Page 67 of Hope and Country

I raised my eyes to fix on him, not stopping my tasting. “Tell me what?”

Riley sprang to a seated position, forcing me to let go.

I kneeled in front of him, noticing the lack of playfulness in his features.

“Everything all right? Are you okay?” I paused. My heart dipped in my chest. And I swallowed before speaking again. With everything that went down tonight, I never took the time to make sure he was all right. That he was okay with me facing Robbie the way I did. And Anthony. And the cops. And my stepbrother insulting me and calling me names. “Are we okay?”

Riley mirrored my stance and breezed closer, never breaking eye contact.

Millions of knots coiled around my stomach, so tight the pain spread to my skull.

I pushed back, scared of the words about to leave his mouth. Before I could move too far, Riley intertwined his fingers through mine.

“Devon, I didn’t mean to tell you this when you had my cock in your mouth or after you went through an avalanche of emotions earlier. But I can’t hold it anymore. I’m too fucking far gone.”

I sucked in a breath.

“What—what do you mean?”

“We said we’d be honest with one another. So, hear me out.”

“O-okay,” I whispered, not sure where this conversation was heading.

Riley’s gaze searched mine.

My heart skipped a beat, its rhythm offbeat.

I chewed on my lips while I waited for whatever word that would come out of his mouth.

But then something passed between us. Tingles of lust filled Riley’s eyes.

His lips bent at the corners.

The air around us felt warmer. Cozier.

My pulse slowed down, finding its tempo.

My chest expanded as if a beautiful flower bloomed and filled the space.

Every part of me shifted in place.

“Devon, I love you. God, I do. The set-up isn’t romantic, and the moment is random, but I can’t have sex with you without being honest first. I love ya. You are all I think about. It may sound too soon, or rushed, but it’s not. Our story is a year long. Even if we didn’t see each other for most of it, you were on my mind all the time. I dreamed of you every night. I wished for you every minute of every waking hour. When you came here asking for my help, I thanked all the saints above for bringing you back to me. Because nobody will ever take good care of ya as I want to. Because nobody will ever love you the way I do. I’ve never been into romance or into forever and always, but I know why now. I was waiting for you. This entire time, I couldn’t believe in love because you existed, and it had to be you. My heart knew it all along. It just kept it to itself.”

Tears blurred my vision, etching hot trenches into my skin.

“Riley—” I tried to voice my feelings, but heavy sobs made it impossible to express anything verbally.

This time, I wasn’t crying from pain or relief, but from elation.

Riley’s hands framed my face, the pads of his thumbs clearing my sight.

“I love you, Devon. And this will never change.”

His lips kissed my eyelids, the tip of my nose, my cheekbones, my jaws, swallowing every drop that leaked from my eyes, before fusing to mine.

The entire fortress I’d erected all around myself—and my heart—shattered.

I didn’t require protection anymore.