Slowly breaking the kiss, she looked at him, her mind in a daze. “I don’t even know how to thank you, Gavin. You’ve accepted me with every fragile weakness I have, loving me no less than a woman without faults. A woman without fears. Every look, touch, and kiss you’ve given without judgment of any kind. You’ve healed every exposed wound, old scar, and piece of pain I brought into this relationship without expecting anything in return. You’ve shown me what a racing heart feels like, shown me mere thoughts could easily cease with a single kiss. You’ve shown me what it is to feel truly, wholeheartedly, until the end of time loved. How do I thank you for all of this?”
“You do every single day,” he softly answered, stroking her hair.
Emily closed her eyes. “How?” She leaned into the heat of his touch.
“Look at me, Emily.” She opened her eyes, her watery gaze searching his. “Right there, doll. You said every look I’ve given you was without judgment. Well, every look you’ve given me is untouched, pure in all it is for my eyes. You look at me like you’ve never seen a man before. There’s no way for me, as a man, to ever explain what that feels like.” He reached for her hand and laid it against his heart. “You said every touch I’ve given was without judgment. Every time you touch me, your hands shake. You have no idea how that makes me shake. I’m not talking sexually, either. You shake everything I’ve ever know myself to be.”
Pulling her closer, he ghosted his mouth against hers. “And every kiss? Jesus, don’t even get me started on the way you kiss me. From the first kiss we shared that you stopped”—he softly bit her lip, sucking it between his teeth—”to this kiss right now, you sink me. You make love to me with every kiss. You confirm what this wiseass knew the second he laid eyes on a beautiful waitress with food splattered all over her uniform. I hate using the same lines, but your lips were made for mine. Which means each kiss was made for me. Each time you look at me the way you do, lay a shaky hand on my body, or your soft lips touch mine, you make me thank God for being a man. That’s how you thank me every day, and that’s the way I hope you continue to thank me for the rest of my life.”
Once again struck speechless, Emily wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing him down for a kiss. She had a feeling she’d experience countless “struck speechless” moments with Gavin.
“Mmm. See? You just made love to me with that kiss.” Gavin grinned, reaching for Emily’s hand and leading her out of the nursery.
“I like that term. I make love to you with my kisses.”
“Yes, ma’am, you do.” Gavin winked and grabbed his keys from the kitchen counter. “Now you have me wanting to do nothing but stay home all day so I can continue to get some good ol’ lovin’. I’m about to cancel this little outing.”
Emily giggled and plucked a soft, knit cardigan from the closet. Opting for comfortable flats instead of her gorgeous Stuart Weitzman heels, she sat on the couch and glanced at Gavin while she slipped them on. His suggestion of canceling was becoming more appealing by the second. With his Yankees cap pulled down to his brows, he looked extremely edible swathed in dark blue jeans, a fitted graphic T-shirt, and a pair of Chucks. Emily bit her lip and moved toward her eye candy.
“We can’t cancel,” she said, tossing on her cardigan. The words came out like a pout as she accepted her purse from him. “We’re meeting them at noon, and it’s almost a quarter after eleven.” She reached for his hand and dragged him to the door. If they didn’t get out of there soon, they’d never leave. “Good ol’ lovin’ later, Mr. Blake.” She smiled as she waited in the hall while he groaned, punching in the security code.
It was all good though. She kept him happy by “making love” to him several times on their way down in the elevator.
A slight mid-April chill bit at Emily, spreading goose bumps over her skin as she and Gavin climbed from her car into the bright sun. Either way, spring in New York was beautiful as the city awoke from a long, hard winter. Not that the city wasn’t always alive and well, but the streets held a sense of renew as everything else came back to life. From store owners propping open their doors to let fresh air sweep through their buildings to the trees in every park springing with colorful buds, the center of the world roared her existence with the change of season. It was also something Emily had grown to love.
Locking hands with Gavin, Emily peered into several storefronts as they made their way down Lexington Avenue. Stopping just shy of 74th Street, her gaze fell on a form-fitting summer dress displayed on a mannequin. Hands poised on her hips, the offender wore the dress on her plastic body far better than any top paid model. Emily looked at her growing stomach and sighed.
“What’s wrong?” Gavin asked, his eyes moving between her and the offender.
“That’s beautiful, and I’m never going to fit into anything like it again.” She continued walking toward Giggle, a posh baby boutique Colton and Melanie suggested they check out. “I’ll be lucky if I’ll fit into Hefty garbage bags after I give birth.”
Gavin came to an abrupt stop. He cupped Emily’s cheeks, a wide grin plastered across his face. “If you’re wearing a Hefty garbage bag or a bikini, you’ll still look shmexy.” He popped a kiss on her forehead. “A hundred pounds or five hundred pounds, I’m still gonna love ya.”
“You say that now. Let’s see if you’re saying the same thing when you have to special order me clothing to fit around my ass.” Emily lifted an incredulous brow. “Better yet, let’s see if you’re saying the same thing while trying to pull the garbage bag off my extra-large, naked body.”