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I kissed the back of her neck, ran my hands over her full hips.
She arched her back, grinding her backside against me and sending blood to my cock. I dragged my nose up the nape of her neck.
She moaned softly, reaching back and pressing her hand against my growing erection.
I moved my hands down her hips, sliding them into her leggings and rubbing slow circles around her clit as she moved against me until I couldn’t take it anymore.
There were no words this time, no fun orders or sexy pleas.
Just Liv and me as I took off my pants and pressed into her, savoring every bit of her body, her soul.
And all I could think was... I’m going to lose her.
I’m going to lose the best thing that ever happened to me.
59
Liv
Fletcher had to work late often the week leading up to Maya’s birthday. Purchasing the practice and switching everything over to Madigan Medical was a time-consuming process. I didn’t mind so much because I didn’t need to watch Maya while she was in school, and it gave us time to hang out in the afternoons.
Not to mention, I still hadn’t made a decision when it came to Fletcher, and I knew I’d have to make it soon. I couldn’t live in limbo like this. It was only hurting us both, me standing with one foot in and one foot out of the door.
The morning of Maya’s birthday, I got up early and wrangled Fletcher into helping me blow up balloons. I’d seen this thing online where you could make a whole balloon cascade, so when Maya opened her bedroom door, she’d be covered in balloons—a great way to start her day.
The problem? It had been a hot minute since I’d blown up so many balloons. My face was red and so was Fletcher’s, which made us both laugh so hard we had to steal away to the bedroom to keep from waking Maya up before we could carry out our surprise.
Eventually we finished blowing up the balloons and taped a sheet to her door to hold them all in. Then we went to the kitchen, and he made coffee while I went about cooking her birthday breakfast—pancakes with her name spelled in chocolate chips.
“You make birthdays so special,” Fletcher said with a smile as he sat at the island with his coffee cup. “Makes me excited for mine.”
In that moment, I could see my future laid out before me. Waking up with him, sipping coffee as the sun came up, seeing the light shine in his eyes and the mess in his hair. Giggling about birthday shenanigans and enjoying our time together. But my heart broke because we’d be lacking the one thing that I’d always held sacred.
Marriage. The promise that we’d be together forever, through richer and poorer, in sickness and in health. That tradition that tied me to my parents and grandparents and so many generations before us. He’d shared that with Regina, and he shared a daughter with her. How much had he given to Regina that he would never have with me?
“What’s going on in that pretty mind?” he asked, looking up at me.
I quickly cleared my expression. “Just wondering if we should apply sunscreen halfway through the float or if once at the beginning will be enough.”
He seemed to hesitate like he knew that wasn’t it, then went along with the lie. “If I have it my way, Rhett will be wearing sunscreen on a necklace from now on, along with one of those dorky fishing hats.”
I chuckled. “Rhett’s worn that wire cross necklace as long as I’ve known him. Doubt sunscreen goes along with that.”
Then we heard Maya’s bedroom door open, and an eruption of barking ensued.
Fletch and I shared a smile before walking toward her bedroom, hearing Maya say, “It’s okay, Graham. The balloons won’t hurt you, see?”
The barking got even louder, and Maya laughed.
We reached her as she came out of the room, her dog writhing in her arms. “I think Graham’s afraid of balloons,” she said.
Fletcher half laughed. “Of course he can survive on the side of the road but can’t handle a party balloon. Happy birthday,nine-year-old.”
She hugged her dad, holding the puppy between them, then turned to me.
“Happy birthday, sweet girl! I’m so excited to celebrate with you!”
“Me too.” She grinned and then passed Graham to Fletcher. Ever since the coyote scare, morning potty times were his responsibility, much to his chagrin.