Page 108 of Silk Sheets

I hurried over, jumping on top of him, and he wrapped both arms around me instinctively. I straddled his lap, snaking my arms around his neck, as I pulled back to look at him.

“Thank you for saving me from kissing gross college guys,” I playfully smiled.

“You’re welcome,” he tucked a few loose strands of hair behind my ear.

“You’re not mad at me, are you?” I reluctantly asked, and it was as though he was torn. “You can’t possibly be mad at me,” I groaned, throwing my head back.

A beat passed. “I’m disappointed that you lied to us,” he finally said and I exhaled, nodding. “You can’t lie to us again, Dakota.”

“I won’t,” I assured him. I understood why he was disappointed, and I hated it.

Nervously, I fiddled with my fingers on my lap until he tilted my chin up so that I could meet his eyes. “Talk to me.”

I stayed silent for a while, contemplating, but also trying to find the right words.

“We haven’t really talked after the whole… situation,” I shifted on his lap, chewing the inside of my cheek.

“The situation?” he repeated after me, and I knew he wanted me to be much clearer. I sighed in defeat.

“The whole thing with your ex,” I finally said.

“What about it? Have your feelings changed?” he asked, and I didn’t miss the underlying emotion clinging to his words.Was he… scared? Nervous?

“No,” I shook my head. “I just…” I trailed off, looking down. “Three years, Chase,” I reluctantly said. “And I’m sorry, but you don’t seem like the type of man to jump from one woman to thenext. So, it’s just difficult for me—” I cut myself off, hearing my tremulous voice.

“Hey, look at me,” he held me closer. “I don’t have feelings for her anymore. I’ve moved on,” he reassured me, and my stomach churned.

“You did?” I managed to choke out like an idiot, immediately regretting the silly question but he nodded.

“Yes, Dakota. Because my heart is already set on someone else.”

Myheart fluttered in my chest at the sincerity in his voice, and when a bashful smile spread across my face, I leaned forward, hiding my face in his chest.

He chuckled, and when I pulled back he cupped the sides of my face with both hands. Icy blue eyes stared down at me, warming with every passing second. “You areeverything, Dakota. You’re so much more than we thought we needed. You’ve engraved yourself into my soul and I’d die a thousand deaths to experience even a fraction of your warmth. No one, not even her, has made me fall thisdeeplyin love.”

Feeling oddly satisfied, I grinned, glancing away until a thick layer of blush rested across my cheeks. With a fleeting pulse, my eyes shot open, and I looked back at him.Did he just say…

With a trembling hand my pointer finger slightly poked his chest. “You just said…”

“That I love you,” he nodded once, sealing his words.

An explosion of fireworks erupted inside of me. With both hands holding the sides of my face, he pressed a kiss to my forehead and I reveled in his affection.

His thumb brushed across my cheekbone and I smiled up at him. “I love you too, Mr. Madden.”

His arms wrapped around me like a shield of comfort, and I nuzzled my face in the crease of his neck, inhaling his addictive scent.

His hand rested on the back of my head, and he placed a quick kiss on my temple. He was so warm, and everything about him was so genuine that I rarely ever questioned his feelings or intentions. I wanted to stay here forever. Relive this moment over and over again.

He pulled the bed sheets up to my shoulders, and I snuggled into him, basking in his embrace.

Chase brought me a sense of security like no other. His love was stern, yet gentle.

An unsettling feeling stirred in my core when I realized that even though it had been months now, I still had a lot to learn. And it felt frustrating because I kept messing up, and I feared that eventually, they’d get tired of it. Ofme.

“I need you to know something,” he said, taking both of my hands in his and I pulled back to look at him. “We know that this is new to you. And we understand that you’re going to make mistakes. But that won’t change how we feel about you,” he reassured me, his voice gentle,tender. “We’ll always be patient with you, Dakota. And we’re proud of the progress you’ve made.”

I blinked away tears. “Promise?”