Page 81 of Cowboy Bear's Hope

I went over to her and reached for her, touching her face with gentle hands, begging her without words to look at me.

“Oh, Dante,” she said and leaped.

Suddenly, I found myself with my arms full of my woman.

Thank fuck.

Avery wrapped herself around me, arms and legs, and her whole body seemed to quiver as she cried into my neck.

“I’m sorry, Honey. I’m so sorry I didn’t tell you what I suspected,” I confessed, kissing her head and squeezing her tight.

“It’s okay,” she sniffed and shook her head, lifting up to look at me. “Why didn’t you, though?”

“I meant to. A dozen times, I meant to. But then I’d get distracted, and I couldn’t be sure, Avery. I’m so sorry. So fucking sorry, you have no idea.”

“But you knew? How?”

“Sometimes, I thought I scented fur. But you never brought up her father, and I didn’t want to seem like a jealous prick,” I growled.

“Are you? Jealous?” she asked, eyes wide.

“Of course, I’m fucking jealous. I mean, I know you had a life before me, Avery, and I love Rosie. I couldn’t love her more. And I didn’t want to make you talk about something you seemed fine forgetting about. Plus, I thought there was time. She is very young,” I murmured, sounding like a fucking idiot.

“It’s okay. I understand. And I get it. I wouldn’t want to talk about any women you’d been with either.”

“I haven’t been with other women.”

“I know. And it makes me wish I hadn’t been with anyone else either. But it was only one time, and I can’t regret it,” she said, shaking her head.

I kissed her temple and nodded. This woman had no idea how precious she was to me.

“Shit. Me either, Honey. I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t handle this all better,” I whispered, and sat on the bed with her in my lap.

Her soft curves molded to my frame, and I was very aware of her hot pussy as she settled it right over my aching cock.

Avery was my only experience with sex, but fuck, if I didn’t want her all the time.

“Look at me, Dante,” she said, and my gaze flew to hers.

“Avery,” I said her name.

It came out like a prayer, soft and reverent, barely louder than a whisper

Maybe it was a prayer.

Because she was my only wish.

My dream come true.

Everything I had ever wanted, and the only thing I would ever need.

She remained right there, her golden eyes meeting mine, and for a moment, the world fell silent.

No sound, no movement, just her. My heart pounded, every beat echoing in my ears as I waited, holding my breath, terrified of what she might say.

“I forgive you,” she said softly, her voice warm and steady.

And fuck, it hit me like a freight train. My heart slammed against my ribs, so hard it hurt.

---