“You’re beautiful, Lacey. Nothing about you is disgusting. I love you, all of you. When I look at your chest, all I see is survival. I see a second chance at a life, a life with me. So please don’t apologize for something you couldn’t control. Just allow me to make love to you, and please don’t ever forget how much I love you and how I think you are the most gorgeous girl in the world.”

Relief and love exploded in Lacey’s chest as she looked deep into his eyes. Her lip started to wobble before a sob escaped her lips, but then Karson was there, kissing the sobs away. She would never love a man like she did Karson, and she was fine with that. He was her forever. Laying her back, he kissed down her neck and held himself up as he looked down at her. Kissing her nose and then a few of the stray tears, he kissed her lips. Trailing his kisses down his jaw and neck, he placed one in the middle of her chest. Slowly, he placed his lips on her left scar, kissing it softly before doing the same to the right. Tears rolled down the side of her face as she watched him, and when his eyes met hers, he smiled before saying, “I love you, Lacey. All of you.”

Not able to say anything else, she whispered, “I love you.”

Karson was stunned by what Lacey had just shared with him, but he was thankful that she completely trusted him. He loved her with everything inside of him and had waited for this moment for months. He had wanted her since the moment he met her, but unlike with other girls, he wanted to savor her, wanted to treasure her, and wanted to wait until the moment she was ready. She had been nervous since the beginning when it came to him, and he wanted to show her that he could love her without sleeping with her. The last two months had been the best of his life. He was playing the best hockey of his life, and he was in love with the girl of his dreams.

Being with Lacey was easy, like breathing, and she lit up his day every time he saw her. He craved her and couldn’t help but fall in love with her over and over again each day. She was that amazing, that perfect. She worked so hard, she loved with all her heart, and he admired everything she had been through. She was the strongest person he knew, and he loved her with everything inside of him. He couldn’t wait to take her to meet his parents the following day, and Kacey already loved her. He had huge plans for them and couldn’t wait for their future, but right now, he had to make love to the love of his life.

Kissing down her stomach, he unbuttoned her jeans, slowly sliding them down her legs to reveal a little lace thong. Groaning inwardly, he threw her jeans over his shoulder and kissed up her thighs as her hand snaked up into his hair. Spreading her legs, he pressed himself into her before meeting his mouth with hers. The heat from her sweet center teased his dick through his athletic shorts, and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself deep inside her, but he wanted to draw this out as much as he could. He wanted to enjoy her thoroughly.

Falling to the side of her, he continued to kiss her as his hand made a trail down her stomach to between her legs. Pulling her panties to the side, he dipped his fingers between her wet folds and groaned against her lips as his fingers sank into her center. She was hot and wet, driving him completely mad with lust. As he lazily moved his fingers along the taut bud between her folds, he kissed her with urgency as she gasped and thrashed under his hand. He loved feeling her like this, making her come. He’d always wondered why she never took her shirt off when they would fool around before, but now that he knew why, he only loved her more. She was so strong, so beautiful, and all his.

Moving his finger in just the right way against her silky nub, he watched as she came undone under his hand. She bit into his lip, her body shaking under his touch as he removed his hand, slowly pushing her panties down. Kissing along her neck and jaw, he brought her lips to his, kissing her with all the love he had in his soul for her. Knowing he couldn’t wait any longer, Karson crawled over her, reaching into his drawer and pulling out a condom. Chucking his shorts down, he sheathed himself with the condom before crawling back over her, his hands shaking at the mere thought that they were only seconds away from connecting in the most passionate way. Pushing her legs apart, he fell between them, dropping his lips to hers.

As he kissed her, his heart swelled in his chest. He wanted to whisper every single plan he had for them. How he wanted to get married the moment she graduated. That he hoped that by then he was making the kind of money that could support her business. After a year or two, when the business was making great money, he wanted to get her pregnant at least twice. With the hopes that at least one of their sweet babies would be a little girl like her, someone who could have him wrapped around her finger the way her momma had done. He wanted to make a home with her, grow old in that home, and just love her for the rest of his life. She was it—a done deal.

Pulling back to look into her sweet eyes, he smiled as he whispered, “I love you, Lacey Martin.”

Without giving her time to say the words he loved hearing her say, he pushed inside her slowly, a groan escaping his lips from how utterly good she felt. She was tight, sexy, and fuck, he wasn’t going to last long. Her body squeezed him like a vise, and his eyes fell shut as he slowly moved in and out of her. Gripping her sides with his hands, he picked up speed, his body aching for release as she clutched him to her. It didn’t take long, and soon he thrust with one last grunt, spilling into the condom as she squeezed him tight with her body. Falling onto her chest, he kissed her long and hard, his heart pounding with hers as they both gasped for breath. He hated that he didn’t last, but she was too hot and too sexy for him to last any longer than he had. He also hadn’t had sex in months, so being enveloped in her slick heat didn’t help his staying power.