Page 84 of That One Heartbreak

It was hard to remember why she’d been fighting this for so long.

Chapter

Twenty-Two

“That was so good,”Kate groaned, touching her stomach. “But I shouldn’t have eaten that last piece of brownie.”

She still had some crumbs on her lips. He reached out to wipe them away, and her breath quickened.

He wanted to pull her under him right now. The only thing stopping him was the fact that at least two members of his family were here, running the movie for them. Even though he’d parked so nobody could see them, he still had some self-restraint.

Not much, though. Not when this woman had dressed just for him. She was leaning against him, her hair tumbling down over her smooth shoulders, her bare legs stretched out in front of her, as she watched Grace Kelly get drunk and start to flirt with Frank Sinatra.

He slid his arm around her. “You warm enough?” he asked. “I brought another blanket.”

“I’m good. You have enough heat for the whole town.”

Yeah, he’d always been hot-blooded. It mostly came from never being able to sit still. He could now though. Having her against him, her soft body molded into his, felt like a little piece of heaven. He didn’t want it to end.

“What did you tell the kids you were doing tonight?” he asked.

“I just said I was going out with Shana.” She turned to look at him. “Not because I’m trying to hide anything. I just…” She smiled softly at him. “Their hearts are tender, I guess.”

“You don’t need to be afraid of me. My intentions are real.” There, he’d said it. “I know we need to get them used to us slowly. I’ll go as slow as you want. But I’m not going anywhere.” He just wanted her happy, always.

Her lips parted but she said nothing. Just stared at him like he was some kind of eighth wonder.

“What do you see in me?” she whispered. “Most guys would see a single mom with three kids and run.”

“The guys on your dating app didn’t.”

“I deleted that as soon as I could.” She rolled her eyes at him, smiling. Because he knew this.

“Good.” He reached out to trace her jaw with his calloused fingers. He’d never get used to how smooth her skin felt. It made his body feel tight. Needy. “And what I see in you is a prize. Your kids aren’t a burden. They’re part of you. And I want all of it.” He shook his head. “Don’t you see? I’ve been waiting for you to be ready. You don’t have to worry about me.”

Her chest hitched. “What about when Addy and Ethan are teenagers? Screaming around the house? Will you feel the same, then?”

“Do you feel the same about James?”

“Yes,” she said without hesitation. “But he’s mine.”

“And I’d like them all to be mine, in time.” He kissed her jaw. “And I’m not trying to erase Paul. They’ll always be his. But maybe they can be mine, too.” He needed that like he needed her. Not just because he wanted to protect them, though that was always important. But because he loved spending time with them. The same way he loved being with her.

“Are you still talking about the kids?” she whispered, her voice full of emotion.

“Partly.” But they both knew he was talking about her, too. “I’m serious about this. About us.”

He knew she was finding it hard to move on. And he’d wait for as long as she needed.

“And I like to think that Paul would be okay with this.” He’d been thinking about it a lot. “I never would have touched you if I didn’t believe that.”

“He would.” She nodded. “He had the most generous heart.”

“And so do you. And your kids.” He wiped away the tear that escaped her eye. “I know it’s been hard on you. So damn hard, Kate. Being alone. Trying to rebuild your life. Taking care of three kids. But you don’t have to do it on your own. Let me in. Let me be a part of it. Part of you. Let me look after you.”

She didn’t reply. But then she didn’t need to, because her mouth was on his, kissing him so softly it made every part of him ache. It was a yes without words, an opening. He curled his hand around the back of her neck, kissing her back.

Every part of him felt like he was on fire. In the best of ways. Like she was burning away the old him, revealing new skin, new everything. She groaned against his lips and it felt like they were leaving everything behind.

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