Page 99 of Reticent

I meet his gaze again, and I’m strongly aware of my own heartbeat. He’s saying all the right things. But why now? What’s changed? “You were so adamant about not wanting anything serious with anyone.”

“You’re right. And I meant it.” His throat works in a swallow. “I didn’t want to want you—to need you … So I fought against it. I tried to ignore it. I tried to downplay the connection we had. But the truth is … I fell for you on that first night we met.” He leans his head back against the wall, gazing at me through long lashes. “Our connection spooked the fuck out of me, and that’s why I ran. And that’s why I kept running. And when Liam brought you back to me, everything changed. You made me imagine a different life for myself, one where we were married with kids, and it … it fucked me up.”

I swallow the lump in my throat. “I didn’t want to want you either.”

“I know. And I don’t blame you.” His shoulders deflate as he runs a hand through the back of his hair to the front, disrupting his silky tresses. “But this thing between us, it’s bigger than just you or me. We can fight it all we want, but it’s not going away. I’m not going away.” His voice is firm—final, as his eyes pin me with determination. “I'll fight for this—for you. Because you’re worth it. And I want a life with you beyond our beautiful little boy. One day … I’m going to marry the shit out of you.” A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “We’re going to have more babies, and then grandbabies. We’re going to grow old together.”

A smile breaks free even as tears spill from my eyes. “I love you.”

A heart stopping, boyish smirk curves his mouth. “I know.”

I roll my eyes, and my shoulders shake from quiet laughter. “You’re so cocky.”

A grin grows on that gorgeous face of his, showing the whites of his teeth. “You like it.”

I nod, because, fuck yes, I do.

Hunter gets up from the floor and stalks over to me. Liam squirms in my arms and starts to cough. Hunter immediately slips out of his sexy boyfriend role—is that what he is now?—and into his concerned dad role. “I’ll take him.”

I hand him over and stand from the rocking chair. “I’ll grab the humidifier from the closet.”

“He’s still warm. Maybe we should try a sponge bath.”

“Good idea,” I say.

And that’s how the rest of our night goes. Not having wild makeup sex. But caring for our baby boy together as partners and as so much more.

Epilogue

Three years later

I can’t find my phone anywhere. I’ve searched all over the house for it. There’s a chance Liam got a hold of it. It that’s the case, it could be anywhere. Time went by in a flash from him crawling, to walking, to running. It’s been one adventure after another with our little guy. In an act of desperation, I search all the places my phone has no business being. Potted plants, the dishwasher, between the mattresses, and the trash cans. I don’t find it. But I do find a few Goldfish crackers in one of Liam’s shoes.

“Liam, where is Mommy’s phone?” It’s a rhetorical question because Liam isn’t here. He spent the day with his play uncle and aunt, Quentin and Fatima. They adore our son, and he adores them. The James’s are loved by all our babies—Liam and the Brathwaite clan. Fatima and Quentin had offered to babysit Liam so that Hunter and I could have some uninterrupted alone time. Hunter returned this morning from New Orleans after wrapping up his third season on Culinary Masters.

I cross the hall from Liam’s bedroom to ours, walking in on Hunter pulling a shirt over his head. Quentin called Hunter’s cell while Hunter and I were making love. As much as I want to ogle him, now is not the time. Fatima is in labor with her and Quentin’s first child and their little princess is six weeks early.

“Nothing yet?” Hunter fishes for his wallet in the jeans I shoved off him this morning.

“No. But we have to go.”

We dress quickly. We smell like sex and each other, but a shower has to wait. I hurry over to our bed, searching the blankets and underneath the pillows again. Hunter unplugs his phone from the charger and puts it in the pocket of his sweatpants. “Just use your Apple Watch to find it.”

I twist my lips in frustration. “I tried. It’s not working.”

“Try restarting it and update your settings.”

Duh. “I knew that.”

“I know.” He winks at me and heads to his dressing room.

I restart my Apple Watch and update my settings. By the time it pings, Hunter has his shoes on with his keys in hand. “Do you hear anything?”

“I don’t.”

Hunter kisses my forehead. “We’ll find it when we get home.”

I follow behind him, out of our bedroom. As we approach the garage, I hear the ping. “You hear that?”