She jerks in my hold. “I told you before. We can ditch the condoms.”
I kiss her hair. “I’m not taking you bare until I’ve been tested.”
Unfortunately, between Adele getting sick and being busy at work, I haven’t had a chance to visit the doctor.
She glances up at me with trepidation in her dark brown eyes. I’m such an asshole. I put the trepidation there. I made her question my feelings for her. I planted doubt in her heart.
“Sweetness.” I kiss her nose. “I promise I haven’t been with anyone since you. Hell, I haven’t been with anyone except you since Adele arrived.”
“I know,” she whispers.
“But…”
She frowns. “You haven’t gotten tested. It’s been weeks since you said I love you.”
“When the hell have I had time?” I throw my arm out to indicate the loft she’s still living in. “This is what I’m sick of. I’m sick of you sleeping here. I’m sick of dropping Adele at Mom’s house so we can spend the night together.”
“You can bring Adele here.”
“Sweetness.” I pinch her chin and force her to meet my gaze. “When you get off work at three in the morning and I finally have your attention for a few hours, I’m not distracting you with Adele.”
Her nose wrinkles. “Distracting me?”
I grin. “You love Adele.”
She rolls her eyes. “She’s easy to love.”
“And you miss her.”
This is how I should have approached the issue – leaning on her love of Adele and her desire for a family is the way to Sloane’s heart.
She sighs. “I do.”
Instead of Sloane caring for Adele each day while I work, I now bring my baby girl to daycare. When I get off work, I spend the evening with my daughter. Then, I sleep for a few hours before dragging my ass out of bed to spend time with Sloane.
“If you were living with me, you could spend every morning with her.”
“Zane,” she growls.
“Don’t you dare tell me it’s too early to live together. I love you. I want you in my bed every night. I’m fucking done with not waking up with you in my arms each morning.”
She melts in my arms. “I enjoy waking up in your arms, too.”
“Good. Let’s stop this two houses shit, and you move back in with me. Back home where you belong.”
“I’m…” She trails off and nibbles her lip.
I remove her lip from her teeth. “You’re what?” When she hesitates, I push. “Come on, sweetness. Tell me why you’re hesitating to take what you want.”
“How do you know what I want is to live with you?”
“Sweetness.”
“Fine. It is. But you don’t have to be smug about it.”
“How can I not be smug? I managed to get the woman I love to love me, despite my past, despite what an idiot I was. I’m the shit.”
She slaps my shoulder. “You’re too humble for your own good.”
