Page 65 of Twice as Tempting

“The problem was that I hadn’t felt that way in so long. Not since…well, you know. And it knocked me on my ass. At first, I tried to ignore my feelings, but they wouldn’t go away. They never went away.”

Kelly’s breath caught, and she felt a tear prick the corner of her eye.

“I thought about you every day after I left, but I fought it, and I didn’t think that it was fair to you for me to call until I was ready. Really ready.”

“But what if…”

“You had been with someone else? It killed me to think about that, but I shielded myself from finding out. I didn’t ask Zack or Emma about you because I didn’t want to hear that there was someone else. I took a chance, and it was probably foolish, but I didn’t want you to put your life on hold for me. Honestly, I thought you deserved better than me anyway.”

Kelly felt the tears drip out of one eye, but she ignored them. “But you came back. You came back…”

“Yes, and at first, I used the excuse that my big brother was getting married and that Jim was selling the shop, but those weren’t the real reasons.”

“You came back for me,” she said, almost disbelieving.

Damian nodded and crossed the room to pull her into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and let the tears flow freely, watching as they dripped onto his bare chest. He ran his hands soothingly up and down her arms until she stopped crying.

“I’m not perfect, Kell. Far from it. And I still have commitment issues, but I want this to work between us, and I’m willing to do whatever it takes.”

Which was why he had been agreeable to forgoing sex. Suddenly Kelly realized that she had all the answers she needed and that she had punished them both long enough. She placed her hands in his and looked deep into his eyes, finding further confirmation there.

“There is one more thing that I need from you.”

“Name it.”

“I need you to make love to me.”