Page 46 of Confined Space

"Yes."

"Not anymore. The hospital called on my cell. Your doc is in emergency surgery. They have to postpone your procedure by a couple of hours. I think now is the best time to finally show you something."

"What?"

"How much you mean to me."

I lift her into my arms and kiss her, forcing my tongue between her lips and into her mouth. She fights me at first but then relaxes. Both our tongues push and probe, demanding dominance. When I finally win and feel her submit to me, her body wrapping around me, I stop.

"Coral, you are mine, and you are not leaving me. As a matter of fact, starting next week, you and Archer will be moving in with me. I don't want to waste any more time without you in my home. I want to see everyone of Archer's firsts. I want to wake up with you every morning.”

"I can't. Davis threatened to kill you.” I pause at her words. Of course, he did, that's why she gave in so easily.

"What about Archer? What did he threaten for him?"

"Please, I shouldn't have said anything. Just let us go."

"Never, Coral. You opened your mouth and pretty little legs to me. Now you're mine forever."

"You're so crude."

"But you love me like this." I lean down in her face again. Her intake of breath lets me know I've hit the nail on the head. She might not say it, but she's falling in love with me. "Now, what else? What did you give into with him?"

"I'm supposed to give Archer up for adoption—" I start to interrupt her, but she talks over me. "I'm not going to. I was just going to go back home to live. To hide from him."

"I'm adopting him. You aren't leaving me. If he's mine, you'll always be mine too."

"Rowdy, this is crazy. We just started seeing each other, and I just told you that Archer is a product of date rape. You can't want me. My own family doesn't want me." She's trying to not only convince me but herself.

I set her down and press my hand to her chest, then I take hers and press it to mine.

"I want you. I'm falling in love with you and Archer. I'm not going to give that up. My heart, you feel it?" She nods. "It's yours. Only yours." She licks her top lip and then pulls it into her mouth. She wants this. "I want your heart too, but I'm willing to wait until you're ready to give it to me."

I pick her up again and carry her into the house, where I lay her down on the bed and kiss her until she sighs.

"Knock, knock." My mom's voice interrupts us from the doorway. "I hate to bother you, but do you want to nurse Archer for the last time today?" Because of the surgery, she's going to have to pump and dump. A term meaning she'll keep her milk flowing by pumping, but she can't give it to Archer because it will contain the medications from her surgery. The doctor discussed doing a nerve block on her arm so that they can give her as little meds as possible.

"Yeah, I do want to do that. I'm glad I have extra breast milk in the freezer for him, but maybe I should really start considering moving him to formula."

"Mouse, I already told you, I'll support whatever decision you make."

"Thanks, honey," she says as she moves off the bed. It's the first time she's used a term of endearment with me, and it causes me to smile like a loon. I like it and want more of it.

* * *

We are checked into the hospital, and my mom, along with Georgia, are in the waiting room while I sit back here with Coral, waiting for her to be taken to surgery.

"When you are all healed up, we are going to be exploring more of this but at your pace, baby." I kiss and nibble her neck as a throat clears behind us. I turn as the nurses walk into the curtained off room.

"Surgery should only be a couple of hours,” one of the nurses says. “Then she'll be in the post anesthesia care unit for another hour. She'll be going home after that."

"Okay." I lean over her again. She held my hand the whole time they were putting in her IV. I kiss her on the lips. "Remember I'm here." I want to tell her I love her, but I know she isn't ready to hear that.

"I will,” she says, and I watch as they wheel her away from me.

* * *

Coral

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