One Chance

by Best, Victoria J.

  “With me? As in, together?” My heart leaped at the possibility that she was saying the one thing I’d never thought I would hear from her mouth.

  She nodded. “I love you, and if you can forgive me for being stubborn and stupid, then I can forgive you for your mistakes. I can’t do this without you, and I don’t want to. I want us to be a team, to build a life for this baby together.”

  I hopped up from the couch, lifting her into my arms as I did. “I love you, Nicolette. I’m sorry I was such a screwed-up asshole before, but I’m trying to get my life together. And if you want me back, if you want to be with me again, I’m all in. Forever.”

  I set her back down on the floor but didn’t let her out of my embrace. She looked up at me, tears still glistening in her eyes.

  “Forever,” she said quietly.

  I leaned down and captured her mouth with mine, the taste of her igniting something in me that I’d thought had died that day in the hospital.

  Hope.

  We drank from each other, our thirst for one another unable to be quenched from being apart for so long. I pulled her flush against me, her petite body melding into mine as she were made just for me. She wound her arms around my neck, her fingers getting lost in the hair at my nape. We deepened the kiss, my tongue pressing between her lips, twisting with hers. I needed more of her, all of her, and before I knew it, we were collapsing on the couch in a tangle of limbs, tearing at each other’s clothes.

  I tore her dress over her head, reveling in the sight of her body. The tiny rounded bump just below her belly button, her fuller breasts and curvier hips. She was beautiful. Gently, I placed a hand on her stomach, closing my eyes for a moment.

  “She’s yours, Henry. All yours,” Nicolette said, her voice thick.

  “She?”

  Nicolette shrugged. “Just a feeling.”

  I bowed over her, pressing my lips to her stomach, my hands going to her hips. Nicolette moaned, lifting her hips. I followed where she led me, slipping her panties off and tossing them to the floor. My shirt and pants followed, getting lost in the myriad of boxes that were strewn about. When I slipped out of my boxer briefs and settled myself on top of her, between her legs, and pressed against her entrance, she gasped.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, worried I’d hurt her.

  She nodded. “I wasn’t sure I would ever feel your body against mine again. I didn’t realize just how much I missed you until now.”

  “I’ll stay like this forever if you let me.”

  She smiled at me, her cheeks pink. “Okay.”

  I kissed her again, slowly, sensually, savoring the taste of her like it was the last time. I reached between us, pressing my erection inside of her. Nicolette moaned, raising her hips to meet my thrust. She was wet and ready for me. She wrapped her legs around my waist to pull me closer.

  For a moment I froze, worried about the baby.

  “Is this okay? For the baby, I mean?” I asked, concern knitting my brows.

  “Yes. I’m not letting you stop now,” she said, her voice thick with lust.

  The time for talking had passed. I pressed into her farther, deeper, until I was situated all the way inside. Nicolette slipped her arms around my waist, her hands dipping down to grip my ass as I began to move. I began thrusting in and out, slowly at first before picking up speed. The only sounds in the room were our panting breaths and bodies as they came together, harder, faster, until we were both on the precipice of an orgasm. Nicolette moaned, digging her nails into my ass as I kissed a trail up her neck, sucking gently until I reached her ear and nipping at the skin. I delved into her harder, her pussy clenching around my dick. This was ecstasy, being inside of Nicolette, and I wasn’t ready for it to end yet.

  “Turn over,” I commanded, pulling out of her to sit up.

  “What?” Her face was red with passion, her eyes glazed.

  “Turn around.”

  She did what I said, scrambling onto her hands and knees. I barely gave her time to get situated before plunging inside of her again. I was like a starving man with his first meal in weeks. I couldn’t get enough, couldn’t get deep enough, couldn’t get close enough to her. She buried her face in the cushions as my hips pistoned faster, taking her harder. I gripped her hips, massaging her flesh. She reached underneath herself to stroke her clit. Her moans grew louder, more frantic as she did, her pussy clenching tighter and tighter until she came apart around me with a loud cry. I didn’t stop, pushing into her with quick strokes, my dick swelling and pulsing as I came.

  We crumpled into the couch on our sides. I was still lodged inside her as I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her tighter against me. We lay there panting, our breathing coming in short gasps as it returned to normal. I pressed gentle kisses on her shoulder and back, feathering them up her neck to her cheek. Nicolette leaned back into me, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

  “I love you, Henry Radcliffe-Rogers, and I don’t know why I couldn’t say it sooner.”

  I closed my eyes, wondering if this was a dream I would wake up from instead of real life. Nicolette was finally mine, and I wasn’t going to let her go.

  “Marry me.” The words escaped my mouth before I had any time to think of their meaning.

  “What?” She sat up, turning to me. “You’re not serious.” A slight laugh escaped her lips.

  I nodded. I’d never been more serious in my life. “I am. Marry me and make me the happiest man in the world.”

  “Henry, we just—”

  “I know we’ve only just reconnected but, Nicolette, I don’t want to wait. We’re already having a baby. I want you. Forever. That month without you was like torture, worse than rehab.”

  Her eyes searched mine, still not believing what I’d said to her was true. But then a wide smile broke out across her face. “You really are serious. Okay, let’s do this. Let’s get married.”

  I kissed her, slow and deep, sealing the deal. I’d get her a ring later, but for now this was the only contract I needed to know that Nicolette would be mine forever.

  Epilogue

  Nicolette

  7 months later

  “Ready to push, Mrs. Radcliffe-Rogers?” the doctor asked, her eyes meeting mine over my large belly.

  I shook my head. “No, we aren’t married, yet. But I am ready to push,” I said. I wasn’t sure why I chose this moment to clarify that Henry and I weren’t married.

  The night before, at the benefit for Beatrice’s charity, I went into labor. Truthfully, I had been having contractions off and on for the three days leading up to the benefit, but I wanted to see it through, especially since Henry had worked so hard on it. Then, in the middle of my father’s speech, my water broke. I tried to keep it cool so as not to alarm anyone, but Henry caught the look on my face and worry had creased a line between his eyes.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  I shook my head, unable to speak as the first strong contraction tore through me.

  “Are you in labor?” He spoke so loudly that people from several tables away turned to look at me.

  “It’s not a big deal, let’s just wait until after Dad is done his speech,” I ground the words out through my teeth.

  “What’s going on?” Liza asked, leaning over Jax to see what the commotion was. “Is Nicolette in labor?”

  Her voice carried farther than Henry’s had, making almost everyone in the ballroom look at us.

  “I’m fine, please. Let my dad finish his . . .” My words were swallowed up by a gasp as the next contraction cut through my belly like a knife. “Oh, God.”

  “We have to go.” Henry said to the table. “Liza, go to our apartment and get the bags and meet me at the hospital. Mother, can you tell Mr. Fowler that Nicolette is in labor?”

  Both women nodded as Henry helped me stand. Embarrassment made my face pink as I stood. Fluids stained the chair and my dress.

  “Oh no,” I whispered, tears clogging my throat.

  “Don
’t worry about it, baby. Nobody cares,” Henry proclaimed as he shot Jax a look for making a face. “Let’s go.”

  I nodded, another contraction ripping through me as I tried to walk away. All thoughts of stains were forgotten, and I gripped my belly, bending over and trying to breathe through it. The whole banquet room was staring at us now, aware that something was going on. The contraction passed and I looked up just in time to see Beatrice and my father jogging towards us.

  “She’s in labor?” Dad asked. Patrick joined him, putting his arm around his shoulder to calm him.

  “Henry is going to get her to the hospital. I think it would be best if we stayed here to wrap the banquet up for them. Right, Danny?” Patrick tried to talk my father down in the way only I used to be able to do. I shot him a grateful look.

  Dad finally nodded and Patrick whisked him away. Henry wrapped an arm around me, leading me out the back door to the waiting car. We slid in, the contractions coming faster and harder than before.

  After that, everything seemed to happen in slow motion and hyper speed all at once. We reached the hospital in record time for New York City, they rushed me into triage, and I had an epidural within the first thirty minutes.

  But then everything slowed down significantly. Which was why it was almost one p.m. the next day and I was only just able to push.

  “Come on, Nic, you can do this,” Henry encouraged at my side, holding my hand and my leg as I bore down.

  Fifteen minutes and countless pushes later, our baby girl, Lorelai Willow Rogers—Henry refused to hyphenate her name—was born. And I was so exhausted I never thought I would move again. But when they put her on my chest and I looked into her aquamarine eyes, nothing else mattered.

  “You did it, baby. She’s finally here,” Henry said, looking at both of us with an awe in his eyes I had never seen before.

  “We both did it,” I whispered as a lump formed in my throat.

  I didn’t just mean the birth and delivery, I meant everything. Henry and I had been able to overcome so much to reach this point in our lives. We were able to take one chance and turn it into a lifetime.

  For updates on what’s new and upcoming from Victoria J. Best and to receive a bonus epilogue for One Night and One Song sign up here:

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  Acknowledgments

  To my readers; I am humbled and amazed every day with the way you have responded to my books. Thank you for your continued support because without you I wouldn’t be able to do this.

  To my family; thank you for buying, reading and praising all that I’ve done so far and continuing to do so.

  To my husband; thank you for reading every word I write, even though you never read a romance novel before I began writing them. Thank you for being my business manager, agent and everything in between. XOXO

  About the Author

  Victoria J. Best writes contemporary romance with a sexy twist. She lives on the east coast with her husband, two kids, and a very pampered Yorkie.

  When she’s not writing, she’s reading, baking or crafting—probably in that order.

  Connect with Victoria:

  Website: Victoriajbest.com

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/victoriajbestauthor/?hl=en

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  Twitter: https://twitter.com/VictoriaJBestA1

  Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/victoria-j-best

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  Other books by Victoria J. Best

  One Series

  One Night (book 1)

  One Song (book 2)

  Novella

  Rekindled: A Holiday Romance