Reputation (Mason Family 2)

And it won’t be quite as perfect of a moment.

Bellamy Davenport deserves a perfect moment.

But I’d ask her right now. I’d ask her to be my wife right fucking now. I don’t want to do it after such a bad day, though, and I don’t want her to ever think I did it out of guilt. Or because I’m impulsive. Or that I didn’t mean it.

Because I fucking mean it.

I can’t imagine my life any other way.

“You’ll know, and then it’s over.”

Dad was right. I know. And I’m done. No more running from her or us.

I snuggle her closer.

“I’ll have Bree tomorrow,” she says. “You up for playing catch?”

“I believe I’m teaching her a curveball, but yeah.”

She strokes the spot where Bree nailed me on my first day home. “I can’t believe that didn’t leave a nasty bruise. Hopefully, you can say the same tomorrow.”

“No shit.”

She smiles against me. “I’ve always said I didn’t want kids. When we were growing up, Riss always wanted to play with dolls and babysit other people’s kids. I just wanted to ride bikes or play in the creek.”

“And that’s why I’ve always loved you.”

Her body shakes with a gentle chuckle.

“What?” I ask her.

“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”

“Good. Because I’ll be saying that a lot over the years.”

She raises her head and looks at me with wide eyes as she searches my face.

“You mean that. Don’t you?” Bellamy asks.

“I mean it more than I’ve ever meant anything in my life. I’m going to be here for you. And your dad. And whatever else happens in your life.” I grin. “This has been a long time coming. It’s what should’ve happened years ago. I’m just thankful we’re here now. And if we had to go through all that before just to get here, then I’m glad for it. As long as I have you now. Forever.”

She sits entirely up. Her motion prompts me to sit up too.

She bites her fingernail.

“Stop,” I tell her, chuckling. “You’re making me nervous.”

Her hand drops right away. “At some point in the future, do you want children? Or a child? Any of them?”

That specific question, directed at me, coming from her beautiful lips, stirs something deep inside me.

I shift around in the bed until the tightness eases a bit.

“I’ve never seriously considered having kids,” I tell her. “But, right now, the answer is that I would like to have them. One? Three? Ten? I don’t know. But I think you and I would make pretty spectacular kids together.”

Surprise streaks across her face.

“I know you just said you didn’t want them,” I admit. “And if you don’t, then I don’t. I want you way before I want anything else.”

It’s the most real thing I’ve ever said in my life.

The whole room blurs around Bellamy and me. Nothing else matters.

My chest rises and falls as I wait on her response. But she could take all night, and that would be fine. It doesn’t matter what she says. I’ll give it to her.

“I’d like to have kids with you too,” she whispers. “Someday.”

The vulnerability in her eyes shines like a diamond. The shield she usually throws up when things get serious or hard isn’t there.

Seeing her like this does something to me—something extraordinary and painful all at the same time.

I scoop her up and plant my lips on hers as I lay her on her back.

Her hair fans out around her in a silky cloud. She reaches up and touches the side of my face.

My heart feels like it’s absorbed all my love for this crazy, gorgeous lady, and it’s about to explode.

A smile that I’ve never seen from her sneaks across her cheeks. It’s not wicked or mischievous like usual. It’s wide open. Unguarded. A little shy.

It’s fucking beautiful.

“Will you make love to me?” she whispers.

I blink. Twice. “Baby, you never have to ask me that.”

I reach for the bedside table for the condoms when she grabs my wrist with her hand. Her grip is firm and purposeful. I move my eyes from the table, over the blankets, and to her.

She shakes her head. “Can we not use them? Just this once?”

Fire flames through my veins.

I swear I misunderstand. Yet when I look into Bells’s blue eyes, I know I didn’t.

I fight a broad, stupid smile and look at her like she’s an angel on Earth.

“If you don’t hurry up, I might change my mind,” she teases.

There she is.

I slip off my jeans as she shrugs off hers. They fall together to the floor.

I hover over her perfect, curvy body. She grips my hips with her hands.

“We’re going to be okay, aren’t we?” she asks.

I nod because I see it too. I can do this. I can be all the things she needs me to be.

All the things I want to be.