“You’ve lost your damn mind, J,” I say, trying to remove my hands from his body. “I’m in labour. Not a time for dancing.”
He keeps my hands right where they are and uses his bossy tone on me. “Sway your hips, Madison, like you’re slow dancing. I read that this can help.”
I stare up at my husband. “You read up on this?”
He slides his hands around my body and rests them on my lower back where the pressure feels good. “Of course I fucking read up on it. I wanted to know how to help you.”
And just like that, more tears well in my eyes.
I sway my hips and grumble at him because I’m sick of crying. “God, why do you choose today to be husband of the year? I mean, out of all the days to do nice things for me and make me cry, you had to choose today when I already have enough hormones in my body to get that job done.”
He sways with me. “I fucking love you too, baby.”
“I never said I loved you.”
“Yeah you did.”
“Jesus, do you ever stop arguing with me? I’m trying to have a baby here. I don’t need all this discussion over what I said. I think I know what I said.”
He chuckles and tightens his hold on me. “Okay then, tell me you love me so we can get that out of the way and get back to having a baby.”
There’s something in his tone or in his words or in his moves that catches my attention.
I meet his gaze and feel the love blazing from his eyes.
This man.
The man I’ve always loved even when I tried to tell myself I didn’t.
The man who has never let me down. Not once.
The man who holds all my hopes and dreams so tightly that I know he’ll never let them crash and burn.
My fingers curl against the nape of his neck.
“I love you, Jason Reilly, in ways I don’t even know yet.”
“Give me your lips,” he bosses.
I don’t hesitate to give him what he wants.
When he’s had his fill, he growls, “Now sway those hips. I’m way past fucking ready to meet my daughter.”
“Meet your beautiful baby girl,”the midwife says as she places Willow in my arms.
I’m exhausted.
My body is done.
And my mind might have actually fled my body.
But suddenly, as Willow’s tiny face comes into focus, and J traces his finger over her cheek, all of that is forgotten.
I think my heart is about to explode.
I’ve never felt a feeling like the one I’m feeling right now.
The love that’s filling my entire being.
