Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“Even his best assignments were late,” Willene whispered loudly.
“Hush,” said Ari. “Don’t interrupt the grovel.”
“So what do you think?” Austin glanced at each of the kids, who were grinning like crazy and jumping up and down. “Does this look anything like the family you always dreamed about?”
I nodded as tears splashed down my cheeks. “Yes.”
“Good, because someone once told me a love like this only happens once.” With that, he took my face in his hands and lowered his lips to mine. The entire place erupted with cheers and whistles and applause. I threw my arms around Austin’s neck, and he lifted me right off my feet. “Thank god,” he said in my ear. “Thank god I got here in time.”
“My heart was always going to be yours, Austin,” I whispered back.
“I’ll take good care of it. I promise you.”
The kids tugged at my clothes, and I gave them each a hug. “I’m so happy to see you guys,” I said.
“Are you really staying with us?” Owen asked.
“I’m really staying.”
“Yay!” Adelaide wrapped her arms around me again.
Xander came over and thumped Austin on the back. “There. Was that so hard?”
“Yes,” Austin admitted, tugging at his collar. “I was running on adrenaline before, but now I’m starting to sweat. Did I say the right things?”
“You did.” I slipped my arm around his waist. “It was everything I wanted to hear. I can’t believe you did it in front of all these people!”
He kissed the top of my head. “I only saw you.”
Ari wiped her eyes. “This is better than a book,” she said. She hugged me and then Austin.
“So was it a good grovel?” he asked, moving behind me and wrapping his arms around my shoulders.
“It was an excellent grovel,” she said with a laugh. “Five stars.”
Back at home, we put the kids to bed, and he walked me up to my apartment. “You have no idea how badly I want to throw you over my shoulder and take you to my bed,” he said as we ascended the stairs hand in hand.
“I have some idea.” I squeezed his hand. “Trust me. But let’s go slow where that kind of thing is concerned. This is a lot all at once, and I want to give them time to adjust to the idea of us.”
“I think they’re going to be just fine.” At the landing, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me, sweetly at first, but then his hands started to move and his mouth opened wider and his hips began to move against me.
“Do you think they’d be fine for a few minutes in the house?” I asked breathlessly.
“Maybe I could run down to the garage and get the monitor,” he said, his lips working their way down my throat.
“Go.” I gave him a gentle push. “I want you, even if it’s quick.”
It was very quick—so quick we barely made it to the bed. So quick we didn’t even undress all the way. So quick we didn’t stop to think about protection.
“I’m okay with it if you are,” I said as he hovered over me in the dark. “I’m on birth control shots.”
He paused, looking down at me. “You know what? I’m okay with it too.”
“Are you sure?” My heart was racing with excitement.
“Yes. I never thought I would be okay with this.” He eased inside me, one delicious inch at a time. “But then, I never thought I’d fall in love.”
“I never thought I would either.”
“I love you,” he whispered as he began to move. “Say you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” I promised, wrapping my legs, my arms, my heart around him. “I’m yours.”
epilogue
THE FOLLOWING JUNE
VERONICA
Austin’s alarm went off, yanking me from a deep, contented sleep. He reached over and hit snooze, but before he could get out of bed, I looped an arm around his torso. “No. Stay.”
He laughed gently. “I have to get on the road soon.”
“But it’s our anniversary.”
“Anniversary?”
“Yes! It’s the third Saturday in June. One year ago today, I came knocking on your door looking for a job.”
He settled back on his pillow and put his arms around me. “Huh. I guess you’re right. It has been a year. Feels like longer.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“Yes.” He gave me a squeeze. “It feels like you’ve always been here. Always belonged here.”
I smiled. “It does. So I will forgive you for not remembering this very important anniversary. The day I found the life I was looking for.”
He kissed the top of my head. “I found the same thing.”
“What time will you be back tonight?”
“Pretty late. The client is in Ann Arbor. And they have a photo shoot scheduled on Monday for Architectural Digest, so I have to get it down there today to give them time to stage the dining room.”
I gasped and picked up my head. “I didn’t know about the photo shoot!”