I swallow and let a tear fall on my cheek.

“Ah, baby, don’t cry. It kills me.”

“I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I’m afraid that one day you’ll decide that I’m not really what you need.”

“Why would I ever decide that?” He frowns at me in confusion.

“I know it’s early, and we have a lot of time ahead of us, but when I saw you with your pregnant sisters, and all the kids in your family, it occurred to me that if we continue on the path we’re on, I’d have to admit to you sooner or later that I can’t give you those things. I don’t want you to make the decision to be with me now and then a couple years from now regret it because you want to start a family.”

“I’m not going to lie, baby. I do want a family someday. But there are other ways of having children. I would never want you to put your body through something that it’s not capable of. At the heart of it, we are you and me. This”—he wags his index finger back and forth, pointing to both of us—“doesn’t work without you. So, when we come to a place where we’re ready to add more people to this life, we’ll work together to decide how that’s going to work.”

“I know that now,” I admit shyly.

“What changed your mind?” he asks.

“Your mom came to see me today.”

“Oh God,” he groans and then chuckles. “What did she say?”

“She reminded me that family is about love, and the rest is details. She’s a smart woman.”

“Yes, she is.”

“I don’t want to lose you,” I whisper. “I love that you’re so supportive and proud of me. You encourage me to be better, and you don’t try to control every aspect of my life.

“But I also love when you go all bossy and controlling in the bedroom, and I can give that part of myself over to you and trust you to know what I need and what makes me feel good. It’s nice to have a place where I don’t have to worry.”

“Ah, baby.” He leans in and kisses my forehead tenderly. “You finally figured it out.”

“Yeah.” I nod and shrug and then bite my lip, afraid of the next question.

“What is it?”

“Can we try this again?”

“I never gave up in the first place,” he reminds me. “I have been waiting for you. And then I walk into that restaurant to pick up dinner, and I see you there with another man, and for the first time in my life, I had murderous thoughts.”

“Killing him wouldn’t have solved anything.”

“Who said I wanted to kill him?” he asks with a raised brow.

“Killing me wouldn’t solve it either.”

“I never want to feel that way again,” he whispers and hugs me closer. “I’m not typically a jealous man, Nicole, but when I saw him holding your hand, I almost lost my mind.”

“I get it,” I assure him. “If the tables were reversed, I’d cut a bitch.”

He laughs and stands with me in his arms and marches back to his bedroom.

“Are you really going to tie me to the bed?”

“Are you going to skip out on me in the morning?”

“No,” I reply as he sets me on my feet. I reach for his shirt, helping him peel it over his head. “God, you look amazing in this shirt.”

“You’re good for my ego, little one.” He smirks. “I think I’ll tie you up later. First, I want your hands on me.”

“Thank God,” I mutter and unfasten his jeans, watching him spring free. “We should have a shower.”

“We will.”

“We should have one first.”

“Remember a few minutes ago when you said that you like it that you can let go and let me handle this part of things?” His eyes are sparkling with humor as he undresses me, pulling my tank top over my head and yanking my skirt down my hips, leaving me in just my bra.

“Yes.”

“Stop trying to top me, stubborn woman, and enjoy.”

I giggle as he boosts me up onto the bed and covers me with his body, resting his hips against my pelvis, nestling his cock in my folds.

He buries his fingers in my hair and brushes his nose across my own then sinks in and kisses me deeply, licking across my lips and inside, then nibbling the corners of my mouth and down my jawline to my neck. “Your skin is so fucking soft.”

I hitch my legs up around his hips and pull my hands down his back to his ass.

“Matt,” I whisper as hot need sets up camp between my legs. The gentle brush of the head of his cock against my clit just isn’t enough.

“Yes, baby.”

“Oh, God, please,” I growl as he circles his hips, sliding his cock through my wet lips.

“You’re always so ready for me, little one.” He pulls his hips back and then slowly pushes inside me. “God, so tight.”

Tears gather and fall into my hairline.

Matt scowls down at me, kisses my mouth gently, caressing my hair and my cheeks. “What is it?”

“I didn’t think we’d ever be here again,” I whisper. “I love you so much.”

He closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine as he sinks into me and rests there.

“I know,” he answers. “I don’t ever want to lose you, Nic. You put your arms around me, and I’m home. I’m permanently in love with you. Don’t ever forget that.”

Epilogue

Two months later

~Matt~

“I can’t believe you talked me into letting you drive my car.” I smirk and shake my head then glance over to see that she’s driving at least ten miles per hour over the speed limit. “Slow down, Nicole.”

“I love to drive, and I never get to anymore.”

“I’ll buy you a car,” I remind her and hold my breath as she takes a curve a bit too fast. “And for the love of Jesus, slow down!”

“Oh, don’t be a killjoy.” She rolls her eyes and then shrieks when there are red and blue flashing lights and a siren behind us. “Oh shit.”

“I tried to warn you,” I mutter at her.

“It’s okay, I got this.”

I raise my brow and then watch with absolute amusement when she rolls down the window and wipes frantically at her nose.

“I’m so sorry, officer!”

“Hello. Did you realize you were going nine miles an hour over the speed limit?”

“No! I didn’t. I’m sorry. I was having a sneezing fit.”