"I'm glad my dad helped you, but-"

"Not just your dad. I'm going to Al-Anon meetings, too."

"You are?"

He nodded. "But even if I weren't, I told you, I see things differently. I'm not going back to my past. I don't want to. I want to move forward. With you."

Swiping a bead of sweat from over his lip, he sat up, pulled off his shirt and lay back down, drawing the throw up to his collarbone.

But not before she saw the spot of yellow on his chest. "What was that?" She reached to pull it back down. He didn't stop her.

He had a quarter-size sun on his chest, not centered, but slightly to the left. "Is that a tattoo? Is it permanent?"

"Forever." Oh, God, the look in his eyes made her insides melt. Just freaking melt.

"You got a tattoo of a sun on your chest-"

"Over my heart, sunshine."

"Why would you do that?" She couldn't help touching it.

"Because I never stopped loving you. Even when I left you on the street in New York City, even when I went back to Gun Powder, even when I filled out the application for Boulder, I loved you. I love you, Nicole. You're my deep down. And I want you back. All the way back."

Her body felt stretched thin, her emotions strung tight as a bow. She had no words, so she drew her legs up and clasped her hands together over her heart.

"You're my sunshine, the very best thing in my life. And I'm not going to stop until I get you back. I swear to you, Nicole, you can keep pushing me away, you can wait as long as you want to see if I choose my mom over you again, but it's never going to happen. No matter what happens with my mom or to my mom, I'm going to be with you. Because I have to." He reached under her knees and straightened her legs, uncurled her fingers and placed her hands on his warm chest, right over the tattoo. Then, he dragged her up against his body. "I have to."

She couldn't think. Everything locked up inside her. Her body trembled, as her heart started to ache. The ache turned into pain, and the pain grew to the point she thought her heart would crack wide open.

His gaze bore into her, penetrating and deep. "I love you. I never stopped, and I never will. You make me happy. You make me free."

Pain had a grip so tight she couldn't breathe. She had to look away from him. Resting her head in the crook of his arm, she traced the tattoo. He made me part of him. Permanently.

"Your mom won't change," he said. "Jonathan's not going to change, but I did. I changed for you because I want you more than I want to stay stuck in my past. I choose you."

That did it. Something burst inside her-only it wasn't her heart. It was the bindings around it. She felt the shift in her chest as vividly as if someone had lifted a weight off her. She looked up at him and saw the truth in his eyes. And she believed him.

Holding his gaze, time seemed to stand still. And then he licked his lips, the movement lowering her gaze to his mouth. That beautiful, sexy mouth that loved her so passionately, so ardently.

Her cell phone rang, and Nicole sat up in a rush. "Hello? Dad?" She pushed the hair out of her eyes.

"Your brother's awake," her dad said. "He's doing just fine."

"Oh, thank God. Thank God. Okay, we'll be there soon. Does he need anything? Do you need anything? Should I bring your toothbrush?"

"Slow down, sweetheart. Don't bother with anything. He'll be discharged in the morning."

"Okay." She turned to Dylan, mouthed, He's okay. He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. "He's um...he's going to be all right?"

"Yup. Get some rest. We'll see you in the morning."

"Are you sure? I'd really like to see him."

"It's late, and the doctor's with him. Best thing for him is to get a good night's sleep."

"Okay. You're right. Goodnight, Dad."

She set the phone down, turned to Dylan. Her mind spun, a tangle of emotions. Too much to process.

"Come here." Dylan held his arm open for her, and she curled up against him.

His big arm reached across her to turn off the light, then settled around her, pulling her tight against him.

"'Night," she whispered in the darkness. Thank God her brother was all right. She didn't know what she'd have done if he hadn't been.

"I've missed this." He lifted a strand of hair, wound it around his finger. "I missed you."

Her body vibrated with both need and anxiety. She wanted his hands on her, his mouth on her, his body pressed to hers. She'd missed him with such fierceness she'd been unable to get out of bed for the first few days.

But she couldn't move. She wanted to let go and love him-God, she wanted to love him. But she shouldn't even be thinking about it right now. She was tired, and her brother was in the hospital. She'd sleep now, worry about her and Dylan tomorrow.

Only her mind wouldn't shut down. Not for a second. Not when she felt his heat, the tension in his body-from his muscled thighs pressing into hers to the arm that cinched her waist. Even his breathing sounded short, shallow. Anxious.

As a child, she'd go to sleep like this every night. All wired and scared. Just like this. But her dad was right-she'd been helpless back then. Now, no matter what happened with her and Dylan, she wasn't helpless. She could handle anything-it would hurt, but she'd live through it. She'd be fine.

Just like that, her muscles let go, and she relaxed in his arms. He must've felt it because he shifted, burrowing in closer.

His nose at her ear breathed in. "When we're like this, everything just feels right."

Oh, yes. She felt it, too. Desire streamed through her. This was Dylan. He was here, he was back. She smiled when she realized he'd fought his demons for her.

For her.

She turned in his arms, loving the feel of his heat and powerful body. It was all hers. He was hers. Reaching for his hair, she scraped it off his face. "Dylan."

She kissed him. And, oh, God, did it feel good. The slam of need had her heart hammering, her blood pounding. To feel him again, to have his mouth devouring her-she'd thought she'd lost him.

But then he abruptly pulled away. His hand settled on her hip and held her firmly. "Get some sleep."

Rearing back, she tried to see his expression in the darkness.

"You're tired. You're upset." He paused. "I want you to be sure. About me. Us."

Her blood turned to honey, thick and sweet. This was her man. And she loved him with everything in her. She cupped his cheek. "Do you choose me?"

"Yes."

"Then show me."

He groaned and, just like that, he tossed the throw off him, whipped her blanket back and off the bed. His mouth claimed hers, his hands cupping her face. He shifted on top of her, his hands hot on her skin, gliding along her curves. "I love you. I love you so fucking much."

He shoved his gym shorts down, kicked them off before covering her with his hard, hot body. "My sunshine." His mouth moved to her neck, licking, pressing kisses to her collarbone. "Tell me you want me. Tell me you want this."

"I do. You know I do."

"Lift." He drew her top up over her arms and flung it aside, tugged her pajama bottoms and panties off her hips. Palming her breasts, he devoured first one nipple, then the other.

His hands were on her everywhere, under her back, stroking down her belly and cupping between her legs. "I need you. All of you." His mouth followed the path of his hands until his shoulders pushed her legs apart and he licked inside her.

At the first lick of his tongue, electricity pulsed through her, and her hips shot off the mattress. She gripped his hair.

Hands sliding under her ass, he lifted her to his mouth, taking his time to love her-so sensuously, so intimately. It built fast, her senses inundated with him, with desire, her heart so full she thought it might burst.

"Oh, Dylan." Head thrashing on the pillow, hips rocking wildly, she came in a rush of heat and deliciously churning energy.

His big body rose over her, one hand lifting her leg over his hip, as he pushed inside. Her neck arched, as she rose to meet his thrusts.

"Oh, God, Dylan."

He stopped, pulled back to look her in the eye. "I love you. And I'm giving you all of me. Not holding anything back."

Everything in her softened, slowed down, until she felt his words stir her soul.

Hands under her back, cupping her shoulders, he pulled almost all the way out. As he thrust back in hard, he sucked a nipple into his mouth, and she cried out. She rocked up to him, pressing hard, harder, her cries growing more urgent.

"Ah, fuck, Nicole. Jesus." He pounded into her. Sweat formed on his brow, a single drop taking a slow slide down his cheek. His head reared back. "Ah, God."

Her body bloomed, stretched open, and she let him in-all the way. She had him back, her love, her heart, her man. And it was everything.

"I'm gonna come, sunshine. Oh, Christ, I'm gonna come." Big hands clamped down on her hips, pinning her to the mattress, as his strokes quickened. He gasped, short intakes of breath, and then he roared with his release, slamming into her so hard he rocked her up the bed until her head hit the bunch of stacked pillows. His features tensed, and he kept rocking, gasping with each new surge of his release.

He collapsed on top of her, their bodies damp. And then he nuzzled her neck, his hair on her cheek. As he rolled off her, his arm banded around her, pulling her until they were jammed against each other.

With a hand over his tattoo, she felt the rapid beat of his heart.

"It's you and me, sunshine," he said. "Whatever life throws our way, we deal with it together."

Something he'd said kept running through her mind, stirring up her blood. He'd called her his deep down. And she got it. She did.

Because that's exactly what he was to her.

Her deep down.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO.

In the settling dusk, the edge of the horizon a brilliant apricot-colored band of light, the greenhouse glowed. The solar lanterns they'd hung from the ceiling gave the place an ethereal look-almost like a spaceship.

Dylan dug his key out of his pocket, glad for the automatic lock he'd thought to purchase since Nicole spent so many hours in here at night.

The moment he opened the door the humidity hit him. His gaze instantly sought and found her. In her pretty white and yellow wrap dress, she scooped a handful of soil and dumped it into an earthenware pot. Her dark hair gleamed in the yellow lights.

Affection rushed him hard, and goosebumps popped along his arms.

She's mine.

Sometimes he couldn't believe it. Couldn't believe how his life had turned from dark and desperate to light and...well, happy. This unbelievable woman, who'd created a community garden a block off Main Street and on the edge of campus, who'd helped transform a fledgling sustainability culinary program into a model for top schools across the country, was his heart and soul.

He moved toward her, the door slamming shut behind him, and she glanced over her shoulder.

Her face lit up with warmth and happiness, and another emotion erupted inside him, this one making his blood hum. He loved her. He fucking loved her with every fiber of his being.

"Hey." Hands dirty, she swiped the hair off her face with her forearm. "Almost done here."

"Yeah? Everyone's on their way."

She did a slow sweep of his body. "You look like the pied piper of sorority girls."

In his khakis and button-down, he probably did look a little fratty. But he'd bought these clothes years ago for his summer internships at Pearson Greene. Plus, they'd graduated today and were heading out to celebrate in a few minutes. So, it wasn't like he had a choice. "You gonna join in?"

"Nah. I'm gonna keep you all to myself."

Coming up behind her, he belted his arms around her waist. "You and me. Just how I like it." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek, and breathed in her light honeysuckle scent. Her soft skin, her silky hair, the hitch of breath she always made when he touched her...it made him ache with desire for this woman who'd been by his side these last four years.

He kissed the curve of her neck, and she pushed back into him. Oh, damn. She always got him so stirred up. When her hips swayed against him with gentle pressure, desire pounded in his bloodstream.

They couldn't start anything. Not with everybody on their way into town.

But he didn't let her go. His mouth wandered up to her jaw, and he nudged aside her hair to lick the shell of her ear.

Her hand closed over his and squeezed. "Dylan." He loved that whispery tone, the urgent request.

Leaving a trail of kisses along her cheek, his fingers fisted in her dress, raising it just a little. And then she turned-just slightly-giving him access to her mouth.

She turned in his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and opened to him. Nothing felt as good as the silky heat of her mouth, the sensual slide of her tongue. And with her hips rocking into him, she made him burn.

She pulled away, resting her forehead on his chest. "I love you."

There it was again, that pounding rush of emotion. He tipped her chin, captured her mouth, and showed her with his kiss how fiercely he loved her, too.

Her fingers dug into his back. "Dylan."