Page 92 of Everlasting Love

She grins at me, then fills her mouth with food. I was wary of Toby when we first met him but I’m so glad he’s part of our family. He’s been amazing for my sister and niece, as well as forour family. Not to mention he’s the reason I met Shane. I owe him a huge amount of gratitude.

“Daddy,”—everyone turns toward Jasmine and Shane climbs to his feet—“can I please have some more juice?”

“Sure,” he says as he grins at our daughter and grabs the juice out of the fridge. After he fills Jas’s cup, he tops off Poppy and Daisy’s drinks, too.

Cass looks at me with raised brows, her mouth dropped open. “When did that happen?”

“Wednesday morning.” It’s a day I’ll remember forever. It’s the day I felt Shane’s final wall tumble.

“I knew I sensed a deeper level of contentment in you, I just wasn’t sure why.” She squeezes my hand. “I’m so happy for you guys.” She looks up at my man. “Welcome to the family, Shane.” She winks at him. “Finally!”

He grins at her as he puts the juice back in the fridge, then winks. “Thanks,Sis.”

Toby stands and wraps his arms around Shane. His eyes look a little glassy, and I swallow past the lump in my throat as I watch two best friends embrace in Mom’s kitchen. It’s such a powerful moment for both men. Cassia told me that Toby worries about Shane and the way he closes himself off from people, keeping himself on the periphery. To see Toby so emotional about Shane’s growing relationship with Jasmine and me makes me grateful that Toby’s quietly been in Shane’s corner all these years.

The guys return to the table and we finish our meal. Mom and Lloyd tell us all about the conference and innovations they want to include in their future projects and I love how they’re talking about doing things together as if it’s as natural as breathing. This is exactly what Mom needed.

Leaningagainst Shane’s hard body while we enjoy our chamomile tea on the couch, I sigh.

He wraps his arm around me and I sink further into him. “That was a loud sigh. What’s up?”

“I’m just so happy for Mom and Cass.” I look up at him. “It feels like our family is finally complete.”

He nods. “Your Mom seems so different from the woman I dropped off at the airport. She seems … younger almost.”

“I know. Like she has a new lease on life.” I tease out my hair. “I’m a little worried because she’s still technically married to Dad.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Shit.”

“Yeah,” I breathe. We’re quiet for a few minutes, each of us sipping on our tea. “Hey, I was thinking that you should move your stuff into my room. We’ve been together every night so I don’t see the point in having two rooms.”

He’s quiet for a long moment, and if I felt less secure in our relationship, I might worry, but this is Shane taking a moment to consider everything carefully. He pulls back a little and slides his fingers along the side of my face, following the action with his eyes. “You don’t think it’s disrespectful to your mom if we share your room?”

My heart does that squishy thing again. He’s always thinking about everyone else. I grasp his hand and bring it to my mouth, kissing his knuckles. “I don’t think Mom will mind at all but if you would prefer, I can ask her.” I entwine my fingers with his, admiring how big his hand is compared to mine and how safe he makes me feel.

“I know we’re not kids anymore but this is her home, and I would feel more comfortable if we had her blessing.” I stretch up and kiss his lips tenderly.

“You’re such a good man, Shane,” I murmur against him, the bristles around his mouth scratching my face.

He smiles against my mouth. “If I’m such a good man why do I always want to do such bad things to you?”

I chuckle. “I wouldn’t say anything you do to me is bad. In fact, I’d say it’s all pretty great.”

He closes the distance and presses his mouth to mine tenderly. His fingers slide into my hair, and he tilts my head as he swipes his soft lips across mine. I lick across the seam of his mouth and he opens for me. Wasting no time, I dart my tongue inside and moan at the taste of him. Our kiss heats up quickly as our tongues swipe against each other and Shane guides me to straddle him without missing a beat. I grind down on him, aching to have him buried deep inside me.

“Ahem.” I register the sound of Mom clearing her throat from the doorway and tear my mouth from Shane’s, then peer up at her. She smiles at me in that motherly way of hers. “I just came down to tell you that Lloyd and I are turning in for the night. We’ll see you in the morning.”

“Okay.” I climb from Shane’s lap and stand in front of Mom. “I … uh … wanted to ask if it was okay with you if Shane moves into my room.”

Her eyes widen and she glances between Shane and me. “Do you mean to tell me that you’ve been sleeping in separate beds while I’ve been away?”

I turn and look at Shane, silently asking him if he’s okay for me to share and he stands. “Well, no. I’m sorry if I was disrespectful to you and your home, Mrs. Phillips.” He buries his hands deep in his pockets.

Her eyes skip to Shane. “Rose. And it’s not disrespectful at all. It’s what I was hoping for.” She grins. “I’m thrilled the two of you are finally where you belong …together.”

I lean in and kiss her cheek. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome. Good night, you two.”

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