Fortuity (Transcend 3)

He grinned, pressing his lips to my bare shoulder. “My beautiful wife.”

A world of emotions washed over me. I had everything and so much more.

“How did we get here?” I pulled back, shaking my head as my hand pressed to his cheek, my thumb brushing his bottom lip that I would kiss very soon.

He nipped at the pad of my thumb. “It’s complicated.”

I grin at the photos—the memories of yesterday, the dreams of tomorrow—as I shut off the lights and kiss Gabe then Morgan goodnight. Life is pretty damn good.

The kids love school. Gabe has more friends now than he had in San Diego. He’s the star player on his soccer team. Morgan takes after Nate and is a natural at hockey—yes, she switched from figure skating to hockey. Her initial crush on Gabe is gone. She has a boyfriend at school that Nate doesn’t know about yet, and she fights with Gabe like the brother he’s become to her.

Me? Well, I bake and clean. Shop with Morgan. Help Gabe with homework. Walk the dog. Yeah … that’s about it. I’ve done the odd job thing for years. I don’t miss working forty-plus hours a week to make ends meet. Besides … I have some plans coming up.

“Not hogging all the hot water, are you?” I ask Nate as I remove my clothes.

“I’m trying. Feels good on my sore muscles.”

“Your muscles wouldn’t be sore if you didn’t engage in bad behavior. You’re too old to fight.”

“Please stop prefacing everything with I’m too old.”

I grin, opening the glass door to the shower filled with lots of body jets and a rainfall head from the ceiling. “Sorry. You’re too mature.” I take my loofa and scrub his back. “But…” I kiss along his shoulder blades “…I love watching you play. And the part of my brain that didn’t worry about you getting hurt, thought you fighting back was kind of hot.”

He turns, wearing a sexy grin. Wearing a sexy everything. All joking aside, my husband has kept his body in tip-top shape.

Me? Not so much, but you wouldn’t know it from the way he looks at me.

“How hot?”

I grin, sliding my hands down his chest. “Really hot.”

He watches my fingers trace his abs as they flex beneath my touch.

My gaze lifts to his. “Do you ever think about the people who had to die for us to meet? For us to be together? Do you ever wonder why? Like … is it a grand plan or is it just …” I shrug.

He smiles like for him it doesn’t matter. Nate is the most optimistic person I have ever known. “Or just what?” He brushes his wet lips over mine, teasing me as his fingers glide up my inner thighs. “Fortuity?”

“Yes,” I breathe into his mouth as he kisses me … as his fingers skip the part of my body I want him to touch. I know why he does it. He’s itching to spread his large hands over my belly to hold our daughter.

The End