“Glad we could help,” I say sarcastically, noticing Paige lets out a deep yawn. “I think it’s time for all of us to get some sleep.”
Mark rolls his eyes. “We get the hint, brother. You want to examine Paige thoroughly to triple-check for any injuries. I get it.”
Charlie swats his arm. “I like their idea. If they leave, we’ll still have an hour before the kids are home from Ben and Gretchen’s.”
That’s all my brother needs to hear as he all but kicks us out of their house.
The drive back to Paige’s house is silent, which I understand. Hearing everything that Mark said, and just the events of the last forty-eight hours in general, is a lot to handle. She was kidnapped. I was shot. That’s a lot to process.
As soon as we walk into her house, I take her hand and pull her into me, bringing her against my chest with my arm that isn’t in a sling. Immediately, I feel her relax into me.
“Is it really over?” she asks, grabbing onto my shirt.
“It is,” I say, leaning down to kiss her head. “Unless you have any other crazy family members who are going to try and con money and drugs off of you.”
My joke falls flat as I feel her sag against me.
“Hey, look at me.” I tip up her chin, wanting her eyes to meet mine. “What they did is not your fault. Could you have made different choices back then? Sure. But a smart person once told me that we are all just byproducts of our pasts. And that only you can choose how you want to let it dictate your future.”
She smiles that beautiful smile, and right there I know that everything is going to be OK.
“This person sounds really smart.”
I kiss her nose. “She is. And beautiful. And strong. And caring. And is the best person I know.”
Paige wraps her arms around my middle. “You know what I want right now?”
“What is that?”
“Take me to bed, Garrett.”
Not needing to be asked twice, I take her hand and we go to her bedroom. I sit on her bed and bring her in so she is standing between my legs.
“Paige, last night was one of the scariest nights of my life. When I saw you being held at gunpoint, even though I knew that Mark, Ben, and Charlie were all there, I couldn’t breathe when I saw you like that. So let me… I need to hold you, Paige. I need to hold you and kiss you and remind us both that we are here. And that we are safe. And I need to show you how much I love you. Because, Paige, I love you so fucking much.”
She leans down, cupping her hands to either side of my face, bringing me in for a slow, yet intense kiss. Our mouths open immediately, our tongues circling around savoring every second. I know I wanted to go slow, and my body is dead tired, but with just a sweep of her tongue and the feel of her hands on the back of my neck, I can’t hold back.
I hastily break off the kiss and with my one good arm, tear my shirt over my head. Sensing my urgency, Paige first strips me, save the sling that is holding up my shoulder, before taking off her clothes. If all of this wasn’t happening in the wake of the scariest two days of my life, it would be hot as fuck.
But this? This is something that I can’t put into words.
Paige climbs on top of me and I can immediately feel her wetness.
“So wet,” I say as I kiss her shoulder, then up to her neck. “Are you ready for me?”
“I will always be ready for you, Garrett. Always.”
She lines herself up with my cock and as soon as she lowers herself on to me, I feel like I could explode right there. The sight of Paige riding me like her life depends on it is the hottest moment of my entire life.
“Baby, I’m not going to last. You feel too good. So damn good.”
“Then let go, Garrett. Let go and take me there with you.”
Like her words have a straight line to my body, I come undone at her command. It’s not the first time we have made love, and I hope like hell it won’t be the last. But this moment right here is a time I’ll never forget.
It was the time I knew, without a doubt, that Paige Blackstone was mine forever.
Chapter Forty
Paige
“Thirty-six weeks down! We made it!”
A chorus of cheers goes around our group of friends as Sarah proudly announces that we have once again survived another school year. We bring our glasses together, toasting to another year down at Jefferson Elementary School.
And what a year it’s been.
It feels like just yesterday we were sitting at this very same Mexican restaurant, lamenting that this year was going to try us in ways we weren’t ready for.
That was a huge understatement.
How is it that in one school year I got to teach a class I’ll never, ever forget; met the man of my dreams; gained new friends who mean the world to me; and had a standoff with my mother and her drug-dealer boyfriend that almost got me and Garrett killed?
Even as I think about it, I can’t believe all of that happened. But it did, and finally, a month later, things are getting back to normal.
Well, my new normal. My new normal that I love.
Even though they both ratted each other out, Mama and Paul were both sent to prison and are awaiting trials. From what Mark and Charlie told me, Alabama wanted them back on minor drug offenses, but considering their charges here included kidnapping and attempted burglary with a deadly weapon, Virginia won out. Charlie reassured me that even if they got deals, I won’t have to worry about them for a very long time. And even when they are released, she will personally make sure that they never bother me again.
That’s when I found out that Charlie was a CIA agent. Everything now makes so much sense.
I’m still volunteering, though I have cut back. It was hard at first. I had spent so many years giving all of my free time to others that it felt selfish to use that time for myself. When I said that to Millie at the hospital, she basically slapped me upside the head before pushing me out of the door with orders to not come back. She reminded me that life was short. That if you have someone to love, that spending time with them and making memories together is not selfish. It will be what gets you through the lonely times when they are gone.
Her words got to me considering I know how close Garrett was to not being here. And then I remember that his scare is a big reason why we are together today. It’s funny how life works like that.
I might not be volunteering every night, but I’m still giving back. And so is Garrett. We have found more 5Ks to volunteer at—and Garrett is even running in a few as he finally put his running shoes back on. We are also looking at ways the clinic can do more for the community—with Trevor and Rebecca’s help.
She and I have become closer over the last few months. She even survived a happy hour with me and Cassie. It was during said happy hour that Cassie and I noticed how she blushed when Trevor came up in conversation. We asked her if she had a thing for him, which of course she denied. We can tell though, the crush is there. I also know that Trevor has no idea about her feelings for him.
How do I know this? Because I made Garrett do intel for me when the two went running together. Yes, despite the fact that Trevor broke the biggest bro-code rule to ever be written when he slept with and dated Annika, the two are slowly building their friendship back up. They aren’t there yet, but I can tell they both want it back.