Page 137 of Succumbed

“Why? You’d be a great dad, Shane.”

I shoot her a wry look. “And you’d be a great mom. Doesn’t make either of us want them, does it?”

She chuckles. “I suppose not.” Her gaze searches mine. “What do you want, then?”

I look out at the park, lush with spring green in the bright afternoon sun. We’re surrounded by new life, but all I can see is the woman beside me.

“Love and commitment. I want us to support each other and be loyal to our relationship, whatever it looks like.”

“Whatever it looks like, hm?” It’s her turn to look into the distance. “Like if there were four people involved, not just two?”

My heart swells at the number, relief rushing through me. I feared Declan fucked everything up on the flight home, worried she’d be unwilling to try again after the awful things he said. I should’ve known she wouldn’t back down. My warrior queen.

“Yeah, Lex. Like that.”

“You trying to tell me something, Shane?” She peers up at me through her lashes, her expression guarded.

“I’ve been trying to tell you I love you for weeks, Lex. I’m not great with the words, but I’ll never stop showing you.”

Her lips part on a faint gasp. “Shane…”

I wrap my arm around her shoulders, needing to anchor her. “Don’t tell me you’re surprised.”

“I…shouldn’t I be?”

“No.” I press another kiss to her head, letting my lips linger. “I need to do a better job of showing you, apparently.”

“Shane, no, you’re perfect, I–”

Smiling, I cup her cheek, drawing her to me for a slow kiss. I wipe the sheen from her lips when I release her.

“I’m not perfect, Lex, and I don’t expect you or our relationship to be.”

She bites her lip, looking away. Anxiety flares in my gut, my arm tightening around her shoulders.

“Talk to me.”

“It’s just,” she bursts, looking out at the park, “we have such a good thing going the way it is. I don’t know…I don’t know if something formal is a good idea.”

She’s scared and I suspect I know why, but I need to hear her say it.

“Why?”

She rubs a hand over her face. “Someone’s going to get hurt, Shane. If we’re in a relationship, then we’re a family, and…families…”

Her voice trails off and my heart clenches for her, for the pain she experienced at her family’s hands.

“Families hurt each other, disappoint one another. I can’t imagine doing that to you or Linc or even Declan.”

“Lex, each family is different. Do you see me hurting and disappointing Linc and Dec, or them doing that to me?”

Her eyes drop to her hands. “Not before. But on the plane…”

Fucking Declan and his temper. “Every family has conflict, Lex. The healthy ones communicate and work through it.”

“Have you three talked and worked through it?”

My lips tip up. “We’re working on it.” She starts to roll her eyes, but I squeeze her against me again. “I’m serious, Lex. We are.”

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