Love, Utley (Love Letters #1)

“It’s my company. I can change the rules.”

I release one of his arms so I can press my palm against his chest, over his heart. “Maddox, I can’t work for you. I’m not coming back.”

“I—” he starts, then I watch him fight through a swallow. “I know you’re talking about work, but I can’t hear you say that. I can’t hear you say you’re not coming back.”

“Oh, Maddox.” I press my palm against him harder. “I’m not leaving you. Not ever. Not like that. I just can’t work for you. I love you too much.” His chest hitches under my touch. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you when it all happened on Friday. I should have. I just… I didn’t want you to feel like you’d need to fix it.”

He flexes his fingers around my neck. “Say it again.”

“I’m sorry —”

Maddox shakes his head as he leans in closer. “The other part, Hannah. Say the other part again.”

My lips form a soft smile. “I love you, Maddox Lovelace. Have for a long time.”

He lowers his mouth to mine.

It’s not frantic. Not rough. But it’s still a claiming.

His lips press against mine. Warm and coaxing. Asking me again to tell him that I love him.

So I do.

I open for him.

I let him taste me as I taste him back.

He wraps his arms around me, and I do the same, reaching my arms up around his neck.

Maddox tightens his grip and lifts me off the ground, my toes dangling inches above the blacktop.

“Tell me again,” I whisper between kisses.

“I love you, Hannah. Have for a long time.”

ONE HUNDRED SIXTEEN

MADDOX

Holding her against me, I drop my head to her shoulder.

She loves me.

I breathe.

For what feels like the first time in forever, I just breathe.

“You kept a piece of me,” I tell her, with my lips against her neck. “You kept a piece of me all those years ago, and I didn’t realize it. I couldn’t figure out what was missing. But you just gave it back to me.” I lower her feet to the ground so I can look at her. “Your love makes me whole.”

Tears drop from her lower lashes as she grabs my hand and presses it over her heart. “You kept a piece of my heart too. But I think we were just holding on to them for each other. They wouldn’t have fit, not back then. But they do now.”

My throat tightens. “I missed you so much.”

“So much.” Hannah lets out a watery hiccup. “Too much.”

“I wish you’d told me.” I lower my forehead to hers. “You’re not alone anymore, Hannah. You don’t have to fix everything by yourself.”

I feel her body hitch as she takes a choppy breath. “I wish I’d told you too. I’m sorry—”