Daddy Undercover (Crescent Cove 9)

“No. I don’t deserve you, dammit.” I slid my hand around her waist.

She pushed me away. “It’s not just that. In all the future plans you have, you keep talking about a baby, more kids, a family for Sami.”

“Of course. I want a family with you.”

“But what if I can’t have one?” Her eyes were wild and brimming with tears.

“What does that mean?” My stomach pitched. This seemed way bigger than just my forgetting to romance my best friend.

“I’ve had a lot of female problems over the years.”

I frowned, but I didn’t interrupt her.

“I don’t want to give you a lesson in the female reproductive system, but in layman’s terms, I might not be able to have kids.”

“Oh, Bee.” I went to her again, but this time, I wouldn’t let her push me away. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”

Misery etched her face, and her tears flowed unchecked. “Just stop.”

“No, I won’t stop. You’re all I want, Bee. All I’ve ever wanted.”

A sob broke from her, but she didn’t nudge me away.

“I’ve never been a guy who wanted a family. I came from a pretty fucked-up one. You know that. My dad did the best he could, but I always figured I wasn’t meant for it.” I cupped her face. “Then I met you.” I thumbed away her tears. “I was too afraid to screw us up. I settled for friends because then I knew you’d never leave me.”

“Jared.”

My eyes stung, but I kept going. “You have to believe me. You’re who I want to be a better man for. I love you, Bee. The way you are with my baby only emphasizes that love.” I lowered my mouth to hers for a soft kiss. “You fit me. We fit with Sami and Sadie and make a perfect family. I don’t need anything or anyone else.”

“What if you want more kids someday? I can’t keep you from that.” Before I could answer her, she shook her head. “I know you. You always do the right thing. You’d stay with me even if you weren’t happy.”

“I don’t want more kids unless they’re yours, or if we decided to adopt one day. That would be okay too. Someday. It doesn’t have to be this year or five years from now. All that matters is you’re with me.”

“How can you know that?”

“Because it’s always been about you. Just you, Bee. I wish you knew that.”

She shut her eyes, but the tears kept flowing. She wrapped an arm around my neck. “I love you too.”

I crushed her to me. I kne

w in my heart she loved me. She showed me every day, but the words washed out the last of the nerves. “I wish you’d told me all this sooner, Bee. I never would have let you suffer thinking you were worth any less. You’re so much more than that.”

“Yeah, well, we haven’t been very good at talking.”

I wrapped my arms around her waist. “That’s true. But I promise I’ll woo you.”

“Woo me?” She cocked her head. “Do you even know how to do that?”

“I can learn. There’s YouTube and my friends. They managed to marry very nice women. Well, except John. His woman is kinda mean, but she grows on you.”

She laughed and buried her head in my chest. “Don’t let Macy hear you say that.”

“That she’s mean?”

“That she grows on you. She likes being mean.”

I lifted Bee off her toes and took her mouth. I didn’t want to talk about Macy or anyone else. I just wanted to show her every day that she was supposed to be mine, just as much as I was supposed to be hers.