Every Beat Of My Heart: The Sullivans (Wedding Novella) Read Free Page B

fell away completely.
    “Talk to me.”
    She shook her head slightly. “I asked you here to seduce you.”
    “Talk to me first…and then you can seduce the hell out of me.”
    A small smile came back then, thankfully. He easily lifted her in his arms and carried her over to the window seat that looked out over the Golden Gate Bridge and the blue waters of the San Francisco Bay. Back when they were teenagers, he used to bring Chinese takeout to her parents’ garage to share with her while she worked on her latest sculpture. During the past three years, they often sat right here in her studio and ate together out of the little white boxes, even though they had a fancy dining room in the main house.
    Just like always, Vicki was the perfect fit in his arms, and on his lap. She was his perfect fit everywhere—not just when they were skin to skin, but with his family, with his dreams, and with his plans for the future.
    “You look tired.” He hated to see the smudges of exhaustion beneath her eyes. “You weren’t getting enough sleep while you were in Paris, were you?”
    “You know I sleep well only when we’re together. I can’t wait to sleep in your arms tonight.”
    He barely held back a curse, hating that he hadn’t been able to travel to Europe with her because of the inflexible demands of the baseball season.
    “This past year has been such a whirlwind,” she said in a soft voice. Her fingers trailed over the buttons on his shirt, and though he wished she were looking him in the eye as she spoke, he understood that she needed a little time to center her thoughts first. “It’s been thrilling to really start making my mark with my art, of course. It’s just what I’ve always wanted. At least it should be.” She finally lifted her eyes to his, and they were such a clear green that he swore he could see all the way into her soul as she said, “But I want more.”
    “The world is yours, sweetheart. Anything you want, all you have to do is reach for it. And I’ll be there beside you to help you any way I can.” He brushed back a lock of her hair from her face, but it was really just an excuse to touch her soft skin. “What do you want?”
    She slid her hands up from his chest so that she was cradling his face. “You.” She pressed her lips to his in a kiss so soft it was barely more than a breath. And yet it resonated through him as deeply as anything ever had. “More time with you. So much more.”
    “I want that too.” He’d been mulling things over for a while now. Three years ago, he’d offered to retire from the Hawks so that he could be with her whenever and wherever she needed him, but Vicki had insisted she didn’t need him to do that. He wasn’t sure if her feelings had changed, but now he was the one who needed it. “I’ve been thinking a lot about our situation and all the hours we’re spending apart.”
    “That’s why I moved my sculptures and equipment out of the studio today. Because I want you to know—I need you to know—that you’re more important than anything else. I finished my latest commission, and I’m not going to take on any other big projects for a while. I’ve gotten to live out my dream of being an artist these past few years, but now I want to really focus on my dream of being yours. ”
    He had so much to say to her, but first he needed to take her mouth with his. Needed to kiss her with every ounce of passion, and love, so that she’d know how much her offer meant to him.
    By the time he made himself draw back, her eyes were dark with need, her skin flushed, her breath coming fast. “I love you,” he told her, his voice thick with emotion.
    “I love you too.”
    He was amazed by her generosity, by the fact that even though she clearly thought he was taking her up on her offer, she didn’t seem at all upset at the thought of putting him first. But though it meant the world to him, it was his turn now to step up to the plate and hit a game-winning ball