Chapter 7 #2
Her eyes widened at his words, and she bit down on her lower lip to stop from crying out. The room spun around her, but she forced herself to remain on the bed and listen. Even if it was for the last time.
“When we first met, I only wanted your friendship. I was still recovering from my wife, but you filled a part of me I’ve never really known before.
I felt comfortable and accepted with another woman for the first time.
But as our friendship developed, I fell in love with you.
Every part. I loved seeing you in baggy sweat pants with no make-up.
I loved watching the basketball games together and taking you out to dinner.
I even love all those habits of yours no one is supposed to know about.
You sing opera when you clean, and panic if you don’t brush your teeth four times a day, and insist on walking in the back door instead of the front because you’re superstitious. ”
“Theodore— “
He put up a hand and forged on. “I watched you every day with an ache in my gut because I knew you wouldn’t give me a chance.
I listened to you complain about your looks when all I wanted to do was yank you in my arms and prove how beautiful I thought you were.
And I wanted more, Hailey, so much more.
I wanted to give you pleasure until you screamed my name.
I wanted to explore every deep fantasy you ever had and some of my own.
But whenever I made a move, you backed away.
There was no way to cross the line.” He took a deep breath and continued.
“When you told me about the masquerade party and Demitris, I knew I could lose you. It was the opportunity of a lifetime. Finally, you would see me as a man, not your best friend. I wanted to be both. I needed you to see all of me, because I already loved all of you.”
“Theodore—“
She tried to say more but he didn’t stop; just kept talking with a desperation and intensity like he was battling the tick of the clock to change their ending.
“I want to marry you. Have babies. Work together, play together, I want it all. I want to take you to bed every night and make sure your knees buckle every time I kiss you. Everything I said this weekend was the truth. I only hid my face. My heart’s been open to you for the past few years.”
Her body trembled helplessly from the onslaught of words and emotions.
The room finally fell silent, and she drew in a ragged breath, trying to make sense of what he had told her.
This was Theodore, her best friend and confidante.
But he was also Ciro Demitris, a phantom figure who kissed her breathlessly and set her body on fire.
Hailey closed her eyes. A rush of images whizzed before her. The comfort in his presence. The way he made her laugh. The burning edge in his eyes when he looked at her. The facts were all there, had always been there, but she had refused to face them.
And suddenly, a blinding flash of realization shook her to the core.
This was what she had been afraid of. She had chased after a strange man this weekend and convinced herself she had been lacking excitement and adventure.
In reality, Theodore had always been the one she ran from.
The man she could share her life with. She stubbornly built a wall around the possibility there could be more between them, afraid of the truth.
This was the man she loved.
Hailey opened her eyes. Her best friend stood a few inches away, his familiar features twisted with an agony that tore at her heart.
Tears spilled over her lids as the knowledge sunk in.
He’d always loved her. Loved her enough to take the risk of losing her completely by setting up the entire charade.
Loved her enough to wait until he thought she was ready.
His gaze registered her acceptance and the tears that streamed down her cheek. With a low mutter, he closed the distance between them and took her into his arms.
His mouth claimed her for his own. His hot tongue thrust inside and she gave it all back wholeheartedly. When he finally lifted his head, Theo smiled.
“You forgive me for not allowing you to meet your rich tycoon?”
She laughed in delight and threw her arms around him. “Who needs a tycoon? He probably has no idea how to do his own laundry.”
Dark brown eyes gleamed with intensity. “This wasn’t just a weekend fling, Hailey. All the things I did to you, with you, I intend to continue. And I have a long list of fantasies.”
He backed her up until her knees hit the edge of the bed. Slowly, she lay back and parted her legs. Then smiled. “How long?”
“Oh, enough to last the next twenty years.”
“Maybe we should get started.”
“Maybe we should.”
Theo climbed on the bed and pressed his body to hers. Dragged her thighs apart so she was open to his gaze. Then thrust into her wet heat, his beloved face watching her fall apart under each delicious stroke.
“Theodore.”
She watched his eyes darken with pleasure as his name echoed through the air. And Hailey gave herself completely over to the man she loved.
The man she had always loved.
THE END