The Truest Thing - Hart's Boardwalk

“I’ll give you a moment,” I heard Dr. Britt say.

We were all okay. Jack kept whispering it over and over until it began to sink in.

I needed to tell him. I needed to tell him before it was too late.

“Jack.” I pulled my face out of his throat and clasped his cheeks in mine, feeling the prickle of his stubble tickle my palms.

His blue-gray eyes were bright with concern and love, and so much more.

I saw it.

I saw what Ivy was talking about.

God, Jack Devlin adored me.

And I adored him right back. “I wanted to see you this morning.” I moved my hands to his throat and down his shirt, curling my fingers in tight. I was afraid he’d disappear. Disappear before I had the chance to tell him. “Jack, I love you too. I love you so much more than I ever thought I could love anyone.”

His arms tightened around me, hope beaming through his concern. “Em, don’t say it just because we got a scare this morning.”

“It’s not that.” My fingers curled around his collar, pulling him to me so his mouth almost touched mine. “Ivy asked me how I felt about the idea of you with someone else, raising our child with some faceless woman,” I spat out the word woman and saw Jack’s lips twitch with amusement. “I wanted to throat punch her. The hypothetical woman. Not Ivy.”

Now he was just flat-out smiling. “This hypothetical woman is in a lot of danger from you.”

“I’m not joking, Jack. I’m sorry I’ve hurt you.” My face crumpled as the tears came again. “I’m such a coward,” I sobbed. “I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, hey.” He lifted my chin. “You are not a coward.”

“I am. I thought I was going to lose our baby and then I’d lose you too.”

Disbelief filled Jack’s expression. “Let me make one thing clear. No matter what happens, there is nothing in this world that could tear me away from you. God, Emery, don’t you know by now that I fucking live for you? I don’t care what that says about me. It’s how I feel. You make living worthwhile and if it had taken me ten, thirty, or fifty fucking years to convince you to give me a shot, then that’s how long I would’ve waited. There will never be another woman for me. Never. It wouldn’t be fair to any woman to share my life with them when I belong so completely to you.”

Fresh tears fell down my cheeks, but these were good ones. Happy ones. Brave ones. “I’ve never loved anyone like I love you. I’ve been in love with you for nine years,” I admitted, and he reacted by holding me impossibly tight. “There’s no one else for me either, Jack. There never will be.”

A wide, ecstatic, sexy-as-hell smile spread across Jack’s face. “So, we’re doing this? We’re going to be a real family?”

His joy and excitement were infectious. “Yes,” I promised.

“About damn time!” I heard Ivy shout from outside the doors.

I laughed and Jack cupped my face in his hand, watching me. “God, I hope our kid gets your eyes and your laugh.”

I didn’t get a chance to reply.

Jack was too busy kissing me.

A deep, tender kiss that tasted like a vow.

Epilogue

Emery

Waking my husband up by making love to him was one of my favorite things in the world. And considering I’d woken up an hour before our alarm was set to go off, I took advantage of this fortuitous situation.

While I’d finally relinquished control on the bookstore café and hired a full-time employee to help me out, Jack’s workload had only increased. Going into business with Cooper and taking over Germaine’s, a club on Main Street that had gone up for sale six months ago, meant he and Jack were buried with work. They’d decided the club needed updating and had closed it for renovations. Between their other businesses, it meant neither Jess nor I had seen our husbands much lately.

We got it.

We supported them.

But I missed Jack.

I shared this in the kisses I trailed across his chest. I licked at his nipple and felt him stir with a slight groan. Slipping my hand inside his pajama bottoms, I took a hold of him and he hardened as I kissed my way down his abs.

“Sunrise,” he growled.

I looked up at him and saw the sleep in his eyes obliterated by heat.

“Get up here.”

I did as I was told. But first, I yanked his pajama bottoms down far enough for access. Then I climbed over him.

I was already naked.

Straddling Jack, I pressed my breasts to him, undulating as our lips met. He slid his hand into my hair, fisting it to hold me to him as he kissed me hungrily. Feeling him ready—I’d been ready since I woke up and started ogling him—I shifted my hips until he was right where I wanted him and drove down.