Page 16 of Big Gruff Owner

For a moment, I’m speechless. The thought of having a son with Sadie, of raising a family with her, is something I never dared to dream about. But now, holding that tiny onesie in my hands, it’s real. It’s happening. I’m going to be a father.

“Holy shit,” I breathe, and then I’m pulling her into my arms, holding her tight against my chest as she straddles my lap. “We’re having a son. I can’t believe it.”

She laughs, a soft, joyful sound, and I kiss her, hard and deep, pouring every ounce of my love and gratitude into that kiss. She’s given me everything—more than I ever thought I could have—and now she’s giving me a family.

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice,” she says, pulling back just enough to look at me. “I’ve been feeling so sick, and I just thought it was nerves or something. But it all makes sense now.”

I chuckle, brushing a thumb over her cheek. “Guess we’re both in for a surprise, huh?”

She nods, her smile radiant. “Yeah. But I wouldn’t want to do this with anyone else. I love you, Nathan.”

“I love you too, Sadie,” I say, my voice thick with emotion. “More than anything. And I promise you, I’m gonna be the best damn father this kid could ever have.”

She kisses me again, slow and sweet, and I hold her close, my heart swelling with love and pride. I never thought I’d have this—a home, a family, a woman who loves me. But I do. And I’ll do everything in my power to keep it, to protect it, to make sure Sadie and our son have the life they deserve.

As I hold her in my arms, the paint drying on our skin, I can’t help but think how glad I am that I made this girl mine.

~The End

Chapter One

Nathan

I should’ve let the girl find another fucking place to live.The thought plays over in my head as I check my watch for the umpteenth time.

When the nineteen-year-old girl called me up, desperate for a place to live, every instinct I’ve got screamed to say ‘no.’ Yet here I am, leaning against the railings of the empty townhouse attached to mine, waiting like a lost fucking puppy for a girl nearly twenty years my junior to finally pull in.

If there’s one thing in this goddamn world I hate, it’s tardiness. Call it yet another leftover impact from the Marines if you want, but nothing gets my blood boiling like having to wait.

And wait I have. For a thirty full minutes.

She hasn’t even moved in yet and I already regret this shit.

I’m grumbling to myself, fifteen additional minutes later, and just about to write her off completely when a silver, beat-down Camry pulls onto the gravel road. It’s a car I’ve never seen before and considering Cherrywood Village has a population that doesn’t fully clear a thousand, I have no doubts this must be my newest tenant. Rising to my full height, I set my water bottle on the railing as I make my way down the small set of steps. When she gets close enough to see me, I lift a hand to wave and let her know where to turn in.

The car pulls into the spot in front of me and the townhouse and I appraise the thing. It’s death on wheels and how the hell it’s still running is beyond me. It sputters to a stop and the engine dies with a careening moan. The door creaks open and a blonde head appears as a body climbs out of the rusted death trap.

It’s when I get my first glimpse of Sadie Prescott that I know I’m absolutely fucked.

The first thing I notice is her hair—long, wavy, and blonde, it catches the light creating a glowing halo around a beautiful heart-shaped face. She’s petite, probably coming to my elbow if that. Despite her stature, she walks as if she’s carrying a lot more than just her body around. She closes her door behind her, slamming it with force, and as she walks up to me I feel like I’m watching the fucking sun take shape in front of me. She’s gorgeous, ethereal really, with bright green eyes and freckles covering her face like paint splatters and the cutest button nose and…

…I’m staring at her like a damn fool.

“Mr. Matthews?” she says, giving me a kind smile.

Her eyes crinkle as her face pulls into a smile and my gaze fixes on the glint in her forest gaze that I almost forget she asked me a question.

Clearing my throat, I gruff out, “Nathan, please, but yeah, that would be me. I take it you’re Sadie?”

“Yep,” she confirms brightly, her smile growing into a brilliant thing that overtakes her entire face. The breath catches in my throat and my chest feels tight.

God, I have no damn clue what’s wrong with me. I haven’t lost my head around a woman like this since—well, I’veneverlost it like this. I’ve felt lust. I’ve felt attraction and even fascination. I mean I’ve traveled the world, I’ve seen plenty of beautiful women. But this girl…thisangelis more than I seem to be able to handle.

“Oh!” she exclaims, her mouth pulling into an adorable ‘O’ as she holds up a finger. “I almost forgot. Just give me one sec.”

As soon as the words leave her mouth, she jogs back over to her car. I follow close behind, pulled forward as if by an invisible string. I watch as she grasps the car door and wrenches it open. She bends over and my eyes fall to her shapely ass as it wiggles slightly while she looks for whatever it is she’s after. I suck in a sharp breath as the sight goes straight to the length between my legs.

Dear god, Nathan. Get your shit together.The last thing I need is for this girl to see me sporting a hard-on while showing her, her new home. There’s a power imbalance here—I’m her landlord, I’m older, and the last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable. I’m not that kind of guy. Hell, I’ve been accused of being a lot of things in my life, but never that.

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