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Contents

1. Rae

2. Clinton

3. Rae

4. Clinton

5. Rae

6. Clinton

7. Rae

8. Clinton

9. Rae

10. Clinton

REBEL HART

Also by Rebel Hart

Forever Us

Rebel Hart

1

Rae

I tossed the door open to Clint’s apartment and drew in a deep breath. I never thought the smell of packed boxes and fresh packing tape could ever make me smile, but it did. I looked at the towers of brown cardboard stacked in the corners. For once, I could finally see the carpet of this place. I closed the door behind me and moved into the kitchen in search of a snack. And when the smell of lemon alcohol filled my nostrils, I smiled.

We were only two days away from moving.

“All right. Let’s see what the fridge has for me,” I murmured.

I opened the door and sighed. There wasn’t much. No matter how many times I opened this refrigerator door on a daily basis, nothing seemed to change. No fun snacks appeared. My favorite soda had still run out. There was still leftover chili from two weeks ago. I shivered at the thought. The congealed mess needed to be poured into the garbage disposal.

“Don’t mind if I do,” I whispered.

I slipped the container out and carried it over to the sink. I held my breath as I popped the top open. Yet, somehow, that still didn’t shield me from the smell.

“Oh, man,” I wheezed.

I flipped on the hot water and washed it down the garbage disposal. I turned it on and reached for the soap, squeezing the green apple goodness into the disposal with it. I watched bubbles fill the sink. Both sides of it, actually. And as the bubbles started disappearing, I let out the breath I had been holding.

“Wow. Okay. Mail time,” I breathed.

I took my keys and walked back out to get the mail. I needed some time for the wind to blow away the stench sitting strongly in the crook of my nose. After breathing some deep breaths of fresh air, I found my way back inside again. I hung my keys up on the hook by the door and flipped through the endless envelopes of junk, spam, and random bank statements.

Ugh. I have to call them and tell them we’re paperless again.

I slipped out a couple of flyers that mentioned something about mortgage rates. Home-owning. How rates for loans were the lowest they’d been in well over a decade. And the sentiments made me smile. I knew all about that kind of stuff. The loans. The percentages. The kinds of homes people were looking for.

Then I came across an envelope I’d need.

“You’re going up on the fridge,” I murmured.

I walked into the kitchen and tacked the envelope onto the front of the refrigerator with a magnet. Our realtor said he’d be sending copies of all the paperwork we had signed in order to make our purchase official. And I needed to make sure I kept track of these documents. I didn’t have a formal filing cabinet to put it in, so the fridge door was the next best thing.

I’ll get a filing cabinet once we get moved.

My phone vibrated against my hip and I set the rest of the mail down. It was junk, anyway. Needed to be tossed with the rest of the trash bags full of stuff we had strewn around this place. I slid my phone out and smiled. Even now, every time I saw him calling I got chills on the nape of my neck. I answered the phone and put it to my ear. My body readied itself for his voice.

For the soothing, wonderful voice that had gotten me through so much as a teenager.

“Well, hi there.”

He chuckled. “Hey there, beautiful. You home from work?”

“I am. Just walked in a few minutes ago. And before you ask, I finally took care of that chili. I know you must be proud.”

“Proud as a papa. But I have some bad news.”

I paused. “Everything okay?”

“The cover designer for my novel ran over our meeting time by about thirty minutes. I’m just now leaving.”

“And you’re still halfway across town.”

“Yep.”

“Any accidents in your way?”

“You know how it goes. One minute we’re good and the next, we’re delayed another thirty minutes.”

I made my way into our bedroom. “Well, was it at least a productive meeting?”

“More or less. We settled on a cover, so that’s a good thing.”

“Should I even ask about the rest of it?”

“Let’s just say the cover designer is a talker. And not always about things that matter. Ever.”

I giggled. “Oh, you poor thing. Sounds like you need some Chinese.”

He snickered. “We had that last night. And three times last week.”

“And it sounds like you could use it again tonight. You know, before I get to packing more boxes. I need energy for that, you know.”

He chuckled again. “Why don’t you wait for me to get home and we can pack up those couple of boxes together?”

“That depends. Will you pick up Chinese on the way home?”

“What makes you think I wasn’t already going to do that anyway?”

I kicked off my shoes. “You’re perfect, you know that?”

“Eh, so I’ve been told.”

I barked with laughter. “All right. Hopefully I’ll see you sooner rather than later. Want me to go ahead and place our order so it’s ready once you get there?”

“If you could do that, it would make my day.”

“Consider it done, handsome. I fervently and anxiously await your arrival.”

“Nice use of words. I’ll have to put that in a book somewhere.”

I slipped my panties down my legs. “See you soon.”

He blew me a kiss. “See you soon, beautiful.”

After blowing a kiss back, I hung up the phone. It took me no time at all to place an order for Chinese. Especially since we got the same thing every single time. Vegetable lo mein and crab rangoons for me; orange chicken with white rice and three egg rolls for him. They practically knew us by heart. If we walked in, the woman at the cashier knew exactly what to ring us up for. If we called and someone recognized our voice, they’d simply recite our order to make sure that was what we wanted.

We’ll have to get a new Chinese place when we move.

I tossed my phone onto the bed and took off the rest of my clothes. I was ready to get comfortable. Ready to get into a nice pair of pajamas and relegate myself to another evening of Chinese, packing, and snuggling with Clint. I reached for my flannel pajama bottoms tossed over a chair in the corner and hopped myself into them before rummaging around for one of Clint’s shirts. All these years later, and I still loved wearing them.

I didn’t quite get it over my head, though, before my stomach jumped.

“What the--?”

My body contracted and I took off running, with Clint’s shirt dangling around my neck as I rushed into our bathroom. I shoved the door open with my shoulder and fell to my knees in front of the toilet. And as the searing pain of my kneecaps trickled up my thighs, I vomited into the toilet.

“Holy shit,” I gurgled.

I groaned over the toilet bowl. My stomach rebelled against my existence as it jumped into my chest. It was like my body hadn’t digested anything from the day. And suddenly, my head began to spin. I closed my eyes, willing the nausea to go away.

Come on, I thought we were done with all this.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t the first time I’d been suddenly sick. It had happened on and off for the past two weeks. I sighed as I sat down, wiping at my mouth with the back of my hand before wiping my hand off on a towel on the floor and placing it against my forehead. My neck. My cheek. Trying to see if I was running some sort of fever. Maybe I was exhausted. Burning the candle from both ends. Maybe this was my body’s way of telling me to slow down. Or maybe the excitement of the move was finally getting to me.

“Or maybe not,” I whispered.

I slowly opened my eyes. It wasn’t possible, right? I mean, Clint and I had been careful. Very careful, in fact. I crawled over to the bathroom cabinets, opened them up and started rummaging through them. Did I have a spare pregnancy test available? Clint and I had a scare a couple of months ago. Maybe I had one of those tests left.

I didn’t find one.

“Shit,” I hissed.

If Clint saw me on this bathroom floor, he wouldn’t stop until he knew what was wrong. So I pulled myself up, gargled with mouthwash, and forced myself back into the living room. I needed a distraction. Something to take my mind--and my stomach--off some things. Even though I told Clint I’d wait, I finished packing the box of fragiles I started last night. I wrapped up a decorative vase his stepmother had gotten me for graduation. I reached for a picture still hanging on the wall of us standing with the acceptance letter from the publishing company regarding his novel. I smiled as I ran my fingertips across the photo. I remembered that day. Clear as crystal. How excited Clint had been. How proud I was of him.

How proud I still am of him.

I placed the picture into the box and reached for the clear container at the bottom. A very unceremonious way of storing pictures. But I hadn’t yet gotten actual photo albums to slip them into. I sat on the couch and smiled as I popped off the top. Pictures from our high school graduation floated around. Clint and Michael hanging all over one another. Me and Allison hugging each other tight. The four of us jumping into the air. Throwing our graduation caps around before flashing tongues and peace signs for any camera that snapped a picture of us.

Then I found our travel pictures.

“Oh, my gosh,” I giggled.

I pulled out a picture of Clint posing in front of the Parthenon. Beneath it was a picture of me at the Temple of Apollo in Pompeii. There was a picture of the four of us standing in front of the Tower of Pisa. All of us smiling and hugging one another.

It would be wonderful to see everyone again after we got moved.

Especially Mom.

“Honey! I’m home!”

I giggled as I placed the pictures back in the container.

“I smell Chinese,” I said.

“They also threw in a small cup of that tea they make that you like so much.”

“You mean that tea that makes you heave?”

He snickered. “Yep. So, if you want any kisses now, get ‘em while they’re hot.”

I smiled. “Don’t mind if I do.”

I placed the container back in the box as Clint made his way for me. He set everything down just as I stood and his arms cloaked my entire body. I felt his hands roaming down my back. Our lips collided as his hands gripped my ass, giving it a soft squeeze. I smiled against his lips and he chuckled as his tongue slid along my lips. Every time he kissed me, I felt like a teenager again. Sneaking around. On the brink of getting into trouble. Ready for action, no matter the time or place.

“Mmm, I don’t know about you, but I’m starving,” he murmured.

I nuzzled my nose against his. “Me too.”

“And as much as I’d love to continue this little thing we’ve got going here, I’m going to need some energy before that happens.”

“Too much to handle for you, hot stuff?”

He growled playfully. “Never.”

I laughed before he captured my lips, muting my sounds. Then he picked me up and carried me into the kitchen. He sat me on the edge of the counter, his hands sliding up and down my thighs. I felt myself warming for him, gravitating to him. It had been such a long day to wrap up one of the longest weeks I’d had in a while.

And suddenly, my body wanted nothing to do with the food he’d brought home.

“You want some wine to go with this food?” Clint asked.

I paused. “Actually, I’m thinking about sipping that tea with dinner.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “It’s not like you to turn down wine. You feeling okay?”

“You calling me a lush, Mr. Clarke?”

“And what if I am?”

I slipped my arms around his neck. “Why, I’d take offense to it before telling you I’m simply not feeling like wine tonight.”

He wiggled his eyebrows. “What are you feeling like, then?”

I grinned. “Why don’t you come back this way and find out?”

His smile grew wolfish as his eyes hooked with mine. His hand migrated into my hair, fisting it in the way only he could. I sighed as he pulled my head back slowly. His tongue licked up my pulse point, making me shiver. The smell of Chinese faded into the background, replacing itself with the smell of Clint’s cologne, his musk, and the scent of his breath as his lips found their way to the shell of my ear.

“I love it when you wear my clothes,” he whispered.

And whatever sickness my body still held on to slipped away as his lips kissed my skin.

2

Clinton

She tasted like mint and coffee. A smell I had attributed to her very quickly as we had grown together. Her curves had only grown thicker over the years. And my palms loved them. I slid my hands up and down her thighs, feeling her melt into me as my tongue stroked along the roof of her mouth. I’d missed her all day. I mean, I missed her every day I was away for meetings. But today had been different.

Today, I’d practically longed for her.

“Mmm, Clint.”

I grunted. “Bed. Now.”

She wrapped her legs around me and tightened her arms around my neck. I lifted her with ease, my muscles flexing to accommodate her. The bigger she grew, the stronger I grew, my body always morphing to take care of hers. I loved the way her hips had blossomed in college, the way her curves had thickened with the food from our travels all those years ago. Our tongues did battle as I charged us down the hallway, eager to bury myself between her legs.

Eager to make love to the woman that had changed my life.

“Oh, Clint.”

I tossed her to the bed, watching with wild eyes as her body bounced.

“I’ve got just what I want for dinner right here,” I growled.

Our clothes came off in a flurry before I pounced. I jumped onto the bed, pinning her with my body against the mattress. Our fingers threaded together. Her lips caught mine as her naked breasts pooled against my chest. I felt her curves filling the divots of my muscles as she rolled against me, stroking my cock with her wet pussy. I slid my teeth against her skin, nibbling along her breasts, feeling them bounce with every jump. She released my hands, preferring to run hers through my hair as I marked her body.

All the way down to her knees.

“Clint, please.”

I slipped her legs over my shoulders. “Please what?”

I nibbled at the dollop of excess at the top of her inner thigh, watching as she gasped and jumped. My aching cock wanted nothing more than to be buried inside her, where I had found my home a very long time ago. The truth of the matter was, I didn’t give a shit about this house. Or where we ended up. Or where we shared the rest of our years. I had learned a long time ago that a place wasn’t a home. A structure wasn’t a home. A neighborhood wasn’t a home.

Rae, however, was home to me.

And no matter where we went, it would always feel like home if I had her.

“Please, please, please, please,” she begged.

“God, I love that sound so much.”

I lapped up her slit and watched her back arch. I took in the way her skin reddened. The way her nails raked along my scalp. I sucked her swollen clit between my lips and felt her buck with a resounding movement that almost knocked me off the edge. I chuckled as I scooted her up until her beautiful hair splayed against the pillows. I wrapped my arms around her thighs and pulled her even closer. And as my mouth opened to swallow down her offerings, my tongue flicked her clit.

Over and over.

Until she fell apart against me.

“Clint! Yes!”

I growled. “That’s it. Come for me, beautiful.”

“Oh, shit. Oh, shit. I’m coming. I’m coming. Clint, yes. Yes. Yes. Yes!”

She shivered and shook. I held her close to me as her hands slid down my neck. I pressed my tongue deep against her swollen nub, causing her to gasp. I smiled as her back collapsed against the mattress and nuzzled her throbbing pussy lips with my nose as her hands untangled the knots she had created.

And as I languidly kissed up her body, I readied myself.

“I love you,” I murmured.

She cupped my cheeks, pulling my lips down against hers.

“I love you, too. So much,” she whispered.

I lined myself up with her entrance. My gaze held her stare as she moaned with anticipation. I eased myself in, teasing her with just the tip. But it didn’t take her long for her to raise her hips and engulf the whole of me.

Causing my eyes to widen.

“There we go,” she moaned.

I grunted. “Fuck.”

Her nails curled against my skin. “Make love to me, Clinton Clarke.”

My forehead fell against hers. “Don’t mind if I do, Raelynn Cleaver.”

My hips rolled. Her body bucked. I lost myself in the swirling expanse of her eyes and the massaging of her wet walls. I breathed the air she afforded me and pinned her wrists above her head. Her tits jumped against me, reminding me of her growing beauty, of every curve and divot I was determined to memorize every night she let me. Her legs locked around me, welcoming me home from a long day looking at colorful creations for my next novel.

“Rae, shit.”

“Clint, oh fuck. I’m so close.”

“Just a bit longer. I just--yeah. Like that. Oh, shit. Oh, shit.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

I pounded into her, going faster as my gut coiled tight. Rae’s hands slipped from underneath mine and wrapped tightly around my neck. I buried my face into the crook of her neck, fisting the sheets as the sounds of skin slapping skin filled our bedroom. A place that held so many memories, just like this one.

I couldn't wait to make new memories in our new home.

“I’m coming! Clint!”

I growled. “Close. I’m close. Just one--more--”

With one last thrust, I felt my dick twitch, growing as my balls pulled up into my body. I sank my teeth against her neck as her nails raked down my back. Her legs fell weakly against the mattress as she quivered beneath me, her walls squeezing me tight. I growled like a wild animal, rutting against her, filling her until she pushed me out.

Then I collapsed against her, feeling her heart beating rapidly against my own.

“I love you,” I murmured.

She sighed with content as our intermingled juices trickled from between her legs.

“I love you, too. So much,” she whispered.

I nuzzled her shoulder. “You ready for the big day?”

She held me close. “More than ever. You?”

I nodded. “I’m ready for this transition phase to be over.”

“Yeah, the boxes are becoming a bit much.”

“Since when did we accumulate so much stuff?”

She snickered. “Well, we have lived in this place for going on six years now.”

I paused. “Has it really been six years?”

“It really has.”

I slid off to the side. “Wow.”

She turned, cuddling close to me. “Yeah. I can’t believe it either, sometimes.”

“Oh, is your mother still coming to help us move?”

“As far as I know. I mean, she hasn’t canceled or anything. What about Cecilia?”

He nodded. “Apparently, she’s coming with help, too.”

She gasped. “You think she’s bringing that guy she’s been seeing?”

“Depends. Which one are you talking about?”

She swatted at my chest and I snickered.

“I’m just kidding. I’m just kidding,” I said, chuckling.

“You didn't sound like you were kidding.”

I shrugged. “I mean, my stepmother does date around. We can at least admit to that.”

“I think it’s great. She’s living her life on her terms with her own money, doing what she wants.”

“In my defense, she’s been that way for a while now.”

“It sounds like you’re concerned about it. Is this something we should be concerned about?”

I ran my fingers up and down her back. “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want what happened between her and my father to somehow taint that for her. If that makes any sense.”

She nodded. “It does.”

“What about your mother?”

“What about her?”

“Have you heard from her lately? She still going to therapy? Still doing okay with things?”

Rae smiled. “She is. She goes through bouts where she doesn’t want to go to therapy, but that’s usually when she hasn’t taken her medication.”

“That bipolar diagnosis ended up being a godsend, didn’t it?”

She sighed. “I know, I know. I didn’t take it well in the beginning.”

I chuckled. “You really didn’t.”

She swatted at me again and I scoffed.

“Hey! Cut me some slack. At least I waited until after the drama died down to say anything about it. That’s improvement, if you ask me.”

She rolled her eyes. “I think the medication she’s on now is more of a godsend than the actual diagnosis. I never thought I’d get her out of bed when her therapist finally told her what she thought was up. We’ll get an update in a couple of days, anyway. She said she wanted to help us with this move.”

I pulled her close. “Sounds like a plan, then.”

Then, my stomach let out a massive roar that took even myself by surprise. Rae barked with laughter.

“Wow,” I said.

“Was that your stomach?” she asked.

I grinned. “Can you blame me? I just worked up an appetite.”

She snickered. “You didn’t work as hard as you think you did.”

My eyes snapped to hers. “Them’s fightin’ words right there.”

“Yeah? And what are you going to do about it?”

I rolled her over and pinned her beneath me. She giggled as I playfully glared at her, willing her sounds to stop. She coughed and sputtered, trying to swallow it all down. And as my lips moved closer to hers, I heard her giggles turn to sighs.

“You know what I think?” I asked.

She moaned softly. “What’s that?”

I nuzzled her cheek with my nose as her legs spread for me. I kissed her skin softly, blazing a slow trail up to her ear. I nibbled on her earlobe. She moaned for me as her hands gripped my own. And as she rolled against me, I drew in a soft breath.

“I think it’s time for dinner,” I whispered.

And I moved like lightning away from the bed before she locked those soft legs around me.

Legs I’d always be weak for. No matter the time, day, or age of my own body.

3

Rae

“You got your coffee?” Clint asked.

I snatched up my tumbler. “Got it!”

“What about your purse?”

I lifted it. “Already in hand!”

“Your coat? It’s pretty chilly out there this morning. I had to come in from the porch before I finished my coffee.”

I reached for the coat rack. “Getting it now.”

“Kissed your handsome boyfriend goodbye?”

I snickered. “Get out here before I’m late!”

I spun around and watched Clint come out of the bathroom. With a towel draped loosely around his waist, I wanted nothing more than to trace the lines disappearing behind it with my tongue. He padded with damp feet across the hardwood floors as I smiled at him. I clutched my coffee, slung my purse and my arm around his neck, and pressed my lips to his, tasting his minty breath.

“Now I have,” I murmured.

He chuckled. “All right, all right. Come on. You’re going to be late.”

He swatted my ass playfully and I squealed.

“Yeah, and I wonder why that is,” I said.

He winked. “You never did object.”

I rolled my eyes. “Love you. Gotta go!”

“Have a good day, Rae.”

I rushed down the hallway and slammed my shoulder into the door. I looked longingly at the elevator before relegating myself to the massive six-story trek. The elevator hadn’t been truly fixed in months. One of the main reasons why I couldn't wait to get out of this shitty apartment complex. I’d gotten stuck in it one too many mornings as well. I mean, the last time the elevator got trapped between two floors, I didn’t get to work until lunch time! What kind of fuckery was that?

Even though I heard it humming and people chattering about how it was finally fixed, the last thing I needed was to get stuck and have to rush past my boss’s office in the hopes that she wouldn't realize I’d been late.

Especially on such an important day.

The publishing company I’d interned at for two years during college ended up offering me a full-time position after I graduated. In two years, I’d gone from a part-time editor to their full-time head editor with a nice salary, an office with a view, and outstanding benefits. But, just like every other job, it wasn’t without its difficulties. And today was one of those.

Today I had a meeting with one of our premier authors to let him know his book was absolute shit.

Unlike what most people thought about editors, I didn’t take pride in telling people that. I wanted those who sent their stuff into us to have a pleasant experience. I wanted them to walk away with something. Whether it was a contract, or feedback that truly helped them in their writing journey. Clint joked all the time that editors like me were the reason writers like him self-published. And while I knew he was being light-hearted about it, sometimes it hurt.

I didn’t want people thinking that publishing houses were the ‘big bad’ people thought we were.

I stepped off the last stair and panted for air. I hopped around, exchanging my flats for the pair of heels I had stuffed down in my purse and stumbled out of the side door, directly into the parking lot. After slipping my heels on, I started for my car.

I need some damn coffee.

I tossed everything into the back seat and slipped behind the wheel. I cranked it up and peered out the windshield, taking in the expanse of the apartment complex. It had taken Clint and me three applications to get into this place. While it was expensive, it had been worth it. In the beginning, at least. Until that damn elevator broke. And our plumbing went bad. And our balcony had to be repaired because it started getting wobbly.

“Definitely not worth the money anymore,” I said breathlessly.

I grabbed a croissant and a large iced coffee just in time. Things seemed to be moving in a positive direction as I pulled into the underground parking garage of Monarch Publishing. I drew in a deep breath, took a long pull of my coffee, and took a massive bite of my hot chocolate croissant. I relished the tastes blending together and signaling to my brain that it was time to wake up. Time to get to work. Time to get shit done.

All right. Let’s go.

After wolfing down my food and sucking down half of my coffee, I grabbed my things, raced to the working elevator--thank fuck--and took it all the way up to the top floor. All the way to where my office now was. I strode by my boss’s office, peeking in to see her head buried in manuscripts. I rushed by, taking my chance, and practically leapt for the front door of my office. As I quickly unlocked it, I heard someone shuffling up behind me.

“Morning, Miss Cleaver! Cutting it a bit close, aren’t we?”

I cringed at the voice of my assistant. “Morning, Robyn.”

I looked down the hallway and saw my boss look up before she gave me a knowing smile. I raised my coffee and she shook her head before returning back to the manuscript in her hands.

“Maybe next time, a bit softer,” I said.

Robyn nodded. “Oh, yes. Of course. Sorry. So, you have that meeting in five minutes with Albert Freddington. You have a meeting scheduled with Mrs. Plumstone at ten. She wants to go over some manuscripts she just received this morning. Also, you have a lunch date with Callie and a two o’clock meeting with the rest of the staff in Mrs. Plumstone’s office. And to cap off the day, Luther’s retirement party. It’s at four, shouldn't be more than thirty minutes. Then you’re done.”

I sighed. “Great. Thank you.”

“Anything else you need from me today?”

A lightbulb went off. “Um, yes actually. Come inside and close the door.”

“Of course.”

I walked over to my desk and dropped everything on top of it. I started up my computer and pulled out my laptop, trying to get myself situated for the day. When I looked up, I found Robyn frowning at me.

“What?” I asked.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes. Yeah, of course. I just need you to run an errand for me.”

“Sure. What kind?”

“The kind you don’t talk about.”

She nodded. “Oh, you got it. I need some things myself. Plastic insert, or cardboard?”

I blinked. “Wait, what?”

“Shi--I mean, shoot. You’re a pad sort of girl, aren’t you? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered there--”

It clicked. “Oh! No, no, no. I mean, plastic, for future reference. But I’m not on my period. Which is kind of the issue.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh. Oh--oh!”

“Yeah.”

“Is this… a good thing?”

I considered her question. “I’m not sure? But I can’t focus. And I have this meeting in--”

“Two minutes.”

“Right. Two minutes. I can’t run the rest of my day like this. I need to know for sure. Do you mind picking me up a test and bringing it straight back here?”

“I don’t mind at all. Want some water? Or are you just going to hold it until I get back?”

“I’ll be fine. Just the test. And some gum! I ran out of gum yesterday.”

“Any special kind?”

I smiled. “The cinnamon kind. The burn is very invigorating.”

She turned toward the door. “All right. Cinnamon gum and a pregnancy test. I’ll be back in a jif!”

She slipped out the door in a plethora of flailing colors and almost got her skirt caught in my door. Robyn was always a vibrant dresser. She’d been helping me out in some form or another since I started my part-time work at this place years ago. But my favorite part of her outfits were her glasses. She seemed to have a pair for every occasion. I’d seen her wear Christmas glasses and floral-printed ones. Rainbow, and cotton candy pink, and green ones with shamrocks on them for St. Patrick’s Day. If there was anyone who could brighten anyone’s day, it was my assistant.

I needed some of her brightness to carry with me for this meeting.

“Miss Cleaver?”

A man’s voice filtered through my door, followed by a knock.

“Miss Cleaver, it’s Albert Freddington. We have a meeting now?” he asked.

“Come in!”

I tried to push everything out of my mind as I shook the man’s hand. I gestured for him to take a seat in front of my desk, but my mind was everywhere. I didn't know what this test was going to reveal to me. And even though Clint and I had talked about children, we’d talked about it as if it were years away from happening. We had things we wanted to accomplish first. Life we still wanted to experience as a couple, without distractions. Or other responsibilities. Or things to tie us down.

I mean, couldn't we at least get settled into our new place first? Maybe travel around a bit? See more of the world?

Or get married?

“Miss Cleaver.”

I jumped. “Yes? Yes. Sorry. Welcome, Mr. Freddington. How’s your morning been?”

“It’ll be better once we can get this meeting over. I have an appointment with the cover designer for lunch.”

None of this is part of the plan. “Well, that meeting is going to have to be postponed. At least, for a little bit.”

He blinked. “Why?”

I pulled out his manuscript. “I made a lot of notes in the margins like you wanted me to. But I still had to attach some paper to the back.”

“You had to attach paper.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because, while this is your third draft, it’s still reading like your first. I made some notes on organiza--”

He snickered. “I’m sorry, what?”

I placed the manuscript in front of him. “It’s not a bad thing. You’re ten books into a solid series. Things can lag. Or get repetitive. I’m here to make sure--”

“You think it’s lagging.”

“It sags a little bit in the middle. Most authors have an issue with that, though. It’s really not that big of a deal.”

“It’s a big deal to me.”

I sighed. “Mr. Freddington--”

“This book is due into the hands of my audience in eight weeks. I don’t have time for a rewrite!”

I blinked. “Well, we haven’t established a date as to when your book is going to hit the shelves. So, unless you told your audience--”

“Of course I gave them a date. I had to! They were clamoring for it.”

I sighed. “I’ll get our P.R. representative on the line. That can be your lunch date for today. But for now--”

He stood from his chair. “I won’t stand for this. That book doesn't need an entirely different rewrite. It’s good as it is.”

I stood with him. “But it could be great. That’s what I’m here to help you with.”

He snatched it up. “I’m going straight to your boss’s office. This isn’t going to happen. I’m not writing this entire thing over again!”

“It was nice seeing you, Mr. Freddington.”

He flicked me off before he ripped my office door open. It slammed against the wall before he took a hard left, storming straight for my boss’s office. He wouldn't get anywhere with her, though. Not once she found out that he’d fed his fans a date we didn’t have. I pinched the bridge of my nose, reached for my coffee and took a massive sip.

Then I heard her voice.

“The meeting go okay?” Robyn asked.

I whipped my head up. “You already got everything?”

She walked in, closing the door. “Of course. The pharmacy’s only two blocks down the road.”

I strode to her and took the bag, quickly opening it up. I took out the gum and ripped it open, shoving a piece into my mouth. I needed something to keep my jaw busy. Especially since I felt so nervous. I mean, did I want this? If I was pregnant, would I feel happy?

I think I might.

“Want me to stay with you?” Robyn asked.

I sighed. “Would you? Is that too much to ask?”

“Not at all. I’ll stand outside while you’re taking care of things.”

“Thank you. Seriously.”

I turned toward the door in the corner. My own personal bathroom. Right inside my office. I drew in a deep breath before I headed in that direction, feeling Robyn hot on my heels. I had to make it quick because I knew my boss would be down here at any moment prying me with questions as to what had happened with Mr. Freddington.

“Here goes nothing,” I murmured.

I made my way into the bathroom and closed the door behind me.

4

Clinton

The smell of fresh paint filled my nose as sweat dripped down my brow. Our new place was fantastic. It was everything Rae and I could’ve ever wanted out of a permanent home. A three-bedroom, ranch-style home. A two-car garage that was large enough to hold both of our cars, plus my bike. A covered back porch, a sunroom right off the master suite, and a glorious fenced-in backyard. For a house with a slice of land in Los Angeles, we had gotten it for a steal.

Mostly because the place needed a lot of work.

“She’s gonna flip when she sees this, man,” Mike said.

I grinned. “I know, right?”

“I mean, I wasn’t sure about the whole white cabinets thing. Especially with this weird, sparkling pearly white backsplash you’ve got going on. But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t look good. And these matte black handles? Dude, it looks awesome.”

“I wanted to carry the matte black around the entire house. I don’t have time to get everything in order, but I’ve changed out all of the handles in the bathrooms and stuff . Like a little theme that’s carried from room to room. I think she’ll appreciate that.”

“How many bedrooms does this place have again?”

I wiped at the sweat on my brow. “Three. Each of them has a bathroom, too. Which is nice.”

“That’s really nice. And a hell of a steal in L.A.”

“You’re not joking. We had to offer twenty grand above asking price for this place just to be in the running for it.”

He came to stand beside me. “We’ve got time to give the master bathroom a second coat, if you want.”

I patted his back. “Thanks for helping me with this stuff. I wouldn't have been able to get half as much done without you here.”

He wrapped his arm around my shoulders. “Anything I can do to help, I will.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Anytime.”

As we lugged the paint cans cautiously down the hallway toward the bathroom, I sighed. I couldn't wait to see her reaction once we officially moved into this place. I’d been trolling her Pinterest page in my spare time to see all the things she was favoriting. All the things that were catching her eye. And to be honest, they shocked me. Rae had always been a ‘dark color’ kind of person. She enjoyed dim lighting. Rich, deep colors. Palettes that had black and dark blues rather than pale yellows and pinks.

So to see her bookmarking things that had whites and pearls and soft grays?

It was a new side of her, to say the least.

“All right. These cabinets need one more coat of paint, and then we’re done,” I said.

Mike set up his station. “You knock out the left and I’ll knock out the right?”

“Meet in the middle?”

He nodded. “Ready when you are.”

There were plenty of things Rae didn’t like about this house. But I’d managed to get her to see the potential it had. With a new coat of paint, a different backsplash, and a nice professional cleaning of the floors, this place had a brand new sparkle to it. Mike had helped me with a lot, too. Every time I had to meet him here, I told Rae it was because I had to work. Because I had meetings. Because I had research to do. And while it was true--mostly--part of me felt guilty for lying to her.

I knew the little white lie would have a huge payoff once she saw this place.

But she was beginning to make mention of the fact that her weekends were feeling more lonely.

“Did you return the power washer?” Michael asked.

I nodded. “Yep. Finally. That place has odd hours of operation. Took me three tries and an endless amount of hiding it from Rae before I finally got it turned in.”

“Did they charge you a late fee?”

“Not after showing them what all I had to go through in order to get the damn thing back to them.”

He snickered. “Good. The carpets look nice, too.”

“I’ve got someone coming in tonight to really shine up the hardwood and the tile before we move in. I want this place to look completely different when Rae finally sees it.”

“Trust me, you’ve done a good job with that. Because this place was nasty when we first got our hands on it.”

I sighed. “So am I going to have to ask? Or are you going to bring it up?”

He groaned. “Really? We have to do this now?”

“What the hell did you think I was going to do? Just ignore it? I know you and Allison have been going through a rough patch for a while now.”

“A while? Try the past year.”

“So it hasn’t improved at all?”

He shrugged. “It’s all right, I guess. All things considered.”

“Just all right?”

I watched Mike jam his paintbrush into the can, so I did the same. We sat on the floor, feeling the cool breeze from outside filtering through the open bathroom window. I crossed my legs and settled my elbows on my knees, giving him the space he needed to gather his thoughts. I knew I’d have to practically pry this out of him.

“Come on, man. It’s me, for crying out loud. Just tell me what’s up,” I said.

He cleared his throat. “She doesn’t talk to me anymore, Clint. She’s shut down. It’s like I can’t get through to her. Our house is so quiet all the time. We eat dinners and breakfasts together in silence. All the time. Our evenings are filled with me silently watching the news while she silently reads a book. Or flips through a magazine. Or plays on her phone.”

“Well, shit. I didn’t know it was that bad.”

“I feel like she doesn’t want to be there. Or be with me. It almost feels like she doesn’t want to be with me anymore.”

“Have you said any of this to her?”

He shook his head. “No.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know, man. I just--I’d say we’d have to work on our communication skills. But you have to have some sort of communication in order to have something to work on. And we have none of it. How do you work on communication if there is none to work on?”

“That’s fucked up.”

“Yeah. It is. And that’s been my life for the past year. Living with a roommate I feel like I’ve perpetually pissed off.”

I couldn't imagine what he was going through. Rae and I had never struggled with issues like that. If anything, talking too much got us into trouble with one another. Not in a bad way. But in a blunt way. And I wasn’t sure what I’d do in his shoes. I wasn’t sure what I’d do if I felt like I was losing Rae. Or growing distant from her.

Well, technically…

“How did you and Rae get over that hump?” Mike asked.

“You mean, before we decided to travel for a while?”

“Yeah. When the two of you were kind of growing apart, or whatever. How did you get through it?”

I shrugged. “We talked.”

He snickered. “Thanks.”

I scooted closer to him. “Mike, I’m serious. If she’s not talking to you, then step up. Talk to her. Tell her how you’re feeling, even if she gives you nothing back.”

“What if she doesn't, though?”

I shook my head. “Maybe you guys need a vacation. Some quality time together to really push hard and see if you can work your way back to each other. Rae and I got a lot of that while we were traveling that year. It really helped us out, having that time together.”

“Maybe.”

I paused. “Or counseling. I’ve heard that helps people a lot.”

He frowned. “Counseling is for people who are much worse off than me and Allison.”

“I wouldn't be so sure about that.”

He paused. “What? You think we’re worse off than I think?”

“No, Mike. I just think you two could really benefit from an unbiased party listening and peering into your relationship. That’s all.”

“I don’t know, dude.”

“Why not? If you love her, which I know you do, why not pull out all the stops and see if you guys can fight for this?”

“I am fighting, Clint.”

I shrugged. “Is sitting in silence and not speaking your mind really fighting, though, Mike?”

He stared at me for a long time before he finally nodded.

“I’ll consider it. How does that sound?” he asked.

I grinned. “Sounds better than sitting in silence and torturing yourself.”

He snickered. “You’re damn right it does.”

I picked up my brush. “All right. Ready to get this done? It’s the last thing we need to do before move-in day.”

He picked up his brush, too. “Let’s knock this out and get some food. I’m starving.”

“Steaks. On me. So don’t fuck it up.”

“When free food is involved? I never fuck it up.”

5

Rae

Knock, knock, knock. “Rae?”

I felt my heart hammering in my knees. “Yeah, Robyn?”

“You okay in there? You’ve been in the bathroom for ten minutes now.”

I swallowed hard. “Okay.”

I heard the doorknob jiggle. “Can you let me in?”

My mouth ran dry. I kept blinking, thinking that the test might change. Or that I might wake up. Or that I was having a stroke and would suddenly appear in the hospital. I reached toward the pregnancy test and picked it up. I held it to my face, making damn sure I didn’t misinterpret any of the water marks.

But there was no mistaking it.

I’m pregnant?

“Rae. Please, let me in.”

I reached for the bathroom door. “Sorry. Come on in.”

I heard the door open. “I’m assuming the test is done?”

I nodded slowly. “Uh huh.”

I felt Robyn work her way behind me. I looked up at the mirror and watched her eyes widen. And then the most bombastic squeal I’d ever heard fell from her lips.

“Oh! My! Gosh!”

I winced. “Yep.”

“You’re pregnant.”

“Seems so.”

“That’s definitely two red lines. You’re definitely pregnant.”

I placed my hand over my belly button. “I guess I am.”

“Well, say something! Is this good? Are you happy? Should we go celebrate?”

I blinked. “I’m pregnant.”

I slowly turned around and faced my assistant. Tears percolated behind my eyes, lining them as I looked at her. I gazed down at the test again, swallowing as hard as I could. The last thing I needed was to cry all of my makeup off at work. Especially when I didn’t have everything I needed to paint it back on.

“My God, I’m pregnant,” I said.

Robyn wrapped her arms around me and I gave in. I cried into her shoulder, bouncing between elated and worried. Excited and panicked. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know how to feel. But as I clutched that pregnancy test with all of my might, a question rushed through my mind.

What will Clint think?

Robyn rubbed my back. “Hey, hey, hey. It’s okay. Take some breaths.”

I squeaked. “I’m pregnant.”

She nodded. “Yes, you are. And until we can figure out what this is and how to address it, this stays between us. Okay?”

I sniffled. “At least until I tell Clint.”

“Oh, of course. Definitely.”

I pulled away from her grasp and felt her wiping at my tears. She started pulling tissues and makeup wipes out of her bag, and I let her clean me up. I was too tired to think about doing it myself. Besides, I was already wracking my brain with ways to break this news to Clint. Did I want to go for cute? Or memorable? Did I want to keep it a small thing between us? How long into the move did I wait before I told him? Was this something that had to be addressed tonight?

“Shit,” I whispered.

“Hey, it’s okay. Look at me.”

Robyn gripped my arms as my eyes met hers.

“Rae, this is all going to be fine. No matter what decision you make, you know that man of yours is going to support you.”

I swallowed hard. “What if he isn’t ready?”

“Are you ready?”

I paused. “I don’t know.”

She cupped my cheeks. “Then it sounds like you need some sleep first. Sleep, food, and to lay off the coffee.”

“Wait, I can’t have coffee?”

She giggled. “Nope. Caffeine is a stimulant, and bad during pregnancies.”

“How do you know that?”

“My sister’s got five kids. I’m very familiar with pregnancy.”

I swallowed hard. “What else shouldn't I be doing?”

“If you want caffeine, go for tea. But no strong caffeinated substances. No alcohol, duh. Lots of iron and folic acid. Ginger suckers for the nausea. As healthy of a diet as you can stand until you get on prenatal vitamins. Then your body can handle a couple dozen donuts or so when you’re craving them badly enough.”

“Oh, good Lord.”

She rubbed my arms. “It’s going to be fine. Just make sure you get some rest.”

I sighed. “Thank you. For this. And for, you know, keeping it to yourself.”

“Of course. It’s our little secret. And just so you know? I’m happy for you. Clint is going to die with excitement once you tell him.”

The rest of my workday passed in a haze. Robyn was kind enough to help put some of my makeup back on. But that was the only thing I remembered. The only reminders I had of my day were the minutes of my meetings Robyn sent to me. Thank fuck she was a detailed-oriented person. Because I remembered none of this stuff. I was too preoccupied. Too ‘in my own mind’ to pull myself out of it.

I can’t go all week like this.

I started looking some things up online. I searched every version of ‘surprise baby announcement’ I could. Trying to find inspiration. Trying to swallow down my panic. Trying to convince myself that it would all be okay. Financially, we were okay. We didn’t have too much debt from my degree. Our vehicles were paid off. We didn’t dare touch our credit card unless it was an emergency. On that front, we were just fine.

It was everything else.

Clint and I had plans. And a baby didn’t work itself into those plans until much later. Much, much later. We had agreed on being older parents. We made a pact with one another that we’d start trying once we both turned thirty. But even then, we wouldn't push it. No fertility tests or checking my ovulation. None of that stuff that made couples crazy. We made an agreement that I’d simply come off my birth control. Simple as that.

“Wait a second,” I murmured.

I abandoned my internet searches and picked up my purse. I rummaged around, digging all the way to the bottom until I found it. That pale blue pouch that held my pills. I ripped it out of my purse and flipped it open. And when I saw what had happened, my jaw hit the floor.

Holy shit, I’ve forgotten my pills.

“Ten days?” I asked breathlessly.

I hadn’t just forgotten them. I downright didn’t take them. I picked up my phone and navigated to my calendar, trying to figure out why the hell it hadn’t dinged at me. Alarms were the bane of my existence. I could switch them off in a heartbeat and not give them a second thought. But I synced my work with my phone calendar. So, no matter where I was or what I was doing, when that alert popped up to take my birth control, I was on it.

“Shit,” I hissed.

There was no calendar notification. For the past ten days exactly, there had been no notification on my calendar. How was that possible? I’d had the same notification set for every single day for the past--

Oh, boy.

“Robyn!?”

My door whipped open. “Hey. What’s up?”

“When you make one of those recurring, unending things on a calendar, is it actually unending? Or, do those kinds of things have a termination date anyway?”

“Oh. Yeah. No. ‘Unending’ really means ‘for the next ten years.’ Then you have to set it back up. Why?”

Well, fuck. “No reason. Just wondering. Thank you.”

“Not a problem. Sure I can’t get you anything?”

“I’m sure. Thanks.”

I leaned back into my chair and ran my hand through my hair. Ten years. It had been ten years since I’d set that stupid calendar notification up on my phone. The one that followed me around everywhere. Through every phone change, every laptop change, and every work environment change.

How the hell did I not notice that?

I sighed as I turned my attention back to my search. Things weren’t as bad as my mind was making them out to be. That much I knew for certain. Clint did eventually want children. Just not now. We eventually wanted to build a family together. Just not now.

What would we name our child?

I went from looking up ways to surprise Clint to searching for baby names. And I killed the back half of my day doing just that. Hell, I almost missed Luther’s retirement party at the end of the day because of it. The more time passed, the more excited I grew. A baby. I was going to have a baby. With the man I loved more than anything else in this world.

I wouldn't wait to tell him.

With the pregnancy test in my purse, I stopped by a baby boutique on the way home. I found the cutest pair of white baby sneakers with pale yellow racing stripes. Very gender neutral, but completely cute in the process. I bought a small bag with some tissue paper and put the entire thing together right there at the cashier’s desk. Who was just as excited as I was. I talked about the baby names I’d already come across. Most of which were for a boy. I grabbed the cutest ‘you’re going to be a father!’ card and scribbled a little something down into it. And after slipping it into the colorful bag, the cashier rang me up.

“That’ll be $32.24, Momma.”

Momma.

The word brought tears of happiness to my eyes.

I was excited to talk with Clint now. I raced home with the bag taunting me from the passenger’s seat. I couldn't wait to give him the gift. I knew he’d be so surprised, and so shocked, and so happy for us. I found myself lost in it all. Imagining Clint holding our baby boy. Or girl, for that matter. I saw him kissing our child’s forehead. Running around with them outside. Teaching him, or her, how his motorcycle worked.

My heart leapt with delight at the thought.

I parked my car and quickly scrambled out. I slammed the door closed as the beeping of the locks chirped at me. I rushed for the stairs, taking them two by two. Not bothering to change into my flats. Which I regretted by the fourth floor when I could barely catch my breath.

“Clint!” I called out breathlessly.

I finally made it to the sixth floor and shuffled to our door.

“Clint, you home?” I asked.

Exhaustion settled into my bones. I opened the front door and dropped my purse off to the side, ready to give Clint his present. But I was greeted with absent lights and silence.

Is he really not home yet?

“Clint!” I yelled.

The only thing that echoed back at me was my own voice. I slipped my hand into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

“Hey there, babe. I’m so sorry. I’m running incredibly behind. Give me another hour and I’ll be home. Okay?” he asked.

I closed the door behind me. “What’s keeping you at work now? I mean, not that I’m nagging. But this has become a pretty frequent thing.”

“I know, I know. But, it’s almost done. I swear. Once we can get past this--”

“You know we need to finish packing up, right?”

He sighed. “I know. I promise, I’m going to finish that with you before we go to bed tonight.”

“And I haven’t even thought about dinner yet.”

“I’ll pick something up on the way home.”

I suddenly felt overwhelmed. “Have you confirmed with the moving guys, too? Because tomorrow’s our day and we still have the entire bathroom to pack and I don’t think our office is completely packed up either, and I--”

“Rae, take a breath for me.”

I rushed down the hallway and turned the corner. I gazed into his office, and what I saw frustrated the hell out of me.

“Have you not been home all day?” I asked.

He paused. “Why do you ask?”

“Your office hasn’t even been touched!”

“Rae, I’m telling you. You have nothing to worry about.”

“We move in less than twenty-four hours and there’s not a box in your office. Not a single one.”

“Which is going to be remedied when I get home.”

I sighed. “Why couldn’t you just--”

I pinched the bridge of my nose to try and keep myself under control.

“I know you’re frustrated. And I know you feel overwhelmed right now. But I promise you, I have this more under control than it looks. Okay? Do you trust me?”

I swallowed hard. “Yeah. Yeah, I do. I trust you.”

“Good. Now, get yourself a glass of wine, take a load off, and I’ll be home with dinner in about an hour and a half. Sound good?”

I can’t have wine. “Yeah. Yeah, sounds good.”

“Okay. I’ll be home soon, beautiful. You have my word.”

I didn't want to unload my frustration on him, so I simply hung up. I knew it wasn’t a smart move. I knew it wasn’t mature. But I felt my disappointment mounting. I walked out of his office and back into the main room. I looked at the brightly-colored gift bag sitting on its side on the floor. Cast to the side, like I felt sometimes. I mean, I knew Clint was busy. I knew his self-publishing career had taken off. I knew what he had to go through in order to make it work, too. I mean, he edited his own stuff. Marketed his own stuff. Formatted his own stuff. He kept up his own website and regularly updated his blog followers. Hell, the only thing he outsourced were his book covers. And I knew if he figured out how to do that, he’d do that himself too.

But all I wanted was to spend our last night in this apartment together.

Without having to work so damn hard.

I made myself a cup of tea and sat down. The boxes loomed over me while I sat there. I hated it. I hated that those boxes were there, but Clint wasn’t. I hated that these boxes were here to greet me, but he hadn’t been. And I knew it was stupid. I knew I was being irrational. But that’s how these things worked. Right? I came home with good news, and he was supposed to be here for it!

He hasn’t been home all day, though.

What the hell had he been doing all day?

The longer I sat there, the more angry I became. I finally set down my tea and got up. I picked up a few empty boxes and made my way into his office, determined to get a jumpstart on this bullshit. I grumbled to myself as I packed up books. I blinked back tears of agitation as I stacked file folders on top of one another and made sure everything was saved on his laptop before unplugging it.

The more I packed, the more I felt like I had been set on the backburner.

This isn’t the first time this has happened.

For weeks now, Clint had been working long hours on the weekends. Going off on all these random meetings and staying away for hours. When he was usually holed up in his office, typing his head off, these past few weeks had been different. I mean, how many meetings with his cover designer did he need? How much research did he really have to do?

You don’t think…?

I pushed the thought away. No. No way in hell Clint was cheating. He wasn’t capable of it. But, in some ways, he was. Something else had taken priority over me and this move. Me and the life we had built together. Suddenly, spending weekends with me seemed like a chore. Coming home to me seemed to be getting later and later. Almost like he didn’t want to do it.

“You’re blowing this out of proportion,” I murmured.

That didn’t stop my mind from running away with me, though.

Which did nothing to halt my anger.

6

Clinton

I shook my head as I slipped my key into the door. I knew I was going to have my ass handed to me. I just knew it. It was damn near nine o’clock, and I was just getting home with food in my hands. Food that had grown cold, mind you. I opened the door and braced myself. I readied myself to have to put out the energy to make us a fresh meal this late at night.

And that energy output wouldn't touch the packing I still had to do.

“Rae?” I called out.

“Hmm?”

I closed the door behind me. “Where are you?”

“On the couch.”

I locked the door and turned the corner into the living room. She sat there with a book in her lap, clutching a coffee mug. But it didn’t have coffee in it. I saw the string and the tab from a tea bag fluttering over the side. Her damp hair with the smell of lavender told me everything I needed to know.

I grinned. “Did you have your last bath in this dingy old apartment?”

She didn’t look up from her book. “Yes.”

“Well, it smells good.”

She nodded absentmindedly. “Thanks.”

I sensed her mood and guilt seized my gut. I knew we had plans to pack together, but Mike and I had gotten on a roll. What started out as a steak lunch quickly morphed into an adventure to redo the crown molding throughout the house. And damn it, the place looked great. It was completely ready for us to move into tomorrow.

I knew Rae would understand that once she saw the place.

“So do you want to eat first? Or pack while we eat?” I asked.

She sipped her tea. “Already did it.”

“Already ate?”

“No. Already packed.”

I felt my face pale. “Shit. I’m so sorry, Rae.”

“It’s fine.”

“I wanted to help you. Seriously. It’s just--”

“You stayed out late. It happens.”

I walked over to her. “You didn’t do all of it, did you?”

She nodded. “Your office, the rest of the kitchen, and the bathroom.”

I winced. “Did you happen to save what was on my laptop first?”

She snapped her book closed. “I’m not an idiot, Clint.”

“I know. I know. I just--I was asking. That’s all.”

She finally looked up at me. “I didn’t know how late you’d be. And you know I don’t like leaving things to the last minute. I had to get it done to have a clear head. It is what it is. You're welcome.”

The food dropped from my hands as I sat down next to her on the couch. I placed my hand on her thigh, but she didn’t lean into me. Hell, she didn’t even look at me. All she did was flip her book back open. I mean, she didn’t even twitch!

“Look. I know I haven’t been home as much these last few weeks like I said I’d be. But, there’s a good reason for it, I promise.”

She nodded. “And what’s that?”

I paused. “I can’t tell you.”

She snickered. “Of course not.”

“Rae, it’s not like--Rae?”

She shot up from the couch and rolled her eyes. She let out a huff of a sigh before picking up her tea mug. She wiped at her thigh, like she couldn't stand the heat of my residual touch. And it was an action that made my heart sink even further into my legs. I watched her as she rounded into the kitchen. She washed out her mug before drying it off. Then her eyes hooked with mine as she picked up a piece of newspaper.

She held my stare while wrapping it up.

And it wasn’t until she placed it in a box that her eyes fell away.

“Rae, come on.”

She shook her head. “I’m going to bed. I’m exhausted.”

I stood up. “Rae, please. Can we just talk about this?”

Her eyes filled with fire as she turned on me.

“This is our last night in this place. Don't you get that? Our very last night. We’ve spent years in this place together, Clint. The things these walls have seen? The things they’ve witnessed? The things they’ve heard? It’s all here. And all I wanted was to spend it with you. That’s it. You told me ninety minutes. An hour and a half. And look at you! Strolling in four hours later with inedible food in tow, for what? An apology? Me jumping into your arms and rejoicing that my big, strong man is finally home?”

I snickered. “You know damn good and well that’s never what I’d expect of you.”

“So what do you want me to do right now, Clint? Huh? Act like you aren’t four hours late? Act like you're just fine? Act like you haven’t been ditching me every fucking weekend for the past two months and coming home later and later than promised? I thought this was important to you, too. Just this one night.”

“It is, Rae. I’m telling you, just--”

“Well, it doesn’t feel like it.”

Just tell her about the damn surprise. It’s not worth all this.

“What if I make us a fresh dinner? I think we’ve got some noodles still in the pantry,” I said.

“Packed that up, too. I kept enough out for coffee and toast in the morning. Help yourself,” she said.

Fucking hell, she thought of everything tonight.

I fought with my mind. If I just told her, this would all go away. But then I’d ruin the surprise Mike and I had sunk endless hours into for the past eight weeks. Maybe that was for the best, though. Surprising her with it tonight. I could take her over to the house. We could pick up something on the way there and have a late dinner at our new place. Just the two of us.

And that carpet’s all nice and fluffy now.

“I’m going to bed. Enjoy your night,” Rae said.

I rushed for her and took her hand within mine. She paused in the hallway, but she didn’t turn to face me. As odd as it was, this was one of those things I loved about Rae. Even when she couldn't stand to look at me, she always held my hand. She always let me know, with that one simple gesture, that she was still there. Still hanging on.

Even if she was upset.

“I’m not blowing you off like you think I am.”

She sighed. “Where were you tonight? Because that’s what it feels like you’ve done.”

“I promise you, that’s not what’s happening. Look at me, Rae.”

She shook her head, but I insisted.

“Please? Just for a few seconds.”

She sighed as she turned to face me. And I noticed a glow about her cheeks. Her damp hair framed her gorgeous face and her skin was full of color and life. She had this aura about her that dragged me in. Every time she looked at me, she dragged me in. But something was different.

I cupped her cheek. “You have to trust me. Okay? I know I haven’t been home much. I know you’ve sacrificed your weekends with me for something you’re not sure about yet. But I promise you, with everything we are, that none of this has to do with me not wanting to be here. All right? I swear it. Give me until tomorrow morning and you’ll see. Do you trust me?”

She sighed. “Does this have to do with the house?”

“You’ll have to trust me.”

“Clint, is something wrong?”

I cupped her face with both of my hands. “Do you. Trust me?”

She searched my eyes. “Yes. Of course I trust you.”

“Then trust me on this.”

“No more weekends gone.”

I nodded. “You have my word.”

“And no more late nights. I don’t like this. I don’t like how it feels and what my mind does when you’re gone like that.”

My lips fell against hers in a soft kiss. “I love you. And only you. Don’t ever let your mind convince you of that.”

Her forehead pressed against mine. “I love you, too.”

With one last kiss, I released her to the bedroom. I watched her walk into the darkened expanse with the smallest limp and made a mental note to give her a massage once I crawled into bed. I just had to take a shower, brush my teeth, and get these damn clothes off me.

But first, some food.

I turned to look for the bag of cold food. Because at this point, cold food was better than no food. Something caught my eye, though. Something by the front door. It looked yellow, almost. Yellow, and white.

“What the hell?” I murmured.

I walked over to the random object on the floor and found it wasn’t an object at all. Rather, it was a present. The tissue sticking out of the top was white and yellow, just like the sparkling bag. The ribbon handles felt soft against my fingertips. I picked it up, furrowing my brow as I walked back toward the hallway.

“Hey, Rae? What’s this?”

And when I walked into our bathroom to show her the gift bag, I watched her eyes widen.

7

Rae

“Hey, Rae? What's this?”

My eyes widened as his words hit my ears. The toothbrush in my hand stopped moving as foam dripped from my lips. Where had I put that gift? I could’ve sworn I picked it up. I had every intention of putting it in the closet for a rainy day. That gift certainly wasn’t appropriate for tonight, anyway. My eyes locked with the mirror as I watched him stand in the doorway. I saw the yellow and white sparkling bag dangle from his fingertips. My heart froze in my chest. I felt my legs go numb. Oh, no. How in the world could I have forgotten to put that away?

He grinned sheepishly. “Did you buy me a present? Is that why you wanted me home so badly?”

I shook my head and started mumbling, but I felt foam dripping onto my shirt. I wiped it away and quickly turned around, trying my best to finish up my teeth for the night. Clinton chuckled as I jammed my face beneath the faucet. I rinsed my mouth out and let my toothbrush sit at the bottom of the sink. With traces of toothpaste still sitting on my chin, I whipped back around, trying to wrack my brain for some way to pry that gift out of his hands.

And when I saw that he already had a ball of tissue paper in his hand, I panicked.

“What was that? I think you had your mouth full.”

“Wait!”

He paused, his eyes staying connected with me. “Okay. Why?”

What in the world am I going to say? If he looks down, he’ll see that damn test!

I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for another fight tonight. Another letdown. Another emotional meltdown moment. It would be real once he saw. Once he knew. Once he acknowledged. And after tonight, I wasn’t ready for it. Surprises were supposed to be picture-perfect. They were supposed to happen to happy couples with their lives pieced together in just the right fashion. And tonight wasn’t one of those nights.

I needed more time.

Tomorrow. After we move tomorrow will be the perfect time.

I could even give it to him in the room I wanted to have as the nursery. Yes, that’s it. I could take him down the hallway, stand him in the middle of that smaller room at the back of the house, and give him the gift then. In the afterglow of moving seemed like the perfect time. My heart was now set on it.

I just had to get that damn present out of his grip.

“Rae? You okay?”

I lunged for him. “Give me that.”

He held the gift over his head. “Uh-uh-uh! No takesies backsies.”

I jumped for it. “Don’t. Seriously. You weren’t supposed to see--”

“Oh, a present I wasn’t supposed to get right now. I’m even more intrigued.”

“Just give it back. Come on. Please?”

I jumped for it again, but he held it higher. And higher. Until I was practically climbing his body to try and get to it. He laughed as I clung to him, trying not to fall onto my ass. But when my fingertips scraped the bottom of the bag, he moved it behind his back.

Throwing me off balance.

“Clint!”

“Shit, Rae!”

We fell to the bathroom floor and I groaned in pain. I came down against my funny-bone and felt that shivering pain shoot up my arm. Tears rushed my eyes. I felt Clint’s hands all over me as he tried to help me sit up. But, with his hands on me, they weren’t on that present.

Now, where the hell is it?

“Rae, are you all right?”

I slapped his touch away. “I’m fine. Will you give me that gift now?”

“What’s so bad about it? I don’t get it.”

“Will you just, for once tonight, do as I’m asking you to do!?”

Even I didn’t realize how loudly I had spoken until my voice echoed off the bathroom walls. I pushed myself upright and sighed as I leaned heavily against the steady surface. I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes. I didn’t want to cry. I couldn't cry. If I cried, I’d never get out of this. I’d never have a second chance to make this the perfect moment it deserved.

The perfect moment our child deserved.

“Is this a joke?” he asked.

I shook my head. “No, it’s not. I just want to give that to you at the right time. And I thought it might be tonight, but--”

“We’re having a baby?”

His words snapped my eyes open and all time seemed to freeze over. Clint sat on the other end of the bathroom, with his back against the tub. His eyes were cast down into the yellow and white bag, destroying my vision of this entire announcement. I let a tear slip down my cheek. I drew in ragged breaths as he slowly reached inside. He pulled out the small pair of shoes and studied them, turning them over so his eyes could process what he was seeing.

“Is this real?” he asked.

His eyes met mine, but I couldn't move. I barely knew how to breathe.

“Rae, talk to me. Seriously.”

I blinked. “Yes.”

“Yes, what? It’s a joke? It’s real? What is it?”

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I shook my head.

“Words, Rae. I still don’t know what you’re shaking your head at.”

I sniffled. “I’m pregnant.”

I waited with baited breath for his reaction. My hands trembled as they fell into my lap. I wiped the crusted toothpaste off my face with a swipe of my chin against my shoulder, trying to buy myself some time. Maybe I could still cover this up. Maybe I could still make this a joyous occasion.

Maybe I could still salvage tonight.

Clint grinned. “You’re pregnant.”

I nodded. “Yes.”

He moved closer to me. “We’re pregnant?”

“Yes, we are.”

He kept moving until he was sitting beside me. The bag was at the other end of the bathroom, the sneakers still gripped in his hand, the pregnancy test still on the floor.

“We’re having a baby?” he asked softly.

The second I whimpered, his arms were around me. A sob escaped from my mouth as I leaned into him. I felt his fingers running through my hair and the strength of his arms enveloping me. I turned into his chest, burying my watery eyes against his muscles. I felt him pull me into his lap. His legs spread, accommodating me as he cradled me against him. I felt the small sneakers pressing into my back. Reminding me of just how badly this had all gone.

“You were supposed to come home on time,” I said through my tears.

He peppered kisses along the top of my head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know. I should’ve been here. And I swear to you, it will never happen again. You have my word.”

I sobbed. “I was supposed to be all sweet and pretty.”

“I know. You did a great job wrapping.”

I squeaked. “We were supposed to be happy!”

He held me closer. “We’re going to be a family. How in the world couldn’t I be happy?”

I sniffled deeply. “We were supposed to make love after you found out!”

I unleashed against his chest. I listened to him chuckle as he continued kissing every part of me he could find. He gripped my chin and tilted my head back. And when his lips found mine, my crying stopped. His tongue stroked me softly. His hand cradled the back of my head. I heard the sneakers fall to the bathroom floor as my arm slipped around his neck, holding him close as his kiss swept me away.

Like it always did.

“There we go,” he murmured.

His forehead fell against my own. I felt his thumb brushing away my tears. I sniffled hard, causing him to chuckle again before our gazes met. I sighed heavily. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. But when Clint smiled, all of my worries melted away.

“We’re going to be a family, Rae.”

I blinked. “You’re not upset?”

His own eyes filled with tears. “How could I be? I’m going to have a child with the woman I love most in this world. How could I ever be upset at that?”

I snickered. “You’re going to be a daddy, Clint.”

He cupped my cheek. “And you’re going to be the best damn mother on this planet.”

8

Clinton

I kissed her marked shoulder. “Morning.”

Rae yawned. “Mmm, morning, handsome.”

I kissed her cheek. “It’s time to wake up. We have an hour before the moving truck will be here.”

“Five more minutes?”

I chuckled. “Want me to shake you when I get out of the shower?”

She wiggled her butt. “Yes, please.”

I patted it softly. “Sounds like a plan.”

I planted one more kiss against the mark I’d left on her shoulder last night. Then I forced myself out of bed. If I had things my way, I’d stay in bed with my naked woman all day long. But today was a big day and I needed to be prepared. Last night had been such an emotional drain on my heart. We’d stayed up all night, making love and talking about the life blooming in her belly. She told me all about the names she already had picked out. And I was thrilled that she kept leaning toward boy names. Not that I’d mind a girl. I just thought I’d be better suited to raise a boy.

So long as they’re healthy, that’s all that matters.

As I showered for the last time in this old shower of ours, I thought about my dream girl still fast asleep in bed. I thought about all we had been through over the past few years. High school. Bullies. Traveling. Getting stuck in airports due to bad weather. The struggles of getting her through college and the all-nighters we’d pulled together so she could help me crank out books for my fans. We’d been through so much in our short lives. We’d seen and dealt with and fought through so damn much.

Damn it, I’m the luckiest man alive.

Suds dripped down my neck as I lathered up my hair. I closed my eyes, remembering the troubled teen I used to be. All the fire and fight with no grace. The mean, nasty attitude I used to carry around with me. The assholes I used to party with. The idiots I used to entertain. I’d been nothing but a glorified villain. A jerk with absolutely no future.

Until Rae came along.

I’d been an asshole. An instigator. And had it not been for that perfect woman lying spreadeagle in our bed right now, I’d be dead. Literally and metaphorically. I would’ve died in that accident had she not come after me. Had she not cared enough to come searching for me. Even when the people I considered my best friends now hadn’t even come after me. Raelynn Cleaver not only saved my life, she saved my soul. She pulled me out of the bowels of hell and showed me a life worth living. She shone light into my darkness, and no matter how much it hurt my eyes, she kept shining brighter. Shining deeper.

Until I adjusted and started enjoying the warmth against my skin.

She invaded every part of me as a teenager. She came in and wrote over every part of my life I couldn’t stand. And had it not been for her unwavering support, I’d be dead in a ditch.

Or dead on the side of an embankment.

As I rinsed my hair out, I smiled. Today was the day. The day I showed Rae just how much she truly meant to me. Without her, I’d be nothing. I’d be nowhere. I’d have no one. That woman changed my life. She changed the course of it the second she set her sights on me. And for that, I’d be eternally grateful. I’d spend my entire life worshipping her, if it came down to it. Anything she wanted, it’d be hers for the taking.

For the rest of our lives.

I turned the shower off and wrapped a towel around me. I wiped off the condensation on the mirror and took a good, hard look at myself. I saw my father’s eyes staring back at me. I saw his stubbled jawline taunting me in the mirror. But the light behind my eyes as I recalled last night forced all of his features to the side.

“I’m going to be a father,” I whispered.

Joy filled my heart. Hope filled my soul. And fear gripped my gut. A father. I was going to be a father. I’d have a child in nine months’ time. And I’d be responsible for that child. I gripped the edge of the bathroom counter and closed my eyes. I’d never been much of a God person. Especially considering how I grew up. But at that moment, I needed a bit of His attention.

“I don’t know if you can hear me, or if you even exist. But if you do, and you can hear me, I just have one thing I want to ask.”

I opened my eyes and found my face staring back at me. Just my face. Not my father. Not my mother. Not even Cecilia.

Just me.

“Help me be the best father I can be,” I whispered.

I drew in a deep breath before turning away from the sink. I walked back into the bedroom, venturing around to Rae’s side. I sat on the edge of the mattress, dipped down and kissed her cheek softly. I pressed a soft one against her ear, too. And her temple. And her shoulder again.

I loved it when the marks I left behind grew darker the next morning.

“Five more minutes,” she grumbled.

I smiled. “It’s moving day, babe. Gotta get up.”

She stretched. “So no more minutes?”

I chuckled. “No more minutes. Want me to make you some coffee?”

She sighed. “Can’t have it anymore. Tea?”

I paused. “Whatever you want.”

Guess I still have a lot to learn about all this.

I watched her roll over with a sleepy smile on her face and it warmed my heart. I loved waking up to this woman. But I knew I’d enjoy it even more as her stomach began to grow. I thought about all the times I’d feel it poking into my back. Or my own stomach. I thought about how my hands would be able to engulf the small bump before it outgrew even both of them. I leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. Her hand slid into my hair, holding me close to her. I gazed into her beautiful eyes. Eyes I hoped our child might have. Eyes that sparkled with hope, and strength, and determination.

“I love you,” she said softly.

I kissed the tip of her nose. “I love you, too.”

She grinned. “Do you love me enough to go get me one of those croissants from the cafe downstairs?”

“Anything for you. How about you get a shower and I’ll go get breakfast. Then we can sit out on the balcony one last time together.”

“That sounds perfect.”

“You’re perfect.”

She winked. “You’re coming along nicely. I’m sure you’ll get there.”

I chuckled. “You’re a stinker, you know that?”

“I have my moments.”

I captured her lips softly one last time, then I slipped away from the bed. I quickly threw some comfortable clothes on as she stretched and yawned, preparing herself for the cold trek from the bed to the shower. I snatched up my keys and headed downstairs, locking the front door behind me. And as the smells of breakfast pulled me toward the cafe next door, everything rushed through my mind at once.

Getting breakfast was a blur. I kept thinking about all the things our child would need. A crib. A changing table. Clothes. Diapers. I started calculating things in my head and running those figures through our savings account. I started thinking about the time we’d take off once she gave birth and the kind of help Rae would need. I carried breakfast mindlessly back to the apartment, head-deep in all sorts of thoughts.

Like, how could I make Rae’s life easier while she was pregnant?

When did we find out the gender of our baby?

Had she set up an appointment with the doctor yet?

Holy shit, we’ll have to babyproof the fuck out of our new house.

“Something smells good.”

Rae sing-songed the words as she pranced down the hallway with a glow on her face that left me breathless. She took the tea from my hand and I smiled at her, watching as she blew over the small opening. She wiggled her little butt around, dancing to a song only she could hear. And as I made my way over to the kitchen counter, I started pulling out food.

“You know, you got pregnant at the perfect time,” I said.

Rae sipped her tea. “How do you figure?”

I shrugged. “Now you can’t help with all the heavy lifting.”

She scoffed. “Hey. I’m not dead, you know. I can still work.”

I shook my head at her. “Nope. You can’t. Doctor’s orders.”

“Are you my doctor now?”

I pulled out her croissant. “I am until we find you one. Plus, you’re better at telling people what to do, anyway.”

“I’d take offense to that if it weren’t true.”

I walked her food over to her. “So, that means you can tell everyone where everything goes.”

She plucked it from my hand. “Sounds like a productive day to me.”

I threw my head back with laughter before we made our way out onto the balcony. We sat there one last time, watching the sun rise over the city we loved so much. I couldn't wait to share more breakfasts with her on our own back porch. In our own home. With our own food stocked in the fridge.

“I think I see the moving truck,” Rae said.

I followed the pointing of her finger all the way out to the road.

“Yep. I think that’s them,” I said.

“You should get downstairs and wait for them. I can start making a plan as to what goes first and what we wait on.”

I grinned. “Told you.”

“Huh?”

I kissed her cheek softly. “Just tell us what to do, sweetheart, and let me take care of the rest.”

She swatted at me playfully, but she listened. It took us just shy of two hours to get the truck loaded up with all of our boxes and furniture and bags of clothes. One of the moving guys was nice enough to drive our second car over to the new house so I could ride my bike over. I led the moving truck to where our new place was and smiled when I saw the little blue car parked by the curb.

Perfect. Things are slowly panning out.

“Hey, Clint?”

I slipped my helmet off. “Yeah?”

She pointed at the car. “Is that Michael and Allison’s car?”

I grinned. “Maybe.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What are you up to? I thought you said--?”

I shrugged. “I’m up to absolutely nothing.”

“Clint. What did you do?”

I put down the kickstand. “Want to do the honors?”

“Clint. Tell me. Now.”

I handed her the keys to our new home. “You do the honors. I insist.”

She plucked the keys from my palm and rushed to the front door. I set my helmet down as the moving guys tried to get the truck backed into our driveway as best as they could. I rushed after Rae, getting behind her just as she threw open the door. And as I led her toward the kitchen, she gasped.

“Oh. My. God,” she whispered.

I placed my lips against her ear. “Welcome home, beautiful.”

Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh, my God!”

And as her squeal filled the space around us, I kissed her softly on her cheek.

While silently hoping Michael and Allison could hear us in order to get their entrance right.

9

Rae

“Oh, my God!”

My hands covered my mouth as I gazed around the kitchen. The entire house, really. But especially the kitchen. The entire thing had been redone. The cabinets were a beautiful white-wash color. The matte black handles on everything looked absolutely outstanding. The soft gray tiles on the floor ushered the theme of the house into the kitchen, and they sparkled with a fresh shine. The appliances had been cleaned down. There was a completely different stove in here from the last time I saw this place. And as I turned around, my eyes fell to the carpet.

The soft gray, fluffy, freshly-cleaned carpets.

“What in the world?” I asked breathlessly.

He chuckled. “You like it?”

I shook my head. “Is this where you’ve been all these weeks?”

He nodded. “It is. I wanted to surprise you, Rae. That’s all. We’ve worked so hard for this, you and I. You, especially. And I didn’t think you should have to settle for anything less than what you want after everything we’ve been through.”

She sniffled. “Oh, Clint.”

His hands gripped my shoulders. “This isn’t all that got done, either. All of the carpets have been cleaned.”

“Seriously?”

“Mm-hmm. I ripped up all of that linoleum and replaced it with the gray tile. The bathrooms have white cabinets with matte black handles as well. To ‘carry the theme,’ as you so quaintly put it.”

I brushed away my tears. “I can’t believe you did all of this. This is amazing. I just--I can’t--it’s--”

I drew in a shuddered breath as I turned back around to take in the kitchen.

“This is everything, Clint. I love you so much. I can’t believe--I’m so sorry. I just--I’m the luckiest woman alive.”

He turned me back around slowly. “Now you know how I feel every single day I wake up to you.”

I let out a soft giggle. “Our children are going to be so lucky to have you as a father.”

I cupped his cheek as tears streaked my own. No matter how much I wiped at them, they wouldn't stop coming. So I simply let them fall. Clint brought his knuckles up and wiped them away softly, only for more to replace the ones he had swept away with his rugged hands.

“Did you do all of this yourself?” I asked.

He shrugged. “I mean, I had a bit of help.”

“Seriously? Only a bit? When I’ve been here every damn weekend for two months?”

“Hey, don’t forget me. I’m the one who sent you all of that stuff from her Pinterest in the first place.”

“Wait, you told me you found that stuff yourself. You were in on it, too?”

I heard their voices, but couldn't see them. I whipped my head around, trying to figure out where the hell they were. Michael and Allison’s voices echoed in my ears as I continuously wiped at the small streams flooding my face and my neck.

“Where the hell are you two?” I exclaimed.

They came into the kitchen from the formal dining room with massive smiles on their faces.

“Sorry, we got turned around in the living room,” Michael said.

Allison smiled. “Welcome home, beautiful.”

I screamed with delight and went rushing for her. I wrapped my arms around her neck, burying my face into her shoulder. I hadn’t seen her in months. Life always kept getting away from us and we always had to push back plans. Or cancel our girls’ weekend. Or generally postpone due to sickness or work or life, in general.

“I’ve missed you so much,” I whispered.

She kissed the side of my head. “This place looks fabulous. I can’t wait for you to see the bedroom. They really did it up nice.”

“Congratulations on the new home, man,” Michael said.

I heard him and Clint shaking hands and clapping backs as I held on to Allison as tightly as I could. I knew she and Michael were struggling. I knew they had been having some serious difficulties. So I hoped they were in town for a few days. I really wanted to speak with my best friend about what I felt she needed to do. Because that conversation had been coming for quite some time now. All Allison needed to do was find a way to be vulnerable again. To open up to this man that had done nothing but support her and love her through all the difficult times they had back in college.

“We’ll talk later,” I whispered.

I felt her nod. “With wine, I hope.”

I pulled back, smiling. “Always with wine.”

I peered over my shoulder and saw Clint fiddling with something in his pocket. I furrowed my brow as the two men of my life started laughing with one another, and I saw Clint’s cheeks tint a soft shade of red. Was he… blushing?

It was very rare that I saw Clint blushing.

What is he blushing over?

I sighed. “Thank you, Michael. For everything. For helping Clint and generally making sure he didn’t kill himself. This place is beautiful.”

Michael turned around to face me. “There’s one more thing, though.”

I furrowed my brow. “What is it?”

Allison giggled. “Yep. Just one small, teeny, tiny little thing.”

Michael nodded. “You know, the one thing that’s missing.”

I snickered. “Missing? What in the world is missing right now? Everything is beyond perfect.”

Allison rubbed my back. “Almost perfect, at least.”

I looked over at my best friend to try and pry an answer out of her. But all she did was nod. I turned back toward the boys, and the second I did I felt tears rushing down my cheeks again. Michael had stepped off to the side by the refrigerator, where Allison quickly joined him. And there, in the doorway of the kitchen, was Clint.

Down on one knee.

With a box in his palm.

“Oh, my God,” I whispered.

“Come here, beautiful,” he said.

I felt myself moving, but I wasn't sure my legs were working. I felt as if I were gliding over the fresh tiles while the world faded into almost nothing. My heart seemed to be falling out of my chest and my stomach leapt into my throat. Was this happening? Was this real?

Is he really about to ask?

He took my hand in his free one as he smiled up at me. I kept wiping away at my tears, trying not to let them drip on him. And I could’ve sworn I saw his own eyes line with tears. I heard Allison sniffle beside me. I watched in my peripheral as Michael held her close. And my heart grew twice its size when I turned my head and saw Allison melt into him, relying on him for comfort and support and strength.

Bringing a massive smile to Michael’s face.

“I didn’t know what happiness looked like until you walked into my life, Cleaver.”

My eyes fell back down to him as I snickered. Making him smile brighter than I’d ever seen.

“I knew only darkness before you shined your light into my eyes. And I have to admit, for a while, it hurt. It hurt to look at you and it hurt to touch you and it hurt to kiss you because I’d never experienced that kind of light before. My knee-jerk reaction was to shield it away from my eyes. Pull away from the source of my pain. But you kept coming. You kept knocking at my door. You kept fighting with that strength I admire every single fucking day, and I adjusted.”

I giggled. “You make me sound like a virus.”

He chuckled. “You came into my life and your light illuminated my darkness. You showed me the absolute hellscape I was living in and showed me a better way of living. A better way of existing. A better way of loving. And I want to spend the rest of my life bringing you the same light, and the same hope, and the same happiness you bring me.”

“Oh, Clint.”

“I want to love you like you deserve to be loved. I want to protect you the way you deserve to be protected. There’s no other woman I want in my life--or for my children--but you. And everything I have is yours.”

I sniffled. “I love you so much.”

He stood to his feet. “I want to build our family with you under this roof. I want to bring you home after our wedding to this place. I want us to grow old here. To make memories here. To live out the rest of our days in one another’s arms here.”

I watched him pop open the black velvet box, only to reveal the most gorgeous ring I’d ever seen. Well, from what I could see out of the bottom of my view.

Because my eyes never left his face.

“Raelynn Anne Marie Cleaver. Will you marry me?”

I smiled brightly. “Yes!”

I threw my arms around his neck as Michael and Allison clapped. I buried my crying face into the crook of his neck and his arms cloaked my back. He swayed us side to side. I thought my heart might burst with too much happiness. I clung to his broad shoulders. He picked me up off my feet. And after swinging me around a few times in the middle of our new home, he set me back down.

Before taking my left hand within his.

“I believe this is yours, then,” he said.

I sniffled and wiped at my face as he slid the beautiful, sparkling diamond ring onto my finger. I wiggled it in the sunlight streaming through the windows behind me, watching it twinkle, like Clint’s eyes did every morning. I couldn't take my eyes off it. The damn thing was mesmerizing. And it wasn’t until I heard Allison’s voice in my ear that I lifted my head.

“I love you so much. Congratulations, Rae.”

Michael patted me on the back. “You deserve it. Way to go.”

I smiled. “Thank you. Both of you. Really. I love you two so much.”

Allison smiled back. “We love you, too.”

Clint tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “Ready to tell them the news? Or do you want to wait?”

Allison paused. “There’s more news?”

Michael gasped. “You’re not.”

Allison furrowed her brow. “What?”

I looked over at Michael. “We are.”

He leapt for joy. “Holy shit, you are!”

Allison scoffed. “What are you two talking about!?”

Clint laughed. “We’re pregnant, Ally.”

She gasped. “Oh. My. Goodness!”

We rejoiced in the kitchen as Michael kept swinging me around. Hugs were exchanged, love was confirmed, and tears were shed. We wrapped ourselves up in a group hug before jumping up and down. Something we always did whenever we first got together after spending so much time apart.

But a rough knock at the door pulled us from our trance.

“Whoops,” Clint said.

Michael chuckled. “That the movers?”

I sighed. “Guess it’s time to get to work, right?”

Allison took my hand. “Not for you. You get to rest. I’ll help the guys with some of the smaller things.”

Michael slapped Clint’s back. “Guess you knocked her up at the right time, huh?”

I furrowed my brow. “What?”

Clint grinned. “Yeah. Perfect timing, actually. I knew she wouldn't say ‘no’ to the ring if she had my spawn in her belly.”

I slapped his chest. “You take that back, Clinton Clarke. Right now.”

Allison laughed. “Ooooh, the last name. He’s in the doghouse already.”

Michael shook his head. “First night in the new home and you’re already on the couch.”

Clint smiled brightly. “You know I love you.”

I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.”

Another loud knock came at the door and I pushed through everyone. As I walked around the beautiful round mahogany table in the middle of the foyer, I already pictured the vases of flowers I’d decorate it with every week. I unlocked the door and opened it up, only to find a shocking revelation behind the door.

“Hey, Clint?” I called out.

“Yeah, beautiful?”

I furrowed my brow. “Didn’t we only have two movers?”

“Yeah. Why?”

“Because I’m definitely looking at six. With their hands full of stuff.”

Clint trotted up behind me. “Well, let them in and get to work. You’re bossing everyone around, right?”

The mover grunted. “Where do you want your stuff?”

I moved to the side. “The red boxes go into the kitchen. Oh! And that bed goes all the way down to the hallway, last door on the right.”

Michael walked up with Allison. “Sounds like you’ve already got a handle on your work.”

Allison paused. “Where did the other four men come from, though?”

And right at that moment, the last mover came in. He had a red box in his hand, but there was a letter on top of the box. It had mine and Clint’s name on it, so I slipped it off the top. Then I pointed the man toward the kitchen.

“Thanks,” he said breathlessly.

Clint peered over my shoulder. “Who’s it from?”

I opened it up. “Guess we’re about to find out.”

Rae and Clint,

I’m sorry I can’t be there this morning. I took a slip in the shower and bruised my hip pretty badly. Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. But I’ll probably be at the doctor’s office still by the time the movers show up. I know it’s not like having me there, but I promise I’ll come by with dinner since you two probably won’t feel like cooking. And tell Clint not to worry. Brent’s accompanying me to the doctor, so I’m not alone. I’ll see you two tonight for dinner!

Cecilia

Clint shoved his hand into his pocket. “I should give her a call.”

I placed my hand against his wrist. “Brent’s with her. Let him take care of her.”

“I need to make sure she’s okay.”

I held up the letter. “She just said she is. I’m sure she’ll call if it’s more serious. So let’s focus on what we have to do today and we’ll see her tonight. All right?”

Allison piped up. “Everything okay?”

I held up the note. “Clint’s stepmother took a fall. So I guess she sent four other movers to help us unload in place of her being here.”

Michael shrugged. “That’s pretty nice. She all right?”

I nodded. “The note says she is. Brent’s with her, so…”

Allison giggled. “Oh, yeah. She’s just fine, then. A woman is always fine when her man’s doting on her.”

I watched her shoot a look up to Michael and he smiled.

“I read you loud and clear, cutie pie,” he said.

And when the two of them shared a kiss, I didn’t think today could get any more perfect.

Until night fell upon us in our new home.

10

Clinton

I flopped down into the chair out on the back patio before I felt her hands on my shoulders. The way her thumbs dug into my muscles made me moan. And before I knew it, my eyes fell shut. Feeling Rae’s ministrations against my sweating muscles felt like heaven. Plus, every time I felt her ring slide against my shirt, it made me smile.

“So, what time should we expect Cecilia?” she asked.

I sighed. “I figure around the time she actually eats dinner. Which won’t be until eight.”

“Well, that sounds terrible. We should find a snack.”

My eyes slowly opened. “What about your mother? Where did she end up today?”

She snickered. “Hell if I know. I haven’t heard from her all day. I’ll give her a call tomorrow if she doesn’t resurface.”

“You think something’s wrong?”

“Actually, no.”

I chuckled. “Well, if you’re not concerned, then I’m not concerned.”

She let her hands slide down my chest and I let out a soft growl. She pressed the smallest kiss against my cheek. One that shivered me to my core and made my body come alive. I leaned my forehead against her temple, reached back with my hand, and threaded my fingers into her hair.

The night wind softly wrapped around our bodies.

“How are the boxes looking?” I asked.

“Nice and stacked.”

“Good. I don’t want you unpacking without me.”

She giggled. “Already getting overprotective, I see.”

“That’s my job. I figured you’d already gotten with that program.”

She snickered. “Just making a bit of fun. Don’t get all weird on me now.”

Her lips fell to my neck and I groaned at the feel of her lips. Kiss after kiss, pressed against my pulse point. Causing my cock to rise to the occasion. I gripped her hair and let out a soft grunt. Her hands rumbled down my abs, stopping just shy of the button on my jeans.

“Oh, what you do to me, Rae.”

She giggled. “You know, we have a tub now.”

“Mmm, we do.”

She lowered her voice. “With jets.”

I growled. “Perfect.”

“I think our celebratory bottle of alcohol-free champagne might taste better in a hot bubble bath, don’t you think?”

I craned my neck to look at her. “You always have the best ideas. You know that?”

She kissed the tip of my nose. “Race ya.”

“What?”

She took off laughing as she leapt back into the house. I scooted the chair out from behind me and raced into the kitchen, scooping up the bottle of champagne. Fuck glasses. We didn’t need any fancy shit tonight. All I needed was her, that bath, and my hands splayed across her stomach.

A stomach that would grow over the coming months.

“Can’t catch me, Clint!”

I chuckled. “Better watch those words of yours. Come here.”

“Ah!”

She squealed as I picked her up, swinging her around in our bedroom. I peppered her shoulder with kisses and nips, listening to her soft sighs. Gripping the neck of the champagne bottle tightly, I nuzzled my nose against the shell of her ear and walked her into the bathroom.

“Celebrating in baby-friendly style, huh?” she asked.

I pressed my lips to her ear. “Not exactly.”

My lips fell to her neck as I stripped her out of those clothes she had on. She turned around, running her fingertips along my muscles as she undressed me as well. I watched as her naked form grabbed the bottle. I ran the water in the tub, preparing it with lots of bubbles, while she struggled with the cork. She pointed it towards our bedroom and a resounding ‘pop!’ finally filled our ears.

Before the cork fell right at her feet.

She sighed. “Well. That was…”

I snickered. “I don’t even care. This is the best day of my life. And I wouldn't want to change a thing about it.”

She turned around. “You took the words right out of my mouth, big guy.”

“Now, why don’t you come over here and give this big guy of yours some lovin’?”

She held out her finger to me and tipped the bottle up to her lips. My eyebrows rose as she took one chug. Then, two. But, soon after that, it started spraying from her mouth.

“Rae?”

She started coughing before she lunged for the sink.

“Rae!”

She heaved into the porcelain concavity as I held her hair back.

“It’s okay. I gotcha. You’re all right.”

She spat. “Holy shit, that stuff tastes terrible.”

I paused. “Wait, you’re not getting sick?”

She stood up. “Only off of that. You can have it. Ugh. That’s nasty.”

My eyebrows rose. “I got something to replace the flavor, if you’re up for it.”

She wiped her mouth off. “Is that a blowjob joke? Because if it is, it’s not as good as your other ones.”

I chuckled. “Get over here and kiss me, woman.”

I wrapped her up in my arms and pulled her against my body. My cock pressed against the warmth of her skin, ushering me back home. I picked her up and walked her over to the tub, stepping us both in and settling us beneath the bubbles. I slid my fingers into her gloriously soft locks and gazed into her breathtaking eyes. And when my lips pressed against hers, the whole of the world stood still.

“I love you so much,” she whispered.

I grinned. “I love you, too.”

Her head settled against my shoulder. “You know what we should do for the nursery?”

I kissed the top of her head. “What’s that?”

“Make it gender neutral.”

“How so?”

“You know, yellows and pale greens and rainbows. Make it so that a boy or a girl could fit well into it.”

“Those kinds of colors would go well with the scheme of the rest of the house.”

“Plus, we could get started on it piece by piece while I’m still able to move. You know, instead of waiting until I’m practically swollen everywhere to do something about it.”

“I mean, you’re not doing any of that hard work anyway.”

She scoffed. “Why can’t I help out with the nursery?”

I grinned down at her. “Because you’re going to be too busy growing our child, Rae. I can take care of that stuff.”

She snuggled against me. “Fine. I’ll just put it on my Pinterest and see what you come up with.”

I smiled. “Sounds perfect to me.”

She reached her foot up and turned off the water as the bubbles reached an all-time high. I mean, we were covered from head to toe, except for our faces. She giggled as they popped against her nose. My heart warmed as she kept snuggling deeper into me, wiggling herself between my legs. I didn't even care that water was sloshing out onto the freshly-tiled floors.

I was just glad to be holding the love of my life against me in a tub in our forever home.

“Our parents are going to freak. You know that, right?” she asked.

I snickered. “Your mother is going to go ballistic.”

She nodded. “And Cecilia’s going to practically have a stroke.”

“You know we won’t have to buy this child a single thing between the two of them, right?”

She looked up at me. “Yeah, and you better not fight it, either.”

I kissed her forehead. “Noted.”

“Good.”

“It’s kind of nice, having this little secret to ourselves for a while.”

She pulled my hands over her stomach and I kissed the shell of her ear.

“I mean, minus Mike and Ally.”

She snickered. “Yeah. They don’t count.”

I laughed. “All right. Fine. They don’t count. You want to talk about how and when you want to tell everyone else?”

She shrugged. “Let’s at least keep it to ourselves for the weekend. You know, really keep it ours. We can have them over for dinner sometime this first week once we’re settled and we can tell them then.”

“Sounds like a plan to me.”

“I knew you’d see things my way.”

“Oh, you come here, you cheeky little thing.”

I tilted her head back and captured her lips. I kissed her, over and over, as she slowly turned herself around in the tub. She straddled my hips and my cock throbbed with a need to be inside her. She cupped my cheeks, pressing her luscious lips against my own. And when our tongues connected, nothing else mattered.

Nothing else ever mattered when Rae was around.

My forehead fell against hers. “So I take it you like everything?”

She scoffed. “Like it? I love it, Clint. Every single bit of it.”

I smiled. “Well, that’s good. Because I was thinking.”

“About…?”

“We can’t technically use the kitchen yet.”

She blinked. “What?”

“Nope. Completely unusable.”

She paused. “Why? What didn’t you get done?”

“Oh, no no. Don’t get me wrong. The kitchen is completely finished. It just hasn’t been christened yet.”

She furrowed her brow. “How the hell do you christen a kitchen, you dork?”

My gaze met hers. “Do you really want to know?”

I slid my hands up her thighs, feeling her tremble against me. Her breasts, seated tightly against my chest, puckered as my hands continued their adventure. I gripped her hips, dancing my fingers along the dip of her waist. I watched her cheeks tint that beautiful red color as I cupped the back of her head, fisting her hair to hold her there. I hovered my lips over hers as my dick toyed with her entrance. And as she gasped, I felt her nod.

“I do. I want to know, Clint.”

I grinned wickedly. “How about this? I carry you out of this bathroom and put you on the kitchen counter.”

“Uh huh?”

“Then, I pull up a chair and spread these delectable legs of yours.”

She sighed. “Yeah?”

“And then, I put my tongue right--”

“Shut up and kiss me.”

I smiled as I nuzzled my nose against hers. But when she leaned in for a kiss, I slowly backed up. She let out the most decadent whimper I’d ever heard, and it took all I had within me to not fill her right then and there. I steeled my resolve enough to gather her into my arms and stood up into the tub, balancing myself as I stepped over the edge. I walked us through the bathroom, the bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen.

And after setting her on the kitchen counter, I did exactly as I said I would.

I pulled up a chair and sat down between her legs.

“Clint, I--”

My lips fell to her ankle. “I love you so much.”

She gasped. “I love you, too.”

I kissed up her calf. “Every inch of you.”

“Oh.”

“Every cell of your body.”

She groaned. “Fuck.”

I sucked on the dollop of excess her upper thigh provided as she leaned back.

“I love you with everything I am, Raelynn.”

Her hand fisted my hair. “I love you too, Clinton. So fucking much.”

As my tongue touched down against her slit, I vowed to always show her. To always prove to her. To always remind her of just how much I adored her. She was my savior. My guiding light. My inspiration, and my safe place to fall. I’d never stop loving her. I’d never stop needing her. I’d never stop enjoying her.

“Clint, yes!”

I growled. “There it is.”

And I sure as hell would never get tired of hearing her yell my name.

* * *

Thank you for reading FOREVER US. Don’t miss my RED THORNS series, a College Bully Romance full of bad boys, motorcycles and a passionate love story. And be sure to join my email and SMS lists below to don’t miss any of my future books!

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REBEL HART

Rebel Hart is an author of Dark and Contemporary Romance novels. Don’t miss her Dark Bully Romance series The Elites Of Weis - Jameson Prep Academy. You’ll fall in love with Emmett and Ophelia’s story. And don’t forget to join her Readers’ Group to chat with Rebel and other fans: facebook.com/groups/rebelhart

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