Creed kissed me hard, then stopped himself.Rested his forehead against mine.
“I’m not taking more than you’re ready to give,” he said.
His mouth was rough, his hands sure as they slid up my sides.
I gasped against his mouth.He pulled back, his eyes dark and dangerous.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he said.
My chest squeezed.
Weeks passed in a blur.
Creed showed up—at work, at home, at the girls’ school events.He was consistent.Steady.Present.
He didn’t try to take over my life.He slipped into it, becoming a quiet presence in the background.Picking up coffee when he knew I had early meetings.Bringing Morgan’s favorite snack when he came over for dinner.
One night, I found him sitting on the floor in the twins’ room, helping them put together a puzzle.Michelle was curled up next to him, half-asleep.
My heart cracked open.
He looked up, his gaze catching mine across the room.
“What?”he asked softly.
I shook my head.“Nothing.”
But it wasn’t nothing.
It was everything.
He was staying.
I was starting to believe it...again.
Chapter 21
