My lips part with a breath. “You told Reed.”

“Yeah, I did. I should’ve gone to him a long time ago. That’s on me, darlin’.”

“No.” I shake my head, stepping closer. “I should’ve told him. I shouldn’t have asked you to lie, CJ. That was wrong of me.”

CJ releases my hand and grabs my face. “I’m your man, Riley,” he says. “You were worried and I should’ve taken care of it. I didn’t. That won’t happen again. The same goes for me keeping stuff from you. It doesn’t matter what reason I had, that was fucked up. I should’ve told you about my leg.”

“It’s okay.”

“It isn’t.” His thumb moves over my cheek as he stares deep into my eyes. “I love you. Do you know that?”

My breaths come quicker. I hold onto his waist while I nod, needing the support. I swear, I feel like my legs are going to give out.

“God, I had no fucking idea it could feel this good,” he murmurs, smiling. His chest moves with a laugh. “Reed, you motherfucker. Keeping my entire fucking world from me.”

I giggle and roll up onto my toes, kissing him and then jerking back almost immediately. “Oh, sorry. Your lip . . .”

His hand snakes around my waist and yanks me against him. “My lip is fine. Kiss me.”

I go back to kissing him, smiling so big through it, I'm not even sure he's getting any lips. “I’m right here,” I say. “You know? You have me. Nobody is keeping me from you.”

“Yeah,” he breathes. He slides his mouth over mine. “Do you feel how good we got it?”

“I feel it.”

“It’ll never be less than this, darlin’. Never.” CJ leans back to look into my eyes. His are brighter now. A soft smile tugs at his mouth. “I’m gonna make you so fucking happy,” he says. He promises, holding so much meaning in his voice it sinks into my heart. His words never leaving. Never having to.

I’m his world. This beautiful, sweet man. I’m his.

And now we don’t have to hide. Now I can tell everyone, strangers on the street and people who matter.

I cannot wait.

I wet my lips, my breaths leaving me in a rush. I’ve never been this excited. This happy. I want CJ to know how he makes me feel. “My mom left,” I tell him instead, sliding my fingers underneath his shirt and touching his warm skin. “There’s nobody here. It’s just us.”

I can tell him later . . .

His eyebrow lifts. “Mm.” He bends to take my mouth, backing me into the room. The door slams behind him with the force of his foot. “Right here? Now?”

“Yes. Here. Now.” I’m nodding frantically. I feel desperate. “Please, CJ.”

“Call me Cannon,” he rasps, pushing me back onto the bed and crawling over me. “I fucking love when you call me that.”

I bite my lip as he sits back on his heels and drags my shorts and panties off. I moan when he palms my breast over my clothes. My back arches off the bed.

“Always wearing this,” he murmurs appreciatively, talking about the hoodie of his I stole. “Always walking around wearing my name. Do you have any idea how good you look being mine? How good you’ve always looked?”

I whimper and reach for his shorts. God, he’s killing me. Why isn’t he naked yet? “Cannon,” I beg. My legs shift around him. I’m squirming. I’ve never felt a need like this before.

Love—I’ve never felt it like this.

CJ’s eyes grow hungry. Darker. He shoves his shorts down to his thighs and frees his cock, leaning over me.

He’s still fully clothed and I’m still partially clothed and it’s perfect.

I moan when he pushes inside me.

“I love you.”

I say it, or maybe he does. I’m not sure. Those three words bounce between us as if they’re the only ones we know. We moan them. We beg them. Inside savage kisses that taste like forever and against heated skin. CJ takes me soft and tender on my back, but on my knees from behind, he yanks my hair and tells me I’m his. I pant over my shoulder and watch his eyes. That wicked look he wears when we fuck. He’s staring at his name on my back. He looks possessed. I tell him I want it—to wear his name. For it to be mine too. His nostrils flare as our eyes lock. My knees shift beneath me. The look on his face makes me tremble.

I’ve never seen a man so turned on before.

CJ pulls out, falls onto his hip and rolls, taking me with him. Our mouths devour again as I straddle his waist. He arches off the mattress when I sink down.

“God, ride me,” he groans.

I bounce in CJ’s lap and reach behind me to fondle his balls. I squeeze them when he rubs my clit.

“You moving back in with me?” he asks, his breathing ragged. Sweat beading up on his brow.

I nod, mouth open. I can’t speak.

CJ sits up and crashes our mouths together. His hand in my hair. His other on my hip moving me on top of him, grinding me down, down, down. Faster.

“I’ll never stop feeling this,” he rasps. “What I’ve always felt for you. Never, Riley. This is us.”

I close my eyes.

Us.

Lovers who fell in love being friends. Friends who always wanted more.

“I love you,” I breathe against his mouth. I want to scream it. “I love you. I love you.”

He growls and thrusts into me. The force of CJ’s orgasm taking him like thunder moving underneath his skin. Face buried in my neck, he swears as my eyes water. My own pleasure swallows me up.

“Cannon,” I moan, limbs shaking. “God. Oh, God . . .”

I’m already being held up by CJ but it feels like he catches me when I come down. His strong arms wrapping around me tighter. Protecting me like a shield. Always sheltering me. We lift our heads to look at each other.

He smiles.

I smile.

“No more secrets,” I tell him, pushing his sweaty mess of hair off his forehead.

CJ's eyes warm. He tips his chin up, sliding my hands to his cheeks, and kisses me. Soft and slow.

“I got plans to marry you,” he murmurs.

I gasp and lean back. “What?” I whisper. My eyes jump between his as I hold his face.

“You said no more secrets.” CJ smiles cleverly. “I’m just saying, babe. But when I do ask, you’re not knowing that in advance. You're going to have to deal with—”