Page 112 of Renewal After Dark

“How can you possibly know that?”

“It’s the weirdest thing…”

“What is?”

“That I feel like I know you better than I’ve ever known anyone, even though we haven’t known each other that long.”

“How is that even possible?”

“It’s all the little things… How you went to the police station to ask about us after the storm. You brought as much of our stuff as you could rescue from the cabin, and then you went back and got Mr. Bear and cleaned him up for Jax. It was how you drove us around and showed Jax the flowers in your garden, and don’t get mestartedon the cross-stitching.” She fanned her face. “Sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

“You gotta be freaking kidding me,” he said, even though he was deeply moved by her recitation of the facts of their story thus far.

“I’m so not kidding. I’ve never been more surprised by anything.”

“Not even Eric’s wife and family?”

“That’s got nothing on you cross-stitching.”

“Something is wrong with you.”

She tossed her head back and laughed as hard as he’d seen her laugh yet.

He took full advantage of the opportunity to nibble on her glorious neck.

She gasped and shuddered, and he was fucking done.

Done.

How had he lived for thirty-six years withoutcravingsomeone like this?

It was hard to hear any other thought in his head around the drumbeat of desire, but one kept creeping through:

Too much. Too soon.

Too much. Too soon.

He wanted to ignore it, but he’d learned to trust his instincts in all things. That’s what’d allowed him to have a successful life without much help or guidance. With something this important, he couldn’t ignore the voice that had never steered him wrong.

“MK,” he whispered against her lips.

“Hmm?”

“I want what you want.”

“I like when that happens.”

“Me, too. It’s just that… I want to do this right, and knocking one out on the sofa while your baby sleeps in the next room isn’t right.”

“It could be.”

He shook his head. “I want you to take a beat and think this through. We both know everything changes after that happens, and I like this a lot the way it is now. I don’t want it to become something different.”

“It’ll become something better.”

“You’re very certain of that.”

“I am, but I want you to be, too.”

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