Dear Future Ex-wife

“Thanks, Will,” I say with a smile. “I’m going to miss the shit out of you, too.”

Eight hours ago, I was sitting in my office, minding my own business. And now, I’m sticking my keycard into the elevator slot. The car shoots up toward the penthouse, where I expect to find Nate waiting for me. He doesn’t know I’m coming. Nate always tells me that I’m so predictable. Well, this is one of the least predictable things I have ever done.

When the elevator doors open, Nate’s standing in the foyer, dressed in an expensive black suit. The sight of him takes my breath away. He looks like a Wall Street mogul, not a tech genius. Every stitch of fabric is molded perfectly to his muscular frame and a wicked smile tugs at the corners of his mouth as he approaches me.

“I was expecting a phone call,” he says as he wraps his arms around me. He hugs me so tight I can barely breathe. “But this… this is so much better.”

I’m pretty sure Nate sniffs my hair, as if my scent is something he’s missed so much he needs to memorize it all over again. Leaning my head on his chest, I drink him in, and his spicy cologne fills my nostrils. Seven weeks is a long time to spend apart from my husband. It still sounds weird when I say husband. Maybe I’ll never get used to being Mrs. Nathan King, but I damn sure can try.

“You nailed it, Nate.” I throw my arms around his neck. “I knew you could do it. A King’s Quest is even better than what I expected. You have outdone yourself this time.”

“Really? You think so?”

I nod. “I’ve always believed in you.”

He hugs me tighter. “I’ve missed you so much. It was hell without my Queen by my side.”

I run my hand up his chest and smile. “Well, I’m back.”

“For good?”

“This is my home now.”

“Our home,” he corrects.

I smile up at him. “Our home.”

After a while, Nate releases me from his death grip. He drops to one knee in front of me and takes my hand in his, pressing a light kiss to my skin. His mouth grazes over the giant rock on my hand, and I shiver from his touch as a trail of heat rushes up my arm.

“You’re still wearing it,” he says with relief in his voice.

“I never took the ring off.”

“Why not?”

“Because I was still your wife. Did you keep your wedding band on while we were apart?”

He bobs his head, and a strand of dark hair falls in front of his gorgeous green eyes.

“I’ve loved you for almost as long as I’ve known you, Harley. You were my first friend, first crush, my first love and only love. I know we did everything backward, and I plan to fix that. I want to give you the wedding of your dreams, a real one this time.”

“We had a real wedding.”

He sighs. “But the wedding was fake.”

I shake my head. “Not for me.”

He stands, a smile plastered on his face, and then he pulls me into his strong arms and kisses me.

“I was thinking we could form our own Avengers,” Nate says once our lips separate. “I could see us having a Little Iron Man and a badass girl like Black Widow. We could call her Tash. Yeah, I like that. Tony and Tash.” Short for Natasha Romanoff.

I laugh at his ridiculousness. “You mean The Justice League,” I challenge since I’m named after a DC Comics character. “I prefer Batman over Iron Man and Catwoman any day to Black Widow. And you know my daughter will have claws.”

He laughs in my ear. “We can agree to disagree,” Nate jokes. “As long as I get to put my babies in your belly, we can form whatever superhero alliance you want.”

I smile so hard my cheeks hurt. “Have I told you I love you lately?”

“No, but you can show me.”

He carries me over to the living room couch with my legs wrapped around his waist. I brush my fingers down his arm and tiny bumps dot along his skin. Seven weeks felt like an eternity in Nate Time. I counted down every second that passed, hoping he would be my white knight, that he would save the day.

Nate threads his fingers through my hair, giving me a piercing look that sizzles my skin. Once our lips meet, I’m lost to him. Consumed by his love, his warmth, everything he has to offer me. I moan when Nate sucks my bottom lip into his mouth, closing my eyes as I kiss him back. My skin burns everywhere his hands touch, his fingers like a flame that ignites my skin. In Nate’s arms, nothing matters, I can lower my guard and let myself go.

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him hard. We sink into each other, our mouths melded together, our bodies fused as one. We kiss each other as if we’re attempting to steal the other’s breath, as if we need each other to survive. Weeks apart from Nate were absolute torture. After enduring our separation, I know for certain I never want to go through that kind of pain again.