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Her bed is neatly made, the comforter cool upon my hands as I slide them from beneath her. I prop her feet on my lap as she sits, leaning against her headboard. “I’m sorry, baby,” I tell her as I massage her feet.

She plays with the hem of her shirt, not making eye contact with me. “No, you’re right. I haven’t been handling this the right way.”

“What I said was completely uncalled for. Even for me.”

When she brings her eyes to mine, I see vulnerability. “I want to be what you need.”

Her confession guts me.

I made her feel like that. I made her feel like she is isn’t enough for me. But the truth is she’s my fucking everything, and I wish my heart and my mouth would get on the same fucking page so she’d know what I fucking feel.

“You’re enough.”

She shakes her head. Tears well in her eyes, and I wish I knew what the fuck to do to take all this doubt away. Taking her chin in my hand, I tilt her face up.

“Fuck, Jenni, you’re enough. More than enough, and I’m a lucky fucking bastard that you’re stubborn enough to see more of me than what’s really there.” Taking a deep breath, I search her eyes and it’s there I find my strength. “I fucking love you.” The words leave my mouth without a trace of doubt and it makes me feel like a motherfucking superhero. Without another word, I bring her lips to mine and show her exactly what she fucking means to me.

She pulls away, but not too much. “Please, Tylan.” Her breath is hot against my lips. Ahh, this girl and her fucking begging. It fucking undoes me every time.

I rip her shirt from her body. Her bare, perky tits are like a nail in the fucking coffin. I am done for this woman. Done. She’s enough for me. She’s everything to me, and I’ll make damn sure she won’t fucking doubt herself again.

“These right here are why I fucking love you.”

He nips his teeth against my breasts, taking in one nipple at a time. His words hit my heart and send warm chills down my spine. His confession of love is the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. He pulls his mouth from my nipple, and with a swift tug, he has my leggings down my body, past my injured foot. Pushing my legs apart, my heart pounds against my chest. He inhales my scent, and when he brings his eyes back to mine, he carries a smirk on his face.

“No, I’ve changed my mine. This is the reason why I fucking love you.”

Licking his lips, he dives back between my legs. The warmth of his breath brings chills throughout my body. As soon as I feel his tongue, I buck beneath him. Squealing at the sensation, my legs tighten around his head.

“You’re such as ass.” I laugh.

He pulls away slightly. “And now she cusses.”

“That’s what happens when I fall in love with a guy who has a potty mouth.”

His body tenses at my words. Uncomfortable and embarrassed, I try to pull myself away from him, but he doesn’t allow it as his hands tighten around my legs.

“Ahh, baby, you don’t have to jump on the bandwagon declaring your love just because I said it. I know I ain’t easy to talk to, harder to deal with and impossible to love. Believe me, I didn’t fucking tell you so you can play parrot and repeat it.”

My heart shatters at his confession. Such a damaged man hiding behind his broken armor.

Spreading my legs further apart, he begins to drop his head, but I stop him by placing my hand on his forehead. Maneuvering my legs from away from his body, I gently get on my knees. I can see that he’s exposed, defenseless. I can tell that it’s more than his hangover that’s weighing on him. This man has been through so much that he’ll never allow himself to believe that he’s good enough. The irony isn’t lost on me that not but moments ago, I felt the same way.

“Tylan, have you ever known me to say things that I don’t mean? Have you?” I push, but he doesn’t answer. “I love you because you’re you. You don’t hide that you’re an asshole. You don’t care what anyone thinks, and that’s rare. We’re always trying to please others and never standing by who we really are, but not you. Never have I met a man who speaks without consequence, who’s willing to take on the world as an army of one, no matter the outcome. You’re fierce, loyal–”

He finally looks at me. “I’m fucked up. That’s what I am.”

“Yeah, you are,” I try to joke, lightening the mood.

“I don’t want you to love me. Not when you can love someone who’s worthy of it. Because, baby, that’s not me.”

His confession knocks me back. “Don’t do that. Don’t put yourself down, and don’t you dare tell me who I can and cannot love. You sound like my father. If I want to love you, then I’ll love you. If I want to sleep with you, then I’ll sleep with you. If I want to f-fuck you, then I’ll do just that.”

“You’ll do what?”

Gone is the vulnerable man and in his place in the cocky, overly sexual man that, heaven help me, I’ve fallen in love with. Just like that, the mood is no longer dismal, and the dark waters we were just treading are now clear.

“I’ll love you,” I say with a smile on my face even though I know that’s not what he wants me to repeat.