I sat in the truck and watched the sun move to the horizon. The heat was a lot more apparent in Tuscany than it was in the northern part of the country. I could feel it in the rays that pierced through the window. With my arm hanging out over the side, I watched the Tuscan fields move gently in the soft breeze.

I knew what they were discussing inside the house. Vanessa already knew about her mother, but the conversation would be painful to endure. At least the secret would be out, and they could move on with their lives—as a family.

An hour went by, and she finally came out and walked to the truck. She got inside and then immediately scooted over until she right up against me. She rested her head against my shoulder and linked her arm through mine. Without saying a single word, she expressed her sorrow.

I started the engine and drove home. I let her lie on me, use me as a crutch. I let her enjoy her silence without being interrogated. I was just grateful she didn’t hate me because of what my father did to her mother.

We reached the house then walked inside. Vanessa obviously didn’t seem interested in dinner because she went straight to bed. She pulled on one of my t-shirts then crawled under the sheets.

I undressed and joined her, skipping the shower because I knew she wanted me beside her. I lay next to her, staring at her grief-stricken face as my hand moved to her neck. I watched her with a look full of pity, a heart heavy with sadness. I’d never felt anything close to empathy, but this woman brought out sensitive qualities I didn’t think I was capable of feeling. When she was in pain, I was in pain. Just as deeply as we were connected when we made love, I was connected to her sadness when she was unhappy.

I could feel it all the way down to my bones.

She stared at me through her thick eyelashes, her green eyes vibrating with pain. Her breathing was slow and deep, pain in every breath she took. Her hand snaked to mine on her neck, and she held it there, feeling my pulse as I felt hers.

“What can I do?” I would do anything to wipe off that sad look on her face. If there was anything I could possibly do to help, I would. If my father were still alive right now, I would kill him myself if that brought her peace.

Her fingertips grazed against mine as she held my gaze. “Make love to me.” That seemed to be the only thing she ever wanted from me. She didn’t want sex to get off like a lot of other women did. She wanted a slow and passionate connection, the way we held each other as we moved. She wanted me to blanket her with all of me, to cushion her against the harsh realities of life. She wanted to get lost in me, to shut out the outside world altogether. When it was just the two of us, there was nothing that could hurt us. She wanted me for me, not for the way I could make her feel.

“You always want me to make love to you.” She never asked me to clean up the house, make dinner, or help her with anything. The only request she voiced was the sexiest phrase I’d ever heard a woman say. It wasn’t even a question because I didn’t have a choice in the matter. She knew exactly what she wanted, and she wasn’t afraid to ask for it.

Like a real woman.

“Yeah?” she whispered. “You want me to ask someone else?”

The corner of my lip rose in a smile. “You’d be disappointed if you did. A boy will never compete with a man.”

“I won’t ask a boy.”

“They’re all boys compared to me.” I pushed my boxers down and moved on top of her, settling between her legs. Her thong was pulled to the side so I could fit my fat dick between her legs. She was wet but not drenched like she was in the morning. I sank deep inside her, feeling the soft flesh constrict around me. I stopped when I was buried deep within, and I listened to her breathing increase as she felt me stretch her wide apart.

Her hands moved into my hair, and she locked her ankles together. The light burned in her eyes, her arousal increasing as she felt me stretch her as far as possible. She pulled my forehead to hers and squeezed my waist with her thighs. “If you’re the only man on the planet…can I keep you forever?”

I pulled my face back to look at her, my thick cock buried deep inside her. A more beautiful woman had never been under me, had never had me so intimately. This woman had snatched my heart out of my chest and never returned it. “Always.” I rubbed my nose against hers, pledging my heart to her for the rest of time. Even if I couldn’t keep her, she would always have all of me.

Her eyes softened as she looked at me, her hand sliding to my cheek. “I want you for the rest of my life…”

I turned into her hand and kissed her palm, tasting her and smelling her. I was the luckiest man in the world, to be buried between her legs and listen to her love me so openly. Her love didn’t scare me, nor her pledge of forever. Most men ran from commitment, weren’t man enough to handle a woman’s love. But I could handle hers so easily, could thrive in it. I wasn’t the least bit scared. I’d seen the world; I knew what was out there.

Nothing compared to her.

“Baby, promise me something.” I started to move inside her, taking her slowly. “If this works, promise me you’ll marry me.” I couldn’t get down on one knee and ask for her hand at that moment. I didn’t have a ring or a proposal planned, but I didn’t need any of those things. However, I did need her family’s permission.

Her hand slowly trailed down my face, and the softness in her eyes deepened into an emotional look. Her eyes watered, a thin film of moisture over the surface of her gaze. She took a breath, her lips parting as she nearly gasped in surprise. “Yes.”

I never told Vanessa about my conversation with her father.

When he basically asked me to leave my job for good.

I would concede if he granted me acceptance into the family. But he didn’t do that, refusing to give me an answer.

He asked me to make a sacrifice when I didn’t even know if it would count for anything. It would be stupid to walk away from my business and give it up, and then hear her parents tell me I wasn’t good enough for their daughter.

It had to be fair.

When we went to the winery the next day, Vanessa was still quiet. All she craved was the peace and easiness her family used to provide. Life used to be simple, and her family was her home base. But now it was the most stressful part of her life. If she wanted it to return to normal, she just had to get rid of me.

But she refused to do that.

She was loyal to me, seeing this all the way through. And I was loyal to her, putting up with every hurdle to stay in the race.

I walked past the main building and followed the cobblestone pathway toward the warehouse where I would slave away for the next eight hours. When I was halfway there, a woman stepped out in high-rise jeans with a white top that tied in the front at her belly. Tall, slender, and with thick brown hair that trailed to her shoulders, she didn’t look like she belonged there, especially in her nude pumps.

Her eyes settled on me, and she watched me as she came closer, her green eyes almost identical to Vanessa’s. She wore a stern expression, her thoughts not written on her face the way Vanessa’s were.

She was a Barsetti. No doubt about it.

She stopped in front of me, one hand on her hip. She sized me up and down, looking at me like I was livestock about to be judged. “Griffin, right?”

“Yes.” I stayed five feet away from her and didn’t bother extending my hand to shake hers. I hadn’t shaken hands with a single Barsetti, not even Vanessa. That was a privilege I hadn’t earned yet, and I probably never would.

“Carmen. Nice to meet you.”

She seemed to be the only Barsetti who wasn’t openly hostile toward me. Her loosely curled hair framed her face, and her slender appearance made her fit to be on the runway. There was something in the Barsetti blood that made their men handsome and their women beautiful. She had a lot of similarities to Vanessa, but her features were also distinctly different. Her mother must be a little more exotic than Pearl. “Yes. Nice to meet you. Are you Cane’s daughter?”

“Yes.” She tilted her head slightly as she studied me. “My father hates you. Like, really hates you.”

I hoped she didn’t expect that to hurt my feelings. “I picked up on that.”

“He’s a bit of a psychopath when it comes to the family. Don’t take it too personally.”

“No, it is personal.” Extremely personal.

“Vanessa told me she’s hung up on you. I grew up with her, so I’ve known about every guy she’s liked and every crush she’s ever had. When I hear her talk about you, I know it’s different. I know it’s real. So…I’m rooting for you.”

Wow, that was a nice change. “Thanks.”

She stepped closer to me, moving her hands into her back pockets. “My father is impossible to win over. So don’t spend your time getting him to like you. Plus, he hates a kiss-ass. There are some people who will love you no matter what you do, and there are other people who will never love you no matter what you do…and he’s the latter. Focus on Crow. My uncle is a lot more practical.”

I liked her bluntness. “Thanks for the heads-up.”

“I think it’s sweet you’re trying so hard to win them over for Vanessa. I know my family is terrifying, so it’s a big statement on your part.”

Now, I really liked her.

“Just the fact that you care enough tells me you’re worth our time.” She extended her hand to shake mine. “If you ever need any advice, let me know.”

The corner of my mouth rose in a smile before I reached for her hand. “Thanks.”

“Carmen.” Cane’s stern voice shattered the pleasant conversation we were having. He emerged out of the second warehouse, wearing a gray V-neck and black jeans. It wasn’t clear who he was angrier at, me or Carmen. He flashed her a hostile look before he placed his body in between us.

I rolled my eyes because I couldn’t stop myself. He actually thought I was going to strangle his daughter on the cobblestone walkway?

Cane caught the look. “You wanna die, asshole?” He shoved me hard in the chest.

I stepped back, not because of his push, but because getting away from him was the best way to defuse his anger. “Just saying hello.”

He shoved me again.

I clenched my jaw and forced myself back, doing my best not to rise to his anger. I wanted to break his fist with my chest. If he hit me again, I wanted to slam his body down onto the stone sidewalk and crack his skull open.

Vanessa. I had to focus on the reward. If I retaliated, it would make it that much harder to win over her family. I could take a beating if I got to spend my life with the one woman I loved. It wasn’t much to sacrifice.

“Father.” Carmen grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back. “Knock it off. I started talking to him.” Even in her five-inch heels, she was a foot shorter than him. The Barsetti men were tall, reaching my height.

“I don’t give a shit.” He pushed her off and came at me again.

This time, I stepped out of the way and held my hands up. “Get your shit together, man. Just saying hi.”

“What the fuck did you say to me?” He puffed up his chest and came after me again.

I kept my hands up, ready to stop his fist when he threw a punch.

“Father!” Carmen slammed her heel down. “Knock it off now, or I’ll tell Mama and she’ll be down here in two seconds to shove her foot up your ass.”

Cane stilled at the threat, the anger disappearing from his eyes for a brief second.

I tried not to smile at Carmen’s insult, loving the way she had a mouth on her like Vanessa.

Cane was the kind of man who wasn’t afraid of anything, but the mention of his petite wife made him hit the brakes. He kept his gaze on me, but his hands lowered to his sides. “Stay away from my daughter, alright? You wanna talk? Talk to me or Crow. Stay the fuck away from my daughter. Don’t even fucking look at her. I’ll shoot you between the eyes if you come within twenty feet of her.”

Carmen rolled her eyes. “Oh my god, Father. Chill out. I was the one who talked to him. He didn’t even look twice at me.”

Cane didn’t care about any of that. “Go.” He barked like a dog and pointed to the warehouse. “Get to work, you piece of shit.”

I lowered my hands and walked around him, heading to the warehouse.

Carmen spoke once my back was turned. “You need to calm the hell down. He was nothing but nice to me.”

“Not now, Carmen,” Cane barked. “I don’t want you anywhere near him. He’s a piece of shit, and I don’t like him.”

“Well, I don’t like you.” Carmen’s heels clapped against the cobblestone as she walked off.

I smiled before I stepped inside the warehouse, appreciating my new ally. It was novel to be treated as a human being for once, to be seen as a person rather than a murderer and a criminal. Carmen was the first one to give me a fresh start, to accept me because Vanessa loved me.

It was a nice change.

It was late afternoon when Crow stepped inside the warehouse. He moved to the desk in the corner, flipped through the paperwork, and then made a phone call. Speaking in Italian, he spoke with one of his clients about the distribution of the wine to the right location.

I could speak Italian, so I understood every word. But I kept working, putting the crates on the dolly and transferring the cargo to the appropriate sections. The place had a central cooling system to keep the wine at the perfect temperature, but I always ran hot, so I was constantly sweating in my t-shirts and jeans.

Crow hung up then walked toward me. “One of the trucks is coming early tomorrow. All the crates need to be finished before you leave today.”

I’d been working my ass off for weeks, and not once did I get any respect for it. They treated me like a dog, expecting me to do the grunt work with a smile on my face. Now he’d asked me to work later even though I was the most efficient worker they had. “That didn’t sound like a question.” I knew I shouldn’t be a smartass, but my temper was rising. I’d been making every sacrifice to be given a real chance, but nothing was ever good enough for them. We’d been here for weeks, but they should have made their decision within a few days.

Crow turned to me, his dark eyes cold. “Because it wasn’t.” With straight shoulders and perfect posture, he challenged me.

“I did my time today. If you want me to stay longer, you need to ask.”

He cocked an eyebrow, baffled by my attitude. “Your stupidity continues to surprise me.”

“It’s not stupidity, it’s respect. I’m willing to work hard for what I want, but I’m not a goddamn doormat. Treat me like a human being. I’ve earned that much over the last six weeks. Would you want your daughter to be with a man who acts like a slave? That’s not me, and you should be grateful that it’s not.” I wiped my palms together, soothing my blisters underneath the dirt.

Crow didn’t blink as he examined me. As if his features were carved out of ice, he was impossible to decipher. If he didn’t want you to know what he was thinking, he’d make sure you couldn’t figure it out.

“I’ll do anything for your daughter—except act like your bitch.” I’d already proven myself to this family. Now it was up to them to see my worth. I had to stand up for myself, because if I didn’t, why should they believe I’d stand up for their daughter?

Crow came closer to me, his muscular arms resting by his sides. “I’m sorry about my brother. His temper is worse than mine.”

That was better. “Apology accepted.”

“But you should stay away from Carmen,” he said. “Going anywhere near his daughter is not the best way to get on his good side.”

“She talked to me.”

“Doesn’t matter.” His black shirt was tight around his muscular physique, stretching over his biceps. His hair was dark like his clothes, and his green eyes looked like broken shards of green glass. “Take my advice or don’t. I don’t give a shit.” He closed the gap between us until we were close together.

“Vanessa was upset for the rest of the night…after your family conversation.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “My wife was too.”

“But she still doesn’t look at me the way you do,” I said. “She doesn’t look at me like I’m my father. I hope someday you can too…because I’m sincerely sorry for what my father did to your family.” It didn’t matter whether he believed me or not. My sincerity was real. “It hurts me to see Vanessa in pain. I feel what she feels, and knowing she’s hurt over what happened to your wife and aunt…kills me inside. I’m immune to pain and emotion, but Vanessa is an exception to that. That’s how I knew I loved her…because I could feel everything she felt.”

Crow stared at me with his stoic expression again, refusing to give me any insight into his thoughts. He shifted his weight to one leg, and his black wedding ring matched his dark clothes. The scruff was coming in along his face, like he hadn’t shaved in a while. He suddenly stepped back, his arms still across his chest. “Would you mind staying later and helping me with these crates?”

It was the sun piercing a cloudy sky, a sign of hope in a storm. It was one of the rare times when Crow was civil to me, treating me like a man instead of an enemy. The more I stood my ground, the more he respected me. “Not in the least.”

“I like your cousin.”

Vanessa sat across from me at the dining table and ate the dinner I’d prepared. “Carmen? You saw her today?”

“We crossed paths.”

“Yeah, she’s great.” She grabbed her wineglass by the stem and took a drink. “She’s a little older than me and much sassier…if you can believe it.”

No, I couldn’t. Vanessa was the biggest spitfire I’d ever met.

“She said she was rooting for me…nice change.”

“I told her how I felt about you. She knows I’ve never really felt anything for any of the men in my life. They were just…ways to pass the time. So when I told her I wanted to spend my life with you, she was immediately on my side. She seems to trust my instincts more than everyone else in the family.”

“It’s not a matter of trusting your instincts.” Her family’s distrust annoyed me, but they were right to be cautious around me. I would judge them if they dropped their guard any sooner. “It’s a matter of overcoming their hatred. And trust me, that’s not easy to do…” I only spared her family because my love for her blacked out everything else.

“But still…it’s been six weeks. They need to get over it.”

That was something I could agree on. “True.” I didn’t have wine with dinner because I preferred stronger booze. I’d have wine if we went to a fancy restaurant or we were dining with her family, but when it was just the two of us, I continued my habits because she accepted me completely. “Your uncle caught me talking to Carmen and flipped out.”

She dropped her fork. “Please tell me he didn’t hit you again.”

Did pushing me count? “No.”

She sighed in relief. “Good…I’d kick his ass if he did.”

“Just told me to stay away from her.”

She rolled her eyes. “My uncle is very sweet and affectionate. I think he’s more emotional than my father, but he doesn’t understand how to control it or express it. He just wants to keep Carmen safe, but then he flips out and makes a situation out of nothing…”

“Yes, he’s a bit dramatic.”

“Thanks for being understanding. And not just with him…but with everything.” She looked down at her food, like she was embarrassed that I had to put up with so much bullshit with her family.

My hand moved to hers on the table. “You’re worth it, baby.”

She lifted her gaze and gave me the kind of look I lived for, like I was her hero. I was the one thing she was living for, the man who earned her complete devotion and affection. Her small fingers wrapped around mine, and she squeezed my hand in response, like words weren’t enough to express what she was feeling.

I held her hand on the table, feeling the never-ending connection between us. White-hot and smoldering, our love burned without gasoline to feed off of. The fire continued to roar, unable to be doused with water or anything else. I knew what we had was special because I could always feel it, no matter how good or bad our situation was. It was a love built over time, a love that defied the impossible. She should hate me, but she didn’t. And I should have killed her but never could. I didn’t believe in fate or soul mates. I didn’t even believe in love. But Vanessa made me reconsider everything.

My phone started to vibrate in my pocket, but I ignored it because nothing seemed more important than her, than this.

She pulled her hand away. “It’s okay. Answer it.” She grabbed her fork again and tilted her head toward her food. She didn’t seem angry at the disturbance, knowing I rarely got phone calls. And when I did, they were usually important.

I took the call when I saw Max’s name on the screen. “What?” I excused myself from the table and headed to our bedroom down the hall.

Max didn’t seem surprised by my greeting. “Shane had a mission in India, and it went well. So he’s back to active duty.”

“That’s great. Good for him.”

“I encouraged him to stay home longer, but he said he was going crazy with Cynthia waiting on him all the time.”

I grinned. “Sounds about right.” I sat in the armchair next to the bed, my long legs stretched out before me. I eyed the bed, thinking about the way I took Vanessa that morning. With her flat on her belly, I held myself on top of her and fucked her into the mattress, getting deep inside her. “Did you call me just to say that?”

“Right to the point, huh?”

“I’m having dinner with my woman.”

“Then why did you answer the phone?” he countered.

My eyes narrowed even though I wasn’t looking at him. “She told me to.”

“And when did you start listening to other people?”

If he were in the room, I’d smack him upside the head. “I’m hanging up now.”

He laughed, knowing he’d pushed my buttons. “I have a job for you. Australia. You need to leave tomorrow.”

I couldn’t do that right now. “I’m in the middle of something, Max. Send one of the other guys.”

“We’ve always rotated twice,” he said. “I know you’re off in Tuscany trying to kiss Barsetti ass, but we’ve got a business to run. If you won’t jump on this, I’ll have to go. But I just got back from Russia yesterday.”

Since they’d already rotated twice to give me the time off, I couldn’t ask them to give me any more time. It would be unfair, and I would be taking advantage of our friendship instead of being professional. “I’ll do it, then.”

“Good. I’ll send you all the documents. It’s a low-key hit. Shouldn’t be any complications.”

“Good. Vanessa’s father would be ticked if I came back with another gunshot wound.”

“Didn’t realize he gave a damn.”

“He doesn’t. He just doesn’t like how my job involves Vanessa.”

“I don’t think he needs to worry about that,” he said. “Our security is pretty tight.”

“He doesn’t agree.”

“I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I don’t think this is going to end well…”

There were good days and bad days. Today, Crow wasn’t nearly as hostile as he usually was. But tomorrow, he could flip on me again. “That makes two of us.”

I knew Vanessa was going to be angry about my leaving, so I purposely kept it from her until after the evening sex was over. On her hands and knees on the bed, she had her ass in my face as I stood at the foot of the bed.

I gripped her hips and thrust into her hard, pounding into that wet slit and driving myself deep inside her. I was welcomed by her tightness and warmth, the soft flesh of her perfect pussy.

These were my favorite moments, when it was quiet in the bedroom with the exception of our deep breathing, our pants, and her sexy moans. She said my name from time to time, right before she hit her climax. It was animalistic, carnal, and lustful.

Exactly how it should be.

I fucked a woman I also loved, and that made the sex even better.

I sucked my thumb before I pushed it into her asshole, getting inside that tight little hole that was staring back to me. I loved to watch it while I fucked her from behind, to see her muscles shift underneath her olive skin. Her dark hair was beautiful, and her perky ass was a gorgeous sight.

She tensed when she felt my finger, having never felt it before. “What are you doing?”

My fingers gripped her cheek while my thumb moved in and out. I felt her hole tighten around me, grip my thumb. “Trust me.”

“Griffin…”

“I said, trust me.” I kept fucking her while I fingered her, feeling my cock slide in and out against my thumb. She slowly loosened around me, and I could hear her breathing change as she got used to the intrusion in her rear. She was tight, even just around my thumb. I wondered if she could handle my fat dick.

She gripped the sheets, and her moans became deeper and louder. Her back arched, and her cunt tightened around my dick. Her asshole clenched around my thumb. Before her screams emerged, I knew she was coming. “Griffin…” She thrust back into me, sheathing my dick over and over as the cream built up along the base. “God…”

My chest began to ache from the deep breaths I started to take. The image in front of me was so erotic, so sexy, that my dick started to throb inside her. I wanted to last longer and make her come again, but my dick had other plans. I pushed my thumb farther inside her as my dick started to pulse. I dumped all my come inside her, filling her channel with my white seed. I moaned under my breath as I enjoyed every single second of the high, every single moment of the intense pleasure.

When I finished, I pulled my dick out to watch my come seep out of her entrance. Bright against her dark skin, my seed dripped down her wet pussy. Watching my explosion drip from her opening made me feel like a man, like I’d truly accomplished something.

I washed up before I came back to bed. She didn’t clean herself up because she knew I didn’t want her to. Even if my come got all over the sheets, I liked having my essence sit inside her all night long.

I got into bed beside her, seeing the heaviness in her eyes. After sex, she usually went to sleep right away. She came into my side and cuddled beside me, her arm draped over my waist. She smelled like her perfume, sex, and me.

The perfect scent.

“I love you,” she said with a sigh, her eyes closing. She usually said it right before she went to sleep.

“I love you too.” My fingers slid through her hair, feeling the soft strands that tickled my chest in the middle of the night.

She tucked her leg in between mine, wrapping around me like a snake.

“Baby?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m leaving in the morning.”

She immediately stilled at my words, and when she didn’t ask where I was going, I knew she’d figured out exactly why I had to leave. She slowly sat up so she could look down at me. “You can’t leave right now, Griffin. It’s the worst time.”

“I know, but I don’t have a choice.”

“You always have a choice. You never do anything you don’t want to do.”

“This is different. I’m sorry, baby.”

The disappointment in her eyes made me feel like shit. “Have one of the other guys go.”

“They’ve already rotated twice. I tried to get out of it, baby. But I can’t abandon my obligations for you.”

She sighed as she dragged her hand down my chest. “The timing couldn’t be worse.”

“I know…”

“I don’t want to tell my parents you had to leave. We can’t give them any excuse to dislike you.”

“I know that too. But this is how it has to be. I’ll come back as soon as I can, and maybe they’ll see how simple the process really is.”

She stared at my chest, unable to fight her disappointment. “My parents hate what you do.”

“Yeah, I know.” Her father made it clear how much he despised it.

She lowered herself back to my chest and returned her arm around my torso. She went quiet, knowing saying anything more wouldn’t change the outcome. I’d made my decision, and I had to leave even if I didn’t want to. “How long will you be gone?”

“A few days. I’m going to Australia.”

She stayed quiet, her hair stretching across my body. “I understand your work is important to you, but when we have our own family, you won’t be able to do it anymore. It would be hard enough for me to lose you if you never came back…but it would be so much worse on our children. You know what it’s like to grow up without parents. Don’t do that to your own family.” She squeezed me tighter, like I might slip away any moment.

Vanessa knew I wanted to marry her. But we never talked about having a family. I’d never considered having children. It didn’t seem possible, so I never entertained the idea. Being a father seemed strange to me. I wouldn’t even know where to start. I lived a life of solitude, and I could hardly communicate with people. Vanessa and the boys seemed to be the only people who understood me. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”

Vanessa lifted her head again to look at me, the disappointment gone. Now she looked stern and serious, like I’d said something that ticked her off. “Griffin, I need to have children. That’s nonnegotiable.”

I could picture her as a mother, giving them activities and teaching them how to paint. I could also see her being the disciplinarian, making them into strong and independent adults. I could see her loving them the way my mother loved me, wearing her heart on her sleeve with a smile on her lips.

“So don’t ask me to marry you unless that’s something you want…”

She was willing to do anything to make this relationship work, to spend six weeks trying to get her family to like me even though our mutual hatred ran so deep. But that wasn’t our breaking point. This was. “Okay.”

“Okay what?” she whispered, hesitation in her eyes.

“I won’t ask you if I don’t want a family.”

Fear moved into her gaze, like she was afraid to ask the question before it came out of her mouth. “Is that something you want…?”

I didn’t want to answer with the truth because it was so harsh. I couldn’t picture someone like me being a father. But then again, I couldn’t picture myself loving someone the way I loved Vanessa. I couldn’t picture myself forcing my enemies to like me just so I could keep her. With Vanessa, anything was possible. “All I know is I want you…and I’m willing to do anything to keep you.”

“You’ve never wanted to have your own family?”

I shook my head slightly. “It’s never crossed my mind. I didn’t think that was an option for me.”

“It’s always an option.”

“We both know I’m not father material.”

“You weren’t boyfriend material, but look at you now.”

“I’m not your boyfriend.” I didn’t like that label one bit. I was committed to her, and she was committed to me. I loved her with all my heart. A label like that didn’t seem to fit us.

“Then what are you?”

“I don’t know. But I’m definitely not your boyfriend. I’m more than that. I’m your man. You’re my woman.”

“Now you’re talking like a caveman.”

“It gets my point across, at least.”

Her lips softened into a smile. “You’re very simple.”

“I like simple.”

She leaned down and pressed a kiss to my chest. “I like it too. But I think you can be anything you want to be. You have the heart to be a great father. I know you do. My father said he wasn’t ready to be a parent when my mom was pregnant with Conway, but once Conway arrived, his life changed for the better. Look at the way he is with me…he loves me more than anything. You could be the exact same way.”

“I guess.”

She lifted her head to look at me again. “I don’t want to lose you, Griffin. But I’ll walk away if I have to…”

If I managed to work this out with her parents, it would be a waste to ever let her go. “Let’s get through this first and revisit that conversation later.”

“Alright…” She settled into my chest again and became silent.

I was tired from working in the warehouse all day, but now I couldn’t sleep. I stared at the ceiling for the next few hours, thinking about how much my life had changed—and how much more was about to change.