Page 49 of Hope & Harmony

Her curves were poured into sleek black leggings and a cropped black cashmere sweater, with cherry-red high heels. She didn’t wear much makeup, just a sweep of her signature black eyeliner and red lipstick to match the heels.

In skimpy lingerie or sweats, she was the sexiest woman I’d ever seen.

Mywoman.

The mother of my son, and if I was even luckier in the future, more children.

By the time I reached her, nodded a hello to her mom and swept her into my arms, electricity danced across my skin. When she cried, “Jude!” like she hadn’t seen me in weeks—it had been a few hours—and pressed her lush body against me, her fingers digging into the hair at the nape of my neck, the electricity sizzled right through me.

“Gorgeous,” I greeted her.

The faint thud of the music playing in the arena between sets and the dull roar of anticipation from the crowd underscored the fierce beating of my heart as I kissed her luscious lips, her gorgeous face, her soft neck. The last time I saw her shewasin sweats, feeding our baby as she prepared to hand him off to his nanny so she could get cleaned up for work tonight. I was heading out the door, and I’d barely gotten to touch her, she’d had her hands so full.

Felt like the luckiest man in the world knowing I got to take her home tonight. And hopefully, we’d get a few sweet hours alone together while Julian was asleep.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Roni purred in my ear, her lips brushing my skin. “I’ve got something for you.”

“Mmm,” I growled and gently bit her neck.

She squeezed me tighter and laughed her soft, husky laugh.

I pressed my face into her neck, inhaling deep; that goddamn sex kitten smell of hers that always did me in. I closed my eyes and savored it.

Savoredher.

In moments like these, just luxuriating in the feel of her, her warmth and her smell and her soft breaths against my skin, I couldn’t fucking believe she’d once been taken from me. While she was pregnant with our child.

Those torturous hours, when Roni was in danger, were the longest and the darkest of my life.

When she was kidnapped and held captive by the fucking Mafia.

When I didn’t know where she was and I couldn’t help her, couldn’t protect her, trade my life for hers,anything.

I would’ve done fucking anything to save her.

My entire MC had searched for her, with my brother, Piper, our Vice President, at the helm, and I’d never felt more helpless, more out of control.

She was back in my arms, unharmed, within twenty-four hours. And here she was, still safe in my arms almost one year later. She’d had our baby, a healthy, strong baby boy, and I’d held her like this—tight, our hearts beating as one—as often as I could, every day that I’d had her back.

But it still didn’t feel like enough.

I knew I could never make it up to her.

And I would never forgive myself.

My job was to protect those around me, and I’d failed the one person I loved most in the goddamn world. I’d failed to keep her safe. I’d failed to be her hero.

I’d failed to make it clear to her, every moment of every day, how much she meant to me.

She drew back just enough to look into my eyes and cupped my jaw with her soft hands. Her full lips quirked. “What is this sad vibe I’m getting on your birthday?”

I grunted. “I’m not sad. Just savoring.”

She smiled tentatively. “Do you want your present?”

I gave her a heated look. “Later.”

She smiled and kissed me, soft and so fucking hot, like her mom wasn’t standing right there. But Cindy was distracted, chatting up one of the young crew guys; her forte.

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