Total pages in book: 28
Estimated words: 26563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26563 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 133(@200wpm)___ 106(@250wpm)___ 89(@300wpm)
“What do you mean?”
I take my time answering.
“What I mean is that I think you’re insecure, baby girl. Yes, women throw themselves at me, and it makes you feel bad about yourself. You’re comparing yourself to them, and for some reason, you think you come up short, but that’s not true. I adore you, honey. Those skanks at the Salty Lagoon months ago? I was never interested in them. If anything, I was completely repulsed, but their power over you was so strong that it led us to break up.”
Jessa looks down for a moment, her cheeks pale.
“So what do you think I should do?”
I tip her chin up to look straight into those emerald eyes.
“Sweetheart, we need to work on your self-esteem together. I’m not sure how yet, but we need to get you to think more highly of yourself, and to appreciate your considerable charms. I’m in love with you, Jessa, and that should be enough to give you the confidence to believe in yourself. In some ways, honey, I can hardly even believe we’re having this conversation. You’re so saucy, sweet and beautiful, and it kills me how little you think of yourself.”
Tears come to her eyes.
“Do you really think it’s my self-esteem, Sam?”
I take her hand in my own, squeezing fervently.
“I do, honey. First things first, and that is: I want you to believe in Jessa Miller. No matter what happens, you come first honey. I will love you and support you every step of the way, but I can’t do that until you believe in you. Does that make sense?”
Tears fall from the curvy girl’s eyes and her lips begin trembling.
“It does,” she says in a small voice. “And for what it’s worth, Samuel Nelson, I love you too,” she finishes. “You are everything to me, and I’m so sorry we’ve been apart all this time. But I adore you, and I’ve missed you so much,” she says, her tone breaking on the last sentence.
With that, I sweep her into my arms and kiss those pink lips tenderly. She’s motionless at first, but then those sweet lips part, and those white arms slip around my neck. It feels right, and I pull her closer, adoring her lushness. Then, she breaks away for a moment to stare into my eyes, droplets balanced on her lashes.
“I thought you didn’t want a child. Sam,” she says in a trembling voice. “I thought you’d hate me if you knew I was pregnant.”
I shake my head fiercely. “No, Jessa. You are beautiful and smart and funny and so talented at everything you do. Everything you touch turns to gold. You are the most incredible woman I have ever been with, and I’m the lucky one to have a daughter with you. Ava is her name? That sounds perfect. Ava Nelson.”
Jessa’s crying in earnest now, and my shirt is damp with all the tears. I pull her close once more, murmuring into her hair.
“Jessa, I swear to you that I haven’t been with anyone else since we broke up. You’re the last thing I think about before I go to bed, and you’re the first thing on my mind the next morning. I can’t stand being without you. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Really?” she asks between hiccupy sobs.
“Really. I love you, Jessa.”
“I love you too. Oh, Sam, I’ve been so stupid. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”
She reaches for me, and the next thing I know, we’re locked in a passionate kiss and I’m growing aroused. She’s every bit as soft and sweet as I remember, and even more attractive because she just had my baby.
“I almost lost you tonight, Jessa,” I growl roughly into her hair. “You and my daughter, gone just like that. You have to trust me from now on, sweetheart. Please, I can’t stand being without you.”
“Yes. Yes. I promise, Sam.”
I smile, feeling teary myself because a life with the curvy redhead is all I’ve ever wanted, and we’ll figure this out. I don’t care how long it takes, or what I have to do. This woman is the mother of my child, and I adore her to the Heavens and back. With that, I tilt Jessa’s chin up and kiss her ravenously, marking her as mine. She mewls and pulls me close, but then the baby wails, and we break apart to look at the miracle we made together.
“Ava,” she breathes.
“And a redhead, just like her mother,” I add with a smile. “I will keep both of you safe, forever.”
With that, our hands join and our future is settled. After all, the redhead and I got off to a galloping start when I was called to her home in an emergency, but that was just a fun interlude. Instead, it was today’s true emergency that paved the way, and now we’ll walk this road called life together.