Page 95 of Never Been Worse

“Hey, little wife.”

Something in me snaps, then, my throat getting tight as I run the few steps to him and jump into him. He catches me, lifting me up as I wrap my legs around his hips and press my lips to his. When the kiss breaks, I press my forehead to his with a wide smile and watery eyes.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m tired of not spending the night with my wife.”

I pull back and look at him quizzically. “Did the girls call you?”

His face mirrors mine, and he shakes his head. “No? Why?”

I think of our conversation earlier and shake my head. “No reason.”

He moves toward the door with me in his arms because I’m sure as hell not letting go, then closes and locks it behind him. I breathe him in, and as I do, a calm washes over me, the way it always does when my husband is near. God, I missed this. It’s further confirmation that I’m well past falling and deeply in love with this man. He moves us to the bed, sitting down with me in his lap, and I lean back to take him in. He looks exactly like he did two weeks ago, but more tired, the same as I do, I’m sure.

My thumb brushes over the scruff on his cheekbone, and my heart starts to pound nervously as I decide it’s time.

“Hey, Wes?” I ask gently.

One hand moves from where he’s holding my waist to shift my hair back over my shoulder. “Yeah?”

“I love you,” I whisper.

His hand pauses halfway before his eyes shift to stare at me. A million things run through my mind, ways to cover up or rush past what I just said, but I realize there’s no point. I love Wes Holden. I have for some time, and the only thing I regret is being too scared to jump in sooner.

Then, his eyes close, a deep sigh leaving his body as his forehead moves to mine. “Thank God,” he whispers. I let out a small laugh.

“What?”

“I’ve been waiting for this moment, Harper.”

“Wes—”

“Do you know how hard it is to keep that in every day?” His hands go to my jaw as he looks into my eyes. “Do you know how hard it is not to tell you how much I love you every fucking moment of every single day?” My eyes water as he stares at me. “I told you I’d wait forever, but I’m glad I don’t have to.” He echoes words he told me weeks ago, a time that feels almost like another lifetime.

“I’m glad you’re here,” I whisper.

“Me too.”

We sit for a moment like that before I realize I didn’t hear a car pull up. “How did you get here?”

His smile widens. “Took a cab. I’m going to leave early and run the two miles home. No car, no evidence.”

I shake my head. “You’re crazy, you know that?”

“I’m going crazy without you, that’s for sure.”

“It's only been two weeks, Wes,” I say in a breathy laugh.

“Two weeks without you in my bed, without you in my house? Might as well be a fucking eternity,” he says against my skin.

“We’re almost done,” I whisper, trying to pull him even closer.

“Can’t it be Saturday already?” he asks. I laugh and push a hand through his hair gently before leaning back and pressing my lips to his.

“We’re almost there,” I reassure him.

“We should have just risked it,” he says, and I shake my head.

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