9

Cami

When Ben walks into the library with his girls, my heart leaps into my chest. His all-male presence sends tingles throughout my body as the memories of our weekend together surface fresh in my mind. He finds me immediately, and the moment our eyes meet, I feel the earth shift under my feet.

It’s magic.

My hands itch to touch him.

My lips yearn for his taste.

It takes everything in me to stay put and not approach them. His girls are with him, and we never officially put a label on what we are, so I wait for him to decide what happens. It’s possible that he hasn’t told them about us yet, which I can understand.

But then he moves in my direction.

His dark brown eyes pin me in place, telling me to stay put, and I do. I couldn’t move even if my life depended on it. He tells me with his eyes what I need to prepare for.

The girls know.

My heart swells, because without words he’s told me what I am to him. But if I’m honest with myself, I already knew. Ben isn’t the kind of man who would speak about marriage unless he was serious, and after what he told my sister last night, he’s made his intention pretty clear.

The three of them stop in front of me. Ben leans down to press a sweet kiss on my mouth, and the girls coo. They literally fucking coo at us.

“Oh, my gosh, you guys are so cute,” Kinsley giggles.

“I told you it was only a matter of time.” Katie bounces on the balls of her feet. They watch as Ben places an arm around me and pulls me in close to him. “You know what, you should come with us this weekend. Dad’s taking us to the fair.”

Ben looks down at me expectantly, waiting for my response to his daughter’s legit invitation.

“Um, yes, I’d like that very much,” I tell her, feeling instant acceptance into their and their father’s life. I wasn’t sure how’d they take the news about us, but this is more than I expected.

“Mom is going to freak out.” Kinsley giggles again before sneaking a photo of Ben and me with her phone and typing furiously onto it.

Wait, what?

I look up at Ben, feeling a surge of unease, but he’s quick to dash it away.

“Relax,” he whispers only for my ears. “Veronica and Bill have been happily married for almost two years, and as good parents, we’re a team.”

I nod, understanding immediately. He’s a good man and a good father, and regardless of the reasons his marriage ended, he would stay neutral for the girls.

“Cami, can I work with you today?” Katie asks, and I nod. Even though the girls don’t report to me for their internship, if I ask, they can be assigned to me at any time.

“I’ll be in the stacks today, so it’ll be a bit boring,” I warn, but I have a feeling I could be scrubbing toilets and she’d still want to be with me.

“Kins, Katie, you girls need to go check in before you’re late,” Ben tells them, and they both step forward to hug him goodbye, then dart off to make their check-in time. The library internship is an easy job, but they’re strict about being on time, and it could cost them their spot. Ben tightens his hold at my waist. “Alone at last.”

“I didn’t expect that,” I say, turning to face him. My shift doesn’t officially start for another fifteen minutes, but I came early hoping to see him.

“Girls needed to know, especially with you moving in as soon as I can convince you of it.” He smiles.

“Ben—” I start, but he stops me.

“It isn’t too soon. This should have happened months ago when I first saw you, but I fucked up. The way I see it, you’re mine, and I’m yours. Nothing and no one is going to change that.” The seriousness of his words and the fact he’s obviously given this some thought make me consider how real this has become for both of us. “You know how I feel, Cami, and since you didn’t run for the hills after I told your sister I’m going to marry you the moment you let me, you feel the same. So why wait?”

I drag in a breath, mulling over his words.

What was supposed to be a night of hot sex and good company has transformed into a future filled with possibility with a man I’ve been in love with since the moment I saw him.

I’ve spent my entire life waiting for fate to give me the happily-ever-after I’ve only read in a book, and I’m not about to let it go.

“Yes,” I laugh, lifting up onto my toes to press my lips against his, using the one line I’ve spent my life waiting to use. “A thousand times, yes.”