Page 108 of Worth the Try
“Thatmightbe on purpose,” I mumble with a grin, my eyes filled with unshed tears.
“I know.” He smiles, the color back on his face. “I love you, Elodie. So wholly and completely that it nearly paralyzes me. But you make me brave. You make me want to take the risk. And I don’t know if you’ll ever forgive me for what I said, or if you can ever fathom being by my side again. Loving me. Loving Rosalie. Being a team with us. But God, I hope you do.”
My heart swells as he speaks, my entire body heating with unbridled joy and hope. He loves me. Hestillloves me. After everything. “This is the only team I ever want to be a part of,” I say, leaning forward to cradle his face. “I love you, too, Ansel. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it. And I’m sorry I let Lauren bait me in the bathroom?—”
He cuts me off with a kiss, a ragged breath leaving him. “Fuck, I missed this,” he breathes. “I missed you.”
“It was only twenty-four hours,” I protest softly, giggling as he keeps kissing me even as we talk.
“Twenty-four hours is too much,” he says.
I giggle, meeting those caramel irises and seeing them filled with light once more. “I love you.”
“Damn, that sounds good.” He grins and traces a finger along my bare shoulder, sending goosebumps down my body. “Say it again.”
With a smile, I happily obey. “I love you, Ansel Miles.”
“Does this mean you’re coming back home now?”
We both turn to see Rosie in the doorway, Cleocatra held precariously in her arms and sporting what can only be described as a look of resigned indignation.
We look back at each other. Ansel asks, “What do you say, Elle Belle? Are we worth the try?”
My smile is bright and sure. “Absolutely.”
Chapter 40
Ansel
One week later
Ilug the last bag into the spare bedroom and heave a breath, looking at Elodie. “Your shoes are oppressive.” We unloaded the storage unit the other day, and today marked the moving of all her things over from the guesthouse.
She laughs. “I thought you were a big bad rugby player. You can’t handle a little old bag of shoes?”
I give her a flat stare. “That bag could be used for weight training for the forwards, Elodie.That’show insane it is.”
She shrugs, unapologetic. “Well, you seemed to be perfectly fine with my shoes when I wore the strappy ones while you fucked me from behind the other night.”
My eyes nearly bug out of my head. “Elodie Cole. Did you just say a cuss word when I wasn’t buried deep inside you?”
Her eyes twinkle as a blush stains her cheeks. “Maybe.”
I step around the bag, my arousal evident through the gray sweatpants I’m wearing. “Get over here.”
She giggles and backs away. “We still have more bags to bring up from the truck!”
I shake my head and keep stalking toward her. “They can wait.”
She tries again. “Rosie is downstairs!”
“I can be quick,” I say, making grabby hands as I close in.
“The bed’s not made!” She gasps as I snag her around the waist and pull her to me, her back to my front.
“It’s the guest bedroom, and it’s agoodthing it’s not made.” I lick her neck and slip my thumbs into the waistband of her yoga shorts. “Tell me something,” I say against her ear as I push the fabric down.
“Yes?” It comes out hoarse.
