Combust (The Wellingtons #1) (37 page)

Andi sinks back into the pillow, sated and satisfied. I watch as she bites her lip, and the look on her face ignites a passionate fire deep within me. I can see the pink flush on her cheeks in the soft candlelight, and she looks completely and utterly spent. And well fucked. I’ve never seen her look more beautiful than she does right now, and I’ve never felt my heart so full.

Leaning down, I cover her mouth with mine, giving her a slow, long, languid kiss. When I pull back, she smiles up at me with half-lidded eyes, causing my heart to tighten. This is a sight I never want to forget and one I want to replicate over and over for the rest of my life. Her arms circle my neck, and she tries to pull me back in. I bring my forehead to hers and look directly in her eyes. It’s now or never. And if I don’t get this out now, my heart may just burst.

“I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.” The words rush out in a deep whisper.

Her eyes widen, and I can’t tell if it’s with panic or surprise or something else. I knew she might react this way, and I’m prepared for it. She starts to speak, but I bring a finger to her lips.

“Shh. You don’t have to say anything, babe. This was amazing, you’re amazing, and I couldn’t go another minute without saying what was on my mind. I don’t expect you to respond—I just wanted to let you know.” I press another kiss to her lips, and she nods up at me.

Andi might not be ready to say that she loves me, and yeah, maybe I’m too much of a coward to listen to her platitudes. I know she cares about me. Sure, it might not be love yet, but I can be a patient man. She’s always been worth the wait, and if that wait is just a little bit longer, I’ll handle it. But at least now she knows the truth of how I feel.

OH GOD. My toes are curling. Electrical currents are causing my entire body to shiver. I’m not just seeing stars from that orgasm. No, the Northern Lights have somehow appeared on Cohen’s ceiling, and I’m not sure this is a high I’ll ever come down from.

Sex with Cohen is amazing. He’s attentive and loving, and I have never felt so cherished than I do right now. I could kick my eighteen-year-old self for not sticking around for this, and I could also kick present-day Cohen for making me wait two months for him to send me over the moon with nothing but his penis—something that’s never happened for me before.

As we both come down from our orgasmic highs, I lazily grin up at Cohen, ready to ask when we can go for round two, but the look on his face stops me. He’s gazing down at me with what I can only call complete adoration, and it’s completely endearing. And then it happens. He drops the bomb, causing my heart to nearly stop before it quickens and begins to race.

“
I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”

Oh. My. Heart. Shock, elation, surprise, incredulity, awe, and complete, utter happiness all sweep through my body, and the sensations of it almost make me feel like I’m riding another orgasm wave, the high sending my endorphins through the roof.

“
I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”

My inner romantic folds her hands under her chin, sighs and possibly swoons. Seven sweeter words have never been uttered in the existence of all mankind—or at least not in my existence. I replay them over and over in my head until I’m aware that Cohen’s looking down at me.
Hey, dumbass, he’d probably like a response!

Just as I’m about to reciprocate those words back to him, he holds his finger up to my lips and stops me as he gives me some song and dance about how I don’t need to say anything. Wait? What? No!
Say it back, Andi! Say it back!
My brain is screaming at me, but my mouth won’t move.

He gives me a quick kiss and then shifts off the bed. I watch as he heads into the bathroom, and I wonder if he’s trying to get away from me. Oh God. What if he didn’t mean to say it? What if he has some mild form of Tourette’s that has him declaring his love whenever he comes?

Okay, I’ve gotten him off with my mouth and he’s never done that. But still. What if it was like word vomit, spewing at the most inopportune times, and that’s why he didn’t want me to respond? Jesus. Shit. Fuck. Christ on a giant freaking pretzel. My emotions are overwhelming, and even though I knew I’d been falling for him for some time, it wasn’t until he said the words that I knew they were true for me, too.

I love Cohen Wellington.

Cohen Wellington loves me.

We just had amazing sex—the best sex I’ve ever had, really—and I’m still sprawled out naked in his bed, unable to move because my limbs were just fucked into temporary paralysis. No. That’s wrong. That wasn’t fucking. It was too intimate to be labeled that. That—I realize—was lovemaking.

He told me that he loves me. Or well, that he’s on his way there.

And then he took off for the bathroom.

My heart’s having a war with my brain when Cohen comes out of the bathroom with a wet cloth. My eyes watch him as he climbs on the bed and tenderly cleans me up.

I thought I was ready for this. I thought I was ready for him.

But holy freaking crap.

For the first time in my life, I’m in love, and I don’t know how to tell him. Or if he even wants to hear it. I’m still racking my brain when he gives me a goofy grin and settles in beside me, drawing me up into his arms.

We spend the rest of the night in bed, lazily drinking wine and watching movies. Okay, so the movies are on in the background and, for the most part, we’re too busy fooling around to pay attention, but I don’t mind. Cohen makes good on his promise of all-night lovemaking, and it’s honestly the best night of my life to date. I’ve never felt so cherished, desired, or cared for.

The entire night, however, his earlier confession is in the back of my mind, yet he doesn’t mention it again, and there’s a lump in my throat every time I try to muster up enough courage to bring it up. Eventually, Cohen wraps his arms around me and I curl up against him, reveling in the warmth of his naked body surrounding mine. Closing my eyes, I let the effects of the wine and the hours of lovemaking take me off into a dreamless sleep.

THE NEXT morning, I wake up tangled in Cohen’s arms. I burrow my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. It’s a heady mixture of sweat and man, and it gets my juices flowing as I remember the feel of his slick chest pressed against my own as he made me come while he was inside me. A huge grin spreads over my face, and I have to bite my lip at the memory. And then I remember what happened after.

“
I’m falling in love with you, Ruby.”

My grin falters, and I groan inwardly. Pressing my forehead down on his chest, I squeeze my eyes shut, worried that he’s going to regret saying it. Last night, it was easy to let it go because we were much too preoccupied on making up for lost time, but now, I wonder if it’s going to be a huge elephant in the room until we talk about it or if it’s just going to be ignored.

“If you’re going to think so loud, do you mind waiting until after the sun comes up?” Cohen’s sleepy voice breaks through my thoughts and my inward groan is suddenly vocalized.

Looking up at him, I see that he’s looking at me with an expression that’s amused, but at the same time, his eyes are full of concern.

“It’s after ten a.m., Cohen. I’m pretty sure that the sun’s been up for a few hours.”

“Yeah, well, it’s the first day of spring break and we should be sleeping till noon.” He shifts until he’s sitting up with his back resting against the headboard and then pulls me into his lap so that I’m straddling them. His hands come to the small of my back, where he caresses my skin with small circles. “What’s going on in the pretty, red head of yours? Is this about what I said last night?”

Jesus. I’ve been awake less than five minutes and he’s already going there? I need at least two cups of coffee before this conversation happens. Biting my lip, I revert my eyes away from his, concentrating on the dark wood of the headboard.

“Look, Cohen, you don’t have to repeat it. I know things get said in the heat of the moment, and things have been intense between us ever since we started dating.”

I can feel Cohen’s chest rumble with laughter, and he brings a hand up to my face and tilts my head until I’m looking at him. “Oh, Ruby. What am I going to do with you?” He leans in and brushes his lips against mine in a small, whisper of a kiss before placing his forehead on mine. His green eyes gaze into mine, and they soften. “Baby, it wasn’t the heat of the moment. And I most certainly didn’t tell you I was falling for you because I’d just come harder than I ever have before.”

Swallowing hard, I pull back from him and study his expression. He’s no longer amused, and a sincere, almost reverent look is on his face.

“You didn’t? But you didn’t let me say anything and then immediately took off for the bathroom. I thought you regretted it as soon as you said it.”

He gives me a playful smile with a shake of his head. “No, baby, that wasn’t it at all. I didn’t want you to feel like you had to say it back just because I did. That’s all. I could tell I’d shocked you. But I meant every single word. I didn’t say it because we had sex. We had sex because I was ready to say it.”

Holy crap. I suck in a deep breath, and Cohen continues.

“The reason I was finally ready to take things further last night was because of how I feel. Call me old-fashioned or whatever, but I wanted to do things right this time around. Like you said, things have been intense for us from the very beginning, and I knew sleeping together would have a profound effect on me and how I felt for you. Call me crazy, or possibly a pussy, but I wanted to make sure we were really ready so we didn’t complicate things. Most people probably would think it’s dumb, but like that stupid saying, when you know, you know. And I know, Ruby. That’s why I was ready. Because I was your first. And if I have my way, I’m going be your last.”

Warm tears are streaming down my face now, and Cohen brings his thumbs up to wipe them away. “This is crazy,” I whisper, unable to say anything else as my brain—and my heart—process everything he’s just said.

A soft laugh fills the air, and Cohen gives me a breathtaking smile. “I won’t argue with that. Call it fate, kismet, destiny. I never believed in any of those things until you. And I know it’s soon, but I couldn’t go another day without you know how I feel.”

My heart is racing, my blood’s pumping, and my lady parts are so on fire because apparently a guy talking about things like kismet is a major turn-on. I want throw my arms around him, tell him I love him, too, and then curl up under the covers and not come up for air for the rest of the weekend. Instead, I take a deep breath and meet his eyes.

“I get it, Cohen. There’s no explanation for things like this, right?” I shrug and give him an impassive look, biting back a grin when his eyebrows furrow. “Maybe it’s intuition. And, you know, some things you just don’t question.”

His eyes widen, and I know he gets it. This is part of why I love him. He cups my jaw and picks up the song. “Like in your eyes, I see my future in an instant?”

As I nod, tears continue to stream down my face. “I’m pretty damn sure I found my best friend. And it might sound more than a little crazy, but I believe…”