Swallowing hard, I fish into my pocket. “I’ve been meaning to give this to you. Here.” I hold out a key on a little gold ring. “It’s to my house. I want you to feel free to come and go whenever you want. They’re your daughters, too. Even though I’m the one doing the physical stuff like breastfeeding and giving birth, you’ll be an equal partner in caring for them.”
“Wow.” He stares at the key that I’ve placed in his palm. Curling his fingers around it, he lifts his gaze to mine. “I’ll make one for you for this place.”
“Thanks.”
“We’re really doing this, huh?”
“We are.”
“Parents.”
“Yeah.”
His throat rolls as he swallows. “Look, Hazel—” He stops himself, shaking his head. “Never mind.”
“What?”
He looks into my eyes, drawing a breath. “I want you to know there’s nobody on earth I’d rather do this with.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I know it wasn’t planned, and I know we still agree it’s best if we prioritize our parenting relationship. But I’d be lying if I said these past few months with you haven’t been some of the best in my life.”
“Same.” I reach for his hand, lacing my fingers through his. “If you’d told me a year ago that I’d be unmarried and pregnant with twins and that you’d be the father…” I trail off there, not sure where I was going with that. “You know, I think I would have patted myself on the back.”
He barks out a laugh. “I find that hard to believe.”
“It’s true,” I insist. “If I’m being honest, I always had a tiny crush on you.”
“Me?” He stares like he doesn’t believe me. “But we hardly ever spoke.”
“I’m not saying I’m great at pursuing things. But I found you incredibly hot.”
“Well,” he says, chuckling. “It goes without saying I found you unbelievably gorgeous.”
“Just my breasts?” I tease.
“All of you.” He wraps his arms around me, pulling me close to his body. “Especially now that there’s so much more of you.”
Laughing, I look into his eyes. “Hazel from twelve months ago would have been proud of Hazel today for sleeping with the hot guy I’d been ogling.”
“She deserves to be proud.” Smiling, he brushes the hair off my face. “Of so many things.”
We stare at each other in silence. I’m not sure which of us moves first. What starts as a slow, tender kiss ends up with his hands in my hair and mine clutching desperately at the back of his jeans.
Luke backs me up toward the door, breaking the kiss to turn off the light. “Not here.” He tugs me gently across the hall. “This way.”
“You’re not going to pick me up this time?” I’m totally joking. “Sex works best when you don’t have a spinal injury.”
“God, Hazel.” Pulling me into his room, Luke cups my face and keeps kissing me.
We take our time undressing each other, casting off layers like this is our first time together. At this point we’ve had sex dozens of times. We’ve conceived babies together, for crying out loud. We’ve done this before.
But never like this.
I’ve never felt this connected to someone. So utterly cherished as Luke falls to his knees and kisses my belly. I sink to the mattress as he peels off my socks and kisses my ankles. He works his way up, lips brushing my knees and my bare, trembling thighs.
I tug at his shirt, fumbling with buttons and rumpled flannel. By the time we’re both naked, I’m panting and sprawled on the edge of the bed.
