Page 90 of His Saving Grace

The uncertainty and longing in his sapphire gaze ripped the breath right out of her lungs. She cupped his jaw, the dark stubble prickly against her palm.

“You’re staying?” His voice was quiet and raspy, but there was a hint of hope in the question.

“I don’t know. I mean, everything happened so fast…” She lowered her hand, the one not holding his palm to her skin.

He pulled his hand out from under hers and scooted forward, so he was fully sitting on the bed, and then took her free hand between both of his. “I stupidly thought if I gave you space, let you make your own choices…”

“What?”

“I was terrified you were going to leave. If I asked you to stay, and you said no, it would kill me. But I didn’t want to pressure you. I wanted you to decide to stay because you wanted to, not because you thought I wanted you to. I was a coward who couldn’t face you, because I was afraid that if I did, I would fall to my knees and beg you to pick me.”

His confession released the tension inside her, turned her muscles to jelly. Because she was scared, too. Scared of what the future held. Scared of what she wanted. Scared he didn’t love her the way she loved him.

“You’re allowed to be scared, Mason.”

“You weren’t.”

She snorted and looked down at their joined hands. “Yeah, okay.”

“Look at me, please?”

She lifted her head, and their gazes collided.

“You were so brave when you confessed the truth. When you tried to protect me and my family. When you told me you loved me.”

The way he said it, so sincere and full of awe, thickened her throat. “I shouldn’t have said that. I mean, I was all drugged up, and we’ve only known each other for a short time, and—”

He placed his fingers over her lips. “You’re the strongest person I know, Grace Sullivan. And I’m an idiot for not telling you that I love you, especially after you poured your heart out to me. Can you ever forgive me?”

“You love me?” His fingers muffled the question, but the hope in her voice was unmistakable.

His lips turned up, and he graced her with one of those drop-dead gorgeous smiles she so adored. He moved his fingers and leaned in to brush his lips against hers. “So much it hurts.”

Happiness burst inside her, making her nerve endings tingle. A weight she hadn’t realized she carried finally lifted, making it feel like she could float away at any moment. She smiled so wide, her cheeks ached. “Where does it hurt? I want to kiss it better.”

Mason laughed, the sound rich and deep, like the most decadent dark chocolate. She could easily become addicted to it. To him.

He kissed her again, a little deeper, a little more passionately than before.

And then he pulled away.

She stuck out her lower lip in a pout. He laughed again, which was what she’d been hoping for, and brushed his nose against hers. “When you’re all healed up, I’ll tell you. And I’ll be expecting a lot more than a kiss.”

Grace laughed, and even though it hurt, it was the best feeling in the world.