Damn, she looked beautiful, her hair all disheveled from sleep and fire breathing out of her eyes. The little guy moved a tad, then settled again. It didn’t feel the least bit strange having him on top of me sleeping. What killed me was the way Laurel looked at me. It ate at me, and I had to fix it.

“Angel, I’m sorry.”

Her eyes closed, and I swore her heart was beating so rapidly I could see it through her shirt. I broke her. I fucked up, and I would spend every minute for the rest of my life working to fix it.

“I meant what I said. Yes, I fucked up, and I’ll work my ass off the rest of my life to prove to you that I’m the man for you. Whatever it takes, Laurel. I love you with everything inside me. My heart only beats for you.”

Fear slammed down on me, putting myself out there for her. But it was the least I could do for her. She was my sun, earth, and every cell inside my body. There would be no changing of my mind again. My head was finally on straight and the past pushed out, not having a hold on me any longer.

She was mine and I’d always been hers, even when I didn’t know it. Strange how love worked and made you see things so much more clearly. Then knowing someone had taken her, that me staying away didn’t protect her—it was a done deal.

I loved her with everything inside of me, and I’d do my damnedest to show her every day.

“It’s too late, Paxton.” A tear rolled down her cheek and the urge to get up and hold her was fierce, but the little man on my chest had me refraining.

“It’s never too late, angel. You’re my everything in this world.”

“I have a baby now, Paxton. I can’t allow you to come into my life and then just pick up and leave me… us. It’s not how my life is going to be.”

“I completely agree. Marry me.”

She gasped so hard it felt as if she sucked the air out of the room. I didn’t let her talk. “Marry me. Go down to the courthouse with me right now. We’ll be married in an hour.”

“Now you’re talking crazy, Pax.”

“No, angel. I’m dead serious. You, the baby. All of it. I want it. If it takes a small piece of paper to prove how much I love you. I’ll do it right now. No hesitation. No looking back.”

She sat for several minutes, and waiting for her to speak was like watching paint dry.

“We can’t do that, Paxton. You want to prove to me that you’re in it for the long haul, move in here and help me take care of the baby.”

“Done,” I answered immediately without a single breath. Her eyes widened in shock. “I meant it, angel. All in. Whatever you want. Whatever you need. I’m here.”

I pulled out my phone and dialed. She answered on the first ring. “Hi, Ellen Sue. Need you to put together a bag for me with a couple weeks of clothes and toiletries.”

“And where are you going, young man?” she chastised.

“Movin’ in with Laurel.”

She gasped and I could hear the smile in her voice. “Good, son. I’m happy for you.”

The smile across my face couldn’t be hidden. “I’m happy too.”

Flipping the phone off, I tossed it down. “Done.”

Three days and Laurel still had her protective shell around her heart. For me that was, not for Keaton. No, she loved that baby as if he came from her body. She took Family Medical Leave Act, protected time off from work saying her brother was sick. Therefore, it was just the three of us and the occasional Riley who was becoming more scarce as the minutes ticked on. Fine by me. I liked being home with these two and watching them interact together.

When he ate, he was a happy baby, all smiles and funny little noises. Each one Laurel praised him, and I got a kick out of seeing her joy. She was meant to be a mother. Always knew that because of the way she took care of me.

The smells of pasta filled the kitchen as I pulled the garlic bread out and set it on top of the stove.

“He just went down,” she said, coming into the room. “Man, that smells good.”

“Hope you’re hungry. I made enough for a football team.”

We gathered our plates and moved to the table. She was still apprehensive, and I wished I could break down the barrier between us. We ate slowly with small conversation between us. It shocked me when she pointed me with a question far from the topic.

“You said you want to marry me. I want that, Paxton. I want to be your wife. I want to have a life with you. I want to have a family with you. No more bullshit. No more second guessing. No more together, not together. It’s either you’re all in and we really make a go of it, or you leave and don’t come back into my life.” She paused. “Our life.”

“You want to do it today?”

She shook her head. “No, I want a wedding, Paxton. I won’t be going to a courthouse and getting married there. But it’s more than the wedding, Paxton. I want us to commit our lives to one another. To always, no matter what, never run from the other. Always stay and talk, figuring out how to fix things together. I want the commitment from you, right here and right now. No bullshit. I want you to look me in the eyes and tell me that you are one hundred percent committed to me and Keaton. That no matter what happiness in this life, you’ll be by my side and we’ll fight like hell to get out of it.”

She let out a huge breath like she forgot to breathe the entire time she was talking.

I rose from my chair and kneeled in front of her, grabbing her hand. “I commit my life, my love, and myself to you fully and completely. I will always talk to you if we have problems. I will never run away from you or our son, ever. I will be your rock and safe place until the day I leave this earth.”

Tears rolled down her face, and I pulled her down to the floor and into my arms. Kissing the top of her head, I held her tightly. “Swear to you, angel. I’ll never be a stupid ass motherfucker who walks away ever again. You’re my life. You’re my everything. I don’t want to live this life without you by my side.”

“And Keaton.”

I chuckled. “And Keaton.”

Laurel leaned up and pressed her lips to mine. Fire exploded as I picked her up and carried her to the bedroom, never breaking our kisses.

Laying her down on the bed, she pulled away from me briefly. “Swear to you, Paxton. You get up and run after this, I’ll hunt you down and cut your dick off, then your balls, and shove them down your throat. I’m not kidding.”

Chuckling, I climbed on top of her. “We can’t have that, can we?” We locked lips once again and as much as I wanted to go slow, it had been way too long since I’d been inside of her. I needed her like my next breath.

Tearing the clothes from one another, our hands roamed each other’s bodies. I inhaled her nipple, sucking so hard her back came up off the bed and a moan escaped her. Using my other hand, I groped the other one, then switched off.

She squirmed under me, her hand coming down to my cock as I kicked my jeans off. When her hand touched, my cock became hard as granite. Her casual strokes drove me crazy.

“Need inside, angel.”

“Yes!”

There was no preamble. I slammed all the way into her body, her head hitting the headboard with my force. She cried out, but quickly covered it. The baby was in the other room, but he couldn’t wake up right now. That would put a serious damper on the mood.

In and out I thrust into her body, her nails clawing my back as she wrapped her legs around my hips.

“Harder,” she breathed, and I gave it to her. Hard.

As she clenched around my cock, bit her lips and found her release, I was right behind her.

“Love you, angel.”

“You’d better not even think of leaving, Paxton.” She clenched her muscles around my already semi-hard cock.

“Never. I’m never leaving you.”

“I love you.”

“And I love you.”

The thought of leaving them never entered my mind and never would.

I was all in for her and for our son, Keaton. Forever.