“That makes sense.”

“I thought so, that’s why I bought it. Well not really, they essentially gave it to me.”

“Why would you—”

“It’s home. This is my home, Lucas. It always has been. I never wanted to leave like you boys did, but I’m grateful I did. It gave me a chance to realize that this is where I belong.”

I nodded, understanding.

“Why did you buy this house?”

“The same reason you bought the restaurant. It’s home to me. It always has been. I couldn’t let anyone else have it. It’s mine.”

“It’s ours,” she corrected. “You bought it for me.”

“Alex—”

“Why do you love me, Bo?”

I chuckled. “What?”

“You heard me.”

My feet moved of their own accord, only stopping when I was close enough to touch her. I didn’t. The smell of her cherry lip-gloss was enough comfort for me to say, “Since I was a kid you’ve been the first and last thing I have thought about every day of my life. I know everything about you, your eyes, your smile, your laugh, your sassy spitfire personality, taking no shit from anyone, including me. I lie awake every night missing you, there’s this huge hole in my heart where you used to be, and I don’t care because it reminds me of you. It doesn’t matter where I go, where I’m at, or whom I’m with, you’re with me. I love every single thing about you. I love you because I need you. I love you because there is no me without you. I love you because I can’t stop loving you, and I would be lying if I said I had tried.” I grabbed the sides of her face and she leaned into my embrace.

“You’re my brown eyed girl.”

Her mouth parted and I glided my thumb across her bottom lip. "I'm not going to tell you it's always been easy because it hasn't, but you’ve always been worth it. I know I’ve said this before, but I can’t state it enough. I’m so sorry, Half-Pint. I’m so sorry for everything I put you through… Stacey, those girls in high school, the shit with Cole, Mason… I think that covers everything?” I joked and she laughed.

“I’m sorry that I ever made you cry, I’m sorry for all the pain I inflicted on your perfect heart. I’m sorry for ever making you feel like I didn’t belong to you. I’ve been yours for every second, of everyday for the last twenty-six years. I’m sorry for every shitty thing I have ever done or said to you. I hate myself for it. You never deserved it. I can’t apologize to you enough. I’m so fucking sorry for everything,” I whispered, leaning my forehead on hers. “I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now.” I put my arms around her neck and she let me.

I looked deep into her eyes and saw the same intense gaze, staring back at me. My chest rose and descended with each deep breath I took, her heart felt like it beat for me and only me. I knew it.

I brought her lips to meet mine and kissed her.

She matched every beat, every moment, every feeling and emotion times ten. The earth stopped moving and time stood still. With my hands framing her face, I kissed her again, slower, more delicate and defined, less frantic and desperate, but with the same intensity and passion.

“I want you,” she moaned.

“Half-Pint,” I groaned, claiming her lips again.

“If you don’t make love to me I will hurt you.”

I laughed against her lips, moving my hands from her face down her body, and gripping her ass to slide her up onto my waist. She wrapped her legs around my torso, kissing me deeper with a demand I never expected from Half-Pint. I laid her gently on my bed, placing my body on top of hers. It started off innocently enough, but it rapidly turned into something else entirely. Our hands started to roam everywhere, not being able to decide where we wanted to touch each other. When her tiny, delicate hand found my cock, she moaned.

“Fuck,” I growled, scooting her up toward the headboard as she stroked me up and down, her hand barely closing around my shaft. I leaned back and helped her take off her dress. My mouth instantly went to her nipples and I sucked them until they were pebbled stones.

“Don’t stop,” she murmured, pulling down my boxers with her hands and then using her feet to push them the rest of the way down. I kicked them off when they were at my ankles and then took off my shirt.

“Bo,” she half-whispered, grabbing the shark tooth necklace around my neck.

“The only time I took it off was your engagement party.”

And then she attacked me. Rolling me over to lie on top of me. Kissing me like her life depended on it. My hand found her pussy and she was already soaking wet.

“You’re so wet. Who is this minx in my arms right now?” She had grown up, turning into a little vixen that made my balls ache just thinking about it. As much as it hurt me that I wasn’t the one she experienced her firsts with, it didn’t matter, I was always in her heart and she was always in mine.

She smiled into my mouth, knowing what I thought. As if to prove my point, she grabbed the edge of her panties and I helped her take them off, going right back to rubbing her clit again. I couldn’t believe I was finally touching, claiming her, and making her mine. Her hips moved against my hand and I had to flip us over, I wanted to savor the feel of her and watch her come apart.

Her fingers clutched the necklace as I started to move faster against her heat. “Yes, baby just like that, give it to me. Give me what I want.” I kissed along her jawline, taking in every blush of her face, every moan descending from her lips, every movement radiating through her body.

“Tell me…” I bit her bottom lip.

“I love you. I love you, Bo.” Her body tightened so fucking hard and then released with a loud heavy moan. I immediately placed my face between her legs, needing to taste her.

“Oh God.” Her legs shivered against my face and when I felt her hand go in my hair, holding me closer to her core, I almost came right then and there. I sucked, licked, and devoured her until she was writhing and begging me to make love to her.

My mind raced as I kissed my way back up to her face. “I need a condom. I don’t have one,” I groaned, placing my forehead on hers not wanting to stop for one damn second.

“Are you clean? Have you been tested?” she panted, looking into my eyes.

“Of course. I haven’t had sex in a really long time, Half-Pint. I haven’t had sex since Mason. That’s the only time I’ve ever gone without a condom.”

“Wow,” she sighed and at first I thought it was from me admitting that I hadn’t been intimate with someone in years, but then she said, “You’re not going to last a long time at all.”

I laughed a deep rumbling laugh deep from my stomach. It shook the entire bed and she smiled adorably at me.

“I’ve never gone without a condom. I mean I’ve still been tested. But I’ve never—”

I didn’t need to hear the rest before claiming her lips yet again. “I can’t do this. Not like this.”

“Please tell me you’re joking because this is not the time.”

I laid soft kisses on her mouth, lovingly looking into her eyes. It was now or never. “Marry me.”

She instantly beamed, nudging her nose with mine. “Are you asking since you know you’re not going to last long and you want to seal the deal?”

“You little shit.” I tickled her inner thigh and she squealed, laughing and kicking all at the same time. “Of course! Yes! Yes a million times over,” she screamed, half-laughing.

I stopped and she caught her breath while I took off her necklace and placed it around her neck, locking it in place. She gazed down at it, her eyes pooling with tears. “It’s back where it belongs.”

“It’s always been there, Half-Pint.” I grabbed her leg and angled it upward, bending her knee so that her foot rested on my ass and hesitantly pushed in.

“Oh God,” she breathed out. Keeping her eyes open even though they wanted to close.

“You’re so fucking tight, you’re so fucking perfect.”