Page 85 of Tripped Up

He loves me. And one day, probably very soon, I’m going to tell him I love him, too. I’m halfway there already.

It’s taking me longer to get there, but it’s not a race. It’s a journey—one we get to go on together. And there’s no finish line, there’s no end to this. Until the day we both decide to call it quits, I’m in this—for as long as he’ll have me.

To have and to hold, from this day forward.

Wyatt’s hand smacks my ass, jolting me back to the present moment.

“You with me, Els?” His voice is gruff, as rough as gravel.

“Hold me.” My words are soft, hardly more than a whimper, but when he drapes his body over mine and brackets me in, I lean my head back on his shoulder.

“Anytime,” he says, his arm curling around my belly.

His pace slows, no longer frantic as he fucks into me.

And as the fire inside of me climbs higher and higher, as he holds me and murmurs into my ear, I know that this is it—this is what I’ve been looking for all these years. I’ve been so tripped up over our past, I never let myself consider a future.

It’s what I want. Him and me. Me and him.

Forever.

My orgasm hits before I’m ready for it, my whole body alight with pleasure. Wyatt fucks me through it, and only when I collapse onto the bed does he seek his own release.

With a shout, he tenses as his cock jerks inside me, spilling into the condom. He pulls out of me and collapses onto the bed. Immediately, he pulls me into his arms, and I set my head on his chest, directly over his pounding heart.

“I love you,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to my hair.

“Love you, too,” I finally get the courage to say back.

And then I black out.

thirty

Wyatt

I thought I knew what love was. I thought I was happy. Turns out there’s nothing better than waking up beside the woman I love, naked and sated, with her knowing exactly how I feel about her.

Well, there might be one thing better. But I don’t think either of us is ready for me to put a ring on her finger. Soon. Probably sooner than I expect.

Since I’ve been spending my time at Elsy’s, the fridge is pretty bare, so I order delivery from the diner across the street. The doorman brings it up right as I’m getting out of the shower. Elsy’s still asleep as I arrange our omelets, toast, and fruit onto two plates. She’s not usually a big breakfast person, but I know she has a full day capped off by a performance tonight. She needs to keep her strength up.

Because now that I’ve had a taste of her, I won’t be able to live without her. Not again.

The team’s group chat is loud this morning, my phone going off every five seconds with yet another chirp from the guys. But I don’t care. They can mock me all they want; I love her, and I don’t fucking care who knows it.

Elsy pads into the living room shortly after nine, wearing my shirt from last night. Her hair is adorably rumpled and her face is creased with last night’s makeup.

“Good morning.” Smiling broadly, I rise from the couch and meet her halfway.

“Mm. Morning.” She wraps her arms around my torso, burying her face in my chest. “I slept in.”

“You did.” I kiss the top of her head. “You needed it.”

She tilts her face up and I kiss her properly.

“How about you?”

“Good. I sleep better when you’re next to me.” Shaking my head, I tease, “If only I could bring you on the road with me.”