Page 106 of Leave a Mark
Her startled inhale made him press his hand tighter against her mouth, and his eyes widened, but they couldn’t have matched her own. “Don’t say anything. You’re not allowed to say anything,” he ordered. “I know you’re not ready. I know it’s too soon for you, but I need you to know that I love you.”
Frozen, Wren stared at him. Clearly satisfied that she couldn’t speak or run away, Lee’s eyes warmed again, and the warmth spread to his smile.
“I love you.” Though his hands didn’t move, she felt his body relax, and his smile grew. “It feels so good to say it… I love you, Wren.”
Wren was glad she wasn’t allowed to say anything. Shecouldn’thave said anything. The lump in her throat would never allow it. All she could do was concentrate on blinking away the tears that stung her eyes.
Seeing them, Lee’s smile broke its borders. “Don’t say anything,” he whispered, closing in on her and moving his hand off her mouth to her cheek. His lips met hers, and she threw her arms around him and held on tight.
Her mouth opened for him, and he spoke the impossible words again as he kissed her.
A moment later he pulled back. “You’re trembling.”
All she could do was nod.
“It’s okay.”
She nodded again, and Lee brushed his thumb across her cheek, wiping away one rogue tear.
“It’s okay,” he said again.
Wren cleared her throat and said the first thing that came to her. “It’s just eggs, you know.”
Lee threw his head back in laughter and caught her to him again in a hug. His laughter was catching, so she gave into it, escaping the intensity of the moment and pressing her face into the comfort of his quaking chest. She felt him press kisses against the top of her head and her cheeks.
Still laughing, he pulled her into the crook of his left arm and reached for the skillet. “It’s just eggs. And I plan to eat them while they’re hot… Where’s your plate?” He scanned the counter for a plate other than the one with four pieces of buttered toast.
“This is for you. I’ll eat later.”
Lee looked down at her and frowned. “Three eggs and four pieces of toast? I don’t think so.”
Without letting her go, he opened the cabinet one-handed and took down another plate.
Wren shrugged. “I thought you might need it… after what happened last night.”
She felt, rather than saw, the tremor that passed through him, but he just hugged her tighter.
“Well, you take one egg and half the toast,” he said, tilting the skillet over her plate to let one egg slide out. He took the other two and divided the toast.
“I was going to make coffee,” she offered, but Lee just shook his head.
“No time. And there’s plenty at the hospital.”
“At least have some juice.” She pulled away to take glasses from the cabinet and the plastic container from the fridge.
Lee met her at the table with their plates and forks. When she sat next to him, he grabbed the leg of her chair and tugged her over until their seats touched. Wrentskedand shook her head, but she couldn’t stop smiling.
“What?” He shrugged, feigning innocence and settling his left hand on her knee. “So, where are you going to be this time tomorrow?”
THE NEXT MORNINGfound her in Lee’s bed. He’d convinced her to sleep at his house so they could spend time together before she went to the studio. She awoke to him collapsing beside her, muttering something about “so many babies.” He pulled her into his arms and promptly fell asleep. Three hours later, they met Cherise at Dwyer’s for her standing Thursday breakfast date with her best friend. Lee had French toast; Cherise had a cow.
Their schedules were at odds until Sunday when Lee again met her in his bed after the night shift. They would have six hours together until she went to work, but Wren knew Lee needed sleep.
So on Sunday morning, after snuggling with him until after nine, Wren decided to slip out of bed, make blueberry muffins, and let her man rest a little longer. She’d noticed the blueberries in his freezer the night before, so she padded into the kitchen in her tank-top, undies, and fuzzy socks to assess his pantry. As she suspected, he had the rest of the essentials for baking. As she got out the flour, sugar, and mixing bowl, Wren let herself imagine the look on his face when he awoke to homemade muffins.
She smiled to herself. It was so easy to make Lee happy. And making Lee happy was quickly becoming her top priority. He’d told her he loved her every chance he’d gotten, but she couldn’t let the words leave her mouth. Every time she thought about saying them, her lungs would freeze.
But that didn’t mean she didn’t want him to know how she felt. Loving Lee was the scariest thing she’d ever done. The only thing scarier than loving him would be admitting it out loud. But Lee was sweet and funny and sexy and perfect, and he made her feel like all the birds inked across her skin could take flight and lift her off the ground. And he was a good person — maybe the best, most sane and grounded person she’d ever known. So, even if she couldn’tsayshe loved him, she could show it.
