Page 72 of Stone Vows

Our kisses are gentle, not demanding. They’re soft. Meaningful. They speak more between us than any words ever have.

I kiss her unlike I’ve ever kissed anyone before. Because it feels unlike any other kiss. It feels like the first. It feels like the last. It feels like nothing I’ve ever felt and nothing I’ll feel again.

When we’re out of breath, our lips part, but our foreheads meet as we breathe into each other.

A cry from the baby pulls us apart, and I look down on Elizabeth’s beautiful daughter. Then I lean down and kiss the soft brown curls on her head.

A noise coming from the door makes me turn my head in its direction. And when I do, I see Gina standing in the open doorway. The door I know was closed moments ago.

I try to figure out how long she’s been standing there. But I quickly get my answer. The look on her face and the disapproval in her eyes say it all. They let me know the line has been crossed. Hell, it’s been shattered. I’m so far past the line, I can’t even see it in my fucking wake.

Chapter Thirty-two

“Are you in trouble?” Elizabeth asks, when I come to examine her the next day.

“No. I’m pretty sure Gina won’t say anything. Plus, I didn’t do anything wrong. I wasn’t on duty when I came to see you last night.”

“Oh. Good.”

“I brought you something,” I say, pulling a small bag out of my lab coat pocket.

“Kyle, you’ve done too much already.”

I hand her the bag. “Just open it, Elizabeth.”

She looks inside hesitantly, as if she thinks it might be an engagement ring or something. Then she pulls out the contents and holds it up to me in confusion.

“It’s a wristband,” I tell her. “People use it for working out. It’s soft, so it won’t hurt the baby.”

Her face breaks into a smile as she pulls it on her left wrist. She admires how it covers the tattoo.

“And it’s pink,” she says. “My favorite color.”

“I know.”

She looks up at me. “You do?”

“You tend to favor the pink pajamas, so I kind of figured.”

“Thank you. That was really thoughtful.”

The baby makes a noise in her bassinet and I walk over to see her. “How’s she doing today?”

“She’s great. She seems more aware today. I was staring at her before you came in. It’s incredible how she’s such a little person.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a baby with so much hair,” I say, admiring her soft fine curls. “And with those long eyelashes, you’d better watch out for this one, she’s gonna break some hearts.”

Elizabeth laughs. “I know,” she says. “I’m already jealous of those lashes. I always wanted long eyelashes like my brother, but I was never lucky enough to have them.”

My eyes snap to hers. “You have a brother?”

“Uh . . .” She glances over at the baby and then she looks sad. “Did. I did have one.”

She closes her eyes and leans back onto her pillow.

I sit down on the bed. “Elizabeth—”

“I can’t talk about it,” she says, huffing a deep sigh out of her nose.

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