Page 123 of Bound To Be Mine

“It’s made me think about what that would be like. To have that. A family.”

The kitchen went quiet. I said too much. Pushed too hard. We’d only been together a few weeks, and here I was talking about kids like we were some settled married couple instead of two people who’d drunkenly stumbled into a Vegas chapel.

“Sorry,” I said. “That was too much. Too fast.”

“No.” She hopped down from the counter and crossed to me. “It wasn’t. It’s good to know where your head’s at. I’ve thought about kids.”

“You have?”

“Of course I have.”

“And what do you see?”

“I see us. Happy. Making it work somehow.” She placed her hands on my chest. “I see you coming home after a long day and me cooking you dinner. Well, ordering you dinner, because we both know I can’t cook all that well. I see pancakes on Sunday mornings and maybe, eventually, a baby that looks like you.”

“Or one that looks like you,” I countered.

I laughed and pulled her against me. “I think we’d make beautiful babies. Stubborn, tone-deaf babies, but beautiful nonetheless.”

She laughed, burying her face in my chest. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation.”

“I can’t either.” I kissed the top of her head. “But I’m glad we are.”

We stood there for a moment, just holding each other. Then she pulled back and looked up at me.

“How long did you say you could stay?” she asked.

“A week. I managed to clear my schedule through next Friday.”

Her face fell slightly. “Only a week?”

“Possibly two to three weeks. I’ll find out on Monday if one of the contract disputes is resolved.”

“Really?”

“If you’ll have me.”

“If I’ll have you?” She threw her arms around my neck. “Briggs, I’d keep you here forever if I could.”

“Careful. I might hold you to that.”

I kissed her, the weeks apart were suddenly making themselves known.

“Bedroom,” she breathed against my lips.

“You sure? You’re exhausted.”

“I’m not that exhausted. I’ve been miserable without you. I need you. Right now.”

Who was I to argue with that?

I lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my waist, her arms around my neck. I walked her to her bedroom and carefully laid her on the bed.

I took a moment just to look at her. Her hair was a mess from the long day. Her makeup was smudged. She looked exhausted and easily the most beautiful thing I had ever seen.

“I love you,” I said.

The words came out before I could stop them. I hadn’t planned to say them. I thought about telling her in some big moment, but there they were. Just hanging out there.