Page 138 of Against All Odds

“I’m close,” Everett warns. “It feels too good to hold back.”

I run my fingers through his thick, dark hair. “Don’t hold back. Please, just love me.”

“Always,” he says as he falls apart in my arms. He moans against my neck, jerking his hips.

Somehow he manages to hold himself up to keep from crushing me, and he moves to the side, pulling me with him. The two of us work to even our breaths out. After a few minutes, Everett kisses my temple. “Stay here.”

I don’t move and he returns with a wet rag. We clean up and climb back into bed, my arm draped across his middle. Everett makes patterns against my spine, and neither of us speak—honestly, we don’t need to.

We’ve said everything we could ever need to with our bodies and our hearts.

As my eyelids start to grow heavy, he huffs a laugh and I lift my head to look at him. “Why are you laughing?”

“Three things, really.”

“Oh?”

He lets out a yawn and then taps my nose. “One, we are now a part of the mile-high club.”

I snort a laugh. “Let me guess, you’re proud.”

“Fuck yeah I am. None of my other friends can ever say this.”

“You’re such a man,” I joke.

“Good observation.”

Ignoring that, knowing where this will end, I forge ahead. “And what are the other things?”

He grins and rolls to his side to face me. “Second is that you were not quiet, my love.”

Ugh. I know I wasn’t. “Maybe they didn’t hear.”

“Violet, it’s a nice-size jet, but I’m going to bet they heard.”

The heat from my cheeks is hot enough to burn. “I can’t think about that.”

“Just think, when we get off in Ember Falls, they’ll know why there’s a little more color in your face.”

I slap his chest. “Everett! Stop, I’m going to die of embarrassment.”

He chuckles and then pulls me tight to his chest. “Don’t worry, babe, I’ll hide you so you don’t have to see them.”

Like that’s any better.

Still, right now, in the aftermath of the bliss we shared, the fact that we don’t have my divorce, the custody battle, or the uncertainty of where I’m going to live hanging over me, I just don’t care about anyone else outside of this room.

“And what’s the last thing?”

Everett kisses the top of my head. “I love you and we’re going home.”

thirty-four

Everett

“It’s a girl,” the doctor says as she moves the ultrasound wand.

“A girl?” Violet asks, her voice full of love and excitement. “We’re having a girl?”

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