Page 107 of Tragic (Lark Cove 3)

“Going backward.”

“I don’t understand that.” I looked over my shoulder, begging for an answer that made sense. “I hate to be cliché, but I really need a label.”

“A label, huh?” His eyes softened, and he kissed my hair. “I guess you could say we’re a couple.”

“I like that label.”

“So do I. We missed all of this. Before the boys, we missed the nights together. The you and me and getting to know one another. I want to go back and do it all. I want the hand-holding. The kisses. And I was waiting for you to be ready for the rest.”

“The rest?”

He nodded. “The rest. Sharing this bed. Sharing these boys. Sharing a life.”

“You want that?”

“I want you. I’ve wanted you for months.” He brushed a lock of hair off my shoulder. “Somewhere along the line, you stole my heart. I’m going to steal yours in return. Just wait and see.”

My breath hitched. Was this happening? Had Kaine Reynolds, a man dedicated to keeping his emotions locked up behind a dozen padlocks, just confessed his feelings? This sounded a lot like . . . love.

“You really mean all of this?”

“You’re important to me,” he said quietly. “The most important person in my life.”

“You’re important to me too.”

“Then let’s go backward.” His arms banded around me tighter. “Let’s do all those things I should have done from day one.”

Yes was right on the tip of my tongue, but I held it back.

“Where is it all coming from?” The sex between us had been amazing, but for this kind of confession? One of us should have blacked out.

“It’s been there for a long time. I guess . . . I didn’t want to spring it on you. I won’t say that the babies didn’t change this. We both know it doesn’t work like that in real life. But I’d like to think that even without them, this would have happened eventually.”

I liked to think that too. I liked to believe that eventually he would have confided in me. And I had faith that eventually I’d hear the rest of his family’s story. It wasn’t easy, but I’d give him more time.

“So?”

I snuggled deeper into his arms. I knew what he was asking but messing with him was too much fun to pass up. “So, what?”

“Are we going backward?”

I smiled, holding in my answer.

“Piper,” he grumbled.

I still didn’t say anything.

“Jesus, woman. Yes or no?” He shook my shoulders until we were both laughing. “Answer me, damn it.”

“Yes!” I giggled. “Yes. I like backward.”

“You drive me crazy.” He smiled. “But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Kaine kissed my hair again and shifted his arms so one was resting under my neck and the other was over my belly. Then for the first time, I fell asleep in his arms with his scent surrounding me and his heartbeat as my lullaby.

“Morning,” I yawned as Kaine kissed my hair. My first thought when waking up was how nice it was to have him in my bed. The second was how badly I’d embarrass myself if I didn’t get to the bathroom and pee.

I whipped off the covers, pushing myself off the mattress and scurrying to the bathroom. Getting out of bed was the fastest I moved these days.