Her fingers squeezed mine and let go, “You can’t make those promises. I mean I wish you could, but that would be so selfish of me.”
I then moved my hand to her face and stroked her cheek. “I can.”
“Gav…”
I reached up and rested my finger on her lips, “Please K, let me finish, then you can make your mind up, and if you don’t think it’s enough then I’ll walk away.”
I watch how her throat worked when she swallowed, her eyes soft on mine as more tears rolled away. Her legs crossed in front of her. I took my hand from her face and held both of her hands, “I never thought I wanted anything or anyone, until I had it with you. That goes for you, and for this baby,” I moved my hand to her belly. “We created this baby; I should never have said what I said.”
“What the fuck, so you are pregnant, then?” Dan asked from across the room.Fuck I hoped I hadn’t just dropped her in the shit with her family.I heard her mother shush him. I glanced atthem both and saw her mom watching us. My gaze drifted back to Karen and found her rounded, worried eyes staring back at me. God, I’ve missed those eyes.
“Are you sure, Gav? Because I can’t think you’re all in and have you decide that you don’t really want this later on. I know I wouldn’t cope if I lost you again.”
“Come on, out, let’s leave them to it.” I glanced back at her mom again and smiled softly, her hands settled on Dan’s chest and softly she pushed him from the room. “Come on, you can buy me a coffee.” Dan’s eyes were on me all the way out of the room, but I smiled at them before turning my eyes back on the beautiful woman in front of me.
“Gav?”
“I promise, K. We’re in this together from here on out. I love you, Karen Duncan.” Her chin wobbled as more tears spilled from her gorgeous eyes, I pushed up on my knees and took her face in my hands, bushing my thumbs beneath her eyes. If she gave me another chance now, I’d be the luckiest man alive. “Baby, you complete me, you make me whole. I promise I’ll get help, I’ll never let anything come between us again.”
“Oh my God,” She squeezed my fingers in acknowledgement and sniffed, “but what about Nikki?”
“What about Nikki?” I didn’t want to sound like a dick, but Nikki didn’t factor here. “I swear to you, it was innocent. I promise I’ll explain later but right now I just need you to know I love you. I’ve never said or even wanted to ever say those words to anyone else. Sweetheart, you're it for me. I know that now.” He lifted a shoulder, “You’ve changed me and how I think. I’m a better person with you…if you want me to beg I will.”
“I don’t want to change you, Gav. I happen to love you just the way you are.” She shrugged.
“Then you’ve changed what’s in here.” I lifted my hand to my chest, “You’ve made it beat. It’s you that’s made me see what love can do to a man, even a selfish fucker like me.”
Her lips tipped into a shy smile, but it was so good to see that flicker of a spark back. “I don’t know what I’ll do if I haven’t got you in my life…”
“Shut up…” she cut me off. Her fingers stroked down my cheeks, teasing them through my overgrown beard, my eyes closed briefly. God, they felt amazing. I captured her face in my hands and brought her face to mine, resting my forehead on hers. “…Just shut up.” she repeated, her breath warm on my face. “I love you, and I’ve missed you so much.”
I breathed a sigh of pure relief; she was in my arms and I intended to keep her there. “I want us to be a family.” I leaned forward and took her lips gently at first, before working my lips over hers, with a little persuasion she kissed me back, her arms wrapped around my neck as I kissed her a little deeper before I pulled away again and licked my lips. “What if it doesn’t work?” her chin dropped, and her gaze fell to her lap.
I lifted it back up with my fingers, “We’ll make it work.”
“It’s not always that easy.” Her head shook.
“Life isn’t easy K, I know that more than most, but I’m ready to put in the work for us, I love you, that has to be a start, doesn’t it?” With a slow nod and more tears, she knew we made sense. “I promise I’ll do everything I need to make this work between us.” I brushed my lips over her cheek, then the tip of her nose, before lingering them on her forehead, her breath shuddered, I found her eyes, smiled softly and then moved my lips back to hers. I kissed with a softness I didn’t even know existed in me.
She pulled her lips from mine, “That’s a big promise to make.”
“And one I intend to keep,” I smoothed my thumbs across her cheeks again, “do you forgive me?”
“Yes.” the answer was immediate. She circled my neck again and held me so tightly, I didn’t want to let her go again.
We spent the next ten minutes making up, kissing her like I’d never kissed her before. I moved to the couch and wrapped my arms around her waist, and as I eventually pulled my lips from hers, I just held her tightly in my arms, promising to never let her go again.
CHAPTER FORTY
Gavin
Four Weeks later
The last of the boxes were dumped in my apartment and as I looked around, I wondered how much shit one person could own. Especially when she’d lived in such a small apartment.Then a thought hit me, when the baby comes, we’d have to find a bigger place because this wasn’t anywhere near big enough for a baby as well.
“I think that’s the last of it.” Karen gave me the same beautiful smile she always did and wrapped her arms around my waist. She’d been on strict instructions to not lift a finger, so me, Roman, Rhys, and Walsh had done all the heavy work. We even enlisted her brother to help too. She kissed me hard on the lips.“What are you thinking about? I can see the cogs turning.” Her finger moved lightly and tapped my temple.
“We’re going to need a bigger place.” She turned in my arms and I held her from behind, resting my chin on her shoulder.
