Chapter 21

Mabel froze. Luther's words struck her like a bolt, leaving her momentarily stunned. Before she could even come up with a response, his lips were on hers again. This time, the kiss was neither gentle nor tentative. It was deep and overwhelming, stealing her breath away. That night, wrapped in a love too powerful to put into words, they held each other close until dawn broke. The next morning, Mabel woke to a dull ache in her body, the kind that came only after an entire night tangled in someone's arms. She'd slept in—something that rarely happened. Pulling herself out of bed with a wince, she padded through the house and eventually found Luther in the kitchen. In the beginning, she'd instinctively taken care of everything, from cooking and cleaning to handling the trivial tasks around the house. She'd gotten used to doing that during her time with Elliot. In Luther's home, it had only happened once. After the first time, he'd frowned and gently taken everything out of her hands.