Page 112 of Stay with Me

“I put my resignation in. I’m done with the force,” I say as I pull up to a stoplight.

I turn to see her reaction. Her eyes are wide as she searches my face. I lean in and kiss her lips.

“What? But you love your work.”

“No, no, I don’t anymore. Not the way I used too. Something changed while undercover. I started to see what I’ve been missing.

“Being an undercover detective is a lonely life. I’m missing my nephews grow up and my brothers are building lives I know little about … I have someone I love so much I can’t stand to be away from her a second more?—”

I’m cut off by horns honking behind me. I frown but turn back to the road and start to drive. I can feel her eyes on me.

“You were saying.”

“Those guys, the Lost Souls became my brothers. I watched them with their families—their wives and girlfriends, their kids. The love and devotion. It made me miss you every day I had to be there pretending.

“I wanted what they had. I wanted you. Now, I have that and having a badge seems like a silly dream I had to play cops and robbers. Now, I’ll find another way to spend my time. It’s not like I’m hurting for the money,” I say.

I turn to glance at her. Her lips are trembling, and tears have spilled over. Turning back toward the road, I release her hand to reach for her face and wipe her tears with my thumb.

“Are you sure? This is what you want? I don’t want you to be unhappy.”

“Rem, I will always choose you.”

And I mean it. I’ve got the girl. The rest is just a matter of figuring out. I have plenty of time to do all of that. This is where I belong.

CHAPTER 44

Love You More

Knight

She’s pregnant. That’s all I can think as we enter my apartment. I move behind her and splay my hands on her belly. Burying my face in her neck, I inhale.

I imagine this is what heaven is like. Four years of making love to this woman and she gets pregnant now. It was meant to be.

It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I know what I want the rest of my life to be like. I want it to be filled with days of loving this woman until my last breath.

“Let me get you out of these wet clothes,” I say as I reach for the tie on her dress.

“I think you’re more wet than I am.”

“Then we definitely need to fix that.”

Her laugh fills my apartment, causing me to smile from ear to ear. I nip at her neck as I peel the dress from her shoulders and drop it to the floor. She won’t be needing that for the rest of the night.

Rem turns in my arms and faces me. Reaching for the hem of my T-shirt, she peels the wet fabric from my skin. I help her lift it over my head and toss it down with her dress.

I don’t give her time to go for my jeans. I need to feel her lips against mine. I kiss her deeply as it plays in my head that she’s carrying my child.

“I love you,” I say against her lips.

“I love you too,” she whispers.

“Say it again,” I command as I lift her onto my waist.

She cups my face and places her forehead to mine. “I love you, Knight. I’ve loved you for a long time. I’ve just been too scared to admit it.”

“You never have to fear anything with me ever again, baby. You never had to be afraid in the first place. I’ll always protect you and now our baby.”

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