AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I roll into his stretched out body, loving the feeling of our bodies against one another. “I’m just shocked I was ready for all of that,” I admit. “I didn’t think I would be, and I can’t promise it will happen again right away. I just need time to think and figure out where my head and heart are.”
“I can understand that, and I won’t ever pressure you,” he says. I’m always so thankful for his willingness to take things at my own pace. “Not to pressure you to make a decision right this minute, but did you want to stay the night?”
“I probably shouldn’t, the kids will freak out if they wake up alone in a strange place.”
“I understand. Are you going to be okay driving home in the dark, all tired from a long day? I can drive you back, if you’d like. I’ll even crash on the couch, if you’d prefer that.”
“I should be okay, plus I wouldn’t want to be an inconvenience.”
“Lacey.” He says my name and tips my head up so we can look at one another. “You’ll never be an inconvenience to me. If I offer to do something for you, it’s because I want to do it, or am willing to. I’d never forgive myself if I let you walk out of this house tired and you got into an accident on the way home. I’d give you a full night’s sleep or sleep on a lumpy couch if it meant that you and the kids would make it home safe. So please, don’t think for one moment that I wouldn’t drive you home, just so I knew you made it safely.”
“You are such a good man. I really don’t know what I did to deserve you coming into my life,” I tell him honestly.
“You deserve happiness. I’m sorry you had to live through what you did, but I know you wouldn’t change it because it gave you Hope and Benjamin. I just hope I can bring you a sliver of happiness and maybe love, one day, if we’re both lucky.”
“I’d really like that,” I admit. “There were many days when I didn’t believe in love or being happy. I figured I’d grow old never knowing what it felt like to truly be cherished by a man, but after meeting you, my outlook is slowly changing.”
“Sounds like I’ve got a little more work cut out for me.” He chuckles. “But I’m up for the challenge, as long as you let me.”
“I’d like that,” I tell him. I push my body up, brining myself closer to him so that I can press my lips to his. I can still slightly taste myself on his lips, and that brings me right back to what we experienced together not long ago.
“We’d better get dressed or else I might not let you out of my bed tonight,” he states, his warm hands caressing my still-naked body.
“I know, but I just want another minute with you before I have to give this feeling of perfection up.”
“We can recreate this exact feeling anytime you want, just say the words.” He winks and then kisses the corner of my mouth.
Garrett slides out of bed, grabbing the pile of clothes. He pulls mine out, handing them over, I watch as he does the same, then follow suit. I make a quick stop in his bathroom before meeting him back in the kitchen. I finish my glass of now-melted ice water before it’s time to load the kids into my van.
He settles into the driver’s seat of my van, adjusting the seat and mirrors to his comfort. I don’t miss the fact that he checks on both of my kids before he backs out of the driveway and onto the road.
“I think I can get to your house without any help, but don’t let me miss a turn or go the wrong way,” he says once we’re on the highway.
“I won’t, and thank you for this,” I tell him.
“Anything to keep the three of you safe,” he assures me.
The feeling of being protected by this man hits me hard and square in the chest. Knowing that he’s giving up a night of sleep in his own bed so that he knows we made it home safe is not something I can really process, at the moment, so I just settle in and enjoy the feeling of being cherished and taken care of.
“Who do you want me to carry in?” he asks as he pulls into my driveway. He was right, he knew the way back without any help.
“Can you get Ben? He’s a lot heavier when dead asleep than Hope is.”
“Of course,” he says. We both get out of the van quietly, and unbuckle a sleeping kid, taking them both inside and placing them into their beds. We manage to do all of that without either of them waking up.
“Can you come with me?” I ask him once we meet in the hallway outside the kids’ rooms.
“Where to?” he asks.
I grab his hand and lead him into my bedroom, shutting the door behind us. “I want to feel your arms around me tonight, but I’m going to set an alarm so that we can hopefully be up before the kids. Hope has no shame and will come straight in here and get into bed with me and I’m not sure I’m ready for them to find us in bed together. That might confuse them.”
“Whatever you are comfortable with, I’m comfortable with,” he assures me.
“I swear, you are a figment of my imagination, sometimes.”
“Are you sure about that?” he asks, a sexy smirk tugging at his lips. “Could a figment of your imagination do this?” He swoops in and picks me up and wraps my legs around his waist while his lips take mine in a searing kiss. He backs me up against the wall, using it to help hold me up as his hands start to wander my body. I don’t think I love anything more than the feel of his hands on me. His touch does something to me and has woken a part of me that I thought was long dead.
Garrett moves from kissing my lips to my neck, then down my chest as far as my shirt will allow him. He anchors me to him and moves from the wall to the bed, laying me down as if I’m precious cargo that he doesn’t want damaged.
