“I wasn’t sure if I was the only one who felt this way, Daniel. I felt something stronger between us—something that always pulled us toward each other—but I wasn’t sure if you were able to feel it too. I felt it was one-sided.”
His lips curled up. “It was never one-sided. From the first moment I saw you I felt different with you. It was more powerful than anything I’ve ever felt. Even more powerful than what I felt back then when I was with the girl who broke my heart. Hell, that can’t even compare to this.”
I followed the perfect lines of his face with my eyes and fingers, thinking like I was going to explode from happiness. This was all I needed—these words that gave me life and lifted me up.
“I’ve been fantasizing about you telling me these words a lot, and now that you’re saying them I can’t even express how happy you make me feel. I’m so happy, Daniel.” I grabbed his face, my eyes teary. “You know, I have to admit that I felt jealous back then when you told me about your first love. I didn’t have any right to feel this way, especially because that was something from your past, but I couldn’t help it.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
He left several quick kisses on my face, stroking my hair with his fingers. “I’m over the moon because of this! I have to admit that I felt the same way when I saw you with that Tinder guy in the restaurant. I was so jealous, and I couldn’t do anything to stop it. I just wanted to claim you as mine and take you away from him.”
His confession made me giggle, my insides warming when his fingers slid up my thighs, coming dangerously close to my mound, and I wished he would just touch me and fill me with pleasure.
“Well, you did take me away from him. You interrupted my date.” I pouted my lips, pretending I was offended.
“Don’t complain. It was obvious that you were bored to death with him.”
I pushed my hands beneath his shirt, relishing in the feeling of his hard muscles against my palms. He moaned in response, and I moved so that I was straddling him now. My pussy was pressed directly on his hard cock, which was exactly what I needed.
“But you were still jealous.”
“Yes, because I don’t want you with any other guy but me.” I ground against him, already wet.
“Oh, so you want me for yourself only?”
“Yes. I want you all for myself and I want everything with you.” The way he was looking at me now was very intense, and I stilled in anticipation of his next words... “I love you.”
Oh my God. He loved me. I gaped at him, my heart rate skyrocketing. “You... You love me?”
“Yes. I love you, and I want to be with you. I don’t need other girls. I need you. Only you.”
I was smiling so hard now that my muscles hurt.
“You sure know how to melt a girl’s heart, Daniel.”
I slammed my lips against his and laced my fingers in his hair, deepening our kiss. I wanted to show him just how much he meant to me. Now that things came to their right place, I was able to see the whole truth. I felt so much for him that I never wanted to let him go. He was the right one for me, and I wanted to fight for us.
“I love you too, Daniel. I want to make you happy.”
“You love me? Oh, babe.”
His smile was dazzling, his lips taking my breath away when they came back to mine for more, our bodies communicating our feelings for us. I’d never felt happier or more loved than now. Daniel Chisolm. My man. I loved the sound of it.
Now that I knew the truth, I regretted distancing myself from him and causing us pain. If I’d reacted differently, things between us could’ve progressed much sooner.
“I realized how wrong I was,” I told him when I separated my lips from his, breathing unevenly. “I was wrong for presuming things and not actually believing you. I was supposed to know better, and it bothers me that I almost ruined everything with my stubbornness and premature judgments.”
“No, don’t be hard on yourself, Marissa. I should’ve mentioned Anna sooner to you. Actually, I want you to meet her.”
“You do?”
“Yeah. I spoke with her about you and she wants to meet you too. Maybe we can schedule some dinner next week and you can get to know her.”
“I would like that.”
“Then that’s settled.”
“So you talked about me to your sister?” I was unable to stop smiling. “And what did you say to her?”
His smile matched mine. “That you’re the best woman I’ve ever met. That there isn’t a day goes by that I don’t think about you. That you made me feel some amazing things that I’d given up on a long time ago. But now that I have you I don’t want to lose you.”
He took my hands in his and kissed each of them, his soft lips cherishing my skin. “I’m sorry for all our misunderstandings, Marissa.”
“There is no need for you to be sorry. I’m the one who should apologize for how I acted these last few days.”
“It’s okay. It doesn’t matter anymore. I want to start over with you. So, will you be my girlfriend?”
“You don’t even have to ask. With pleasure, Mr. Chisolm.”
He ground against me, his signature smirk sparking desire deep in me. “I’ll show you pleasure, Miss Ford. Actually, I intend to show it to you every single day until the rest of our lives.”
He picked me up and placed my legs around my waist, heading to my bedroom.
“Starting from now.”
Epilogue
One year later
I was in my bedroom, packing things for the surprise vacation Daniel was taking me on today. Alison, Claire, and Daniel’s sister, Anna were sitting on my bed, keeping me company before we headed to the airport.
“My brother can be so romantic sometimes,” Anna said, skimming through the gossip magazine that was in front of her.
“Yeah. Who would have thought?” I shared a conspiratorial smile with her, knowing very well that Daniel wasn’t quite romantic, but he knew how to make a girl swoon when he wanted to.
Anna and I had become good friends since our first dinner a year ago. She was amiable and approachable—so similar to Claire. She was almost an exact replica of Daniel, and I wanted to laugh at the bitter irony. If I’d seen her face that night I saw Daniel and her hugging, I would’ve concluded that she was his sister immediately. They were like twins.
“How have you two been lately?” Claire asked me as she helped me with packing.
Alison and she had bought me some sexy lingerie for this vacation, and I couldn’t wait to wear it for Daniel. He loved seeing me only in sexy underwear and nothing else.
“We’ve been great. You know that both Daniel and I are workaholics, but we still manage to find some quality time for us. I feel great.”
I smiled at all the memories we’d shared this past year. We were happy together. No, scratch that. We were more than happy because Daniel showed me what it was like when you were surrounded by supportive partner who truly cared about you and made sure all your needs were fulfilled. We were madly in love.
Daniel proved me time and again how sweet he was and how much he loved me. He’d completely changed, staying true to his words that he found what he’d always needed in me. He always liked to joke that he was “cured” or that I cured him because he hadn’t slept with anyone but me ever since the day we first met.
His broken heart had finally been pieced back together, and he was able to fully put his trust in me and allow himself to love and be loved. On top of everything, the sex was simply amazing. The way we satisfied each other in bed always left me wanting more—I always wanted Daniel and all those things he did to me.
“He’s different,” Anna said to Alison and Claire. “Before Marissa, he was so stressed and easily upset, and no matter what I did to cheer him up, he was always somehow aloof. No one could reach him and help him. But then he met Marissa and everything changed.”
She looked at me with her warm chestnut eyes, her smiling speaking volumes. “I always wanted
to thank you, Mari. You changed him and helped him deal with his issues. He’s finally able to fully relax and smile for real.”
“No need to thank me, Anna. The truth is that I learned a lot from Daniel. He helped me change too. He helped me become more compassionate and understanding instead of jumping to conclusions, which is extremely important for me as a therapist. It made me realize that sometimes faith in people is all they need to become better. So I’ve been practicing this in my one-on-one sessions, and I already see some good results.”
“Our Mari is the best therapist,” Alison said. “I think I’m also learning a lot from you.”
“Oh stop it. You’re flattering me now.”
She crooked a grin. “Of course I am! Because I’m the best therapist in the world!”
Claire and Anna burst into giggles. “No, ladies. You’re wrong. I’m the best therapist in the world,” Claire added.
“I think we can agree on one thing,” Anna said. “Pathways Clinic has the best team in the country.”
An hour later, I finished with packing, having managed to put all my things in three large suitcases. In several minutes, Daniel would come and pick me up, and just the thought of it got me excited.
“I can only imagine Daniel’s face when he sees your luggage,” Anna remarked.
Alison rolled her eyes. “That is like one of the most important rules for us, girls—don’t go anywhere if you didn’t pack at least ten times more things than you actually need.”
“Well, what can I do when it’s difficult to choose? Besides, we’ll be on that private island for ten days. I can’t just bring one suitcase for so many days.”
“I can,” Daniel said, and I spun around, finding him at the door with one suitcase behind him.
“Figures,” Alison replied with a smirk on her face.
“Honey!” I jumped into his arms and kissed him, already hungry for his lips.
He laughed in between our kisses, his arms tightly wrapped around me. “Someone is happy to see me.”
“I’m always happy to see you. Did I already thank you for taking me on this vacation?”
“Like a dozen times.”
“It doesn’t hurt to say it again.”
“Hey, lovebirds!” Anna said when we continued kissing. “You have an audience, you know.”
Daniel snorted and raised his eyebrow at his sister. “Shh, sis. This is nothing compared to what I have to see when you’re with your boyfriend.”
Anna blushed slightly, looking away. “Guilty as charged.”
“Okay, girls. We need to go now because our flight’s leaving in two hours.”
Alison and Anna helped us with suitcases on our way to Daniel’s car, and when the time came to say goodbye, I felt a bit emotional. I was never good with goodbyes, even when they were temporary.
“I’ll miss you girls,” I told them and hugged each of them.
“We’ll miss you too, sweetheart. Don’t steal her forever, Daniel!” Alison said.
“The only thing that’s stolen is Marissa’s heart, and I don’t regret it at all.”
How sweet was he? I just loved him so much.
A couple of minutes later, we were on our way to the airport, both excited about the time we were going to spend together.
The island was a true paradise, and I fell in love with its striking nature and beautiful beaches. The view was breathtaking. Daniel had rented a huge villa with a surrounding estate that consisted of a golf course, horse fields, several pools, and tennis courts. I’d never seen anything like this before except in movies.
As if that wasn’t enough, there was a restaurant in one part of the house, which served the freshest seafood I’d ever had. Since the island was privately owned, it wasn’t opened for tourists, and there wasn’t much to see out of the estate, but the estate itself provided more than enough activities to keep us occupied these ten days.
The first day had passed fairly quickly as we spent our time indulging in various ‘activities’. In the evening, Daniel told me he would take me to a private beach, where he had one special surprise for me, and the anticipation started getting the best of me as I took a shower. I dressed in a skirt and top that revealed my toned stomach, letting my black hair fall in waves, which was how Daniel liked it the most.
It was around nine when I got out of the house and found him waiting for me on the porch. My eyes immediately went over him, appreciating the way he looked in denim shorts and a white polo shirt. No matter what he wore, he always looked sexy, and I was never tired of gazing at his model-like body.
He turned around and assessed me, his eyes instantly filling with desire. “You look beautiful.”
“Just like you.”
He pulled me into a hug, his lips meeting mine midway. I was so high on him, always needing his kisses and touches. His hands slid down my waist, touching me with utmost adoration, and I pressed myself against him. We’d had sex as soon as we arrived here, but I was already hungry for him, desperately needing him naked and inside of me.
“As much as I would love to fuck you right now, I’m afraid that has to wait for a bit,” he murmured into my lips in a hoarse voice. “Let’s go. I can’t wait for you to see my surprise.”
Ten minutes later, we arrived at a vacant, secluded beach that was surrounded by rocky walls and tall palm trees that swayed in the summer breeze. He led me across the makeshift path covered with the hundreds of rose petals and illuminated with lit torches that came out of the ground. My throat closed up on me as I looked around, astonished at all the details he’d taken care of.
The path led to a table with dinner and the lit candles next to the sea, and I stopped to take it all in, my heart pounding at his thoughtfulness. He’d prepared all of this for me—for us.
“Daniel, I... This is so romantic and unexpected. I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
“Who would have thought, huh? I’m sure Anna won’t believe you when you tell her about this.”
“That’s for sure!”
We stopped right next to the table, and I stared mesmerized at the flowers that had been put in the middle. The bouquet held a mixture of delicate exotic flowers that were simply beautiful. It was surrounded by several plates that contained various tropical foods and international dishes that I longed to try.
“You’re amazing.” I turned around and embraced him, becoming emotional. “I love you so much, Daniel.”
He took my hands in his. “Are you going to cry?”
I realized just now that my eyes had become teary. “Oh no. And if I do, those will be happy tears.”
His smile was warm, just like the look in his eyes as we stood next to each other. “I’m glad I can make you happy.”
“You always make me happy, Daniel. Always. I love this. Thank you so much.”
I took a seat, admiring the waves that crashed gently against the shore as I waited for him to pour champagne into our glasses. The full moon illuminated the surface of the water, making the setting even more romantic. The night was perfect, and the starry sky brought me inner peace. I’d never experienced anything like this before.
“Here.” He gave me my glass before he sat across from me.
“Why champagne? Are we celebrating something?”
“Are there no reasons to celebrate?”
We clinked our glasses, never taking our eyes off of each other. Those eyes. I could always get lost in them easily.
“From the moment I met you, I feel like a new man. You gave me something that I thought was forever lost for me, and you enabled me to heal,” he said. “That is a good enough reason to celebrate.”
Everything in me tightened at his words, and a few tears spilled out of my eyes. I was so happy next to him. This last year had been the best ever. We’d had so much fun together, traveling and visiting different places, but somehow, this trip felt different. It felt special.
“You’re not the only one who feels different. Before you, I was close to giving up
on men and the whole concept of dating. If I hadn’t met you, I would think that love existed only in movies and books. But then you appeared, and even though we had a few ups and downs in the beginning, we managed to get over the obstacles and find our way to each other.”
He took my hand in his, and I savored its warmth and strength. “How lucky was I to meet you? Sometimes, I still can’t believe it.”
“I feel the same, Daniel. You’re so special.”
He led my hand to his lips and left a soft kiss on my palm. “There is something I wanted to tell you.”
The atmosphere suddenly changed between us, becoming charged, and I felt flutters in my stomach. “Okay. Shoot.”
“We actually have some specific reasons to celebrate. Firstly, I want you to know that I’m expanding my business overseas.”
My eyes widened as I took in what he’d just said. “Really?”
“Yes. The plan is already in motion, and the office in London will start working in a month.”
“Oh God! That is amazing!”
I pulled him into a kiss, grinning like crazy from happiness and joy. Daniel had been working so hard these last few months to be finally able to fulfill his long-time dream. I was so proud of him.
“I knew it. I told you that you’d manage to pull it off soon. I’m so proud of you.”
“Yeah. It’s all thanks to you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. I’d been so stressed before I met you that my work suffered badly. All my problems with work have been solved since you came, so now I can fully focus on my business.”
I caressed his cheek, flashing a loving smile at him. “You flatter me. It was all thanks to your hard work and commitment.”
“I just say the truth, sweetie. Anyway, now that we’re expanding, I have to go abroad and make sure things are working the way they should. This means that I’d probably have to stay in England for at least a year.”
Oh. “I see.”
A pang of displeasure spread through me because that would mean that we would have to be separated... No. I didn’t want that.
“There is no need for you to make that face. I’m not leaving you, you know? In fact, I wanted to ask you to come with me.”
Off Limits Page 9