Page 39 of The Next Of Us
I would do better by him.
Tinsel.Honestly.He made me crazy in the very best of ways.
He nuzzled his nose against my cheek.“Makes me feel festive.And a little hungry.”He moved down my body while I watched in slight disbelief.
How could he still find me attractive?
I didn’t even find me attractive.
Did I find him attractive?I’d never questioned it before.Why would I?Up until now, I’d always wanted him.I tilted my head to the side.Wide shoulders, long freaking legs, that smile… Okay, he had a little paunch where his six-pack used to be, but I liked it.
I like it.
Could he feel the same about me?
Just as he pushed my thigh wide to make room for his shoulders, his head snapped up, eyes twinkling.“You’re not going to use that thing on my head, are you?I know I’ve got a bit of a hamburger bun happening back there, but I’d just as soon keep it as small as possible for as long as possible.”
I laughed.He was outrageous.Full of life.My heart burst with joy that I had him back.I smiled evilly.“Just don’t piss me off now that I know your weak spot.”
“Speaking of weak spots,” he dropped his head, “I know a few of yours…”
15
Dread
Aaron
Sunday morning arrived with a thick foggy dread that seeped through the cracks between each rib, slithered around my heart, and froze my lungs before expanding to fill every square inch of space in my chest cavity.
No.Not yet.
I closed my eyes and hung onto my saving grace.I had one more day.
Weak, winter sunlight filtered through the curtains that were supposed to black out the light, but the sun had long since beaten them into submission.
Rolling onto my side, I hooked my arm around my wife and pulled her into the curve of my body, her plump ass snug against my groin.
I breathed deep, her presence an instant balm to the ache that lived inside me.
Failure.
Its name was failure.
I closed my eyes, breathed in the sweet scent of sleep, vanilla, and woman.
I loved her, God, I loved her.There were no words.My fingers twitched, digging into her momentarily at the thought that just two short weeks ago I almost lost her.
We’d get through this.We’d gotten through worse.
I kept my breathing slow and even, wanting this moment, with my wife soft and sleepy in my arms, to last.
Getting pregnant with Thalia when we did was earth-shattering.Thank God my mom and Max were there for us.My dad turning up at that time was both the worst and ultimately the best thing to happen.I’m not sure Nadine’s parents ever fully forgave me.Ironic, considering how they adored Boomer and Spike.
But that seemed to be the norm in my family.Love the product of the mistake and forever punish the maker of it.
When Mom and my sister, Audrey, moved in with Max, Nadine moved into the old apartment with me.The fights we had in the beginning were enough to blow the roof off the place.Thank God our nearest neighbor was elderly and more than half-deaf.
The make-up sex was fucking fantastic though.
