Page 83 of Filthy Little Midlife Fling

“Well, I think that was justified…”

Laughing, I press my lips to hers. “I asked you for a favor, and I know you forgot. It was a mistake. I forgive you.”

“It was Danny, Remy. I forgot to pick up your child. I can never forgive myself—”

“You’re going to have to,” I tell her. “Right now.”

Her chest heaves. I wrap my arms around her and squeeze.

“I won’t do it again,” she says quietly. “I promise, Remy. I won’t mess up like that again.”

Pulling away, I let my hand slide over her cheek. “Of course you will, Audrey. It’s inevitable. You’re not perfect and neither am I. We’ll both mess up and have to deal with the fallout afterward. But I don’t want mistakes to keep us apart. Life is hard, and you make it better. Be imperfect with me, Audrey. Let me pick up your slack when you need it. Let me take care of you and do the same for me in return.”

It breaks my heart to see Audrey’s lip wobble. A tear escapes her eye, and I brush it away with my thumb. “You’re far too good for me, Remy. You’ll get tired of me.”

There’s only one word to respond to that, and it’s the absolute truth: “Never.”

She gulps, her hands sliding to my chest, fingertips tracing the tattoo on my left pectoral. She blinks, and another tear falls down her cheek. Then she looks up at me. “I’m scared.”

“What are you afraid of, sweetheart?”

“That I’m making the same mistakes all over again,” she tells me. “That I’ll let you in and you’ll push me away. That I won’t be able to be good enough to handle a relationship and a business and all the ups and downs of life…”

“Audrey,” I say quietly, “listen to me.”

She blinks, meeting my gaze.

“I love you. I love all of you. I’ve spent the past few weeks beating myself up because I pushed you away when you needed me, and I realized that I can’t live without you. I want to be the man you turn to when things get tough. I want you to look at me and know that whatever happens—whatever mistakes you think you make—I’ll always be there for you. I am your safe harbor, sweetheart. And you’re mine.”

All at once, the tension leaves her body. “You love me,” she whispers.

“I love you like I’ve never loved anyone before.”

“You want to be with me.”

“I want forever with you, Audrey.”

Her breath catches. “I want that too.”

Stroking her cheek with my thumb, I let my lips curl into a smile. “Good.”

When I kiss her, my touch is tender. I nuzzle her skin, brush my lips against hers, and savor every touch, every breath. Soon, she’s clinging to me like she’s afraid her legs won’t hold her, and I feel like the luckiest man in the world—until she whispers the words I’ve been dying to hear.

“I love you, Remy.”

A growl rattles my chest, and I stop trying to hold back.

THIRTY-THREE

AUDREY

A moment after I utter those magic words, I’m being picked up and dropped on the edge of the kitchen counter. Remy spreads my knees and notches himself between my thighs.

“Say it again,” he commands. His hand tunnels into my hair and tugs. “Say it again, Audrey.”

“I love you,” I gasp. Arousal tumbles through me as Remy tugs me to the very edge of the counter. With one hand buried in my hair, he reaches between my legs with the other. My panties are yanked to the side and his thick fingers slide where I need them most.

“You’re wet for me already,” he rasps, sliding a digit inside.

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