by Lindsey Hart
“They were.” I give his hand a squeeze. “If we take things slow and get to know each other, really get to know each other, and we have patience and work through everything, I think we could have something special. I would like to work towards that. I’m sorry I couldn’t see past everything else before.”
“Sometimes, we need time. I needed time to figure things out too. Not about you. I always knew I was into you. I thought about you all the time too. I guess I needed time to figure out how to tell you that. And how to get myself from where I was to where I want to be and even what that was. Is.”
I take Wade’s other hand and smile up at him. Into the face that I’ve missed so much. I can’t believe he’s here. I can’t believe he wants to do this with me—the future stuff. Life stuff. Romantic stuff.
“One more thing. You said I could have anyone. But I don’t want just anyone. I want you, Lu-Anne. I only want you.”
Those words make my head spin, and I have to come up with something fast or risk tearing up and blubbering all over the place. I think fast. The cake. Talk about the cake. I can’t stop thinking about him, though. So what comes out is the best of both.
“Let me taste you first before I taste the cake. I’m sure it has nothing on you.”
“I don’t know. I got it from a pretty reputable bakery and—”
I step up on my tiptoes, cup Wade’s face, and drag it down to mine. He doesn’t resist. The second our lips meet, it feels like coming home. It feels like slipping on a nice pair of flip flops after killing your feet in high heels all day. It feels like coming home and stripping off the uncomfortable as shit bra that’s been gouging you in all the wrong spots for hours. It feels like a nice hot, relaxing bath. In essence, it feels pretty darn amazing.
I don’t have to consider being in Wade’s life or having him in mine. He never truly left my heart, and I’m too far gone to consider anything. He’s been here with me, even when he wasn’t. I guess I’ll have to thank Leanne later for all her meddling. Sort of meddling? Whatever she did, I owe her. She was looking out for me when I needed it most.
We kiss until we’re breathless, then we both step back, grinning like fools.
I’m not sure if six months ago was our official start, or if it’s now, but I’m just so glad that whatever or whenever it was, it happened, and we’re here now. Come to think of it; it was the spider that brought us together the night I ended up on his doorstep for the first time.
Wherever he or she is, I hope the hairy little bastard is safe and thriving. Outdoors. Maybe the donation to the spider foundation was perfect, after all. It was certainly fitting. I can’t think of a single donation that could be more us.
EPILOGUE
Wade
What can I say? Life is good. No, that’s too corny sounding. Life is great. Three years later, our business is thriving. I don’t say mine because it’s not just mine. I might have put things into motion, but the business belongs to all the volunteers, employees, specialists, and everyone else who work tirelessly to make what we do happen.
“I can’t find Sarah-Jane’s shoes!” Lu-Anne rushes into the bedroom, where I’m just throwing on a sweater, and she’s frantic and wild-eyed. “How can we go for Christmas at your parents’ house without her shoes? How can one kid lose like every single pair of shoes she owns?”
With Sarah-Jane, it’s possible. The girl came out running like it’s a joke she played on us. She’s a gorgeous, busy two years old. She was initially a bit of a surprise, but she was the world’s best surprise, and Lu-Anne and I were overjoyed when we found out we were pregnant, even if it did happen quickly. I think we both knew from that day in her dining room with the spider cake that we were it for each other. Actually, I think I knew from the second I saw her, but I’m calling that day the day we made things official.
And we couldn’t have only one lively, adorable, and insanely doted-on baby. We had to give Sarah-Jane a brother or a sister. So now we not only have a wild, amazing, joyful, busy toddler on our hands, we also have a three-month-old daughter, Christy-Belle, who has also brought us so much joy. She’s the happiest baby. Content. Quiet. And she already sleeps through the night—the complete opposite of her outgoing, daring sister.
I’ve never seen two little girls more in love with each other than they are. They might be different as night and day, but the bond they share is already unshakeable. I can’t wait to watch them grow up. Or—at least, I can. I can wait. I’m in no rush to leave these chaotic, sleep-deprived, wild, trial filled days behind. As crazy as they are, they’re the best days I’ve ever known. I love being a dad in a completely different way than I love being a husband, but they’re both seriously more than I ever could have asked for.
“Seriously! Shoes! Wade!”
“Relax,” I chuckle. “Worse comes to worst, just throw an extra pair of socks on.”
“Okay, I should have said boots. You’re right. But shoes, socks, they’re all MIA.”
“Hmm. Grab a sweater of mine. We’ll wrap her up nice and toasty. She just has to go to the car—and I’ll warm it up so that it’s ready to go—and then into my parent’s house.”
“Everyone is going to be there. My parents are probably there already. And my brother and his girlfriend. We’re going to be the last ones there!”
“Sweetheart.” I shove the sweater on—it’s one my mom made me for Christmas last year. It’s truly hideous, seeing as she didn’t know how to knit well yet, having just taken it up right before she decided to tackle the project, but of course, I’m still going to wear it. And wear it proudly. “Our families know we have two little kids. They don’t actually expect us to be on time.”
“But what if they’re holding off on the food for us and something burns or the turkey gets all dry?”
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen. My mom is an expert cook.” I gather Lu-Anne into my arms and kiss her on the forehead.
“The girls are ready other than the boots. Are you ready?”
“Yes. I’m ready.” I tuck Lu-Anne’s hand into mine. “No matter how late we are, or on time, or whatever… it doesn’t matter. I’m just happy to be doing all this with you.”
She doesn’t stop walking, but she does squeeze my hand, and when we find our daughters, one tucked into her little bucket seat and bundled up, the other standing guard over her baby sister with the most angelic look on her face, she angles into me and tugs my face down for a passionate, searing, mind-blowing kiss, even if it is brief.
She grins at me after as she grabs an extra jacket from the peg by the door. We actually decided to move into her grandma’s house, and we are in the process of extending it to the one we have next door. But it’s nice being here, in the main house that has so many memories for Lu-Anne. It just felt right for both of us, and I’m so glad we can raise our own family here, amidst so much love and warmth.
“Come here, honey. I’ll wrap your feet up in this jacket, and we’ll go.”
Sarah-Jane just points solemnly to the boot rack where one boot is sticking out, and then she points past that to the living room, where I can barely make out the black fuzzy top of the second boot sticking out from under the couch.
I make quick work of gathering up the boots while Lu-Anne sighs in relief. Smiling widely, I can’t resist giving each of my three girls another kiss before we walk out the door.
Yes, life is definitely great.
The End
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lindsey Hart specializes in sweet to extra hot and dirty romances and strongly believes in happily ever after. If you are looking for a page turner, then you are in for a wild and naughty ride with feisty heroines and alpha male heroes.
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ALPHALI
CIOUS BILLIONAIRES
The Box Set Volume 1
Books 1 - 4
Available in Kindle HERE
Cozy up with this Box Set full of delicious Cocky Alphas who will settle for nothing less than the girl they want… though they might have to struggle a little bit… Ok, scratch that… they will have to up their game BIG TIME if they want to seduce their sassy confident leading ladies.
Married by Mistake
What do you do when you wake up in bed next to an Adonis god with a wedding band on your finger and no recollections of the night before?
Well, you sure as hell do not agree to stay married to the Greek God and be his wife!
I mean what if he had a crooked dick or something. There was bound to be a catch, right?
Faking It
A stranger agreed to be my one-day boyfriend.
And really, I was not prepared for him to charm the pants right off my parents…
Well, unfortunately for him, my pants are not going anywhere soon, thank you very much.
It’s a one day arrangement only and that’s it.
Nothing more!
Baby Mistake
We are sworn enemies but she's having my baby.
How you ask?
Well, I’m also wondering the same thing.
How the hell do people in that stupid fertility clinic mistake MY sp*rm and inject it into the wrong woman…
The same woman I fired just the day before for running her mouth off at me.
Seducing My Best Friend
Never get so drunk that you end up posting on social media that you want your best friend to marry you.
You might get kidnapped and flown away in a private jet to get hitched to said best friend.
The best friend who took your V-card in college and promised to marry you if you were still single in ten years...
The best friend who made you come so Unicorntastically that it ruined you for all other men…
The best friend you did not talk to in ten years and is now a big a$$ billionaire…
EACH BOOK IN THIS BOX SET IS A FULL-LENGTH STEAMY STANDALONE ROMANTIC COMEDY WITH AN HEA THAT WILL LEAVE YOU WANTING FOR MORE. CHECK IT OUT IF YOU LOVE HOT NAUGHTY BILLIONAIRE BAD BOYS.