Page 15 of Hard To Love

And she was mine.

“Finally,” I whispered out loud. She blinked. Her face turned into an almost expressionless mask. “Don’t do that.” I shook my head, dipping my head to nudge her nose with mine. “Don’t hide. Not from me.”

“I wasn’t—" She stopped mid-word when my brow rose, silently challenging her and calling BS.

“I love you. You love me. It doesn’t have to be more complicated than that.” Before she said another word, I sat us up and rested her soft naked body on top of mine. “Why are you freaking out?”

“I’m not. I just…” I nodded quietly, encouraging her to go on.

I knew Sandy.

Sometimes, I thought we knew one another better than we knew ourselves. I knew if I pushed her too hard, too fast, she’d shut down on me. “We can’t say it isn’t more complicate than that.”

“Why not?” I challenged.

“Umm, because of…” Her eyes widened, and she took my hand, settling it over her belly. My lips tipped upward.

“She’s going to look just like you.”

“She?”

“Or he. I don’t care. They’re already perfect in my eyes.”

“Auggie, how can you say that?” Her light gaze searched mine, but I wasn’t hiding anything. If anything, I was being the most transparent I’d ever been with her.

“Because it’s true.”

I wasn’t going to overthink why I was so okay with her having a baby with someone else. No, that wasn’t right. She wasn’t having a baby with someone else. She was having this baby and any others with me.

“This little cupcake is going to be so loved. So damn perfect anytime we look at them, we’re going to smile.”

“Auggie—”

“Sandy, he or she is mine,” I claimed. Her eyes softened in a way I knew she liked those words. Her body melted into mine.

“August, baby, I love you, and this is sweet, but—"

“No buts.” Her eyes locked with mine. I watched as her lashes fluttered. Open and shut, then again. There was something about the way she looked at me when she kept her gaze locked on mine that made my heart freeze in my chest.

It didn’t loosen my hold one her until her body finally relaxed against mine again. Skin to skin, my arms wrapped around her as she rested her head against my shoulder. “Okay, Auggie. If you’re sure.”

“Never been surer of anything in my life, beautiful. Fuck, Sandy, never been anywhere than ever wanted to be more than right here.” Her body relaxed further, and so did mine. Settling in, I reached for the throw blanket at the end of the couch and threw it over the two of us. We sat in the quiet for a moment. My hands never left the smooth silky line of her bare back as I stroked up and down.

“August?” she called my name again, and I was ready to battle whatever argument she had ready for me.

“Yeah, angel?”

“We kissed,” she whispered. I frowned and then felt it, the soft way of her body shaking with laughter. Laughter that not only filled my heart but fed and settled in my fucking soul.

“Sand—"

“We kissed. We kissed and so much more.” Her eyes glittered with mischief, love, and humor.

And because I had never seen anything more beautiful than my best friend who was finally my woman sitting naked on my lap, my seed dropping from her perfect little cunt, I reached for her chin and held it firmly with one hand. “Fuck yeah, we did,” I growled and crushed my lips against hers.

And didn’t stop until we repeated everything we’d already done and so much more.

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