Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 102167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 511(@200wpm)___ 409(@250wpm)___ 341(@300wpm)
But now, I have Avery and our soon-to-be son or daughter and a future filled with memories I’m determined to make good.
“You’re my family, Avery,” I say soundly, the only break in my voice a catch of unbridled happiness. “Me, you, and that little baby inside your belly. We’re a family.”
“We’re a family,” she repeats, and her lip trembles. As her tears return, their sentiment changes, a burst of happiness pushing her onto her toes to get closer. She wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me, hard and fierce, pouring everything she’s feeling into our connection.
I kiss her back with everything I have, moving my hands to cradle the back of her head as I press her closer. “I love you, Avery,” I whisper against her lips. “I love you so damn much.”
She pulls back just enough to look at me, her eyes shining with tears. “I love you too, Henry. So, so, so much.”
I lean my forehead against hers, catching my breath as I drift my hand down to her belly. Gently, I press my palm against it, my heart swelling at the thought of what’s growing inside her. “There’s a baby in there,” I say, my voice filled with wonder. “Our baby.”
She places her hand over mine, and her smile is so radiant it feels like the sun has come out just for us. “Our baby,” she echoes softly.
I kiss her again, this time slower, savoring the feel of her lips against mine. “I love you,” I whisper again, because I can’t say it enough.
The kiss deepens, and I feel her hands move to my shoulders, holding on to me like she doesn’t want to let go. I don’t want her to either. I don’t ever want to let her go.
And I won’t.
I slide my hands to her waist, then to her hips, and I lift her into my arms. She lets out a soft laugh against my mouth, and I can’t help but grin as I carry her toward her bedroom.
When we reach the bed, I lay her down gently, like she’s the most precious thing in the world. Because she is. She’s my world. My everything.
I climb into bed beside her, trailing my hands over her body as our kisses grow more heated. But it’s not just about the heat. It’s about the love—the overwhelming, all-consuming love I feel for this woman.
“I love you,” I tell her again, my voice rough with emotion.
Her eyes shine as she looks up at me, sliding her hands into my hair. “I love you too, Henry.”
And then I’m lost in her. In us. In the love we’ve always shared but are finally ready to embrace completely.
I make love to her with everything I have, and for the first time in my life, I feel like I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
Avery
“I can’t believe our baby is in there,” Henry says, his hand resting gently on my belly. We’re completely naked, cuddled up together in my bed, and I don’t think I’ve ever felt more at peace than I do now. “Our baby,” he says again, his voice all soft and dreamy. “How lucky are we.”
“I’m really lucky, but you’re, like, the luckiest person in the world, you know?” I tease, smiling down at him. “I mean, not only do you have me, but I’m having your baby.”
“You’re wrong, actually,” he disagrees with a wink. “I’m damn lucky, but your dad might be even luckier.”
“What do you mean?”
“He just took three years off his contract to support you.”
“What?”
“That’s my job now.”
His hand moves in slow circles over my belly, his fingers tracing a path that’s as tender as it is mesmerizing. There’s a warmth in his touch, one that seeps straight into my heart and almost brings tears to my eyes. Almost, because if I let them fall, Henry would catch them, kiss them away, and call me out for being a softy. And that’s June’s MO, not mine.
I can’t help but think about how far we’ve come. All the years I’ve known him flash through my mind like a movie reel. Teenage Avery with a secret crush on her brother’s best friend. Seeing him at clubs as an adult, his easy smirk making my stomach flip every time. That time we kissed at Allure—hot and fleeting, like a spark that didn’t have the chance to catch fire. Then, the Halloween party at my parents’ house. Another kiss, but one that felt like an all-consuming shock to my nervous system.
And then, the island… The island changed everything.
Henry was my anchor on that island. My protector. If it weren’t for him, I don’t know if I would’ve made it. I don’t know if I’d have even gotten out of the plane after the pilot died mid-flight. But Henry… Henry made sure I did. He made sure I survived. And not just physically. He gave me something to hold on to, something to fight for.