“Thank you.”

I feel his mouth turn up in a grin against my skin, and his hips press into mine, locking me in place as he twines our fingers and lifts my arms over my head. His lips are sweet agony, causing angel butterflies to mate in my chest. I wonder if we’ll go all the way now with how he phrased his needs, but as the fiery strokes of his tongue wake every nerve ending of my body, I realize that it doesn’t matter. That the intimacy between lovers is what makes sex special. The giving, the receiving, wanting and needing past the physical aspects of want and need. My body wants a pounding. My lady parts need attention. But I want to show him I love him—every single part of him. And I need him to show me he loves me just as much as, if not more than, I love him. Even if I don’t think it’s possible, I need him to prove me wrong.

“Landon…” I say past a gulp as his tongue dives into the crease of my cleavage. “You feel so good. So perfect. I’ve missed you.”

His tongue stops its sultry path on my chest, and he plucks his head up and looks directly in my eyes, slight amusement but more hunger in his gray depths.

“You’re not teasing me. I had to make sure I was kissing the right woman.”

I smile, and he flinches, probably preparing for me to lightly smack him, but I don’t. I take his cheeks in my hands, wrap my fingers into the soft hair nearing the base of his neck. “Do you want me to tease you?”

“I don’t know. I like that, but I’m liking this, too.” He trails a finger across my bra strap and finally unclasps the bottom hook.

A sharp gasp flies from my lips, and his mouth quirks up in victory. The straps fall slowly…painfully slowly down my arms, and when I’m completely free from the piece of clothing, I press my chest into his.

“I love your skin against mine,” I say. “I didn’t realize how much I needed your skin.”

He grins. “Yeah, I’m definitely liking this, too.” He leans forward, letting the light scruff of his cheek graze mine while he whispers softly into my ear.

“You are the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever set eyes on. Every night I thank the stars I get to sleep next to you. And every morning I hope I get at least one more night.”

I melt into his voice, and I’m taken into a whole different level of intimacy. It’s where pretty words are married with caring actions. And even though I tend to show my love rather than speak it, I let my mouth fly in response, saying things I always thought but never said, so that my 90 percent body language added to my 10 percent verbal is 100 percent telling him that he is the absolute most important person in my entire universe.

“Will you help me?” I ask.

“With?”

“I want more of my skin against yours.”

His hand dips into the back of my underwear and he palms my ass. “Like this?” There’s a flirting lilt in his voice, and I can’t help but laugh a tiny bit.

“Not exactly,” I say. “I need both hands.”

He obliges, sliding his other hand onto my backside.

“Now bend your knees,” I instruct. He laughs and he kisses his way down my body, slipping me out of my panties.

“But, babe,” he says as I hold on to his shoulders and lift my feet out of my bottoms. “I love your damn cute ankles, but I miss your breasts already.”

“You just can’t help it, can you?” I say with a grin as he stands upright once more, pushing my now naked body flush against his.

“I can’t. I just have so much fun with you, Tumbles.”

His lips start to pattern over my collarbone, combined with long, luxurious strokes of his tongue. My heart beats loud in my ears, and my fingers brush over his pulse, and I concentrate, focus, pinpoint our matching beats, as if we are of one heart.

“Liz…” he breathes against my skin. I’m not even doing much, just clinging to him, letting him love my neck, and yet he acts as if I’m the one bringing him to the brink of insanity.

“I want more of your skin on mine,” he says. And I let out a breathy laugh and drag my nails down his back. He shivers against me, pushing me into the wall slightly. The skin along his sides is puckered with goose bumps as I pull his boxers down his muscular legs. I wait for him to step out before planting a tiny kiss on his roller-coaster scar, making the very awake Lord Landon twitch.

He pulls me up by my elbows, presses his body with mine, and starts walking us toward the shower. Over the course of our entire relationship I’ve never felt more in tune with him than I do now. That I didn’t just fall in love with him, but I choose to fall in love every day. And even more exhilarating, he chooses me every day, too—despite the money arguments, despite the socks on the floor, despite the nagging and the annoying habits and the late nights away from each other.

Despite the fact that we are peas and carrots.

“So is this what marriage will be like?” I muse as he lets go of me briefly to start the water. He comes back to me, though, holding our bodies close.

“This is what our marriage will be like.”

Chapter 33

I wake up in the soft warmth of Landon’s naked body…for about two seconds. Then I’m doused with a giant bucket of ice water, followed quickly by Landon dropping f-bomb after f-bomb and grappling the blanket to make sure I’m covered.

“Get up! We’re kidnapping you,” Theresa says, empty bucket in hand. I wipe my eyes and turn to Alec, who has a matching bucket, and Jace, who is attempting to pull out his phone and take a picture, but Landon is putting up a good fight.

“What the hell…get out of here!” he shouts, punching Jace in the upper thigh while simultaneously holding the soaked comforter over his crotch. I secure the blanket around the ladies and raise an eyebrow at Alec.

“You’re condoning this?”

He holds his hand up. “Hey, as Best Man, it’s my responsibility to…” He looks at Theresa. “What was it again?”

She huffs out a sigh and says, “Y’all have twenty minutes, then we’re coming back for you.” She grabs Jace by the collar and motions for Alec to lead the way out the door.

“We need new friends,” Landon says, swiping his hand through his wet hair. I let out a laugh and swing a leg over his hips. I don’t care that we’re both soaked, that we got caught buck-ass naked in bed, or that our friends are in the apartment. We’ve got twenty minutes alone together before we become husband and wife, and I’m not wasting a second of it.

My smile widens and I try to kiss him full on the lips, but it’s so hard with how happy I am. “We’re getting married tomorrow!”

His grumpy brow smoothes out, and he attempts to kiss me back, but really all he gets is teeth.

I shove him down to the pillows, and he shivers under me as the ice hits his back. And it looks like morning wood beats out ice water, because when I roll my hips, Lord Landon stands up at attention, ready to knock down the gates to the Land of Liz.

“You really think that’s a good idea, Tumbles?” he says, nodding to the bedroom door.

“Just keep your outbursts to God to a minimum,” I tease, then without warning I sink down. He immediately ignores my request.

“Liz?”

“Mmm?” I ask innocently, keeping my hips still but my muscles pumping.

He grips my waist, fingers digging into my ass. “I’m cold.”

“I’ll warm you up.”

“Our friends are right outside.”

“Then we’ll be quiet.”

“I wouldn’t put it past them to come back in here.”

“Then we’ll be quick.”

“Damn,” he mutters, then sits up. “I love you…and I promise you will never forget tomorrow night.”

“Tomorrow?” I fake pout, and he pulls on my bottom lip.

“Tomorrow.” He gently coaxes me off him, wiping my wet hair from my forehead. “And I’ll never forget last night either.”