“The universe will let me know. A bolt of lightning will hit me. I’ll see her across a crowded room, or while buying soda and jerky. Our eyes will meet, and I will just know, without a shadow of a doubt that I’ve found my partner,” Eddie said solemnly.

When Eddie got to the soda and jerky part, Gemma felt her heart stop. Was he saying what she thought he was saying?

“So you think….” Gemma couldn’t even say it out loud. It sounded ridiculous in her head, how on earth would it sound speaking the words?

“The second I saw you, the moment our eyes met, I knew. I know it’s hard for you to understand. And please believe that I know this sounds unbelievable. Gemma, you are the one I’ve been looking for. Even before I met you, when Dash came into the emergency room, I knew anyone that raised a kid that calm and collected, I had to meet. I wanted to make sure he was all right. I was drawn to Dash because he is connected to you. The universe wants us to be together.”

Gemma stared at him. She heard what he was saying. The words were trickling into her head. Her first thought was she needed to search the room for hidden cameras because someone was seriously playing a joke on her.

“Why me?”

“Why not you? I asked the sheriff to check in on Dash after his accident. I was worried about him. He told me that he had heard about you. That you were a hard worker, that you lived to provide for your son. That he was happy and well taken care of. You bust your ass and work yourself to the bone. Dash’s room looks like any other little boy’s while you sleep on a ratty old couch. I’m just guessing, but I bet that you would go hungry to make sure Dash had a good meal.”

Gemma couldn’t deny that. It had happened plenty of times. Choosing between keeping her boy fed and herself, she would go without.

“You’re amazing. You are beautiful, you’re sexy, and I haven’t stopped thinking of all the things I’ve wanted to do to you since I met you.”

“Well, that’s honest.” She could lie and say that she hadn’t thought of Eddie that way. But he was sexy and there wasn’t anything about him that she found unattractive. He was a dream she didn’t know was possible. The unattainable man, sitting in front of her, telling her she was his one. He was actually saying it.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” She had to whisper the words. She was afraid to say them too loud in case she was imagining his words and he looked at her like she was crazy.

“If there is a way for me to convince you, tell me. I’ll do anything to show you that I’m serious,” Eddie said, his voice rough with emotion.

Eddie could see her struggling, like she was trying to think of a way he could convince her. Instead of letting her flounder in doubt, he leaned forward and hooked her under the arms and pulled her up against his body. He leaned back on the couch, letting her body rest against his.

He reached his hand around her back and pressed her tighter against him. His mouth sealed over hers and he stroked his tongue over her mouth. Using his other hand, he held the back of her head and pulled her closer. She opened under him, her mouth letting him in.

Gemma kissed him back, she wanted to hold him back. She wanted him close. His body was big and strong under her; he felt safe. As his hands roamed over her, the hand at her back slid up beneath her shirt, sending shocks over her skin. She gasped, and Eddie deepened the kiss.

The sensations washing over Gemma were like nothing she’d ever felt. Her body was on fire, his hand was smooth and his mouth was moving over hers fiercely as if he couldn’t get enough of her.

If Eddie could hear what she was thinking, he would agree completely. His focus was solely on her with a tiny portion of his brain struggling to hold back his bear. Her sweet scent was overwhelming his senses. The soft skin of her back was like velvet under his fingers. Her hair was still in a braid and his hand was now tangled in its silky mass.

She was soft and pliant, and if it wasn’t for the young child in the other room. Eddie would be devising a plan to get her out of those clothes and his mouth on every inch of her body.

But there was a little boy awake in the other room. A little kissing and fondling was all Eddie was going to get unless he could convince Gemma to stay the night.

Pulling back, Eddie looked into the hooded eyes of his mate. Her eyes were dreamy and she looked like a vision. Then her eyes cleared.

“Eddie, I’m not good enough for you,” she whispered.

“Silly girl, I’m not good enough for you. I want all of you. The parts that you think aren’t worth much, the parts that you think could be better, every cell that you think isn’t good enough. I want every speck of who you are. I’ll show you what you’re worth. If you let me, I’ll spend every day convincing you just how special and amazing you are,” he said, his voice low.

“Wow, that’s really nice,” she said back, her voice catching.

“You’re really nice. Give me a chance, Gemma. I’m not playing, I’m for real. I want to be with you. I want to make your life better. You and Dash. I can take care of both of you. I know it’s not easy for you to trust me. I’m sure others have let you down, but I won’t. I want nothing but your happiness, Gemma.”

“Eddie, things like this don’t happen in real life,” Gemma said. He had a moony-eyed expression that worried her. He must be seeing her through some foggy beer glasses even though she hadn’t seen him touch a drop.

“They do, I swear it. I’ve seen it happen, Gemma, firsthand. Love at first sight. Two people who were meant to be together finding each other. Think about it – two souls that were destined to be together. You can deny it, think that it’s a joke or you’re dreaming, but what kind of regrets would you have – hell, would I have – if I didn’t try to grab on to the one person that I’ve been searching for my whole life? My heart started beating when I met you. Can you imagine? I didn’t know until that moment that I was only existing. I worked, I ate, I played, but it wasn’t living. My soul woke up when it met you. I feel fucking fantastic. I feel the happiest I’ve ever been, just being with you.”

Gemma stared at him, this time not like he was crazy. Eddie could see her expression had a glimmer of hope that perhaps he was for real. He had to keep going until she gave in and let him into her heart.

“Tell me what you think an ideal man is. Tell me what your dream man looks like, acts like. I can be that man and do all the things you think a good partner should. I believe that people find their mates, just like animals. They find their mates for life. Let me be that to you.”

Gemma gave a sad little laugh; her heart was struggling. It was happy and light that a man would even say these words to her. She was trying to memorize everything he said, to keep her going through the tough times. No matter what happened tomorrow or the next day, Eddie Rochon declaring that she was the one was enough to keep her in happy dreams for a long time.

“I thought…” Gemma started, then stopped. How to tell him her expectations for a man weren’t that big? It would make her sound pathetic, but she wanted him to realize she wasn’t some fancy lawyer or office manager who belonged on the arm of a doctor.

“I wanted a normal life. Growing up, I would see normal around me. It was so different from what I had. I knew that I could never reach that in my life. My family wasn’t motivated, to put it nicely. So I thought that I shouldn’t expect too much. The first boy who showed an interest in me was in high school. He had a job and a car; he picked me up, and we hung out in the park drinking beer. I thought that was living large. See, my parents barely acknowledged my presence. I was a side thought to them. I spent so much time alone that I’d forgotten what it was like to have physical contact.

My parents didn’t hug me, kiss me, or tell me to have a good day at school. I usually got myself up, dressed, and out the door. So when Kyle, my ex, touched me and paid attention to me, it was so much more than I had ever had. I fell for it. He convinced me to quit school and get a job so we could save and buy a house. He ended up quitting his job and letting me support him. Those beers in the park that I thought were so grown up and exciting? That was what he did every night – drank until he passed out.

When I got pregnant, I wanted to leave him. I wasn’t happy, but I was scared to be alone with a baby, so I stayed and nothing changed. My ideal man? He has a job. Not that I wouldn’t work, but two incomes are always better than one. He would like Dash and be kind to him. I wouldn’t expect him to love him like I do. Just be nice to him. My ideal man wouldn’t get drunk every night and throw up on the carpet. We would sit down after dinner and watch TV. Nothing extraordinary, just a quiet life. Sounds simple, but to a girl like me, it’s a dream come true.”