Page 39 of Happily Ever Maybe

“Wrong move,” Noah grumbled.

“Excuse me?” I asked, my voice strained.

“We’ve gone over this already. Of course, I trust you. ButI’m sorry if seeing a gun being waved in the face of the woman I love stressedme out. That would’ve stressed me out even if you were a superhero who coulddodge bullets.”

My lips twitched. “That would be a scene, wouldn’t it?”

“Pretty much. You kicked ass, and while that was scary ashell, I’m not going to forget our plan and how much I love you just becausedanger keeps trying to find us. But we’re going to figure this out. And I keepsaying I love you, and you aren’t reacting. So, will you please react?”

There was an echo in my ear, like people were talking, andthen there was only silence. I tried to figure out what he had just said andwhat it meant. Because it couldn’t be real. This feeling I had inside, thiswarmth, it couldn’t be real.

“You love me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course, I do. I know it might seem too soon, but I thinkI fell in love with you the first week we met, when you kicked my ass, had medown on the mat, and then didn’t mock me. You just taught me how to do itbetter next time. That’s when I fell in love with you.”

I didn’t realize I was crying until he slid his thumbsacross my cheeks, wiping away my tears.

“You don’t have to love me back yet. But knowI’m going to spend the rest of my days making sure you find a way to. I know wehave a lot coming up, so many changes, but what I feel?That’s not going to change. It might grow a bit, it might settle, might bloomor whatever the hell you want to call it. But I’ll always love you.”

“And now I’m crying,” Kane grumbled, then let out an oof asDaisy elbowed him in the gut.

“Oh.”

“Don’t say anything,” Gus whispered, but then I took hishand in mine.

“I was trying to figure out what this feeling was, this needto always be with you and want you in my life. I thought it was just theintense friendship, our chemistry, but I was wrong.”

For some reason, he looked crestfallen. “It’s love. I loveyou so damn much. So please, love me back. Always loveme. And let me figure out what the hell we’re doing. Because things are aboutto change and blow up in new and interesting ways. And I can’t wait to figurethem out with you. There are no maybes about it. I love you, too.” Then hislips were on mine, and I was breathing him in, holding him.

All our friends shouted and clapped, whistling theircongratulations. I just held on to Gus.

I hadn’t recognized what the feeling was.

It had been love all along, thetricky bastard.

But I was really glad I would bewith a man who understood it and could figure things out with me.

And be my partner no matter what.

Epilogue

Gus

I slid my hand over her hip, fingers digging into flesh. “Iwant you.”

“Then take me.” She purred the words, sliding her assagainst my cock. We lay on the bed on our sides, her back to my front.

It was a damn good way to wake upin the morning. I slid my hands over her body, cupping her breasts, swollen andlarge, overfilling my palms. She had so many new curves, and the way she movedhad changed.

I loved my wife, my beautiful, beautiful partner. And nowshe was all mine, nearly sated and glowing.

She reached around and squeezed my cock. I groaned, closingmy eyes.

“Dear God, woman,” I growled in her ear.

“Get inside me already. You’ve been keeping me on the edgefor over an hour now and I’m done with it.”

“So impatient.”