Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 81831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 81831 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 409(@200wpm)___ 327(@250wpm)___ 273(@300wpm)
“The chances I’ll still be playing in four years are slim to none,” he cuts in. “Honestly, I’ll be grateful if I get two years. Even one full season, giving it everything I’ve got, would be amazing. I just can’t give up now, not after working my entire life to get to the NHL. Not because some asshole deliberately tried to take me out.”
“I would never ask you to,” I assure him. “I don’t want that for you. I meant what I said in the note, Aaron. Your dreams are my dreams now. That’s just the way it is, so you might as well get used to it.”
“But you’ll regret it,” he says. “You’ll miss Chase when you’re out on the road with me. I know you will, Mel, and you’ll resent me for it. That boy is your whole world.”
I crouch down, bringing my now teary eyes even with his. “Yeah, he is. But maybe that’s not a good thing, Aaron. Maybe I need more people to love this hard, so I don’t smother my poor sweet kid.” I swallow, gathering my courage. “Maybe it’s time my world got a little bigger. Or a lot bigger. I don’t know about you, but I want more kids. Like, a lot more. I want as many as I can have before I get too old for it to be safe.”
He blinks faster. “With me? You want babies with me?”
I swallow, a part of me unable to believe this is real. I’m really sitting here with one of the strongest men I know, and he’s tearing up because he wants this love, this family, as much as I do.
I nod, fighting to keep my voice steady as I whisper, “Yes, Boudreaux. With you. I want to have your babies, and do you know why?”
He shakes his head.
“Because you have the biggest, bravest heart,” I say, tears slipping down my face. “And because you make me feel like the best version of myself.” I sniff. “And because your cock isn’t the kind of cock you hit and quit.”
He shakes his head as he murmurs seriously, “No, it isn’t. It’s the kind you lock down for life.”
I smile through my tears. “It totally is.”
“Glad you finally got the memo,” he says, still without cracking a smile. “Now get over here and hop on my dick. Let’s make some babies.”
I laugh.
“I’m serious,” he insists, but his smile is breaking through. As I lean into him, my arms around his chest, he laughs and hugs me close. “Okay, maybe not right now. But later. After dinner. Please say you’re going to cook for me. I was going to order delivery, but no restaurant meal can compare to a Freckles McGuire meal.”
“Damned straight, it can’t,” I say, kissing his chest through his shirt.
He hums in pleasure, the sound vibrating pleasantly through my bones. “I like it when you kiss me like that.”
I tip my head back. “Like what?”
“Like you love me,” he whispers. “And you don’t mind if I know it.”
“I think the cat is pretty much out of the bag on that by now,” I say, frowning. “Speaking of cats, where’s Nutty? I saw a feral cat in the driveway on my way in. Don’t want our little buddy to get eaten. He really is the sweetest. He actually seemed excited to be my messenger squirrel.”
“Oh, he’s excited, all right,” Aaron says, nodding toward the couch.
I turn, to see Nutty vigorously humping a small pillow and snort. “I would say we should get him a girlfriend, but I don’t think we could handle the population explosion.”
“I’d feel sorry for the poor lady squirrel’s vagina,” he murmurs, making me laugh again.
I look up at him with a smile. “Oh, I don’t know. Vaginas are pretty resilient. They squeeze out babies and snap right back into shape, after all.”
Heat flares in his eyes. “Yours certainly did. I love your vagina even more than your cooking. Is that okay? I mean, I know you worked hard for the culinary skills and the tight-ass pussy is just a naturally occurring thing, but…”
I nod, still grinning. “It’s totally fine. So…it’s a plan? Four years semi-long-distance? Then we decide where we go from there?”
“Yes, but only if I pay for all your plane flights and gas to Minneapolis and everything else. And only if Radcliffe and Ben chill out and get on board with the plan.”
“No way,” I say, my eyes narrowing. “They don’t get to decide how I live my life, or how you live yours. They’ll either get on board and play nice, or we’ll go back to court. I’m not giving up someone I love because my ex has control issues.”
“We wouldn’t give up,” Aaron says, his gaze caressing my face. “I’d quit the NHL and get a job in town. I don’t want to have to choose between the work I love and the woman I love, but if I had to, you’d win every time.”