Page 21 of Loaded Laces

“You shouldn’t,” she whispers.

“Share the wealth?” I ask, sweeping a hand around the space. “If you haven’t seen, I have plenty, so having you guys here isn’t a hit on my bank account. And I like that my house isn’t empty when I’m gone, that you guys are here when I am. As far as I figure, you’re the reason I have all this, so you get to share in it.”

“That makes no sense.”

“If you hadn’t broken up with me,” I remind her. “I wouldn’t have kept going, baby. I would have eventually come home, lived a small life, given up on my dreams.Yougave me the freedom to go and the drive to keep playing.”

“No, Ihurtyou.”

I stroke my thumb over her cheek. “I don’t care.”

“West—”

“Idon’tcare.” I settle my forehead against hers. “You and Quinn are both here now and you need to shut up and deal because you’re stuck with me.”

She sighs. “I hate that it feels the other way around.”

“No comments on me telling you to shut up?”

Her eyes close for a minute before opening again. “West,” she murmurs, “you’re being deliberately obtuse.”

I touch my mouth to hers. “Are you not cooking me my favorite meal?” I ask against her lips. “My stomach won’t ever let you go.”

She laughs.

I’m glad because I know that my heart won’t let her go either. But I keep that thought in my head. Because all of this has already been hard enough for her to accept.

“Better, baby,” I say softly. “Just stay the course, give us this time, keep moving forward.”

She exhales. “You make this all sound so easy.”

“Isn’t it?”

Her brows drag together.

“Hasn’t it been easy?” I press. “Hasn’t itfelteasy and natural and exactly the same as before?” Minus the sex and cuddling and kissing.

Well, maybe not minus the last.

Because her expression is so befuddled that I can’t resist bending, pressing my mouth to hers again, longer this time.

Andthat’sexactly like before.

And also so much better.

She immediately melts against me, her body coming flush to mine, her lips parting, her tongue stroking across mine?—

“Why are you kissing my mom?”

We both still.

Then Belle tears her mouth from mine. It’s swollen and reddened and slick—beyond tempting.

But I table my need and turn to face Quinn.

“I like your mom,” I tell him. “When grown-ups like each other, sometimes they kiss.”

“Well, yeah.” He shrugs. “But does this mean you guys are boyfriend and girlfriend yet?”

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