Page 54 of My Weakness

River pinches the bridge of his nose as he tips his head back on a loud exhale. “For fuck’s sake,” he groans.

All four of us girls are howling in laughter and Reed just looks on confused.

“I feel I’ve missed something here.”

Bella strokes his cheek as she whispers just loud enough for us all to hear. “Another couple glasses of this wine and I’ll show you later.”

His eyes darken as he tops up her glass. “Does this involve your lack of a gag reflex?”

“Mmhmm,” she hums.

“You have ten minutes before I drag you out of here.”

“I like his thinking,” River whispers in my ear. “We’re leaving when they do.” I can feel the blush that stains my cheeks.

“Dirty old men,” Mia mutters but she’s grinning at us all.

“Two engaged and two still single. We’re slowly expanding our pack,” Harper muses.

“I can’t wait to meet the man who thinks he can take on Mia.” Reed’s words make us all start chuckling again.

She smirks at him. “No one can take me on.”

“There’s someone out there. God bless his soul.” His words have us all cackling this time. We’ve definitely had too much wine tonight.

I look around the table at the people that mean the most in the world to me. The people that River brought together for one of the most important moments of my life.

“Thank you,” I whisper to him.

“What for, pipsqueak?”

“For loving me, even when I thought you didn’t.”

“I always have and I always will love you. You’re everything to me, pipsqueak.”

And he’s everything to me. I think he always was.

Epilogue

River

5 years later

I glance at the clock on the wall in the kitchen as I cook my wife’s favorite dinner; she’s late. No surprise there, though. Ever since she took over running the charity when Donna retired two years ago, she often walks through the door later than planned. I can’t say I blame her; those kids are difficult to say goodbye to atthe end of every day. It’s hard enough for me and I’m only there once or twice a week.

Coco mewls from by my feet as she headbutts my shin.

“Yeah, yeah, I miss her, too,” I mutter to our little tuxedo cat who definitely favors my wife.

I hear the front door open and close and my body relaxes. She’s home. Coco abandons me and runs off to greet our favorite person in the world. I never knew I could love one person as much as I love Ava — she’s my life. She’s the blood that pumps its way through my veins.

She’s my everything.

“Hmm, something smells good,” she moans as she walks into the kitchen, followed closely by her four-legged friend, and takes my breath away, just like she does every time I see her. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to how beautiful she is. “Sorry I’m late.”

She places a kiss on my lips, but I don’t let her get away that easily as I deepen the kiss and wrap my arms around her. We’re both breathing heavily when I release her, and I have to adjust my rapidly hardening cock in my sweatpants as I turn back to stir the dinner.

“How was work?”