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He frowns. “Youshouldexpect me to change. I’ve spent most of our life together prioritizing the wrong things and neglecting the most important thing—no, the most importantpersonin my world, and that absolutely has to fucking change, baby. It’s nonnegotiable.”
I rest my hand on his cheek. He’s right, we both needed to make some changes to be right for one another. “I love you.”
He drops a tender kiss on my forehead and then rolls onto his back, pulling me with him so my head rests on his shoulder. “I’ve really fucking missed this.” His tone is so sad that it makes my heart ache. “Just lying here with you is the best thing in the whole fucking world.”
“Surely not thebestthing?”
That gets a laugh from him. “As much as I love the incredible sex, baby—and believe me, I really fucking do—nothing beats this.”
I hum contentedly. The man has a point.
He rests his lips on my hair. “I didn’t realize how much I missed how close we used to be. I had no clue that it was possible to miss a person when they were right there next to you.”
I press my body closer to his, recalling how many times during the later years of our marriage that I wanted to reach out and touch him. To feel a connection to the man I never stopped loving. But there came a point when I was too afraid of his rejection. Not that he would have rejected me at that exact moment in time, but later when he’d leave for work or for some family issue that required his attention, I’d have felt the sting of his leaving. Of him choosing them over me. “I know exactly what you mean.”
Elijah ison a call with Mason when my cell phone vibrates, Drake’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hey, how are you?” he asks, his voice filled with concern.
“I’m good. Really good.”
“Please tell me Elijah’s with you.”
I assure him that he is.
“Oh, thank fuck. I thought you heard what my idiot brothers said and left before he tore them a new one.”
“Well, I didn’t hear any of it, but Elijah told me what happened. He also said your dad looked unwell.”
“Yeah. We thought he was having some kind of turn, but he seems fine. Thank God.”
I didn’t need confirmation of what Elijah told me because he is not a liar and I believed what he said, but it’s still nice to hear it from Drake. “He tore them a new one, huh?”
Drake laughs. “Yeah, he went full big brother on their asses. I wish you could have seen their faces. But seriously, Amber, he gave it to them with both barrels, and they deserved it.” Imagining the looks on their arrogant faces, I laugh too. “I’m glad you’ve worked it out. You have worked it out, right? You’re still back together? He’s not cuffed in the basement or anything?”
“Not right now. Had you called a few hours ago…” I laugh. “Kidding. We had nothing to work out. At least not yesterday. We are very much together.”
“That’s good to hear.” His tone is serious now. “I’m happy for you both.”
“I’m happy for us too.”
“Now, how would you both like to come to our place for dinner tonight? It will just be Amelia and me. Oh, and Maddox. And Dad. And Luke because we’re watching him for the night while Nathan and Mel go to some animal charity thing.”
“No Mason?”
“Nope. Hot date, apparently. What do you say? Dad and Maddox are looking forward to seeing you both. It will be fun. Promise.”
I roll my eyes. Fun isn’t the first word that comes to mind when considering an evening with the James family, but this could be the perfect way to ease myself back into that world. I love Drake, Amelia, and Luke. Dalton has never been actively unpleasant to me, and Maddox—well, I don’t think he has a mean bone in his body. “Let me talk to Elijah, but I think we should be able to make it.”
“Great. Be here at six for canapés and champagne.”
I promise him I’ll try, and we end the call right as Elijah ends his with Mason. He wraps me up in his arms like he can’t bear to not be touching me for long.
“Drake invited us for dinner at his place tonight. Your dad and Maddox will be there too. And baby Luke.”
He slides his hands down to rest on my ass. “I fly to Seoul tomorrow. I’d much prefer to have you all to myself until then.”
Snaking my arms around his neck, I step into him. My body molds to his, another reminder of how well we fit together. How well we’ve always fit, even when we couldn’t see it. “I think it might be good for us. Your family is important to you, Elijah, and that means I want them to be important to me too. This could be a great first step. Drake and Amelia, and obviously baby Luke, are on our side. And your dad and Maddox are much less hostile than Nathan and Mason.”