Michael runs his thumb across my palm. “When I woke up beside you at the cabin every morning… that was the happiest I’ve felt in forever. I want to wake up beside you every day. But…” He lets his breath out in a long stream. “I guess when I said my life is complicated, I meant that I come as a package deal. I know you love me, but it’s not just me. It will never be just me. You understand that, right?”
I lift his hand to my mouth and kiss the back of it. “Yes. Of course.”
“Because going forward, I need to know you’re okay with that. Is that something you want?”
I pause, thinking, and decide to tell him the truth. “Honestly? I never imagined that when I fell in love, it would be with someone who has a kid. Or a terrifying ex-wife. But then, I could never have imaginedyou, or how I feel for you. So, you and your package—”
Michael raises his eyebrows and I giggle.
“What I mean is… I know you come as a package deal, and I’m okay with that. More than okay. Henry is such a sweet kid. I love him too,” I say, understanding for the first time that I do. “Because he’s yours. Because he matters to you. And that means he matters to me, too.”
The creases around Michael’s eyes deepen. “Good. Because… look, I can’t do anything without talking to Henry first. This is his home too, and I need to make sure he’s happy with everything. I’m quite certain he will be, but I need to do everything with him in mind. Does that make sense?”
I nod, smiling. I think I know where he’s going with this, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.
“Okay. Because I want you here every night, every morning. I want you as part of our family, Alex. Once I’ve had a chance to talk to Henry, once I know he’s okay with everything, I’m going to ask you to move in.”
My pulse accelerates as he keeps speaking.
“And after that… I’m going to ask you something else.” His eyes burn into mine, serious and intense. “I’m not kidding around with you. This is it, for me.”
My heart takes off in a sprint now. I’m breathless as I stare at him. Is he really saying what I think he is?
“Michael…” I shake my head in disbelief. I want to make sure we aren’t getting swept up in the moment, that this is real. Because he’s offering me everything I could ever want. “How can you be certain, so soon?”
He gives me a tender smile. “Ever since you came into my life last year, I’ve been happier than I ever imagined I could be. I never thought I’d feel like this again.” He scrubs a hand over his beard, thinking. “And when you’ve had everything youdon’twant, it becomes pretty fucking clear when the thing youdowant is right in front of you. And then you don’t want to let that go.”
I press my eyes shut, feeling tears slip out and down my cheeks. Holy shit, I cannot believe what this man is saying to me. I’m vibrating with happiness. It’s coursing through me like an electrical current, lighting every cell in my body. I could power the whole city.
I feel Michael wipe my tears, and when I open my eyes, he’s regarding me with concern. “I don’t mean to freak you out. I know it’s quick, and I don’t want to rush you. But—”
“No.” I place a hand on his chest, trying to figure out how to put what I’m feeling into words. “From the first day that I arrived in this city, I wanted two things: to build a writing career, and”—I give a little shrug—“you.” It’s true, I realize. As soon as I saw him in line at Starbucks… He was the most handsome man I’d ever laid eyes on. And even though he was grumpy, maybe a tiny part of me could see what was underneath: a good man who just needed to be loved.
“When I finally got my column, when I met with the agent… it felt like nothing without you. Everything feels like nothing, without you. So I can assure you, whenever you decide to ask me, the answer will be yes. Hell yes.”
Michael’s mouth pulls into a grin and he glances away from me, huffing a little laugh to himself. “Fuck, I’m a lucky guy.”
I shake my head, lifting the covers and climbing on top so I’m straddling him. I lean down and thread my hands into his hair, kissing him softly. “I’m the lucky one.”
He slides his hands up my back, holding me down against him as his tongue sweeps into my mouth, hungry for me again. When he releases me, his eyes are twinkling. “So Natalie loved your romance novel, huh?”
“Yes. And—wait.” I push up so I’m sitting. “I never told you her name.”
“Didn’t you?”
“No.” I narrow my eyes and his mouth pulls into an impish grin. “It wasyou?”
“Yeah. I hope you’re not mad. I know you told me not to show it to anyone but I had to, Alex. I’ve been with Natalie’s agency for years and I knew if I gave it to her, she’d love it.”
“But why didn’t she tell me it was you?”
“I asked her not to. I didn’t want you to think I’d only done it to get your attention. And I didn’t want you to think she was just doing it as a favor to me. If she told you she loved it, then she means that.”
“Well… I guess I owe you a thank you. Here’s hoping someone will publish it.”
“I’m sure they will.” He lets his hands skate down my bare thighs. “But there is one problem.”
“What’s that?”
