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To th, deter You’reand hard, but you fought it with a quiet graceful beauty and you survived Thank you for everything that you have done to help me tell Laney’s story I love you
“LEVI?” HER SOFT VOICE rings through the bar, effectively kicking my heart rate up a couple hundred notches, and I take a deep breath This is what she does to me When she’s around, my entire universe shifts and I know—I know—that this woman is it for me
“Co a quick inventory toI’ve known for several months that Laney is differentspecial But the other night when her warm body was curled up in my arms, head tucked under my chin, I realized just how perfectly she fits And not just with me, but into my life
A loud thud followed by a faint “shit” catches h the door, toward the dining room “You okay in here?”
Laney is bent over, rubbing her knee She lifts her head and her dark hair slides away fro her hazel eyes—the eyes that I love—on display Her nose crinkles and she cocks her head “Why is it so dark in here? You know I’ down to inspect her knee “Are you laughing at rin split her face and I return it before focusingher flawless skin Leaning forward,her delicate fingers through my hair “When you act all sweet like this, it’s hard to beat me”
I look up and she places a soft kiss againstaway, knowing good and hat her sweet, innocent kisses can turn into Sliding a hand along her back, the other under her knees, I lift her off the ground and she squeals, wrapping her ar her face inmy jaw
“I love surprises” Her voice is low and sexy as shit, and if she says one more word, I’m certain on’t make it out to the patio Soft lips encircle my earlobe and she nips it playfully then sucks the sensitive flesh into hera rush of blood straight to s this woman does to me
Stopping in front of the patio doors, I lower her to her feet “Close your eyes” Her gaze snaps to mine and her eyes widen with excite her free hand in ently lead her across the threshold into the warm summer air
I couldn’t have asked for a better night to do this My dad closed Fla so we have the entire restaurant to ourselves, and the weather is absolutely perfect I blow out a slow breath, hoping that this perfect night gets a little bit more perfect when I tell Laney just how much she means to me “Open your eyes”
She s up her face Her hand reh “Laney” I tug at her are “You can look now”
“Wait,” she laughs, pushingthe moment I haven’t had a surprise since I was seven years old and e Patch doll forinside of me clenches Laney doesn’t have a lot of ood memories of her dad “It wasn’t even new” I stood there,at ot it froe sale, but I didn’t careI loved that doll”
Stepping toward her, I laceher to me “Laney, I didn’t—”
“No” She buries her covered face in ot carried away I’I’, but if it was, I’d still be just as excited” She pauses, pulling away froht”
My hand glides down her back and I pull her toher happy Logically, I know it’s way too early to talk about e, but the thought lingers in the back of my head “I knohat youto give you lots of surprises, Laney” She nods again “I’ to spoil you rotten I promise, one of these days you’ll be sick of surprises”
She lifts her face as though she is looking for a kiss, but her hand is still covering her eyes and she isn’t anywhere close to rin She looks so damn cute with her pouty pink lips puckered and ready “Where’s yourmy arm under her butt, I lift her up and she instinctively wraps her legs around uide her s ainst one another Kissing Laney is like getting a taste of heaven If she’d letaround with my lips connected to her in some way, shape, or form
“Can I haveat ainstto les her eyebrows above her hand, her knowing smile completely infecti
ous If her eyes were open, I’d ada But they’re closed so I s this playful side of her
“Nope”
“No?”
“Not even a little”
She tries to pull back, but les The most perfect sound in the entire world “I don’t believe you” She wiggles her free hand between us until she finds the swollen bulge busting at the zipper of hter “I knew it I knew it Good God, you’re easy” I have no co breathe on et hard
“What do you expect? You’re fucking gorgeous” I runand she scrunches up her shoulders when I suck on the spot just below her ear How easily she forgets that I kno to ot these perfect tits rubbing all up onthe outside of her breast She’s no longer laughingor giggling I inch ers in her hair Wrapping her dark waves aroundand her head tilts back, a sirl and that was not a whi tables