Page 83 of Worth the Risk

“I like all of this, and I wouldn’t want to change a thing about us or our story. It’ll be fun to tell our grandkids someday.” He nuzzles his nose into my hair.

“Our grandkids, huh? Seems like that’s an entirely different conversation we need to have.”

“No, it’s not,” he says against my neck. “We both know you’re going to be my wife and the mother of my kids. Noah knows that, too.”

“He does?” I turn my face and pull back, our noses almost touching.

“Mhmm, I told him that right before I walked out of his apartment earlier. I made sure there wasn’t an ounce of confusion about what you are to me and to what lengths I’ll go to protect you,” he slides his hand down, his fingers stretching wide as he presses his hand against my belly, “and our family someday.”

I continue to stare at him long after his eyelids—heavy with sleep—finally close. His breath grows deep and even, his hand that’s resting on me growing heavier.

My heart feels heavy because of the time I wasted running from what was right in front of me this entire time. I fought so hard for a man to love me, to want to spend time with me, to want me…all baseline things I thought were undeserved on my part, only to find out I was a pawn in his jealous game.

But the feeling that Austin gives me, the love and warmth he has brought into my heart, is worth it. I fought so hard for five years against falling when I was already head over heels.

And he waited for me.

CHAPTER 24

Austin

The sun’s just starting to rise, the air a touch crisp this morning, signaling summer finally coming to an end. Taylor’s beside me, her breathing even as her feet hit the pavement in sync with mine.

For weeks now, she’s been joining me on my morning runs. What started as a fun challenge has turned into a regular thing—and she’s gotten fast. Almost too fast.

But that’s Taylor, good at everything and makes it look like a breeze.

“Still keeping up?” she teases, her voice light but with a competitive edge.

“Barely,” I lie, grinning at her. “But don’t get too comfortable. You’re not leaving me in the dust just yet.”

“Better save some gas in the tank for spin class, old man,” she teases again before shooting ahead of me.

I push harder, the familiar burn of exertion in my lungs taking over just as we reach the door to the studio. Taylor’s been killing it lately, joining me at spin classes in addition to her yoga sessions. She’s keeping pace with me, and I can’t help but admireher drive. It’s honestly impressive. Hell, it’s attractive—one of the most sexy things about her, apart from her brains.

But when we hit spin class, that’s where the real competition begins.

The studio is packed this morning, and the energy is high. We’re seated next to each other, the dim lights reflecting off the sweat already forming on my brow. The instructor yells out commands, and we both push harder. Taylor shoots me a sideways glance, her lips curling into a grin as she cranks the resistance on her bike.

“Trying to show me up?” I laugh, trying not to make it obvious how winded I actually am.

“Someone’s gotta keep you on your toes, Austin,” she replies, not missing a beat.

I try to match her, pushing my limits, but somewhere in the midst of my competitive streak, I lose focus. I’m out of the saddle and leaning too far forward for how fast I’m going. The bike wobbles beneath me, and one set of the small wheels on the bottom goes up in the air. For a second, I’m sure I’m going down. My legs falter, and I grip the handlebars tighter, just managing to steady myself.

Taylor bursts into laughter. I shoot her a look—half embarrassed, half amused. I know my face is white as a ghost.

“Almost ate it there, didn’t you?” she says between a fit of breathless giggles.

“Yeah, yeah,” I reply, rolling my eyes but laughing along with her. “But I’m still gonna kick your ass.” I crank up the gear to a level I know damn well she can’t push through.

“Cheater,” she mutters, flashing me a mischievous smile as she kicks her legs into high gear.

We’re both gassed when the music stops, and we unstrap our shoes.

“I’ll buy you a new pair of Louboutins if you beat me.”

She almost considers it, but then she shrugs and says, “I can buy them myself and still kick your ass,” before giving me a cheeky smile.

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