Page 9 of Come Back To Me

He nods, just watching me. I contemplate making another joke, but he wants to talk. This is good. He wouldn’t have done this three months ago.

I lick my lips before I speak, remembering to be direct and compassionate. “You’re worried something’s going to happen; tome, the baby, the club.” My voice is soft and calm as I speak. “You’ve never not worried, but today’s different, somehow.”

His hand movements slow, his eyes widening a fraction. “You think you don’t deserve happiness so you’re just waiting for the bad to come get us.”

His lips pull into a straight line across his face, and his eyebrows pull together. His reaction proves I’m bang on the money. “Anything else?” he asks seriously but with a slight smile.

I have my suspicions that there’s one more thing. It’s the same thing I question, daily. But for him, he shuts down his fear—doesn’t allow himself to feel any part of it.

With a slight sigh I say, “You’re questioning whether you can protect us, and moreover, you’re doubting your ability to be a good—”

He quickly stands to his feet, his hands guiding me to make room for him. His lips hit mine, and I know what he’s doing. Distracting me. Because I’m right.

Gripping the tops of my arms he tries to deepen our kiss, and whilst I can feel myself wanting to give myself over to him, he needs to keep talking to me.

“VP,” I whisper against his lips, catching my breath.

I feel him smile against me. “Mads,” he says softly.

I blink, looking up to him. “Don’t let your head haunt you anymore,” I whisper.

The look in his eyes when he opens them is nothing but vulnerability. Vulnerability because he doesn’t need to be strong all the time now that he has me.

“Don’t doubt how good a father you’ll be.”

Taking a small step back, he looks down at me. With a sigh, he kisses my forehead before he speaks. He knows I won’t let him walk away from this. When he needs me, I pick him up. When I’m falling, he catches me.

“Loving you, protecting you… giving you whatever you need—whatever you want—Mads, I can do that. And I can promise to love you ‘til the day I die. But you need to know…” He pauses as if he doesn’t want to say what comes next. His eyes close tight as he speaks. “If ever a day should come when you want to change your mind, or escape this new life we have, I will never hold it against you. I would let you go if that’s what you wanted.”

Hot tears prickle my eyes, but I don’t let them overflow. “Why are you saying this?” I ask.

With another sigh, he scratches his beard. “Because I have this horrible feeling that a shift is coming. And I will not risk you, or my child. We both know we can’t live without the other, but if you needed to leave—needed to protect what’s ours—I would respect any decision you made. With every fucking fibre of my body, I would respect your wishes, no matter how much it kills me.”

I stare at him, fiercely. I hear what he’s saying. He’s saying what Rocco, my biological father, said to my mother years ago. He’s giving me an out. Letting me know that I don’t need to stay with him if I don’t want to. Well screw him and his out. I said I would love him forever when we got back together last year, and I meant it.

“Dean, with all due respect… you can shove it.”

The idiot smiles at me, and it’s the most gorgeous smile that expands across his face. He takes my hands in his. “Thought you might say that.”

The smallest of grins hits my face. “If you thought that’s what I’d say, why say it?”

His eyes jump to mine. “Because I fucking mean it. You need to tell me if you want to change your mind.”

“Well, I mean it too. You can shove your words up your arse.”

His eyebrows lift and he stares at me. It’s hard not to smile. He acts so put out when I challenge him, but he loves it. It’s how I’ve always been with him. “In a minute, beautiful, I’m going tobend you over the back of the sofa and shove my cock up your arse.”

I snort with laughter. It’s a guttural, unattractive snort.

Dean pulls me into his arms, laughing with me.

“You’re an animal,” I chuckle.

He kisses my neck as I wrap my arms around his, tilting my head to one side to give him more room. “Only because you drive me wild.” His next kiss is tender. “I love you,” he says against my skin, his hands holding my body close to his.

“I love you.” I pull my head back to look at his face. His green eyes shine bright, his love staring me down. “I’m not going to change my mind, okay?”

He smiles closing his eyes and nods his head. His head then lowers and we kiss. It’s a slow kiss. Meaningful. It’s not urgent or rushed, it’s just, love.

---