He tore his mouth away from mine and gasped as his eyes locked on mine. I couldn't help but pant as I tried to understand the look he was giving me. I'd thought when he saw the video that maybe he was upset or had gotten all possessive over me, but this look was different. Completely different. It made my heart tighten fiercely just like it had earlier. I could feel his hands shaking on my skin. "Kat," he murmured, inches from my lips. "You are the sweetest, kindest, and most selfless person I've ever met. You know how many people in the world would do that for someone? Not. Enough."

His hand grazed up my spine to land on the back of my neck, pressing the pads of his fingers into my skin. His face leaned into mine, his forehead pressed against my own and his hot, panting breath scorched the surface of my lips. His other free hand went to grab mine and place it over the left side of his chest, right over his heart. "Goldie, I love you," he breathed, kissing my cheek softly.

His words, his hand on me, and his breath over my mouth ingrained themselves into my memory at that point forever. That moment exploded within me, and I knew that I stopped breathing, thinking that I could stop what just happened and relive it over and over again. Tristan loved me? I couldn't, Jesus, I couldn't think of anything.

He stroked my cheek with his fingertips, talking to me with his lips just an inch away from mine. "I love you," he repeated in a low voice. "So much."

I'm not sure what exactly happened in the seconds after that, but it was almost like I unleashed some kind of beast that lay dormant within me. His words and his love ignited me from the inside out, and my mouth, my hands, and my legs were wrapped up in him. It was gentle but crazed as I leaned into him, sucking his bottom lip between my own as I touched him everywhere I could reach over his shirt. Tristan loved me. I thought angels were singing in heaven for me sensing the deep emotions that ran through me at the knowledge. I could feel him hardening as I shifted closer to him, taking as much of his mouth and tongue as I could.

I whimpered his name against his ear when his lips made a slippery slope to suck on my neck. Oh, fuck me. I loved that. "Please."

He nodded against my throat, knowing better than I did what I was asking from him. His hands slid down my back and toward my thighs, pulling them closed around his hips so I could wrap my legs around him, before he grabbed my ass in two handfuls and me pulled me even tighter against him. I felt him stand up and walk through his house while I pressed my closed mouth into the slight stubble that covered his neck and cheeks, kissing and licking his jaw like it was going to be the last time I ever got to touch it.

Tristan loved me and it made me feel amazing.

"Fuck, Kat," he moaned, stopping for a moment to capture my mouth in his before he pulled away. His breathing got a little uneven as he walked us upstairs and finally into his bedroom.

The bed pressed against my back when he leaned forward and dropped me onto it. He unbuttoned and peeled off my jeans slowly. I eyed his face the entire time, taking in how calm he looked in comparison to the way I felt. I thought I was going to combust as his hands pulled off my socks, and then trailed up the backs of my calves and legs at a snail's pace. His eyes were looking at the path he made only stopping at the plain cotton underwear I'd worn that day. He looked up at me then and smiled. "You're perfect."

Long minutes passed as he took his time unbuttoning my shirt and slipping it off my shoulders, then pulling my underwear down my legs, kissing and nipping at my thighs while he did it before finally ending when he unhooked my bra with shaky fingers and nuzzled my chest. I wanted to take off his clothes like he had done to me, but he was off the bed and standing at the foot while he pulled off his shirt, and then unzipped his pants, pulling them down along with his boxer briefs.