Page 42 of Inevitable
The bed was a queen, so we were cozier than we’d been in the king on the jet, but Colin hadn’t complained.
He’d asked if I was ready to be alone, and he’d offered to sleep on the couch.
All I’d had to do was shake my head hesitantly and Colin had removed his jeans and his shirt before he had slipped into the bed beside me without another word.
All Wren and I had ever needed was this two-bedroom cottage, and Wren’s bed was smaller than mine. He’d be pretty uncomfortable trying to wedge himself into her shorter bed.
Selfishly, I’d also wanted him to stay close to me.
I’d told him that my captivity had been short, and I didn’t think I was going to need a counselor, but I was still edgy from the events that had taken place over those few days I was in Lania.
I knew those feelings would probably go away after I was home for a while, but I really didn’t want to be far from Colin, especially at night.
I’d spent the whole day and evening catching him up on absolutely everything about Wren’s childhood. He’d asked a lotof questions, and I’d answered every one of them honestly.
Things hadn’t always been easy for me as a single mom. Money had been tight at times, especially in the beginning while I was still establishing myself in my own business. But I’d made sure that my daughter had a happy childhood and I’d always done my best to make sure that Wren knew she was loved.
I’d never wanted my mother to pay to raise my daughter, but I’d gratefully let her babysit for free when I needed to work. I’d also let her spoil her only grandchild shamelessly.
“Not necessary,” Colin said as he wrapped his arm around me and tugged me closer to him. “She looks too much like me not to be my child. I know she’s my daughter.”
We’d spent some time during the evening going through my picture albums, so he’d seen his daughter at all different ages.
“I’ve never been with anyone else since you, Colin,” I blurted out. “It would be impossible for me to have a child with anyone but you. I was really focused on just being Wren’s mom, and I’ve never met anyone else that I wanted to be with intimately.”
His arm tightened around me harder, and I snuggled against his big, warm, burly body.
“How is that possible?” he asked huskily. “You must have men falling at your feet. You’re a beautiful woman, Emma.”
I snorted. “I was a single, curvy mom who talked about little else except her child. Unless I had a video meeting with a client, I didn’t even bother to put on makeup. That’s not the least bit attractive.”
Colin was crazy if he thought that men had fallen at my feet.
Even if that was true, which it definitely wasn’t, my heart had just never been into dating.
“You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” Colin said unhappily. “The men in Michigan must be idiots if they didn’t see that.”
My heart tripped. Did he really believe that?
“I’ve gained weight—”
“You’re curvy in all the right places,” he interrupted.
I let out a sound of disgust. “I’m forty-five, and I’m starting to see wrinkles on my face.”
“That means you have some life experience,” he stated. “Also attractive.”
I let out a sigh of resignation. “You’re impossible. You’re probably the only guy who thinks those tiny wrinkles are attractive.”
“We’ve both gotten older, Emma,” he said stoically.
“Men get more attractive as they age,” I argued. “Women just get…old.”
“I definitely didn’t,” he grumbled.
“You did,” I protested. “It’s annoying. You’re still as ruggedly handsome as you were fourteen years ago. You’re ridiculously fit. You really haven’t changed much.”
“My leg is a mess,” he rumbled.
