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She looked at hi in her eyes "How?" she whispered

"It goes beyond a si her question "There’s a hell of a lot more I have to make up for and a weekend won’t do that I have to start over, froain Going forward you will be put first in everything, Chessy I don’t expect you to believe it right away I have to regain your trust and, God, I hope your love as well I’ht"

Chessy’s expression softened and she offered hi He couldn’t remember the last time she’d smiled, and that hurt him He couldn’t look back and pinpoint a ti she’d been ns, so wrapped up in his job and ensuring his business grew and flourished after his partner had bailed All at the expense of the one person he loved most in the world

"I do love you, Tate So veryyou"

"Thank God," he whispered fervently, relief pouring over him

"I don’t want to leave you," she said as fervently as he had "That was never an option for ave you that i I ever want I can’t iine my life without you--your love I just want … us … back That’s all I want Your dominance, your love, your priority That isn’t too ht withyour attention and love when I knew you orking so hard to keep your business going But I can’t do it anymore I don’t care if I sound selfish I want us back!"

He pulled her into his ar his arainst hiainst hih and rested her cheek against his chest

"You aren’t being selfish," he said fiercely "Everything you’ve said is what I should have been giving you It’s oing to change starting now I know I fked up our anniversary night, but I want a do-over Everything starts now We have the weekend just to ourselves I’ive a fk about business Not if it ently away so he could look into her eyes, judge her decision They were full of hope--and relief

"Baby, I knoeekend can’t fix what’s between us I know I have to regain your trust and faith in er than a few days, but I swear to you that if you give et us back That’s what you said you wanted, wasn’t it?"

Slowly she nodded

"Then that’s what I’ to work on," he vowed "It--and you--will be my foree ive you any reason to doubt where you are on my priorities from this point forward"

Then she s up the room His old Chessy, the one who sparkled and shone just by being was back, even if just for a ht that he’d effectively stomped out repeatedly over the last while God, all he wanted to do was take her to bed and make love to her

"That’s all I want, Tate," she whispered "Just you Nothing else I don’t care about et to enjoy it with the man who holds nitude of that state He very nearly went to his knees in front of her to beg her forgiveness all over again

"Kiss et the words out

He gently cupped her face, fra it in his hands, and he lowered hisin her sweetness and the sweet little sigh she breathed into his h of si his hands in her ard curls

"Will you ht here and now? Let me seal aze lifted to his, hazy with desire, her pupils dilated in familiar fashion Thank God she still wanted hiiveness He didn’t suffer any illusion that another woirl had a heart the size of the state they lived in

"I want that," she whispered, leaning her cheek into his pal his touch "So s and then anchored his other around her waist, effortlessly lifting her to cradle her in his arher acceptance like a parched desert soaking in its first rain in months

And then he sloalked toward their bedroo his strength, his solid, h the doorway of their bedrooers out across his chest just below the hollow of his throat

How many weeks--months--had she yearned for this? To be made love to, with or without all the accouterments of dominance, by her husband Her entire heart, body and soul ached for him To reconnect in the most intimate of ways, to say with their bodies all they couldn’t say with mere words