“You really mean that?” she asks. “About Jake?”
“Every bit of it.”
“Then… can I ask you something?” The hesitancy in her voice makes me nervous, but I need to know the thoughts floating around in her mind.
Brushing my thumbs along her hips, I revel in the way she instinctively leans into me. “You can always ask me anything, darlin’.”
“Will you move in with us? It’s okay if you’re not ready for that yet. I know Jake sort of already told you to, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to say yes simply because you said you loved me. There’s a big difference between occasionally being a father figure and being a dad. I understand if it’s too much too soon or if—”
“Tessa,” I choke out. The only answer in my mind is a resounding yes, but there’s another word she said that’s holding my attention. Her rambling was cute, endearing even, but then she mentioned being a dad. As if the word were a trigger, images begin to play out in my mind. Things I’ve thought about but never let myself truly indulge in. Spending holidays together as a family, visiting her parents, visitingmyparents, and getting to see Luke be an uncle. Celebrating Jake’s success in school, sports, or anything else he chooses to do. A kaleidoscope of brightly painted visions floods my mind, my heart thrumming in my chest as each one becomes more vibrant than the last.
The one I settle on, the one that steals the breath from my lungs, is Tessa curled up on the couch, reading a book to our boy as he rests his head on her pregnant belly.Fuck.I know she wants another childsomeday, and I would love to have a big family, but a year ago, I would have said it wasn’t going to happen for me. This woman turned my world upside down when she spilled her drinks on me months ago, and it’s been nothing short of amazing ever since.
“I’ve scared you off now, huh?”
Wait. What?
It’s only then that I realize I haven’t spoken since I managed to choke out her name. “Fuck, darlin’. I’m sorry. You didn’t scare me. Quite the opposite, actually. I told you before I was all in, and I’ll tell you again every day if that’s what you need. I would love to move in with you, baby. But just know that’s only the beginning. I want everything with you, Tessa.”
Delicate fingers curl around the back of my head, pulling me in close. “Everything?” she asks, her breath warm against my skin.
“Everything,” I confirm, grasping her jaw between my fingers and pulling her mouth to mine. The kiss is a tangle of lips, teeth, and tongue as our emotions pour out, devouring one another in a passionate frenzy.
“Hey now, save that shit for the bedroom,” Gray grumbles as he walks up to us, a drink in hand. I look around for any sign of Aaron, but he seems to have disappeared.
I’m ready to tell Gray to fuck off, but then Liv appears beside him, her arms folded across her chest. “You wouldn’t have to be so jealous if you’d stop fucking scowling at everyone tonight. I swear I’ve watched at least five different women try to approach you, only to change their minds because of that mean ass look on your face.”
Gray’s brows furrow as he stares down at her, his jaw clenched. I can see the cogs in his mind whirring to life. I don’t know how much of hisalmost-outburst Liv saw, but she doesn’t seem fazed. “Didn’t realize you were paying so much attention to me,” he goads.
Liv scoffs, planting her hands on her hips. “In your dreams.”
His head drops back with a laugh. “Oh, if you only knew.”
Tessa’s hazel eyes swivel between the two of them, her lips pressed into a tight line as her eyebrows pinch at the way their interaction is unfolding. “You’re both kinda ruining our moment,” she says.
I grasp her waist, pulling her tight against me as I press a kiss to her temple.
“What did I miss?” Liv asks, turning her attention to her friend.
“Logan’s moving in with me.” Tessa smiles as our gazes collide.
“Wait, really? That’s amazing!” Liv ignores my hold on Tess and grabs her hand, yanking her from my arms and pulling her in for a hug.
“Guess that means we’re celebrating,” Gray says, a smile replacing his scowl.
Chapter thirty-eight
Tessa
Myentirebodyfeelslight, like I’m dancing on clouds as Logan spins me across the dance floor, stumbling feet and all. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s had to steady me over the past couple of hours, but the easy laughter that escapes him each time and the way his forest eyes haven’t left mine tell me he doesn’t mind. The band that Liv and Tilly hired for the night left a little bit ago, but a playlist full of country and upbeat pop songs has kept the vibe going.
This evening has been perfect. It can be so easy to forget what it feels like to just be myself when I'm not having to pour all of my energy into being a mom as well. I love my son more than anything else in this world, but that doesn't mean I don't look forward to nights like this with Logan.
The mood of the room shifts when a slower song begins. Several people take advantage of the change of pace and head to the bar for another round of drinks. Logan pulls me in close until I’m pressed against hischest, not an inch of space between us. His intoxicating cologne washes over me as I melt into him. His scent is deep and powerful, full of wood smoke and burning pines, and it relaxes me instantly. “As much fun as tonight has been, I’m ready to take you home.” The rumble of his voice sends a delicious shiver skittering down my spine.
Home.
God, I love the way he says the word with a weight behind it. I used to think of home as a physical place, somewhere to rest your head at night, but it’s so much more than that. Home can also be a feeling or a person. Someone who makes you feel safe and seen, who accepts you as you are without judgment. Logan has never once made me feel like I need to change or conceal any part of myself, even the scars left behind by loss. He’s gentle and quiet and understanding in a way most men aren’t. He knows there’s a piece of my heart that will always belong to the husband I lost, even when I’ve closed the door on my past. And he has been incredible with Jake, which means more than I can explain.
