Page 21 of Summer With You

“I love you. Be careful. Be quiet, the kids are sleeping.” I laughed. “I’m getting so fat, and I’m hungry.” I glared at him through the mirror.

“I do not say that all the time.” Glancing down at my small belly, I wondered just how often I complained about picking up weight to carry the baby.

“Babe,” I looked up into the mirror, my eyes meeting my husband’s, “don’t do that shit. You’re perfect.” He leaned back on the bed on his elbows, still giving me his undivided attention. “What’s next? I like this game.”

“What’s one thing you’d change about me?” I asked him.

“I no longer like this game,” he rumbled. “Why would you think I want to change anything about you?” His face fell, and the grinning boy I saw shining through the aging man no longer appeared in his face.

“There must be something.” I frowned. “I’m not perfect.”

“You are perfect for me, but if there was one thing I’d change, it would be that you think you aren’t a good mom when in reality, you are the best mom, Celine . . . better than mine ever was.”

“Oh, Ace. It wasn’t her fault.” I put my makeup down on the vanity next to the mirror and turned to look at him, but he was already standing there, so close that I actually stumbled into him.

My hands landed on his firm chest, muscles flexing beneath my touch. My breath was momentarily stolen at our proximity.

His large hands framed my face, heat spreading across my cheeks at the desire shining in his darkening, blue eyes.

“Loving you has been my greatest adventure in life, Celine. I somehow fall more in love with you every single day.” He brushed his nose against mine in a sweet Eskimo kiss. My eyes instantly fell shut, our breaths mingling together, and in that moment, I was twenty again. I wasn’t a mom, and I wasn’t thirty-two years old.

I was a young, naïve girl, falling in love with a dangerously, attractive man.

Twelve years ago, our romance started, from enemies to lovers, and who would have thought. I inhaled the spicy scent of his cologne, letting it wash over me.

“Promise me something, Princess,” he whispered, his minty breath washing over me.

“Mhm?” I swallowed thickly, hearing the outside world threatening to break this moment, the loud thump of footsteps hitting the ceiling above us followed by the shrill screams of children having fun.

“You’ll always love me, even if I seriously mess up because you are the one thing I will never survive losing.” Opening my eyes, I was instantly shocked at his vulnerability and honesty.

“Nothing,” I leaned up on my toes and pecked his lips, “there is absolutely nothing that could make me ever stop loving you, Ace Danvers. You own my heart and soul, and you always have since the day I almost ran you over.”

His lips curl into a cocky smile. “So, at last, you finally admitted that you really did almost hit me, that you weren’t the greatest driver, huh?” He laughs just as the door bursts open, and Charlie bounces into the room.

“Good morning, Mommy! Good morning, Daddy!” He crashes into us, and we almost crash to the ground, but Ace holds his ground against our little boy.

“Easy, my boy. We need to be careful around Mommy, remember?” Ace squats down and picks up Charlie who is grinning ear to ear.

“Come on! Time to go on the boat, Daddy!” he squeals, wrapping his tiny arms around Ace’s neck, squeezing him tightly with a boyish giggle.

Watching the two warmed my heart. Ace deserved this more than anyone I knew. After carrying around the guilt of his baby brother dying, he believed he didn’t deserve a loving family, especially after his had abandoned him.

I would never leave him. He was my soul mate.

In the kitchen, Amber was sitting at the breakfast nook, munching on a piece of toast with a thick slathering of peanut butter on it. She saw my grossed-out expression and laughed. “Can’t help the cravings, and I normally fucking hate peanut butter!” she exclaimed, her eyes growing large as I pointed at Charlie in Ace’s arms behind me. “Sorry, thought he was outside with the others.”

“Have they all eaten breakfast?” I glanced at Ryan who was sipping on a cup of coffee, watching Amber over the rim with a heated expression in his eyes.

“Yup, just waiting on you two lovebirds to eat so we can go,” Amber joked, finishing the last bite of the toast and putting her plate in the dishwasher. “I made oatmeal for them. There’s still some in the pot if you want some.” I spied the steaming pot behind Ryan and made my way over to it, bumping him out of the way with my hip.

“Jeez, the woman thinks just because she’s pregnant she can push me out of the way.” He laughed, going to sit next to Amber, dropping a hand to her leg.

“Yup, I’m feeding two now.” I dished myself up a bowl and one for Ace, handing it to him before joining the two at the table. “So, what did you two get up to last night?”

Ryan choked on his sip of coffee and spit it out all over the table, earning a deep chuckle from Ace. Amber blushed, looking at Ryan before looking back at me with a glare.

“Oh, it seems like these two rekindled that fire alright.” Ace laughed, and Ryan shot him a glare as Amber’s cheeks burned red. I burst into laughter.

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