Page 30 of Game Over
Crazy. That was one word for it. Crazy-good. Crazy-intense. Crazy-hot.
I love you. It was killing him not to say it, especially as he withdrew and kissed her lips one last time.
She curled against him and he closed his eyes as he pressed his lips against her temple. He couldn’t remember ever being this happy. When they’d been together before there’d always been the cloud of poverty and abuse hanging over his head. Knowing he had serious baggage and could never take care of her the way he wanted to. But everything was different this time. He could give her anything she wanted and she gave him everything he needed. It was the perfect pairing of forever.
He looked into her emerald eyes and saw his future. Their beautiful babies. The home he wanted to build for her with the big backyard and pool. Holidays around a big tree. Exotic vacations on her school breaks. So many more nights just like this one. A life that surpassed anything he could have given her back when she was in college and he was still trying to make a place for himself in the world.
“Tell me what you’re thinking,” she whispered, brushing her fingertip over his thick stubble.
He wanted to tell her everything, but tonight he was just going to enjoy the present, this moment, and how good it felt to finally be back in her arms.
He closed his arms around her and sighed, letting the contentment wash away all the bad feelings from the past. The guilt and regret. Sadness and defeat. There was no room for those emotions in this new relationship he was building with Harper.
“Just feels good, baby. Being with you like this again.” It didn’t begin to describe how he was feeling, and he wished he didn’t have to hold back, but the day would come when he would spill his secrets. Soon.
“It does.” She let her hand skim his chest before dipping lower, making his abs clench. “But I should let you get back to your place. I’m sure you have a busy day tomorrow. An early morning?”
It was hard to think about real life when his fantasy was naked, wrapped up in his arms, looking at him like he was making her dreams come true.
“Uh, yeah. I do.” He sighed. “Damn, I wish you could spend the night with me.” He kissed her shoulder. “I want to wake up with you in my arms.”
She smiled. “Not with little eyes watching.” Her smile spread. “He’d have a lot of questions, don’t you think?”
He’d never brought girls home when his nephew was staying with him, but then he hadn’t wanted to spend the night with anyone in years. Not since Harper. “Yeah, I know you’re right.” But that didn’t mean he had to like it. He’d lay down his life for his nephew, but building a future with Harper was edging out everything else, making it hard to think straight.
“Have you ever, uh, had a woman spend the night with Drew there?”
“No, never.” It felt so wrong, thinking about other women when he was with her. “Never even been tempted to have a sleepover, but with you I’m more than tempted.”
She smiled. “How do you want to handle this with Drew?”
“What do you mean?” Drew was his nephew, not his son, and the kid already loved Harper. He didn’t see any reason to keep their relationship a secret from him.
“Well, I don’t know what this is and I don’t want to confuse him.” She tugged her lower lip between her teeth. “If I’m going to be watching him for the rest of the summer and—”
He ran his thumb over her lip before kissing her. “You’re not sure what this is?” He didn’t want any confusion about what he thought this was. This was the first day of the future he’d forfeited their first go ‘round. “I think it’s just the beginning for us, beautiful. I want Drew, and everyone else, to know how I feel about you.”
Her lips curved into a satisfied smile. “Good, then we’re on the same page.”
“I don’t want to leave you tonight.” He knew he had to, for Drew’s sake, but that didn’t make it any easier.
“We can still have breakfast together in the morning,” she whispered, tipping her mouth up to invite his kiss. “Providing you can haul that sexy ass out of bed in time to join us.”
He chuckled, thinking about how good it would feel to know she was making breakfast just a few feet away. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”
Chapter Eleven
Harper was making bacon and scrambled eggs while Drew ran in to make sure his uncle was out of the shower. She was nervous about what to expect this morning. She knew Deke wouldn’t have any regrets about last night, and she certainly didn’t, but she still wasn’t sure what his expectations were about their relationship.
“He says he’ll be out in five, Harper,” Drew said, jumping up on the stool at the breakfast bar.
“Cool,” she said, pouring juice in a glass for her little charge. “I’ll just keep his warm until he comes out then.”
“You excited about going to the zoo today?” she asked, like she didn’t know. As a kid the zoo had been one of her favorite places, and it was still one of her favorite class field trips every year.
“I sure am!”
Drew was a sweetheart. In spite of his mother leaving him and his dad’s deployment, he was a remarkably happy, well-adjusted kid. She knew Deke played a big part in that. He’d be an incredible dad someday, if his relationship with his nephew was any indication.
