his forehead resting against mine.
“I am tired. So fucking tired. But I’m working through all of this with my counselor.
How to manage my time and my emotions. I never want you to feel I’m using you to fill a void.
Even if you’re the most calming thing to ever come into my life.
” He places a chaste kiss on my lips. “I’m in love with you.
Plain and simple. And I want to be the man you deserve. ”
A fat tear tumbles down my cheek. “I love you too.”
The candles have burned down, their flickering flames casting long, dancing shadows against the sea of pink roses.
I’m tempted, so incredibly tempted to ask him to take me somewhere the world can’t find us.
But this man has such power over me. He’s done heady things to my brain before, and I need to keep a clear head.
Love him or not, we’ve got a lot of baggage coming along for this ride.
Before I can utter a word to that effect, Max pulls back, his eyes dark with a mix of hunger and a newfound resolve.
“I’d give anything to take you home with me,” he rasps, his voice vibrating against my lips.
“But I’ve made a lot of mistakes, Cass. You need to know I respect you.
I’m working hard behind the scenes. We need to take this slow.
If nothing more than to show you I’m in it for the long haul. ”
He brushes a stray hair from my face, his touch lingering. “So, as much as I want to take you back to my hotel or my home, I’m going to return you to where you’re staying and dream about you until you’re mine again.”
My heart is in my throat, but it’s not from grief this time.
It’s from being seen. I reach up, running the pads of my fingers along the rough stubble of his jawline.
“Thank you. That means more to me than you can possibly know.” I let out a small, breathless laugh, leaning my forehead against his.
“But I think I’ve been yours since the day I laid eyes on you. ”
A wicked glint flashes in his eyes, and he waggles his brows at me. “Does that mean you want to come back to my place and let me have you for dessert?”
As he speaks, I can feel the undeniable proof of his words. His firm erection presses into my backside. That familiar pulse builds between my legs, a heat that threatens to melt my resolve.
“Tempting,” I tease, biting my lip to keep from giving in. “But no. I think you’re right. We need to take this slow. We’ve both endured so much trauma, Max. It’d be really easy to avoid the hard work by clinging to one another. I’ve come too far to lose any ground. And so have you.”
He lets out a long, shaky exhale and buries his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply as if he’s memorizing my scent for the lonely hours ahead.
“God, you’re incredible,” he mutters against my skin.
He pulls back, his hands resting on my waist. “Can I come back and take you out again? Soon?”
“Yes,” I blurt. “I’d like that a lot.”
The drive back to the Lee estate is different now. The silence that was once heavy with tension has smoothed into warmth. Max keeps one hand on the wheel and the other firmly interlaced with mine on the center console, his thumb drawing slow, rhythmic circles against my skin.
As the wrought-iron gates of Sebastian’s home swing open, the SUV’s headlights sweep across the manicured lawn.
Max pulls up to the front circle but doesn’t put the car in park immediately.
He just sits there, looking at me, the glow from the dashboard illuminating the soft, exhausted smile on his face.
“I feel like a teenager dropping his date off before curfew.” He chuckles. “I’m half-expecting Holt to come out here with a flashlight and a stern lecture.”
“If he were here, he might.” I giggle, squeezing his hand. “He’s very protective of me. But I think you’ve earned enough points today to keep him at bay.”
Max kills the engine, and the sudden quiet of the Hanover night settles over us.
He climbs out and meets me at my door, taking my hand to help me down.
As he walks me to the porch, his presence is a solid, comforting weight beside me.
Once we reach the door, he turns me to face him, his hands resting lightly on my shoulders.
“I’m serious about the long haul, Cass,” he says, his gaze searching mine.
“No matter how I spiral, I won’t keep you at arm’s length again.
Not without sharing what I’m struggling with. I swear we’ll figure this out.”
“Thank you. I’m holding you to that.”
He leans down, pressing a lingering, gentle kiss to my forehead, as if sealing his promise. “Sleep well, baby. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
I stand on the porch and watch as he walks back to the SUV, his stride more confident than it was when he arrived. He waits until I’m safely inside, the heavy front door clicking shut, before he finally pulls away.
I lean my back against the door, my heart full and my mind finally, mercifully quiet. I look down at my hands. They’re not trembling anymore. For the first time in years, I’m not worried about my past. And I’m definitely looking forward to tomorrow.