chuckles when I reach to adjust the temperature, assuring me that he doesn’t care how hot the water is as long as we’re in there together.
“What can I say? I like a nice, hot bubble bath,” I laugh, kissing him tenderly as I reach for one of the champagne flutes. “I love you, Colby. This is all overwhelming, but Aaron is right. You do deserve everything. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.”
“For us,” he promises , wrapping his arms tightly around my body. “No matter what the future holds, it’s for us. Not just for me.” Another freaking tear escapes my eye as I watch him walk away. He tells me every night how lucky he is to have someone like me in his life, but tonight, I know that I’m the one who’s lucky.
When Colby walks back into the room, he flips the switch for the overhead lights, leaving only the soft glow of the accent lighting to cast shadows against the wall. He walks over to me, reaching for the button on my jeans. Pushing the denim over my hips, he leans down, leaving a trail of kisses along the side of my neck.
“God, I missed you so much,” he sighs, planting open-mouthed kisses down the center of my chest as he kneels before me. One at a time, he lifts my feet, freeing me of my pants so I’m standing before him in only a matching bra and panties. “Have I told you how beautiful you are?”
“Not in the past hour,” I say breathlessly, weaving my fingers through his messy waves as he continues kissing his way down to my calves, avoiding the area that is now begging for his attention.
“How insensitive of me ,” he says as he reaches behind my back, making quick work of the hooks on my bra. The languid pace he’s setting is sheer torture, but I can’t bring myself to rush this moment. He hooks a finger under each bra strap, easing them down my arms, dropping my bra on the floor between us. “You are, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. I still don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I promise, I plan to live every day trying to be the man you see when you look at me.”
If I wasn’t already head over heels in love with Colby, I would be after that speech. Before I have a chance to respond, he clasps his hand against the back of my neck, closing his mouth over mine in a heated kiss. My mouth opens on a sigh, allowing his tongue to slide past my lips. Without allowing any space between us, I reach between our bodies as he nips at my lip, sweeping his tongue across the flesh to soothe the gentle sting.
I fumble for the zipper on his tight jeans, feeling every rigid inch of him begging to be freed. Breaking the kiss, I begin my descent, kissing the soft ridges of muscle, grazing my fingernails along his sensitive skin.
“Baby, you keep doing that and I’m going to embarrass myself,” he warns me. “It’s been too fucking long.” I love how strained his voice is, the way he doesn’t try to hide the need that mirrors my own.
I glance over my shoulder and see that we’re about to flood the bathroom, which is a shame because I don’t want to step away from him. I make quick work of removing his jeans and briefs before pulling his hand to lead him to the tub. Taking a bath with a lover is something I’ve always wanted to do but never thought I would have the opportunity to turn fantasy to reality. It seems fitting that this will be a moment I will only ever share with Colby. There have been other times I thought I was in love, but what I felt for those men paled in comparison to the overwhelming love and desire I feel for the man standing before me.
I motion for him to step into the tub while I drain enough water that it won’t overflow once we’re both comfortable. He leans back against the hard porcelain, allowing his head to fall back in a combination of anguish and pleasure as I taunt him with a little strip tease to remove my last remaining article of clothing. After kicking my underwear aside, I bend at the