“Mick, I wanted you so badly that night. I thought we might . . . I thought it could be a new start for us.”

“So did I.”

“But . . .” She was flabbergasted.

“I couldn’t control myself, Allie. I thought you were crying because I’d fucking hurt you. Because you thought I was some kind of monster. I couldn’t face you. I was a Goddamn coward. It’s taken me all these years to forgive myself for that. And the only way I could even begin to was the first time I had you under my hands when you came back to New Orleans. When you forced me to begin to see you as you were—the kink and the purity all wrapped up together. It’s slowly been forcing me to see these things we do as they should be seen. As I should have seen it all along—as something beautiful in itself. As something that’s only warped by our own motivation. Mine hasn’t been clean because I’ve been bringing in all this wreckage from my past. I haven’t come to it from the right place—from a clean place—until I came from a place of love. Don’t you see? You’re my redemption.”

“God, Mick, please don’t say that.” The tears welled again. One slipped down her cheek.

“Why not? It’s the truth.”

“It’s not. I manipulated you. I had no right—”

“You did. But you did it because you loved me.”

“Is love supposed to excuse anything?”

“Not anything, maybe. But sometimes. It was sure as hell the right reason to bulldog me into being with you.”

She had to smile a little through the tears then. “I did bulldog you, didn’t I?”

“You are not a woman to be messed with,” he told her, moving closer, one corner of his mouth quirking for a moment before sobering once more. “I’m sorry I ever did, Allie. I’m sorry I couldn’t just love you. But I do now. I love you so damn much I don’t know how to exist without you. These last few days have been hell.”

“For me, too, Mick. I was arguing with myself the whole time. Trying to stay away because I felt I had to. But knowing you were hurt . . .” She had to stop, a sob catching in her throat.

“Baby, don’t cry.”

His arms went around her, and he lifted her to her feet so he could hold her close. Nothing had ever felt better to her in her life. But she couldn’t stop the tears.

“Hey,” he said again, his voice gentle. “I’m right here, baby girl. I’m not going anywhere unless you tell me to. Is that why you’re crying? Because you want this over?”

Her heart was going to break. “Stop it, Mick. Don’t say that to me. I can’t take it.”

“Then tell me what this means,” he said quietly. “Tell me.”

She slipped her arms around his neck and looked up into his beautiful gray eyes—the eyes of the man she’d loved her whole life.

“It means I want to be with you. It means I love you so damn much I don’t even know where to begin. It means you can be an idiot sometimes, and I’m damn glad you see it, but if you ever end up in the hospital again I’m going to kill you, Mick Reid!”

He laughed as his arms tightened around her until she could barely breathe. “Remind me never to fuck with you.”

“Oh, I will.”

His face went still as he looked at her, as they both let love tremble through them, between them. He inched closer until she could feel his breath on her lips. She tilted her chin.

“I’m gonna kiss you, Allie,” he whispered against her mouth.

She nodded. “Yes you are.”

He pulled her up on her toes as he lowered his mouth to hers. Just a sweet press of his lush lips, then harder until she felt that familiar sense of command that was the Dom in him. She gave herself over to it, to him. She couldn’t help herself. Any remaining argument she might have had emptied from her mind. All that was left was what was in her heart, and the heat blazing between them.

Her hands smoothed over his shoulders, and she loved the hard muscle there. Then down his strong arms to where they were clasped behind her back.

He kept kissing her as their bodies went hot, then hotter, desire and emotion blending together. It was all one thing—it was all just need for him.

He pulled free and kissed her neck, working his way up until he kissed that tender spot just below her ear.

“I need you, baby,” he murmured. “I need to feel you. To taste you. To own you.”

“Yes, Mick. Please.”

He stroked her hair, kissed her cheek, her jaw, before pulling her nightgown over her head, leaving her naked before him.

“So beautiful,” he said, awe in his voice as his hands swept over her breasts. “The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

She moaned when he bent to kiss her breasts, his lips brushing across her nipples. Desire heated her blood, her nipples going hard beneath his touch, her sex going wet. He filled his big hands with her breasts, kneading them, then slipping down over her ribs, her stomach.

“Mick . . . God, I need you.”

“You have me, my baby,” he told her softly. “You have me.”

He went down on his knees and her hands went into his hair. His breath was hot against her belly, then lower.

“Oh . . .”

He kissed her over and over at that sweet juncture of hip and thigh, then moved in until his mouth feathered over the tip of her clitoris. Using his fingers, he parted the swollen folds and kissed her there, quick, tender kisses. Slowly they became more lingering—just his soft mouth until she thought she’d go mad as need built inside her.

“Mick.”

“Shh.”

He bent once more and used his hot, wet tongue on her, licking at the lips of her sex, still holding her open with his fingers. Her fingers dug into his scalp as her legs went weak.

Oh, his mouth was good. He licked her, finally, and she arched her hips. He licked her again, one long, slow stroke from the top of her hood and all the way down. She parted her thighs and he slipped his thumbs inside her.

“Ah . . .”

He began a slow stroking cadence, his thumbs pushing in, sliding out, his tongue gliding over her flesh, making her crazy with the need to come. She bit her lip, held it back, knowing it would be all the better if she did.

Then suddenly he shifted, three fingers plunging into her soaking-wet sex as he sucked her hard clit into his mouth.

“Oh!”

She came all at once, pleasure surging into her. Lips and teeth and tongue and plunging fingers filling her, and God, she’d never come so hard in her life. Stars flashed behind her closed eyes, bursting into flame, dazzling her with their brilliance—with the brilliance of the sensation pouring into her body like white lightning.

Before she was done he was on his feet, kissing her again, pulling her into his arms, then lifting her and carrying her into her bedroom.

He set her on the bed and was on top of her in an instant, his big body pressing her into the mattress. She could feel his hard cock through his damp clothes. She scrabbled at the hem of his shirt with blind fingers until he pushed off her long enough to pull it over his head.

Her hands went to his tight abs, smoothed up to his chest—she had to touch him, to know he was real.

Her heart surged when she looked up to find him watching her, his eyes filled with love and desire so intense it made her squirm.

“So damn beautiful,” he told her.

“Mick, I need you. Now. Please.”

He slipped out of his sweats and laid his body over hers once more. He slid a hand down her thigh, paused to tickle at the back of her knee before moving down her calf.

“I love this body,” he said. “I’ve loved it all my life. I’ve loved you all my life. I’ll love you for the rest of it, Allie girl.”

“I love you, Mick. So much.”

His hands went to her hips and he lifted them. She spread her thighs wider and wrapped her legs around his back, needing him.

He paused at the entrance to her body, his gaze locking with hers, and she felt his love in that steady gaze. Felt it course through her, making her shiver. With love. With need. She reached for his hands and his fingers clasped hers, holding on tight, lifting her arms over her head as he slid into her.