“Finally.”Jed straightened in his seat upon seeing Miles walking Sadie to her car.Damn, the woman was beautiful.She had a cream-colored knit hat pulled down over her blonde hair and matching gloves on her hands.She was smiling at something Miles was saying, and he found himself jealous of the prospect.There was a time not too long ago that Jed was the one making her smile.
He waited for Miles to pull out behind Sadie to follow her home, then he fell behind Miles.He stayed back far enough that by the time they got to her apartment, she would already be inside.He pulled his truck in next to Miles and waved him off.He then waited for Cutter to come out.He’d covered babysitting duty with Oliver, so Willa could spend time with her family.He waved to him as he drove off, then got out.Instead of going into Ink Envy to watch over her for the night, he took a chance and climbed the stairs to her apartment.He knocked on the door, knowing she hadn’t had time to climb into bed yet.
She pulled the door open, an angry frown on her face.“What are you doing here?”
“Please talk to me.I know I don’t deserve it, but can you please give me a few minutes of your time?”he begged.He watched as her face went from angry to not sure before she shook her head and opened the door wider for him to enter.
Oliver would be in bed by now, so Jed had to keep their conversation quiet enough not to wake him up.
“I’m an idiot.”There, he said it.He admitted what everyone knew.
“You won’t find me arguing that point.”She stood with her arms crossed, and one brow arched.
He fought the grin wanting to split his face.God, he loved her sassy mouth.
“I reacted poorly, and I’m sorry.I was mean and said hurtful things.I have no excuse for lashing out at you.None of what’s happening is your fault.I completely freaked out when you said you were pregnant, and like I said, I had a vasectomy and knew the baby wasn’t mine.It felt like a punch to the gut when I thought you cheated on me after we talked about being exclusive.”She opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off.“I know, if I had taken a minute to think things through, or hell, let you get a word in edgewise, I would have known the baby was Darren’s.”
He waited on pins and needles to see if she had something to say.When she didn’t speak up, he closed the gap between them and stepped into her.His hands settled on her waist, and he touched his forehead to hers.“I missed you and Oliver like crazy.”It was hard swallowing past the lump in his throat.“I was so lost without you.”He deserved her snort of doubt.“It’s true.I’ve never felt the way I feel about you with anyone else.Not even the mother of my daughter.”He took a breath.“What I’m trying to say and not doing a very good job of it is, I love you, Sadie, and I will walk through fire to prove it to you if you’ll give me a chance.Can you forgive me?”
Tears pooled in her eyes.Well, shit.Did he say something wrong?Did he make things worse?Her breaths came fast and shallow like she was fighting not to cry.He closed his eyes.“I fucked up so bad.”He opened his eyes and whispered, “Please say something.Say you forgive me.Say you hate my guts and never want to see me again.Just say something.”
“I missed you, too,” she choked.
Thank fuck.He kissed her forehead, then pulled her into his arms.“Does that mean you forgive me?”
“You hurt me really bad.”She swiped at her tears.“But I forgive you.”
He sighed in relief.
She tipped her head back to look him in the eyes.“Just keep in mind that if you ever hurt me like that again, you are dead to me and I may even shoot you.Understand?”
He knew beyond a shadow of doubt that she meant every word.He believed her when she said she might even shoot him if he was ever stupid enough to hurt her again.
“I understand, and I wouldn’t blame you.In fact, I think Darren and Race might help you bury my body if you decided to do that.”He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs.“God, woman.You have the most beautiful emerald green eyes.”He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers.When she didn’t immediately push him away, he turned his head and deepened the kiss.It felt like coming home.When he finally ended the kiss, he asked, “Would it be pushing my luck to ask if we could lie down and you let me hold you?I’m not asking for sex.I just need to feel you close.Can we do that?”
“Yes,” she nodded.
He reached for her hand and started toward the couch.He came up short when she pulled his hand, resisting.She tipped her head in the direction of her bedroom, then tugged him along behind her.As they were passing Oliver’s room, he pulled her to a stop.He cracked the door and peeked in on him.Fuck, he missed that kid.A smile split his face seeing him all sprawled out on the bed, his covers everywhere.Closing the door, he followed Sadie to her room.He closed the door behind them.
Neither spoke as they got undressed and climbed under the covers.He pulled her into him so that he was spooning her from behind.“Fuck, I missed you.Goodnight, babe.”
“’Night Jed.”
“I love you,” he whispered.
He was almost asleep when he heard her whisper, “I love you, too.”
* * *
Sadie
She came awake slowly to the feel of someone’s large hand gently kneading her breast while flicking the nipple with their thumb.Her breath stilled as she felt the slow, easy glide of a hard cock deep inside her.“Please don’t be a dream.Please don’t be a dream,” she whispered to herself.She was afraid if she opened her eyes, this amazing feeling would all go away.
A deep chuckle rumbled along her back.“Baby, this is as real as it gets.Open your eyes.”
Jed.He was really here.She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
His hand settled along her cheek, turning her head enough to see him.“There she is.There’s my girl.”
