Silence.
She traced her fingertip along the letters of her name, the one on the top of his palm. “I meant what I said. You really hurt me, Hector.”
“I know,” he said sadly. “Of all the things I’ve done in my life, that’s the one I would change first. You are everything to me.” When she remained quiet, he added, “I will never try to change you. I love you exactly how you are. You’re perfect.”
“That’s true,” she said, her heart singing. She could forgive him and have this, she thought, weighing her options. Could have him and his body and his intensity now and forever. Or, she could send him away, unable to get past what he’d done, and go to bed cold and alone. Again, forever.
He wouldn’t run if things got bad with his arms; she believed him about that. He’d always told her the truth; even when he’d broken things off, he’d told her the real reason, refusing to “feed her bullshit.” So … was there really a need to think things through?
“How about this?” he said, clearly about to do a little manipulating. “Be with me, if only to convince everyone at AIR that I’m not g*y. Did you know everyone thought that? The other day, Phoenix tried to set me up with one of her boyfriend’s friends. Also, you took my virginity. If you dump me, I’ll have to tell everyone you’re a skeevy user.”
Holding in her giggles proved to be a struggle. “All right. But only to convince everyone of your straightness. And you’ll have to marry me,” she said. “I want a legal right to boss you around. And you’ll sign an agreement stating that if you ever want to end things, I get custody of your soul. That is nonnegotiable. Actually, go ahead and just hand over your soul right now. I get it no matter what.”
He jerked upright and peered down at her, hope making him radiant. “You mean it?”
“Yes.” A wave of tenderness swept through her. He’d never looked so happy, so relaxed. “I am going to boss you around, no question.”
His lips quirked at the corners. “Not about that. I know that. About marriage.”
Trembling, she reached up and cupped his jaw. “Yes. I think Hector Tremain has a nice ring to it, don’t you? Besides, it’s time you made an honest woman of me and supported your fake kid.”
A bark of laughter as he swooped down for another kiss. “Twins, baby. We’re having twins. And I knew those kids were mine. By the way, there’s a ring in my pants pocket.”
Rusty as his laughter was, it delighted her. Noelle didn’t think she’d ever been this happy before. She was loved, cherished, accepted, adored. But the best part? She was understood. “Really?”
“I told you I was going to chase you around like a puppy until you caved.”
“Let me see it.”
Another kiss, one that turned so heated they began grinding together, making love again, his hands all over her, relearning her, worshipping her as she had always deserved—Hector would be the first to declare how true that was, she was just sure of it—and finally climaxing together.
Afterward, she wondered if, when she and Hector woke up the next morning, because he was staying the night, damn it, and he was going to snuggle the hell out of her, if that would mean Dallas’s vision had finally come true. If the countdown to his salvation—or damnation—would begin.
They’d soon find out.
Hector finally made it to his pants and grabbed the ring. When he returned to the bed, watching her with such loving adoration and longing that her chest ached in the best way possible, she couldn’t keep her hands off him and had to climb into his lap.
“Show me!” she demanded greedily.
He rested against the headboard, the ring enclosed in his fist. “If you don’t like it, I can always exchange it.”
Slowly he opened his fingers. A skull and crossbones with diamonds for eyes rested in his palm, and she utterly melted. “Oh, Hector. My mother is going to have a heart attack when she sees this.”
“Like I said, I can exchange—”
“Don’t you dare! I love it! It’s the most perfect ring ever. Put it on me right now, now, now!”
“So the bossiness has begun.” Grinning, he slid the ring into place and she admired it in the light. What other man would have given her such an exquisite piece? He knew her. He really knew her, saw the true Noelle, and he loved her anyway. “I wanted to buy you other things, too, but I wasn’t sure what to get the girl who has everything.”
“You,” she whispered, those silly tears returning for an altogether different reason. “I only ever want you.”
“You’ve got me.” He squeezed her tight. “Now and always.”
“I love you,” she said, twisting and throwing her arms around his neck. “Now let’s have sex again!”
He was laughing as he tossed her down on the mattress, and Noelle knew they were both happier than they’d ever been or had known they could ever be. No matter what happened next, they were together. They would always be together.
And now, if she and Ava ever got into trouble—let’s face it, they totally would—Hector could burn away the evidence. No need to mention that would be one of his husbandly duties, though. Not yet.
“I love that you aren’t afraid to speak your mind,” he said, kissing his way down her body.
“You love everything about me.”
“True. So very true.”