Chapter Seventeen
Without speaking, we headed straight to the lab downstairs. Despite his words of assurance, JC seemed as eager to discover the paternity as I was, and I guessed that was probably a truer version of his feelings than what he’d said to me in the doctor’s office. He loved me, sure, and maybe that was enough to expect that he’d love my baby too. But how could he not want it to be his own?
It had to be his. I couldn’t stand to think there was any other possibility.
Which was why I had to tell Chandler.
“Who are you texting?” We were in the waiting room of the lab, and this was the first time JC had spoken to me since we’d arrived.
“Chandler.” I was still composing the message, unsure exactly what to say. It was probably a conversation that should happen in person, though, so I ended up just asking if he had time to meet me.
Before I could hit Send, JC put his hand over mine, stopping me. “We don’t need to tell him yet.”
There it was—the honesty.
“We do. Because I need to rule him out conclusively. For you. I know he’s not the father, JC. In my heart of hearts, I know this baby is yours. And I need to prove that without a doubt.”
With reluctance, he removed his hand. “Do you want me to be there when you tell him?”
Yes. Maybe it wasn’t fair to put him in that situation. It probably wasn’t fair to Chandler either, but JC was the man I was trying to build a life with, and his happiness mattered a hell of a lot more than Chandler’s, no matter what I might owe him. “Do you want to be there?”
JC met my eyes, startling me since he hadn’t really looked at me in what felt like days. “I want whatever you need to make this pregnancy okay, whether or not I’m the father.”
I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the only way I’d be okay with the pregnancy was if he was the father, and I settled on what would make me okay for the moment. “Then I want you with me.” I didn’t wait for him to agree before sending the text.
Chandler answered immediately. Got class all day. Can skip tho. What’s up?
I didn’t consult with JC before replying. Need to see you. Can you meet me uptown? There may have been a twinge of guilt for asking him to put me before school, but I ignored it. This was important. This was urgent.
I was still waiting for Chandler’s reply when the lab assistant called me back. “I have an appointment too. Justin Bruzzo. Can we go together?” JC asked. Whether he knew I needed him or whether he needed me, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I was grateful that he asked.
The tech paused while he looked at his clipboard, probably trying to see what we both were there for. “Yeah. That will work.”
We stood and my phone buzzed.
I can be there in 30.
I hurriedly texted him the address of the coffee shop next door, and with JC’s hand in mine, followed the assistant to the back for our blood draw.
***
Twenty-five minutes later, JC and I had been poked and bandaged and were sitting in Starbucks waiting to tell my ex he might be a father. I should have been preparing my speech, but strangely, the only thing I could concentrate on was the non-caffeinated iced latte I was sipping. I badly wanted it to be a regular iced latte, and while Dr. Wright had said I could have up to two cups of coffee a day, I was pretty sure I’d need that when I woke up for work in, oh, just six hours.
It was strange how quickly I was able to adapt to the physical demands of being a mother-to-be. Now if I could just adapt my emotions as well…
“Call Liesl,” JC insisted. “Tell her you’re overwhelmed with bridal stuff. She’ll cover your shift.”
I was already taking so much time off for the wedding. But I was also emotionally drained, so I did. JC dumped my drink in the trash and returned to the line to order me a new one, leaving me alone at the table when Chandler walked in.
My eyes darted toward JC, but he was buried in his phone and not watching the door. Chandler didn’t seem to notice my glance either, sitting across from me without looking around. “Is everything okay?”
I forced a smile that I didn’t feel. “Well. Yes. For the most part.” Diving right in seemed inappropriate, even though it was what I most wanted to do. “Thanks for blowing off your schedule to meet us.”
“Us?”
“JC is here,” I admitted. “He’s at the counter.” Then, because I really did think it might be easier to get out the news while it was just the two of us, I said, “I’ll get right to the point—I’m pregnant.”
“You’re pregnant…” His expression was contained, but I could tell when he figured out why this information was pertinent to him. His eyes lit up. “And you think it’s mine?”
“No. I don’t.” My gut said he wasn’t. “But, apparently, it’s possible.” I explained the ultrasound dating and how it said that I’d conceived during a week I hadn’t been sexually active. “So, like I said, it’s possible.”
“It’s a fifty-fifty chance you are,” JC said, setting my drink in front of me. He remained standing as he held his hand out toward Chandler.
Chandler hesitated but he took it.
“Thank you for coming.” JC let go of Chandler’s hand and sat down next to me. “I’m sure this is awkward for you. I hope you know there’s no hard feelings on my part.”
“I wish I could say the same,” Chandler muttered under his breath. I heard it, but I couldn’t tell if JC did or not.
Maybe I could tell. Because under the table, JC took my hand in his. I wasn’t certain if it was meant to reassure me or to claim me, so I didn’t let go. If I knew it was only for support, I might have, though. I was committed to him, but I didn’t necessarily think we needed to shove it in Chandler’s face.
“Anyway.” I sounded nervous. I was. “There’s a test they can do with just a blood draw. I hoped you’d be willing to give a sample.”
Chandler, who had been giving JC the evil eye, moved his focus to me. “Count me in.”
“Great!” I was more relieved than I thought I’d be. I hadn’t realized that I was afraid he might say no. “The lab is next door. All you have to do is give them this transaction ID number, and they’ll send it for processing immediately.”
With my free hand, I pulled the Post-it note from my pocket where I’d written the information. I scooted it across the table toward Chandler.
He took the note, but then he covered my hand with his. “If the baby’s mine, Gwen, I’ll take responsibility. You know I have the money to support you and a kid, but I need you to know that I also have the desire. I’ll be a good father. But I could also be good for you too. I’d make a damn good husband, or spend my life trying, anyway. And not just because you got knocked up.” He lowered his voice and somehow increased the intensity of his sincerity. “I’m in love with you, Gwen.”
I was frozen, my lips parted. He’d only ever hinted at having deeper feelings for me. His confirmation felt like he’d ripped the bandage off an old wound, taking the stitches with it. I’d hurt him, but knowing just how much hurt me too.
Go numb. Just be numb.
I could ignore the pain. I couldn’t ignore the awkward. Hearing Chandler confess his feelings in front of JC. My fiancé secretly gripping one hand while my ex held the other. There were right words to say to each of the men, but unfortunately, saying them would likely upset one of them, if not both.
Right now, though, I couldn’t worry about JC. He had my eternity—at least, he did if he still wanted that when everything was resolved. This moment had to be about laying the groundwork for a possible lifelong connection with Chandler, whether or not JC still wanted to be part of it.
Under the table, I tightened my fingers around JC’s. Then I gently slid my other hand out from beneath Chandler’s. “I’m fond of you, Chandler.” Beside me, I felt JC bristle. “But that’s all there is for us. If this baby is yours, I know you’ll be an excellent father. We will do everything we can to make sure you have every input you deserve in the upbringing. But JC is where my life is. Whether this baby is his or not. That isn’t going to change, no matter what the paternity test says.”
Chandler’s expression fell. “Sure. I just had to say it while I had the chance.” He stood up. “I’ll go take that test now.” He was gone before I could even tell him thank you.
***
We were silent on the drive home.
I thought about my grocery list. And the wax appointment I needed before the wedding. And whether or not we should try to sell the car we were in since city driving was a bitch. I thought about anything and everything that wasn’t the baby growing inside me or Chandler’s proclamation or what JC must be thinking.
At the condo, I headed to the bedroom, planning to hit the sack. I’d napped earlier, but I was tired now. So very, very tired.
JC followed me. “I’ll pick up prenatal vitamins tonight,” he said, kicking off his shoes. “Do you think I should reschedule the painters? Maybe it’s not good for the baby to be around the fumes.”
I stared at him in disbelief. He’d just found out our baby—the one that he wanted so badly—might not actually be his, just listened to another man declare his love for me, and he was concerned about paint fumes?
JC misread my expression. “You know, the painters we have scheduled for the office? They could come while we’re in Santorini instead.”
He was still thinking about our honeymoon. That should have made me feel better. Obviously, he still wanted to marry me, even if he wasn’t the father. Even if someone else loved me too.
But as the wall of ice around me came down, it wasn’t relief I felt. It was anger.
I was furious with myself. Furious with unreliable contraception. Furious with my body. Most of all, unreasonable as it was, I was furious with JC. Not only because he’d left me alone for long enough to look for sexual satisfaction elsewhere, but also because he seemed to be perfectly okay with the fact that I had.
“What is wrong with you?” I asked, not hiding my rage.
His expression said he was confused by the question, but it seemed to ignore my temperament. “What do you mean?”
I repeated myself, even more forcefully. “I mean, what’s wrong with you? Why aren’t you upset?” I was bordering on distraught, and he was coolly going on with his routine, as if our entire world hadn’t just changed dramatically.
He shrugged then took off his jacket and draped it over the end of the bed. “I guess I don’t think there’s anything to be upset about.”
My face morphed into cruel disbelief. “Your fiancée might be pregnant with another man’s baby, another man who tried to win me over in front of you, and you don’t think there’s anything to be upset about?”
“You weren’t my fiancée when you got pregnant. If it’s not mine, I mean.” He turned away to unbutton his shirt, the only indication that he might be affected.
I circled around him, forcing his attention on me directly. “But you weren’t with anyone that whole time we were apart. And I was. That doesn’t bother you?”
He paused undressing and let out a huff of frustrated air. “We’ve been over this, Gwen. I knew I was coming back. You didn’t. I can’t hold a grudge about anything you did while I was gone.” He brushed past me, headed toward his closet.
“Hold a grudge?” If he’d been with someone else, I would have been hurt, devastated, jealous as hell. A grudge would not have even come close to describing how I would have felt.
He spun around to face me. “What is it you want me to say? Because obviously I’m not saying the right thing.” There was more energy in his tone now, but it was exasperation, which wasn’t at all what I was looking for.
“I want you to say it bothers you.” I was practically yelling. “I want you to say that you’re mad.”
“At you?”
“Yes!” I exclaimed. “Why don’t you hate me? You should hate that my relationship with Chandler might have ruined the rest of our lives.”
He softened, coming toward me, his hands outstretched. “A baby isn’t going to ruin our lives.”
I brushed him away. I didn’t want compassion. I kept on, trying to get what I did want from him. “We’ll be tied to him. Forever. He’ll want visitation rights and to have a say in where we put the kid in school. He might even want to be in the delivery room.”
“Then we’ll deal with that.”
I stepped forward, ready to go to the worst place in order to provoke him. “He was inside me, JC.” I didn’t even flinch as I said it. “I let him put his cock inside me—inside the body that you say you own. Let him kiss my mouth and touch my breasts and stroke my pussy. And that doesn’t bother you?”
“Yes!” He exploded. At last. “It bothers me! Is that what you want?” He didn’t wait for me to respond, knowing that it was exactly what I wanted. “It makes me crazy with jealousy. He touched you in places that I thought no other man would be after me. And, yes,” his tone grew gruff, textured with contempt. “I hate him. I loathe him. I’d kill him if I could. Rip his balls out with my teeth and cut off his dick and then I’d fucking kill him.”
I winced ever so slightly, only because I’d never seen JC so passionate, not because I was actually scared that he’d hurt anyone.
“But if I did anything to him,” he continued, his volume lower but with just as much force, “I’d lose you. I’d be thrown in jail and where would that put me? Huh? Instead, I do the only thing I can—I love you. All of you. Every damn square inch. Every part of you he ever had, because I know, that whatever he thinks he feels for you, I love you better.” He jabbed a single finger into his chest for emphasis as he said the last part.
“So you want me to hate you?” His expression seemed baffled. “I can’t do that, Gwen. Because then he wins. And I won’t lose you again.”
I was speechless. And blown away.
Weakly, I sank down on the bench next to the window. JC slumped onto the bed across from me, apparently equally drained. His words had cut through me, slicing away preconceived notions and replacing them with understanding. He was upset about my time with Chandler—how could he not be? He was just handling it in his own way, in a productive way, turning his hatred into love. I should have known. I’d often sensed his resentment during sex when he got possessive and dominating. I’d also always been able to feel his love. They just weren’t separate as I’d always assumed—they were tied together, one dependent on the other.
And now I felt shitty for pushing him.
But I also was glad to know.
We sat quietly for several minutes, neither of us looking at each other, both of us processing the situation in its raw form. It felt like we were carrying an egg, each of us handling it with fragility, afraid that we would break it. Then finding out it had been hard-boiled the whole time.
This wasn’t going to break us. If we turned the pain into loving each other, we would only get stronger. It was a good lesson to learn.
“I was lucky to get you back,” JC said finally, softly. “I lost you to him for a moment. It could have been forever.”
My head shot up to look at him. He was completely genuine, and I understood something else now too. That every day while I wrestled with my doubts and concerns, JC did as well. His were much heavier to carry than mine, I realized. I was only afraid he would be happier with a ghost. He was afraid that I would be happier with a man who was still in my life.
Now possibly more than ever.
We still had so much to learn about each other. At least we already had love on our side. Or we did if I didn’t keep pushing it away.
“He didn’t ever have all of me,” I said as quietly and sincerely as he had. “He never had my heart.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I know.”
Even if JC didn’t hold a grudge, I would always regret that I’d ever been with someone else when I’d still been in love with him. I’d never thought there could be lasting repercussions from it. Never stopped to consider, what if…
I raked my teeth along my lower lip. “If you can’t, do you mind if I hate myself?”
“Yes,” he said sternly. “I mind that a lot.”
I leaned back against the window and cast my eyes to the ceiling. Then I said the words that were the real heart of my pain, the source of my attack in the first place. “I can’t do this if it’s not yours, JC.” My voice cracked, and immediately he was kneeling in front of me.
He put both of his hands on top of mine. “You can. We can. Together we can do anything, and trust me, this is not the worst thing that could happen to us.”
I nodded, my throat tight. I swallowed hard, then managed to whisper, “I’m so sorry.”
“I know.” He stroked his hand up my arm, gently. The sweetest caress. “I’m sorry too. I’m sorry I put you in a situation where you felt you had to stop living to be loyal. I’m sorry that I wasn’t here sooner.”
I didn’t care anymore about what had happened in the past. My only concern was our future. “You’ll stay with me? Even if…?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yes. No matter what. You’re mine.” He leaned forward and kissed my stomach. “And you’re mine.”
I melted. Or collapsed. Maybe a little of both. I was so moved that he wanted this child no matter what, but I was also devastated that it might not be his.
He rested his head on my lap, and I pulled my hand out from under his to run it through his hair. “We’ll have another one, JC. I promise.”
He turned his head so that he could look at me. “If we do, that would be as amazing as this one. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay?”
Hadn’t those been my words earlier? Mine had been based in fear, though. His were based in the utmost affection.
I slid off the bench to kneel in front of him. “I love you,” I murmured, my hands cupping his face. “I love you so much. So much.”
Then he was saying it too, pausing now and then to kiss me. The depth of feeling I had for this man—it consumed me. Filled me up so full that I didn’t know how I ever found room for apprehension. Completed me so entirely that I was sure he could never understand.
Still, I wanted to try to show him.
Our kisses grew more urgent, and I finished unbuttoning his shirt. But before he could remove mine, I pulled back, drawing his eyes to mine. “There’s another part of me he never had.”
He paused, but I knew he understood what I was saying. “I’m not…you don’t have to do that.” He reached for the hem of my shirt and pulled it up and off.
“I want to,” I said when my head was free. “I want to give you that. I want to give you every single part of me, including that.”
He was the one to pull back this time. “Okay,” he said after a beat. “I’ll look forward to it.” He wound his hand in my hair and brought his mouth to hover just above mine. “You should too. I promise you’ll like it.”
The heat in his tone made a delicious chill run down my spine.
But I shook my head.
His hand dropped. “I’m not going to make it a punishment.”
“No, that’s not what I was getting at.” Although… I pushed the thought away. “I mean, now. I want you to take me that way now.”
He wasn’t sure. “Gwen...”
“Please.” I ran my hands down the toned planes of his bare chest, the feel of his skin beneath my fingertips sending an electric buzz to my core. I was so turned on, so affected by everything that had transpired between us, and I was desperate for the significance of it all to be translated into a physical connection. One that was unique and meaningful in a way that no other time we’d made love had been.
And if the baby inside me wasn’t his, at least I’d know that every other part of me was.
“Please,” I said again. “I need you to. I need you to show me that you own me.”
My statement affected him. His eyes darkened and his breathing grew heavier. “You need me to show you that I own you?” His voice was coarse, and I knew with certainty that he’d moved from considering to deciding. “If you even have to make that statement, then, yes, you need me to show you.”
He stood abruptly. “Get up,” he commanded, assuming the role we both loved so much. “Take off your clothes and lean over the bed, ass up.”
He turned away from me, confident that I’d do what he’d said. My legs were unsteady as I stood to undress. I wanted this and was shaking from anticipation, but also, I was nervous. We’d used toys. He’d used his finger, and I’d loved it each and every time. But his cock was much bigger than my butt plug. The thought of how much bigger almost paralyzed me.
Almost.
It also made me delirious with arousal.
When I was naked, I went to the bed and got in position. I couldn’t see what he was doing from here, but he’d been at the nightstand, getting lube, I imagined. Then I could hear the clank of his belt and the purr of his zipper. Soon, my legs radiated with heat, and I knew he was behind me.
Gently, he placed his palms on my ass cheeks and ran them up my body to my shoulders and back down. “You’re so fucking beautiful.” He said it so quietly that I guessed it was a comment for himself rather than me. Stronger, he said, “Relax, Gwen.”
He repeated the path of his hands, pressing harder now, coaxing my muscles to loosen. I forced myself to take deep, calming breaths, a challenge considering how wound up I was with want and anxiety. After a few minutes, though, I felt the knot in my shoulders ease, even as the tension in my core tightened.
JC must have noticed a change in my posture, shifting his attention from my back to the space between my legs. His fingers slid easily into my hole. “You’re soaked,” he said in awe. “You have no clue how much that turns me on.”
I did, in fact, have a clue. A hard, thick one that was now shoving inside my cunt. He grunted as he settled in deeper before adopting a leisurely pace with his thrusts.
“Yes,” I moaned. He felt good. I always loved him from behind, and his slow tempo teased and taunted, spurring me to beg for more.
“JC. I want. Please.” I wasn’t even sure what I wanted anymore. All I knew was that he would give it to me.
And he did. Without saying a word, I heard the click of a bottle opening, and a moment later, the cold tip of a toy was at my ass.
“You know how this goes. Bear down while I push in.”
A moment of clarity burst through my lust-filled haze. “I need you, JC.” He’d already been the only person I’d ever used a plug with, but I wanted all of him. Wanted him to mark me and make me his with his cock.
“I know what you need.” He seemed irritated. “Right now you need to let me be in charge. Now. Bear down.” He didn’t wait for me to agree, pushing the plug in until it was firmly fitted inside me.
Immediately, I began the climb to climax. The penetration from the plug while he was inside me tightened my pussy around him. Made each stroke rub against my walls, hitting every nerve ending.
“I’m going to come,” I warned, already half there. I’d be all the way there if I weren’t trying so hard to wait.
“Go ahead. You need to come before I go on.” As if he didn’t believe that I’d give in so easily, he reached around and found my clit.
It was too much to fight against. My orgasm erupted, spilling over his cock in a wet gush of heat.
He pulled both his cock and the plug out the instant I went over the edge, and even in my bliss, I could sense he’d moved away from me completely.
“Come over here,” he ordered.
I stood, blinking, still not recovered. I turned to find he was now sitting on the armchair, his erection pointing boldly out from him, calling me to him as strongly as his voice had.
He had the lube, and he applied a generous amount to his cock as I stumbled over to him. “Crawl in my lap. You can take me at your own pace.”
He was making this sweet and intimate. Trying to take away all the fear by putting me in control.
Except my fear never really went away unless he held the reins.
“JC. This isn’t—”
He grabbed my arm and roughly pulled me to him. “You need to stop questioning everything I’m doing, Gwen. This is going to require all your trust, and if you can’t give it to me then we need to do this another time.”
“No.” I was already climbing up to straddle him, afraid he’d stop it if I hesitated at all. “I trust you.” I was on my knees, hovering above him.
“Good.” He kissed me, savagely. His tongue plunging deeper into my mouth than ever before. When he broke away, I was panting. “Now sit back.”
I leaned back and felt his head at my back entrance. He didn’t need to tell me to take a deep breath, but he did anyway, reminding me again to bear down. Slowly, I pushed down. He felt big, so big, and when he reached my snug rim, I was sure he was too big, and that I’d have to stop from the pain.
But I slid down just a little more and his crown passed the tight part, and suddenly the pain turned into something else—incredible, breathtaking pleasure that I’d never felt before. So intense that my vision had spots in it, and I hadn’t even taken him to the hilt yet.
“Ahhhh.” The sound fell from my lips, half sigh, half whimper.
“Are you okay?” JC’s voice was strained, and I knew it was taking everything he had not to thrust.
“Mmhmm.” I’d stilled, letting my body adjust to him before sitting on him completely. I didn’t know if I could sit on him completely. Before I’d been unsure if I could put the whole of him inside me because of the pain, but now I wasn’t sure because of the pleasure.
“Can you take more?” He sounded both patient and eager at the same time.
And I’d wanted to give him this—all of this—so I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, sinking all the way down as I did.
“Oh my God.” I closed my eyes and didn’t move, but I could feel him throbbing inside me, and it was so fucking amazing. “Oh God.”
“Gwen?”
I opened my eyes and found his expression labored and concerned. “It’s good,” I assured him. “It’s really, really good.”
His face relaxed and a smile slid onto his lips. “You feel incredible. So tight.” He lowered his mouth to one of my breasts and sucked a nipple in his mouth, pulling it just enough to make me wriggle.
“Ah!” The slight movement had sent shockwaves through my limbs, lighting me up like a firework. The sensation diminished as soon as I stilled. And it had been so good I wanted it back as soon as fucking possible. So I began to move.
I rode JC much slower than he usually rode me, bobbing up and down at such a gentle pace that I was positive he was going crazy. But I was going crazy too, my entire body vibrating more with each stroke. I felt wonderfully dizzy, and I put my hands on his shoulders to keep my balance.
JC ran his hands all over me—down the sides of my torso, up over my breasts, lower to graze against my pussy. He was desperate for me. The power I had over him added to the pleasure, and pretty soon I was nearing climax.
Before I could get there, JC leaned in toward my ear. “Are you used to it now?” he asked huskily, his breath tickling my lobe.
“Uh huh.”
“Good,” he growled. “Because now you’re going to get on all fours on the bed so I can fuck you like I want to.”
I came to a halt, frozen by a cocktail of apprehension and desire. JC liked to pound—was I ready for that? On the other hand, while I’d thought I’d been aroused before, his sultry threat was pure magic, turning me on so much that I couldn’t think or breathe.
“Gwen.” With one stern syllable, he reminded me who was in charge. Reminded me who I wanted to be in charge.
I climbed off him, hastily, and scurried to the mattress, getting into the position he’d requested. Behind me, I heard him get up. Then he was standing next to the bed. He put a hand on each hip and tugged me to the edge of the bed.
God, oh god, oh god.
He was going to stay standing to fuck me. That meant he’d have the strength of his legs to thrust. Adrenaline pumped through my veins.
Yeah, this was going to be good.
Once he had me where he wanted me, he smacked his palm across one cheek. I jumped at the sting, surprised to find that the slap made me even wetter. He moved in close, and I could feel his thighs pressed against the back of mine. He drew his cock along my pussy, landing at my backmost hole.
“That over there,” he said, his voice raw, “was what you gave me. The rest I’m going to take.” Then, with his fingers gripping my hipbones, he nudged in to the hilt. And he took.
Though I’d been warmed up, his hasty entrance burned, but the bite of discomfort blurred quickly with the electrifying ecstasy that devoured me as he lost himself in a manic frenzy of thrusts. Low grunts punctuated each stroke, and his fingers pinched my skin, and the unevenness of his rapid rhythm told me that he’d lost control.
Maybe I should have been worried. But, Jesus, it was the hottest thing he’d ever done to me.
And, fuck, did it take me where I wanted to go. Within seconds, I was there, coming and coming, long and hard, my body undulating and shuddering as JC once again claimed me as his. Rainbows streaked in front of my eyes, tears ran down my face, a constant string of nonsensical syllables tumbled from my mouth, and even I wasn’t quite sure whether or not I was in pain or rapture.
Both. It was both. Not pain because he’d hurt me physically, but pain because the euphoria was so overwhelming that it almost became a burden.
I was still skyrocketing when he caught his own release. He rocked into me then stilled, letting out a ragged, drawn-out cry that sounded to me like a shout of victory.
I collapsed and he fell onto the mattress beside me, both of us completely shattered. My brain was mush, and I was ready to let sleep consume me without cleaning up or even moving under the sheets.
But JC stretched his hand out to caress my back. “Are you okay?” he asked, and whether it was tentative or simply weak from exhaustion, I wasn’t sure.
I turned my head toward him. “I’m more than okay. I’m yours.”
His smile was subtle, but it lit up his entire face. With some hidden reserve of energy, he gathered me into his arms. “Then I have everything,” he said softly, and that was the last thing I was conscious of before falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.