Page 19 of Love at First Write

“No, I mean I read them today. It wasn’t easy ignoring that email address as long as I did. I’ve been using the one from the bakery. In truth, no one really emails me much anyways; they just call or text. Or walk across the street,” she says with a chuckle.

“You kept writing, just like you said you would.”

“Of course I did. Being away from you the way I have the last few months—where it was radio silence from you—it’s been agony. And I had a five-inch piece of shrapnel slice through my leg.”

“Did you mean everything you said?” she asks.

“I meant everything. But ask me what you want to ask.” I can see the questions in her eyes. She needs reassurances, and I’ll give them to her. Every day if required.

“Do you really think you’re in love with me? I mean you hadn’t even known what I looked like until this week. You could have been disappointed.”

I put a finger over her lips. “You could look like Professor Snape dressed up like Neville’s gran, and I’d still find you the most beautiful woman alive.”

“That is ridiculous.”

“No, that is the truth. Kelsie, I don’t know what you’re feeling or what you were feeling for who you thought was Tommy, but I know where I am. I hope you feel the same.” I shake my head. “I’m not going anywhere though. As long as you need. We’ll date. We’ll be friends and then date. Or we can get married next week. You make the rules.”

“Are you proposing?”

“No, my selkie, not yet. I would want to do it in a much better way than on a sofa with you sitting too far away.”

“I’m right next to you,” she says with a laugh.

“Still too far. I crave your skin next to mine. Your breath mingled with mine. I want to wake up in five years and find strands of red curls imbedded in everything I own. I want to snuggle up on our own couch watching Ancient Alien marathons and laughing our asses off. I want to⁠—”

She silences me with a kiss. I pull her into my lap and eat at her lips, knowing there will never be enough kisses with her to sate me.

She licks into my mouth, and I groan into hers. This woman unravels me. And nothing has felt more right than she does on my lap right now. Not even the first time I put on my Dress Whites.

“Let’s go to the bedroom,” she says against my lips. “I’m worried about your leg.”

“My leg is fine. But we can go to your bed. If you want me to just hold you, I’ll do that. Maybe we can stream some of our show?”

We stand from the couch and she whips off her shirt and drops it on the floor. “I don’t want to just snuggle.”

“Thank fuck.” I squeeze my erection over the thick fabric of my cargo pants. “I’m so hard, I’m almost in pain. I didn’t come here to fuck you, Kelsie. I need you to believe that. I just wanted you to forgive me. To give me a chance to make things right and prove that I’m not a liar.”

She drops her sleep shorts and her panties in one motion. “I’d already decided to forgive you after I read those emails. I even went back to our earlier emails, and you dropped so many clues about who you were.” She presses her palm against my chest. “Ethan Fox, not Tommy. I fell in love with you too. I was just hung up on some silly story that my family is cursed in love.” Her fingers slip beneath the waistband of my pants..

Then her hands are on my skin, exploring my chest, tracing my tatts. “I’m going to fucking embarrass myself tonight.”

Her nose crinkles when she frowns. “How?”

“One touch of your hand on me and I feel like I could come right now.”

“That’s not embarrassing. That’s sexy.” She unhooks the button at the top of my pants.

“Fuck, Kelsie.” I squeeze my eyes shut, clenching my teeth together.

“Is it your leg?”

“What?”

“I thought you were in pain.”

“Not that kind of pain.” I quickly remove the rest of my clothes. “You can ride me so you don’t worry about me popping my stitches.”

“Excellent plan,” she says, her eyes hooded with desire. “On the bed, sailor.”