Page 307 of By His Vow

“Yeah, and in turn, I’ve figured out that I don’t want to live another day of my life without you in it.” He pauses, rolling his lips between his teeth. “What…what have you figured out?” Nerves come off him in waves. “Is this where you really want to be, or…”

My heart fractures in my chest as he fully opens up to me. I can see all his fears in those electric green eyes.

“I love it here,” I whisper. “I always have, and I always will. A part of my heart will always belong here in this village.”

“But…” he hedges when I pause.

“But,” I continue, “it’s only a very small part. The rest of it, I left behind with you in Chicago.”

His breath catches and his eyes widen with hope.

“What are you saying, Tate?”

I stare at him. My chest heaves, my entire body trembles, and blood whooshes past my ears as I play the words I need to say to him over and over in my head.

It’s crazy. Only a few weeks ago, I hated him.

I literally thought he was the most irritating man on the planet. And now…

“I love you too, Kingston Callahan.”

78

TATUM

Iwake with a start, my heart pounding as if someone just jumped out at me and scared the living crap out of me.

I blink, my vision of the small living room of my rental clearing.

Weird. I don’t remember lying down.

I was out in the sun and?—

There’s a noise in the kitchen and I sit up, realizing that I’m naked a beat before the reason for the noise appears in the doorway.

“Kingston.” His name spills from my lips like a plea, making my cheeks heat and my thighs clench.

He’s standing in a stream of sunlight wearing only his boxer briefs and looking like a fucking god.

Jesus, did he get hotter?

“Uh…” he starts, dragging my eyes back up to his face, a deep frown marring his brow.

He came for you…

“I can’t find any coffee,” he says, glancing back to the kitchen. “Where have you hidden it?”

Guilt twists up my insides.

Just tell him…

“Oh…um…I’ve actually been drinking tea.”

“Tea?” he asks in astonishment.

“Yeah. It reminds me of Aunt Lena, so…”

“Okay,” he says, accepting my reasoning without question.