Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 443(@200wpm)___ 354(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
“It’s not a sanctuary without you there.”
That was it. I couldn’t wait a second longer. I pulled Simon forward, capturing his mouth in a blistering kiss that left him moaning. His arms wrapped around my neck, and he kissed me back with everything he had.
And this time, there was no dark voice shouting slurs in my head. No self-hatred to pour through this perfect moment. There were only sounds of happiness coming from Simon as he clung to me. I’d made my peace with Sawyer and my past. He wanted someone who would always protect and take care of his brother. There was no one in the world who would do a better job than I. Simon’s health and happiness meant everything to me.
With a great deal of reluctance, I broke off the kiss and bumped the tip of my nose against his. “I love you, Simon. I love you, heart and soul. You are my entire world, and I swear I will do everything in my power to make you happy.”
Simon sniffed, and a tear tumbled from one eye. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited to hear you say that. I was starting to believe it would never happen.”
“It was as inevitable as the sunrise each morning. How could I not fall hopelessly in love with you?”
“I love you too, Pierce. I know I’m a handful—”
“Entertaining,” I corrected.
“And terribly high maintenance,” Simon continued.
“You have highly developed tastes and refuse to settle for anything subpar.”
Simon giggled and brushed aside another tear as it fell. “But you are my perfect concerto. The nocturne lulling me to sleep. The sonata that will be the score for the rest of my life. I want only you.”
I bent my head and stole another kiss, holding him so tight. Nothing would come between us, man or ghost. Simon Miller was all mine.
26
SIMON MILLER
He was mine.
Mine at last.
After all the years of pining, wishing, praying, scheming, Pierce Sutton finally belonged to me.
The idea that he had to do anything to win my heart or soothe my ego or even prove that he was worthy of me was absolutely ridiculous. He’d won my heart and proved he was worthy years ago with a hundred tiny kindnesses.
That didn’t mean I didn’t love the sanctuary he’d created for me. It stole my breath away. He saw me. Truly, completely saw me, and he embraced me rather than running away. He understood not only the importance of music in my life, but how I needed a place to escape where I could shut out the rest of the world.
Well, all the world except for him.
There was no need to escape Pierce.
I kissed him deeply, my fingers threading through the silky strands of his hair while his hands dug into my back and twisted in my shirt, pulling me in as close as humanly possible. My blood turned into liquid fire coursing through my veins, and my kisses grew hungrier. We’d been apart for days. Kissing would not be enough.
“Maybe we should test out the sturdiness of the sofa,” I suggested after nibbling on Pierce’s bottom lip.
“Nope.”
I opened my mouth to argue that this was the perfect chance, but Pierce stepped out of our tight embrace and bent. In the blink of an eye, the entire world flipped upside down as Pierce tossed me over his shoulder. A squeal of surprise broke from my lips as my man turned around and marched out of my sanctuary and headed up the stairs.
“What the hell! Don’t you dare hurt yourself before I get to have my fun!”
Pierce smacked my ass. “Be still, or we’ll both go backward down the stairs.”
That got me to lie still on his shoulder. Of course, I had an excellent view of his tight ass as he climbed the stairs in his slacks. I ran my hands across those two cheeks, admiring the feel of those taut muscles as they moved, earning myself a low chuckle.
By the time we’d reached the bedroom and Pierce had kicked the door shut with his foot, I was hornier than I had been in the music room. Pierce dropped me on the mattress with a bounce, and for a breath I could only lie there, admiring how powerful he looked as he jerked off his tie and attacked his shirt. Tendons danced in those sexy hands, deftly sliding each button out of its prison to reveal more and more of his chest.
“Do you have any idea how gorgeous you are?” I asked. One hand dropped to massage my aching cock through my pants. “Tall, dark, and so fucking dreamy. If I had known you were going to be so much hotter as an adult than you were at twenty, I would have jerked off a lot more as a teenager.”
Pierce’s talented fingers faltered, and he tossed his head back, laughing deeply. I loved that too. Since returning from North Carolina with his friends, his smile felt a little freer with me. Earlier, that comment would have earned a warning glare. Today, he laughed like I wasn’t one hundred percent serious. I was. My tissue consumption would have gone through the roof. No sock would have been safe as I’d daydreamed of the handsome man in front of me.