Wednesday morning
Elle rolled over and came nose to nose with Tuck—Tuck the man, not the wolf. “Good morning. Are you serious?”
“ ’Bout what?” He nuzzled her throat.
“Oh, about waking up like this for many years to come?” He’d said it again last night, that she was his and he wasn’t letting her go. She had news for him—she wasn’t letting him go, either.
“Hell, yes.” He gave her that sexy grin she loved. “Good assistants are hard to find.”
“And that’s all I am to you?” She tried sending a look that should have told him how mortally offended she was, but she couldn’t pull it off. She loved him way too much.
“You are so much more, Elle Marcel of the burgundy hair. You have become the air I breathe and the sustenance I need. I love you. I don’t need you to leave me for a week to prove that. I don’t want to spend another night without you for as long as we both shall live.”
“Works for me, Tuck. You’re the one I’ve been hoping for all my life. I’m not going anywhere.”
Thursday morning
Meg was so nervous Thursday morning she could barely button her blouse. She was bringing Zach home today. Well, not home home, but home to Feral Passions. His mind had begun to clear up yesterday, and he’d been mostly back to normal by last night. He wasn’t hurting too badly, and he was anxious to get out of the hospital.
Trak had teased her, said he was putting a couple of chairs on the deck at the lodge so he and Zach could oversee the activities. For whatever reason, she was nervous about Zachary and Traker Jakes getting to know each other. In the back of her mind was the memory of that kiss.
The one that hadn’t done a thing for her. But she was bringing Zach to her little cabin, and he hadn’t kissed her since he’d awakened. Not once. Which meant she’d probably been right and the reason he’d driven all that way was to tell her it was over.
She needed to hear him say it before she’d really believe it, but she figured she wouldn’t be at all surprised when he did. She’d play it cool, and she’d survive. Of course, that meant she’d have to find a new job, and she loved that office.
She loved her boss a whole lot more. She looked at the sparkling diamond on her left hand and wondered if she should just take it off now, except she couldn’t. She really, really wanted to be wrong.
She heard a light tap on her door. “Come in. I’m decent.”
Brad opened the door. “Well, damn. You’re no fun.” He gave her a quick appraisal. “You look really nice. Do you mind going a little early so I can pick up some groceries? I’m out of a couple of things, and with an extra mouth to feed, I need to make sure I impress your guy with the amazing food here.”
“The food is amazing. It’s been the best part of our visit. Well, for me, at least. This has been a really odd week.” She grabbed her handbag and a light sweater. “Are we taking the truck?”
“No, the van’s a lot more comfortable. And Cherry’s going with us.”
“Good. I’m glad.” Actually, she was relieved. Cherry already felt like a good friend. She might be able to figure out what was going on with Zach.
It felt weird to have regular clothes on, after three days in a hospital gown, but Zach was more than ready to get out of this place. One of the paramedics had gone over to the wrecking yard and recovered his backpack from his trashed car, so at least he had his own clothes, though not many extras.
He really hadn’t thought this trip out very well, and he still felt out of sync, as if he couldn’t connect with Meggie at all. She seemed so sad when she was here with him, and he wasn’t sure why. She hadn’t kissed him, or hugged him, or acted like she was glad he was here, but the hospital wasn’t a good place to figure that out. He wanted to be sure he was thinking clearly if they had stuff to work through.
“Zach! You’re dressed!”
“Hey, Meggie.” Damn but he loved her. She was incredible, an island of calm in the storm that was his life. He took a deep breath, forced himself to settle down. “Yeah, they found my backpack with a change of clothes. I was worried I might have to run around town in a hospital gown.” She stood there, looking so awkward, his Meggie who was always so self-assured. What the fuck was wrong? He held his arms out. “I’m not broken. Don’t I get a kiss?”
She wrapped her arms around him and held on as if she wasn’t ever going to let go. “Meggie? You’re trembling. What’s wrong?” He kissed her and then leaned back and looked into her expressive gray eyes. Right now, he saw more confusion than anything.
“I’ve been so worried, Zach. Look, let’s get out of here. Brad and Cherry, a couple from the lodge, are waiting out in the parking lot for us. Is there anything you need to do or sign or anything like that?”
“All taken care of. I’ll just let them know you’re here.” He turned carefully and grabbed his beat-up old backpack, one he’d had since college. “I feel kind of silly now, but I packed at three in the morning and left before four. Didn’t even throw in a razor.” He rubbed his jaw. “The nurse shaved my face yesterday.” He raised an eyebrow. “It was actually kind of nice. Think that’s something you’d be interested in doing once we’re married?”
She laughed and gave him a flirty, dirty look. “Depends. What do I get in return?”
“I’m sure you’ll think of something appropriate.” He was afraid if he got started with suggestions, he’d scare her off. She’d been way too careful around him since his wreck.
They stopped by the reception desk, and he made sure they had all his contact info, and then he met Brad and Cherry in the parking lot. Good-looking guy, a really awesome woman, both of them friendly and outgoing.
They were on the road and headed out within a couple of minutes.
“Zach?” Brad glanced over his shoulder. “Anything we can do about your car? Can it be fixed?”
He laughed at that one. “God, I hope not. It’s trashed. One of the paramedics stopped by this morning with pictures that he transferred to my phone. Said he was impressed I’m still alive, but the airbags and seat belt did their jobs.”
Meggie grabbed his hand. She held on to it all the way out to the resort.
Manny hunted Jules down right after breakfast. He’d told her to wear her hiking clothes, and she looked great in olive-green rip-stop cargo pants and a black fitted tank top. She’d stuck a safari hat on her head, had a lightweight jacket tied around her waist, and wore sturdy hiking boots.
She looked stunning, and he told her so.
“So. What’s your nefarious plan, Mr. Vicario? Why am I dressed like someone out of an REI catalogue?”
She gave him a slant-eyed look, and he laughed. In less than five days, he’d learned her moods, her looks, her wicked sense of humor. The places she liked for him to touch. The places she wanted to touch, and thinking of her touch on those places had him uncomfortably straining the faded jeans he’d decided to wear. “Today, my dear, Drew and I are taking you on a hike. We’re showing you some of our favorite places, ones not on the guest map. More private.”
He waggled his eyebrows and leered. She punched his shoulder. “Where’s Drew? I’m not going anywhere private unless he’s along, too.”
“I’m right here. Sorry.” Drew leaned close and kissed Jules. “Thanks for standing up for me. Trak asked me to move a couple of chairs for him.”
Manny cocked an eyebrow. “What’s going on? Trak’s supposed to be recuperating.”
“He is. He’s doing great, but Meg’s on her way back from the hospital with her guy, and Trak’s now got a couple of Adirondack chairs positioned on the deck so he and Zach can oversee the guests while the two of them recuperate in comfort close to the bar. His words, not mine.”
Jules laughed at that. “I’m almost sorry to miss that, but I’d rather go with you two.”
Manny wrapped an arm around her shoulders like she was one of the guys. “And why is that?”
“Because I’m on vacation, and you two are the entertainment. Now, where are we going?”
Drew slapped a hand over his heart. “She wounds me.”
Frowning, Jules looped her arm through his. “How so?”
“You’re treating us like sex toys. I’m insulted.”
Jules rolled her eyes. “C’mon, big guy. Get over it. Manny, let’s move it.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He glanced at Drew. “Remember, my friend. Boyfriends come and go, but a good dildo lasts forever.”
“As long as you don’t forget to replace the batteries.” Grumbling dramatically, Drew took Jules’s other arm, and they were off.
This had been a strange, magical, sometimes heartrending crazy week, and Jules had never been happier in her life. Tomorrow would be their last day, since they had to leave early Saturday to get all the way back home to Portland. She refused to see this brief romance with creatures who shouldn’t even exist as anything beyond a chance to experience a fantasy out of time, a utopian interlude that would have to carry her through the rest of her life. She knew she would never find anyone like Manny and Drew again—two men she’d discovered were beautiful both inside and out.
Manny was a forester who kept the animals on the preserve safe. That’s why he’d been out patrolling with Trak when the alpha was shot, but it was an important job, a dangerous one as well, that he said he absolutely loved. He was funny and sweet and sometimes so charming he took her breath. She could love him so easily.
Drew was a bartender at Growl and a lot of the time acted as Manny’s foil. They played off each other with the ease of longtime friends—and, as she’d discovered, lovers.
Elle was serious about staying on with her veterinarian. All the girls knew she’d always wanted to be a vet, that she had that amazing affinity with animals and her own magical ability to heal them. For whatever reason, it was way too easy to see Elle as a fierce and powerful female wolf. She’d had them all laughing at breakfast, joking about finally deserving the name way too many men had pinned on her: bitch.
“How ya doin’, Jules?” Manny draped his arm over her shoulders. They’d been walking single file along a narrow section of trail that skirted a rushing creek, but they’d hit a wide spot. Manny was quick to take advantage of it.
“Doing great. It’s amazing out here.” It was, with the craggy mountains and thick stands of evergreens crawling up the steep slopes, the creek they followed through small meadows filled with wildflowers even this late in the summer. The afternoon had turned warm, and the air was filled with birdsong. “I’ve never been in country like this, though I see the mountains from Portland all the time. I’ve just never gone to see them up close. I envy you, living here.”
“Do you?” Drew wrapped his arms around her from behind and rested his chin on top of her head. “Wouldn’t you get bored?”
“You’re kidding, right?” She turned and kissed his chin, something she would never have done to a man just a week ago. “I’ve always wanted to write, but could never afford the time off to do it. I quit my job when I realized what a scumbag my boss was—he’s the one I was dating until I discovered I was exclusive but he wasn’t—and I actually started a book, knowing I couldn’t start job hunting until after this trip. It’s been planned for months. Luckily I had some savings, but I realized I liked staying home and writing.”
“What do you write?” Manny slipped an arm around her.
She loved being sandwiched between two killer men. She was positive she could use it in a story at some point. “Don’t laugh. I’m writing a romance.”
“Why would I laugh?” Manny leaned away from her, frowning.
“People who haven’t read them make fun of the books, call them bodice rippers. They forget the main tenet of a romance other than the romance is that it has to have a happy ending. Yes, they can have graphic sex and sometimes silly stories, but I dare you to read a good romance and walk away from it feeling sad.”
Manny took her hand and led her away from the trail, over to a grassy spot beside a huge incense cedar. Drew pulled a blanket out of his backpack and spread it on the ground. “Time for a break. Sit.”
She sat with a guy on either side. It wasn’t awkward at all. It felt right.
“So, any chance Manny and I might turn up in one of your books?” Drew tapped the end of her nose and made her laugh.
“Believe me, gentlemen, whenever I have to write about a sexy hero, you two will be foremost in my mind. I’m going to miss you so much when I leave here. I’m hoping that writing about you will be a way to keep you close.”
“Ya know,” Manny said, “when we first built Feral Passions and opened the doors last spring, we had a rule that if any of the guys met a woman he loved enough to keep, he had to wait until at least a week after she’d gone home to find her and see if she still felt the same about him as he did about her. But that was with women who didn’t know what we were, what we were offering. So far, only Brad and Cain and Wils and Ronan have met women they could see themselves spending a lifetime with. Of course, after they followed the girls to San Francisco, they discovered that Cherry had figured out our secret.”
“She said it was eye color that tipped her off.”
“That’s right,” Drew said. “That night, when Manny and I came to your room, you called us by name. You were right. How?”
“I don’t know. I was asleep. I’d been dreaming about Manny.” She glanced at him and smiled. “Very good dreams, by the way. In my dream, he was a wolf, and when you both showed up as wolves, I knew who you were. No reason. I just recognized you in the wolves, somehow.”
Drew took her hand, played with her fingers. “Freaked us out. We had no idea how you knew.”
“Sorry. Neither did I. I still don’t.”
“Jules, Drew and I wondered how you felt about us. Could you see a future with a couple of guys who tend to go furry on occasion? Maybe spend some time on the furry side yourself? Occasionally howling at the moon?”
“What?” She looked from Manny to Drew and back at Manny.
Manny ran his fingers through her hair. Pulled her close for a kiss. “I can see a lifetime of kissing you, making love to you. I can’t imagine growing tired of you.” He raised his head. “Or this guy. You see how it works with Cherry and the guys. That’s what we’re asking for. With you.”
“But you need to know everything,” Drew said. “We finally convinced Trak that you should know the truth before you really think about it. If you agree, we’d both need to bite you. Not bad, just enough to break the skin, but you’d go to sleep, and when you woke, you’d be able to shift.”
“If you agree,” Manny added, “you will only have sons, not daughters. Werewolf males are born, the females are made, but you’ll live far beyond your normal life span.”
This was amazing. Crazy. She’d have to be nuts … not to. “How far beyond?”
“Well, how old do Drew and I look?”
She shrugged. “Low to midthirties.”
Drew grinned. “I’m the kid here. I was born in 1911. This old fart was born in 1897.”
“Holy. Shit.” She stared at the two of them. Manny was born in the nineteenth century! “Manny, you’re almost a hundred and twenty years old!”
“And he doesn’t look a day past a hundred.” Drew snickered.
Manny mussed his hair and in a shaking voice said, “Be kind to your elders, sonny.”
“I’ve been thinking of this week as an impossible slice out of time I never want to give up. You’re offering me the fantasy for the rest of my life. I’d be crazy to say no.”
Drew took one hand, Manny the other.
“We still have to give you a week away,” Drew said.
“Time to think it through,” Manny added. “Time to think us through. Drew and I have been off-and-on partners for years, never as committed as Cain and Brad. I asked him this week if he loved me enough to be my partner, even if you weren’t part of it.”
“And I said yes, because I’ve loved Manny for years, but I told him it would be a lot more fun if you were part of the mix.”
“I want that,” Jules said. She meant it with all her heart. “I want both of you.”
Dar was the only one by the pool Thursday afternoon. Everyone had found someplace to be—Jules with her guys, Elle and Tuck checking on a mare near town having a tough labor, and Meg with Trak and Zachary.
Lawz had gone into town to check on the sheriff’s case against the poachers. They’d arrested all three guys Tuesday night and found a huge freezer filled with frozen game on Wednesday, most likely from the preserve, though at this point there was no way to prove it. No matter, it had been taken out of season, and Trak was paying to have DNA tests done against the carcasses found within the fence line to see if they could make a match. No wolves had been killed, but the men had been charged with attempted murder, poaching, trespassing, and because they all had prior prison records, felons in possession of firearms.
The sheriff assured Lawz they’d be spending a long time behind bars.
Dar picked up the book she’d been reading. Brad had come out and refreshed her margarita, and she honestly couldn’t remember feeling this relaxed. She realized that this was the first time she’d actually been alone since the drive down last Sunday. The weird thing was, she didn’t miss the girls, her closest friends ever. She missed Lawz. He’d spent the night in her bed, just as he had every night since she’d arrived. He’d been a wolf that first night, but the man was addictive. More than addictive—she wasn’t sure she could walk away without a broken heart.
He hadn’t made any declaration like Tuck had to Elle, essentially telling her she was his and talking about a future. It felt as if Lawz was hedging his bets, but she wasn’t sure why. The attraction between them was off the charts, and they truly enjoyed each other’s company, but for whatever reason, while he’d talked about not wanting to let her go, he hadn’t asked her to stay.
Maybe she needed to ask him. Men could be so obtuse sometimes.
With that plan simmering in the back of her mind, she went back to her book. She shouldn’t have been surprised when Cherry offered the loan of a terrific werewolf romance. So far, though, Dar thought Lawz was a lot sexier than the hero in the story.
_____________
Meg stretched and yawned. They’d been out on the deck for the past couple of hours while Traker talked about the pack history. He’d told Zach that he had to trust him to keep their secret, but he didn’t want Meg’s friends to feel they couldn’t talk openly with him and Meg. Trak didn’t think that was fair to their friendship. At first, Zach thought they were making fun of him, but then Cain had dropped his pants and turned into a wolf right there in front of them.
He’d never seen anything so astounding, so flat-out mystical, in his life. He’d held on to Meg’s hand and realized what had to be impossible was happening right in front of him, and somehow, that made just about anything possible.
Even Meggie loving him. Damn, but he wished he knew what was wrong.
“Zach, honey? I’m going back to the cabin to take a nap. If I don’t show up for dinner, will you come wake me?”
“Of course I will.”
She leaned over and kissed him. Her lips felt warm and soft, but her eyes were sad. She’d been sad since he’d gotten here. At first, he thought she was worried about him, but then he began to suspect it was something more. He honestly didn’t know what it might be, and if it was that she didn’t love him anymore, he didn’t want to know.
He watched her follow the trail until she disappeared into the woods. He’d gotten to be friends with Traker, both of them stuck on the deck healing. The man was the pack alpha, a leader, and he definitely had the pulse of his pack. Nothing got by him.
“Trak? I need some advice. What the fuck is wrong? Meggie’s just …”
“Do you love her?”
“What?” Frowning, he stared at Trak. Maybe the guy wasn’t all that smart. “Good lord, man. Of course I do. Why do you think I was driving down here when I wrecked my car? I missed Meggie so much I couldn’t stand it. I’d been awake all night and finally got up at three because all I wanted was to be with her. Why would you ask me that?”
Trak smiled, sort of a big Cheshire cat grin. “Then maybe you need to tell her.”
“I tell her I love her all the time. I asked her to marry me. I’ve never asked any woman to marry me, figured it wouldn’t happen, but when she came along, I knew she was the one.”
“Zach, I knew Meg was troubled as soon as she got here. The others were laughing and teasing the guys, having a great time, and she was keeping to herself, sort of quiet. Even her friends knew something was wrong.”
“Do you have any idea what?”
“I do. Some I got from her friends, some from Meg when I asked her, and she told me the whole convoluted story. What it comes down to is that Meg doesn’t think she’s good enough for you. She’s afraid you’re going to wake up about a week after you’re married and realize you made a mistake.”
“I don’t understand.” He shook his head. Trak couldn’t be right. Could he?
“Another thing. Jules once had an abusive boyfriend. Dar asked Meg if you were abusive.”
“Me?” Zach shook his head. “Hell, no. My father treated my mother like shit. Her spirit was totally broken by the time I came along. I would never treat a woman like that.”
“Meg denied it, and then she went on to list enough qualities to make you sound like a fucking saint.”
He laughed then, but Zach still didn’t get it. “At least it’s not just me thinking she’s unhappy. Do you have any idea why?”
“Yeah. It’s simple. She said you’re so wonderful, she can’t believe you really love her because she’s nothing.” He held up his hand when Zach interrupted. “I’m just repeating what I heard the others talking about after a hike they took together. That’s when they confronted her. I guess Meg’s family life wasn’t very supportive. Her mother and father were way too open about the fact they hadn’t wanted her, that if not for a broken condom she’d never have been born and they wouldn’t have married. That’s a horrible thing to tell your child, and Meg’s self-esteem is in the gutter. Not professionally. I get the feeling she’s afraid that she’s such a good personal assistant that you’re marrying her to make sure she stays on.”
He stared at Trak for the longest time, going over conversations with Meggie since he’d arrived. Nothing. “I can’t believe that. Shit.” He sat there on the deck with his head in his hands and tried to recall if he’d ever told Meggie why he loved her as much as he did. He’d tried to show her. Their sex life was amazing—shouldn’t that convince her? He said as much to Trak.
Who laughed way too much for Zach’s peace of mind.
“Zachary my friend, that is such an egotistical, totally misogynistic statement that it’s one for the records. That good sex is Meg’s gift to you. Don’t ever think otherwise. In the pack, we treasure our women. They’re a powerful part of our world, the stability that keeps a pack healthy. That’s why we’re so desperate to find mates. I would suggest you go back to your cabin right now and tell Meg exactly why you made that long trip from Portland. Let her know you would follow her anywhere, do anything for her. She makes you whole, Zachary Trenton. But she doesn’t know that because you’ve never told her how you really feel.”
“You’re right.” He felt like such an ass. “I need her more than I like to admit. I didn’t want her to think I was a neurotic weakling.”
Trak grinned at him and shook his head, laughing. “Idiot. You were afraid to tell her the truth. You are a weakling. Not so sure about the neurotic part, but man up, Zachary.”
Zach didn’t get pissed, but he didn’t laugh, either. Inside he was laughing at himself, and it wasn’t a pleasant feeling. Trak was right on all counts. He stood, reached out, and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you. It appears I have some groveling to do.”
“It appears you do.”
Trak was still chuckling as Zach took the trail to Meg’s cabin.
Dar glanced up as Lawz pulled into the parking lot in his shiny red pickup truck. It was flashy, like something you’d see a good old boy driving down the freeway with an American flag flapping from the back, except he wasn’t a flashy guy. One day, if they ended up together, she’d have to ask him about it.
She thought he’d go straight to the lodge to check in with Trak, but instead, he cut across the lawn and walked over to her and her spot under an umbrella by the pool. “Hey!” She pulled off her dark glasses and smiled at him. “I wondered when you’d get back.”
He shrugged. “Had some things to take care of.”
“Did you get them done?”
“I did.” He grabbed a chair at another table, dragged it over to a spot directly across her small table, and sat facing her. He took both her hands in his and looked at her so directly she felt as if he could read the small print inside her. “Darian, I’ve been doing some checking with a TV station in Eureka. It’s a network affiliate and covers a lot of the North Coast. I mean, it’s not huge, not Portland huge, anyway, but I asked if they might have a spot for a talented newscaster from the Portland area. I told them who you were, and the station manager jumped on the idea as soon as I mentioned your name. Said he’s heard only good things about you.”
She didn’t say anything, but there had to be a damned good reason why he’d been checking on something like that behind her back. Maybe she wouldn’t have to ask him that commitment question after all.
“The thing is, Dar, I want you to stay with me. I mean, I know I have to let you go for a week—that dumb rule we all agreed to—but I want you to want to come back here with me. To live with me as my mate. I spend most of my time in Eureka and parts north, and I’ve got a nice house over there, but this will always be my home.” He shrugged, but because he knew structure was important to women, he added, “I’ve got a sturdy little place here, too, though I don’t live here much. Do you think you could love me, Dar? Because I’m already almost there with you. I just want to know you better, but we’d have all the time in the world ahead of us.”
She stood, leaned over the table, and kissed him. “I am so glad you asked, silly. I’ve been sitting here wondering if I needed to ask you, because there’s no way in hell I’m letting you go. I can easily see spending the next sixty or so years beside you.”
She did like that smile of his, though she wasn’t quite sure what he meant when he chuckled softly, glanced away, and then focused those sparkling brown eyes on hers.
“Well, Dar.” He actually laughed harder. “That sixty years? That’s something else we probably need to discuss …”
Zach opened the door to Meg’s cabin quietly, in case she’d fallen asleep. She was lying on the bed, still dressed in the long skirt and tank top she’d had on, but she wasn’t sleeping. No, even though her back was to him, it appeared she was crying.
Traker must have nailed it, and Zach was an absolute ass.
He walked around the bed and sat on the edge beside her. He didn’t look at her. He couldn’t, because Trak was right about something else. Call it a hangover from his father’s brand of parenting or pure cowardice on his part, but he couldn’t face Meggie while he confessed what a jerk he was. How afraid he was to tell her the truth.
Instead, he reached for the box of tissues beside the bed and handed it to her. She blew her nose and got herself under control. He only knew it from the sounds, because he still couldn’t look at her. Didn’t want to see how miserable he’d made her because he was such a fucking coward. Finally, he heard her draw a shaky breath, and knew he’d run out of time.
“Meggie, do you have any idea how much you mean to me? No.” He shook his head. “Don’t answer that, because it’s obvious you don’t, and that’s my fault. You probably don’t even know why I had that stupid accident.”
“Because a bear ran in front of your car?”
He laughed, but the sound was torn out of him. “Well, that and the reason why I was headed down here, driving like a bat out of hell. See, I’d slept okay the first night you were gone, but Monday night slid into Tuesday morning, and when I was still awake at three and missing you so much it was like an amputation because part of me was just gone, I threw some stuff in my backpack and hit the road. I even turned my phone off so, on the off chance you called me, I couldn’t answer, because I can’t lie to you, Meggie.”
He turned then and took her hands in his. “I can’t lie to you, and I was scared to death if you called and I told you I was coming to see you, you’d tell me to go home. That you didn’t want me here. And you shouldn’t have, because it’s your fucking bachelorette party, which means no men, but I kept thinking you were using this time to convince yourself I didn’t love you when I love you so much it scares me. You have so much power over me. You could destroy me so easily. You’re my anchor, Meggie. The one person in the whole world I know will love me no matter what. I’ve never had that before, not from my parents, not from friends, and never from a girlfriend. I’ve never had anyone like you in my life, but you’re the one person I’ve hoped for all along. If I ever lose you, I lose everything that’s important.”
“Zach? I don’t understand. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. You’re absolutely perfect, but …” She turned her face away, wouldn’t look at him.
The truth hit him, then. So damned simple he’d been an idiot not to see it. “No, Meggie. I’m not perfect. I’m so far from it, but maybe I’m perfect for you. And no matter what you think of yourself, I know you’re exactly the woman I want. The one I need. The one I love beyond measure. Can we let it go at that, accept the fact we’re both probably neurotic as hell but lucky enough that each of us has found exactly the right person to love?”
“Yes,” she said, covering her mouth with one hand, blinking away tears. “I can do that.” She was laughing and crying at the same time, so that it was hard to understand her, except he knew exactly what she meant.
“Good,” he said, nuzzling that sweet spot behind her ear. Breathing a deep sigh of relief. “Me, too.”