There are many things I’ve not done right in life, but this, being with Leah and Luxe and doing everything in my power to prove to them I’ll never hurt them or let them down—I know that’s one thing for certain that I have done right. I was glad Zach and I were finally able to meet. He needed and deserved to be aware of my presence in his son’s life. I should’ve probably felt guilty for the way I spoke to him, and for almost knocking his ass out if he’d so much as said one more disrespectful thing about Leah, but I didn’t. I couldn’t feel guilty for standing up for her and protecting her; that was my duty, and no one would ever get away with disrespecting her, no matter how trivial.

Rolling over in bed, I soaked in all the natural beauty that surrounded me. The warmth of Leah’s body lying next to me, her hair a tangled mess, her stunning bare face with her sweet mouth curved in a faint subconscious grin, and her soft porcelain skin illuminated by the sunrise. I savored it all before reluctantly sneaking out of bed. I quietly left the room and grabbed the first scrap of paper I could find. On it, I wrote her a note.

Leah,

I didn’t want to wake you. You deserve to sleep in, and I have a few errands to run this morning. I will see you and Little Man Luxe later.

I love you, beautiful!

XO,

Jason

Sneaking back into her bedroom, I placed the note on the side of the bed I’d slept on and planted a soft kiss on her temple. The vanilla scent of her hair invaded my senses just before pulling away.

This is the woman I want for the rest of my life. I’ll never grow tired of kissing her.

***

LEAH: THANKS FOR LETTING me sleep in today <3 I love you, too!

Her name lighting up my phone’s screen was enough to cause my insides to warm and go crazy, let alone reading the words I love you added in at the end of her message. The woman could have any man in the world, and she chose me. She loves me. It was an honor, and a privilege, and something I never wanted to lose.

I texted her back almost immediately. Anything for you, you know that.

Her reply comes just as quickly. Come over when you can, I have something here for you. ;)

I knew Luxe was still home, so we wouldn’t be doing any “laundry”. And it wasn’t my birthday. I checked the date on my phone to make sure, but it wasn’t a holiday, either.

What in the hell could she possibly have for me? I thought to myself before I put the last bit of groceries away in my fridge and headed back toward her apartment.

Be there in a flash. I sent the text practically standing outside her door. I had every intention of knocking first, but she opened it before my knuckles even made contact with the door. She pulled it open and greeted me, her red hair styled in loose curls that fell over her shoulders. A soft hint of makeup accentuated her natural beauty.

“Hey, neighbor.” She gave me a small wink and moved from the doorway, letting me enter.

“Jason!” Luxe bolted from his room, beelining in my direction with his arms spread wide. A contagious smile stretched across his small features.

“Little Man!” I hollered back, scooping him up into my arms and hugging him tight. Then, I threw him up in the air, just as he’d been anticipating, since it’d become our normal greeting.

“We have a surprise for you!” A small giggle escaped Luxe’s lips.

Leah’s face blushed a pale pink, but she was grinning, nonetheless.

“Oh, is that so? What is it?” I arched my brow playfully at him in question.

Luxe turned in my arms to face his mother. “Can I ask him, Mommy? Can I?” He was visibly vibrating with excitement.

“You sure can, buddy.”

My gaze shot to Leah, but I couldn’t read anything in her eyes save for the amusement she let bubble just below the surface. I could feel my stomach constricting—something was definitely up.

Surprises weren’t exactly my favorite. I tended to have a distaste for the unknown, and preferred to be prepared for any situation that might arise. But, when it boiled down to it, Leah and Luxe had been a surprise, too, and they were the best damn thing to ever happen to me.

“Will you spend the night with us forever?” Luxe’s deep brown eyes, filled with joy, bore into mine.

Looking between him and Leah, I waited for her to speak up. Instead, it was Luxe again who spoke. “Well...will you or not?” He patted my shoulders, as though to make sure I was paying attention to him.

Oh, he had my attention, all right. I just wasn’t sure what exactly the boy was really asking.

“I think Jason might be a little confused, buddy.” Leah snuck up behind him and took his arm, placing something into his small fist. “There, now show him that, and then ask again.”

Luxe held up his hand, revealing a shiny silver key. Leah stepped over to my other side, and I felt her arm snake around my back. Her head rested on my shoulder as she stared up at me, watching and waiting.

“You want me to spend the night with you guys forever?” I repeated the question, as though having the words on my own tongue would somehow solidify their meaning.

“Yep!” Luxe hollered. “Mommy says you can stay here!”

I shifted him to my left hip, chuckling. The little boy made it sound like he’d been granted permission to keep a stray dog. But I didn’t care how it sounded. I only knew what the words actually meant, and one glance down at Leah confirmed I was right. I wrapped my free arm around her, pulling the three of us together for a tight embrace.

“I would love to spend the night with you two forever.” I kissed the top of Luxe’s head, then Leah’s. After a moment, I set the boy down on his feet before pulling Leah back against me.

“Are you sure?” she asked, tears glistening in the corners of her sapphire eyes.

“Am I sure?” I chuckled. “I feel like I should be asking you that.” I tilted her chin upward and pressed my lips against hers, much to Luxe’s exaggerated disgust. I heard him make a dramatic “Ew!” noise, and it was probably the only time I didn’t turn to him despite his obvious desire for attention.

Leah let out a soft chuckle. “Yes, I’m positive. I...we...can’t imagine a life without you in it, Jason. We’d love for you to move in with us.”

Elation filled every bone and vein within me. “Anything you guys want, you got it. You know that. Especially this.” My gaze flitted between the two most precious things in my life.

“So, you’re staying over tonight?” Luxe wrapped his arms around my leg, squeezing it like he never planned to let go, looking up at me with his bottom lip puckered out.

“Of course I am! If that’s okay with your mom?” I glanced down at Leah, my eyebrow arched.

She offered a warm smile, nodding. “Duh!” she laughed, rolling her eyes. “Let’s get you moved in already.” She winked at me, then kissed my cheek. Her lips burned against my skin, branding me with all the promises and dreams the gesture held for the future.

I clapped my hands together, knowing if I didn’t do something and step away from this beautiful woman who owned me, heart and soul, I’d wind up coming undone completely. I didn’t think the hold she had over me would ever fade. “How about I go over and grab a few of the things I bought at the grocery store, and we can put together a big ole’ dinner tonight, watch a movie of Luxe’s choosing, and have a campout in the living room? Then, tomorrow, we can start moving stuff over.”

“Yay!” Luxe cheered. You’d think I just suggested a shopping spree at Toys ‘R’ Us.

“Yay,” Leah grinned mischievously, leaning into me. I knew exactly what that meant. She knew as well as I did that the campout in the living room would come to an abrupt ending the moment Luxe drifted off to sleep. After that, we’d slip off into her bedroom—our bedroom—and have a little sleepover of our own.

I kissed Leah again, managing to hold myself back as much as I could. I shook my head at her. She knew damn well what I was thinking, and knew what her mere presence was doing to me. And she was enjoying every minute of it. “I love you,” I whispered, dangerously close to her face.

“I know you do,” she replied cheekily. “And I love you, too.”

Finally. It took all the restraint I had to hug them both and walk out of that apartment, disappearing into my own. I hadn’t quite begun to fully process the overwhelming feelings I felt beyond the lust and desire Leah stirred inside me—happiness, excitement, hopefulness, and, above all, certainty. This was the start of something I’d never expected. And now, I never wanted it to end.

I went straight into the kitchen, but not for groceries. Instead, I opened the cabinet that held my coffee mugs, pulling down the one with Destiny’s name on it, still tucked in the back of the cupboard. I stared at it for a long moment, remembering how I’d thought my life had been ruined when she’d left.

But, it hadn’t.

It had been the beginning of the rest of my life.

I let out a breath, realizing that the hurt that had once plagued me at the sight of her name was now only a faint memory. That emotion had been replaced by stronger emotions—real desire, and real love.

I did an overhand toss, letting the ceramic mug land in the garbage can that sat across the kitchen. The sound of it shattering against the stainless steel caused my mouth to quirk upward and my mind to turn straight to Leah and Luxe on the other side of the wall.

I knew why it didn’t hurt so much anymore.

She hadn’t been my destiny. They were.