Chapter 53

Tears sparked in Raina's eyes as he spoke. She hadn't expected a declaration like this, but she believed him. She believed every word. Mateo didn't lie. He was the definition of intense brooding honesty.

She was saved from having to pull words from a brain gone silly with love and hope. His head descended to hers and he took her lips in a heated kiss.

They removed their clothes in an awkward twisting of limbs and fingers while trying to maintain their kiss. Raina grinned broadly and laughed into his mouth as he tried to tug her shirt over her head but got a button caught in her hair. Without breaking the kiss he tried to untangle the button without tugging too much at her scalp.

"For fuck's sakes, why do women's clothes have so many buttons and zippers and stuff?" He broke the kiss so he could examine what was going on with her hair.