Page 121 of Bulletproof

I cleared my throat because it was now or never. “What do you think about adopting, Sam?”

He lifted his head up and looked down at me. “I’m sorry?”

“I was thinking that I don’t want a surrogate or anything else that we’ve ever talked about because what I really want is to adopt. What do you think?”

His eyes searched my face. “I think that’s perfect. I’ve seen so many kids without fathers, and we could give a kid two.”

I nodded as tears filled my eyes and rolled back into my ears.

Strong, gentle hands brushed them away. “Why were you afraid to tell me you didn’t want a surrogate?”

“ ’Cause I thought you only wanted a child who shared some DNA with you, and I didn’t want to kill that dream if you wanted it that bad.”

He smiled down at me. “I don’t give a crap about that. A kid doesn’t have to look like me for me to love them. The only thing that matters is that I’ll have my own family with you, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.”

I nodded fast.

“You get that, right?”

“Yes.”

“You sure?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay, so …” He arched an eyebrow at me. “When we get home, we can get the adoption process started, huh?”

“I think we should. I’m gonna be thirty.”

“In three years,” he reminded me.

“Yeah, but still.”

He rolled his eyes before he bent and hugged me so tight that I squeaked.

“That was adorable.”

It was my turn to growl at him.

Together, we ran outside in the moonlight, naked, and jumped in the ocean, but we weren’t far from the beach and were back inside a half hour or so later. There was showering and sex and sleeping and waking and more sex and more food, and then, finally, we both passed out sometime after midnight.

With my body sated, my brain finally shut down, and because Sam was spooned around me, plastered to my back, I slept like I never had when he was away.

SIXTEEN

Iwoke up late the next morning. Sam was already up, having breakfast on the patio—which I had never even thought of doing—and reading the paper. When I staggered out of bed, I got a very amused chuckle.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

I scratched my balls and grunted at him.

“That’s attractive.”

After I sat down, he poured me coffee, and I had a really good piece of seared ahi and scrambled eggs and fresh papaya. The juice tasted amazing.

“So, what’s your plan for the day?”

“I don’t know,” I said after I ate, walking to the padded hammock I hadn’t ever been in before. “I want to take a drive around the island at some point, and Ipo⁠—”