Page 157 of Vegas Heat

She willalwayscome for me—and I don’t just mean that in the sexual way, though I’m not currently opposed to that particular notion.

My mouth crashes down to hers as I hold her in my arms. A feeling like I’m home even though I don’t currently have a home washes over me. Whatever it takes, whatever I have to give up, whatever notions I had about the future once upon a time…they all melt away as I hold her in my arms, as my lips move over hers, as the love I feel for her seems to come at me from every angle imaginable.

We have to find a way to make this work.

End of story.

We’ll compromise, and we’ll fight and argue, but I can’t retreat from her when things get tough. Just holding her in this moment is enough to make me very well aware of that.

This is it.Sheis it for me, whatever that means.

“God, I love you,” I say against her lips, and she pulls back but only to bury her face against my chest and squeeze her arms more tightly around me.

“I love you, too. I’m so sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.”

“You’re here now,” I say, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “And somehow it’s everything I didn’t know I needed.”

We cling to one another for a few more beats, and I hear my mom talking to someone in the other room. I assume it’s either her phone or the television since we’re home alone, and I grab Gabby’s hand and drag her with me toward the kitchen, dropping the suitcase by the stairs to take up the next time I go.

“We’ll be right there,” my mom says as she ends the call. She glances over at us and blows out a breath. “I guess he got an infection from the catheter and he’s on an IV with meds now. Marissa isn’t handling it well but he’s doing okay.”

I nod. “Let’s go. I’ll drive.”

“I’m so sorry this is how we’re meeting,” my mom says to Gabby. “I’m Cheryl. You can call me Cheryl or Mom, whatever makes you feel more comfortable.”

“Thank you. It’s lovely to meet you in person, but I wish it was under better circumstances,” Gabby says.

“So do I, honey. But the fact that you showed up for my baby boy is everything I need.” She gives Gabby another squeeze. “Gosh, you’re pretty. I mean, Cooper talks all the time about how gorgeous you are, so I should have believed him. And he also talks about how smart you are, how funny…”

“Mom, we need to go,” I say, my face heating with embarrassment as my mom gives away all my secrets. “And remember, her dad can’t find out about us, so this is all sort of top secret.” With those words, I turn to Gabby. “How are you going to explain to him that you’re here?”

She winks at me. “I’ll tell you in the car on the way to the hospital.”

I drag her suitcase upstairs and grab my shoes, and then I quietly head back down. I pause in the stairwell as I listen to my mom and Gabby talk.

“He’s a different man since you came into his life, honey. Thank you for being so good to him.”

“Thank you for raising such a good man. He tells me all the time how important you are in his life, and I love that you two have such a close relationship.”

My chest warms listening to the two of them.

IthinkI’ve got my mother’s stamp of approval.

I blow out a soft breath then continue my trek toward them. “Ready?” I ask.

As we make our way toward the hospital, Gabby says, “My dad called me last night, probably right after he got off the phone with you. He said he thought you needed a friend, and since he was tied up in meetings, he asked if I could fly out to see you since I’m your shadow anyway.”

“He did?” I ask, surprise clear in my tone.

Maybe Troywouldn’tbe so opposed to the idea of the two of us—not if he’s pushing her on me when he thinks this is my time of need.

“Yeah. He said he’s seen how close we’ve been getting, and he can tell I’m like a little sister to you.”

I wrinkle my nose as I look at her in the rearview. She’s in the backseat, and my mom is up front in the passenger seat. “He said that?”

She giggles. “Yeah, and then he said something about how he’s like an older brother to you if it was a really messed up family.”

I laugh, and my mom does, too.

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