Page 68 of The Wrong Drive-
“You used the termwas,” I say, breathing out as I close my eyes, battling all the emotions and all the questions I want answers to.
He chuckles. “Yeah,was.Because Iwasin love with you,andI couldn’t be what you need. Now, I’minlove with you, and Icanbe the guy you need. I can be here for you, Em.” My eyes flutter open to meet his soft irises. “I can go to your parties, meet your family, buy you the house with the picket fence, have the kids—you name it, angel, and I can give it to you. I just needed to take the first step myself.”
I want to scream at him for all the heartbreak he caused me, but the sincerity in his voice nearly brings me to my knees. “What did you have to do?”
He threads his arm around my waist holding my body against his. “I had to reach out and get help from the person who had been offering it all along. It wasn’t easy, Em, and the process of healing was dangerous. I was unstable, and I had to learn how to manage myself, and get the right treatment for my blackouts.”
“And are they gone?” I whisper as he presses his lips to my jaw.
His hot breath against my ear sends a familiar shiver of arousal down my spine. “Yes, Em. But I’d be lying if I said they may never come back, but I can tell you that I’ll never hurt you or myself ever again. I’m good.”
I lean away from his intoxicating kiss. “Just like that,you’re good?”
Turner chuckles. “Yeah, I’mgood.I’m fuckinggreatnow that I’ve got my hands on you, and you know what, if you tell me I have to earn my keep for you, I’ll do it. I’ll fucking chase you for the rest of my life.”
A smile tugs at my lips. “I’m not just letting you off the hook, but…” My voice trails off as I take inthisversion of Turner. “Idounderstand that you needed time—and maybe help that I couldn’t give you.”
“I needed a solid risk assessment and space to become safe for you, Em,” he replies, his voice dropping in volume. “I had to leave the cabin for a long time and work my way back. That’s what I needed, and I never pursued it before because I didn’t have a reason to.Youwere the reason I was waiting for.”
“You became charming, too, I see,” I swat a tear from under my eye. “You must have been practicing.”
“I may have rehearsed a few lines,” Turner murmurs, and then presses his lips to mine. I instantly melt into him, getting a new and old taste of him once more. His tongue slips between my lips, intertwining with my tongue. The same hunger is there, but there’s a renewed sense of confidence that he didn’t have before.
My champagne glass slips from my hand, spilling on the rug as we stumble back. “Turner,” I break the kiss, giggling. “We’re lucky that didn’t break.”
“Yeah,” he chuckles, landing his lips on mine again for a light kiss before leaning away. “Does your friend have a ride home?”
“Yeah, her new guy,” I answer him. “Why?”
“Because I’m fuckingdyingto get you home and out of this dress,” he growls, dipping his hands lower, landing on my ass.
I peer up at him. “So, where is home now?”
He presses his forehead to mine. “Wherever you are.”
Epilogue
Turner
Two years later…
“Em,”I call out as I grab my jacket and head downstairs. “Do you know where my phone is? Bradford will be here at any time.”
“It’s probably lost in the couch again,” she laughs as I enter the kitchen, now adorned with pictures of us—and my family intermixed. It still hurts sometimes, but it doesn’t trigger me. I take in the sight of Em, and smile. She’s in a pair of light wash jeans and a hideous Christmas sweater, but even so, she looks as beautiful as ever.
And the best thing we ever did was remodel this damn cabin.
New floors, new paint, new kitchen, and well, there’s a lot of gawdy cabin décor that she loves. But I let it happen.
“I swear I always lose my phone,” I mutter under my breath as I plant a kiss on her cheek and run my hand across her stomach.Four months to go.“This job shouldn’t take long.”
“I know,” she chimes, glancing back at me as I slip into the living room. “Is Gunner going?”
“No, he can stay with you,” I answer her, eyeing my elderly dog. He’s pushing up there now, and I don’t know how he’s madeit this long, but he has—and I hope he makes it to the birth of my first kid.
But the puppy might push him over the edge.
I frown at the little ball of energy mutt bouncing on top of him, and then rolling around on the hardwood floor. “Why did we think a puppy was a good idea?” I think aloud, glancing back to Em, who turns around to face me.
