I should’ve called out from the open bedroom door, but my cock told me to investigate the moans I’d heard. Neither he nor I were disappointed, but that doesn’t mean it was any less of a violation.
“How long—”
“You’ve only been resting for about half an hour.” I rub my hand up and down her back, wondering how long I’ll get her like this before she freaks out and starts pulling away again.
“You held me while I slept?”
“I enjoyed it, but you twitch in your sleep.”
She chuckles a little. “We should talk.”
I swallow a lump threatening to form. “Yeah, we should.”
“Maybe—” She presses her hand to my chest to get up, but I hold her tighter.
“Like this. Talk to me while we’re touching.”
“I, umm—”
“I’ll go first.” I clear my throat, wondering how far I can get into this conversation before my emotions start leaking out of my eyes.
“I want you,” she says before I can speak again. “I need you.”
“Do you still love me?” We never said the words to each other, but I could see it in her eyes, feel it in her touch before I went away.
Her breathing goes a little ragged, and I fear I pushed her too far too fast.
“I’m so sorry for distancing myself from you before I left. I regretted it while it was happening. I wrote that letter, and I know it hurt you. I won’t deny that was my intent at the time, but it came from a place deep inside of me that didn’t want to see you lonely. I thought a little heartache at the beginning would be better than years of pain while I was locked up. Just know that hurting you, shattered me as well. I didn’t write it with a smile on my face. It took me weeks to get those thoughts down on paper and by the time I wrote it, I hated myself so much for what I was doing to you.”
“Drew.”
“No, listen. If you’re going to push me away, if you think you can’t do this or you just don’t want me, I want you to make the decision with all the information, not just some and whatever assumptions you’ve concocted in that beautiful head of yours.”
Did she just hold me a little tighter? God, the possibilities.
“That night we met, I knew something was different about you. At the time I figured it was just attraction, and that turned into the burning chemistry that led us to where we ended up that night, but there was a hole in my chest not long after you left. I chalked it up to great sex, thinking it would fade, but it didn’t. I yearned for you, ached to spend more time with you. Then the accident happened and everything went to hell. Then by some miracle, here you were, happy, healthy, carrying my child, and that threw me for another loop. I kept my distance because I knew you could do better, knew you would be better off without a felon in your life. I thought our son could have a better life if I wasn’t in it. And all of that may be true.” I hold her face until she’s looking at me. “Call me selfish, but I don’t want you to do better than me. I can’t offer you riches and a huge house. I’m probably not going to be able to pay cash for a brand-new truck for Andy when he turns sixteen, but know that I will love you with every inch of my heart if you’ll let me.”
Tears streak her cheeks, and her eyes flutter when my thumbs sweep them away.
“I don’t deserve you, but I want you anyway. I want you and Andy and a family. I want all of it, but if you’re not ready, I’ll wait however long it takes for you to get there with me. But if you can’t, if you don’t think it’s possible, then I need you to tell me now. So I’ll ask again. Isabella Montoya, do you still love me?”
“I f-feel like it’s too much.”
Is it possible for a broken heart to break even more?
“Like it’s too soon. I question whether I’m crazy or listening to the wrong parts of me, but God, Drew, I love you. I want what you want, but this isn’t just about me. We have to worry about Andy’s well-being and what’s best for him.”
“You love me?”
“I said more than that,” she whispers. “Are you only hearing what you want to hear?”
“I heard you say you love me, and if you love me only half as much as I love you, then everything is going to work out. We made an amazing little boy, Iz, and he’s only going to reap the benefits from both of his parents being together.”
“Together,” she whispers as if the declaration wasn’t going to lead us to that point.
“Yeah.” I press my lips to hers. “I know there are things I have to make up for, time I lost, and things that may have happened while I was away that I’ll have to deal with, but if you tell me you want the entire package, you’re stuck with me.”
“I want all of it,” she says, her mouth hovering over mine, and it makes me question whether or not I’m dreaming. I’ve only been back several weeks, and right where I’d hoped I’d be the day those prison gates swung open and released me.
“Are you only doing this because you think two parents for Andy are better than one?”
She shakes her head. “No. I want this too.”
“Final answer?”
“Will you just kiss me already?”
I don’t make her wait for the answer. I cover her mouth with mine and kiss her silly. Then Andy’s whimpers come through the baby monitor, putting a stop to where I was nearly willing to take things. That would not be a very fun conversation to have with her dad had they happened to come home. And although my nuts are blue, I’m happy that we were given a little bit of a distraction.
Going down and taking care of our son doesn’t stop the saucy looks the little vixen is giving me. Her dad takes one look at the two of us when they get back home, and all he does is slap me on the back like it’s a congratulations and walks out of the room.
Chapter 43
Isabella
“You are.”
“I am not,” I hiss, looking around my room paranoid as if someone can hear what Sophia is saying on the other end of the line.
“It’s a dick appointment. Just admit it. You want me to watch Andy for a couple hours so you can get some dick.”
“Would you hush! It’s lunch.”
“Lunch doesn’t take four hours. Just admit it’s a dick appointment and I’ll keep him overnight for you.”
“It’s not—wait, all night?”
Her knowing chuckle makes me smile.
“Is that a confession?”
“Do you know how hard it is to get time alone with him? It’s like Dad knows, and he’s purposely cockblocking us.”
“I’ll watch him… for your dick appointment.”
“I—it’s just lunch.”
“With a side of dick.”
“God willing,” I mutter.
Drew seems to be fine with spending time with both of us, but I’m going crazy. We’ve started and stopped so many times over the last week, I think I’m going crazy, and getting off with each other while on the phone late at night isn’t the same.
Her laugh comes through the line.
“Glad you think this is funny.”