BROKEN HOPE (Broken Redemption Book 2)

Chapter 26

Emilia

At the sound of the doorbell, my heart begins to race. This is it. The night we've both been waiting for since the day we moved into his house and vowed we'd do the work to move our relationship forward.

It honestly surprises me we've made it this long without giving in to what we both so clearly want. Since that first morning when he blew my mind with the way his mouth made love to my body, he's refused to let us go much beyond that point. Knowing Lucas as I do, it's probably his way of proving to me that what we are is so much more than sex. However, there are times I wonder if he's holding back out of fear of what may happen when we finally cross that line. The times I've tried to talk to him about it, all he's said is he wants to do things right, that having sex before we've had a first date cheapens what we are. It's why the minute he suggested we go out tonight, I jumped at the chance.

As the swirling in my belly intensifies, I listen for the unmistakable sound of the front door opening. Jen and Ben's gentle teasing carries in the air, as do the sounds of the girls' squeals as they greet him. Closing my eyes, I can picture him lifting them into his arms the way he does. That look of awe washing over him as he soaks in their love with the focus of someone who knows that nothing in this life is forever.

There's no question how much my girls love him, but it's the careful way he handles their innocence, protecting their little hearts while building them up with confidence, that leaves no doubt he was meant to be theirs. And while I know it's too soon to reconsider his role in their lives, I hope that if things continue as they are, he'll someday be willing to step in and be the father my girls deserve.

With one final breath, I look over my reflection, and once I confirm everything is in its place, I swallow back the nerves and make my way toward the steps. As nervous as I am, my world has never felt more right. And while yes, there's still so much that could go wrong, Jen was right. After everything, I owe us both this chance.

As I turn the corner, my body flushes with heat. His gaze is like a sensual caress, sending goosebumps breaking out over my skin. He stands at the bottom of the steps in dark wash jeans and a fitted aquamarine dress shirt that matches his eyes. The rolled-up sleeves accentuate his muscular forearms and make me yearn to be wrapped in his embrace.

Reaching for my hand, he guides me down the last few steps until I'm standing in front of him. Angling his head, he leans down, dropping a tender kiss on my lips. With our eyes locked onto one another, everything around us disappears.

"Uh...okay, umm, girls, what do you say we go see how Uncle Ben is coming along with those ice cream sundaes? Good idea, right? Okay. Let's go. You two have fun," she whispers that last part as she and the girls sneak off into the kitchen. Not that we notice. The magnetic pull between us renders everything outside of us unimportant.

"God, you're stunning." His voice is reverent as he slides his hands over my hips. Pulling me against his hard body, he tangles our lips together in a claiming kiss. The deep groan that reverberates through his chest stimulates that deep ache inside me, that can only be alleviated by him. "Christ, Embree," he growls, as again his lips move to devour me. "How in the hell am I going to get through tonight?"

"I don't know what you mean?" I smile against him, knowing exactly what he's talking about since I can feel its thickness through the front of his jeans.

Tangling his fingers into the hair at the nape of my neck, he commands my body, coaxing me to open so he can make the kiss deeper. "I know I said we should wait," he gasps. "But I don't think I can," he moans, his hands moving down to the bodice of my dress, stopping just below my breasts, where he catches himself and slowly works to end our kiss.