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Dean

Ronan stands between my legs,still fully clothed, with his mouth open as he tries to catch his breath against my forehead. Fifty has nothing on him. This man is still showing out.

I still love my husband. We’ve just hit a huge bump in the road. I needed some time to think about all that’s happening.

“Are ya finally ready to talk to me?” he breathes.

“Maybe we should have done that first instead of fucking in the bathroom at your nephew’s wedding,” I taunt.

He grasps my neck and tilts my head back as he looks down at me. His gaze bounces over my face and then over my now red hair. It’s not my natural red but a bright crimson red.

“Ya show up glowing and looking like a sex goddess and expected me to talk first after I haven’t seen ya in nearly four months. Either ya lost yer mind or ya’ve been in the funny flower,” he says and pulls a frown. “Why’d ya leave me and where have ya been?”

“I spent some time in Ibiza to think.”

“To think about what?”

“Ro, I’m not about to have this conversation with you while you’re still pulsing inside me. I think you should pull out and let me fix my clothes so we can discuss what I have to say.”

His frown deepens, but he pulls out and fixes his clothes. I fix my dress and hop off the countertop. Before I can step away, he crowds my space and looks me in the eyes.

“Ro, baby. I promise I’m not pushing you away this time. I’m not going to run off.”

“Wait, I’m still doing this wrong. Ya were right. I have no right to be angry with ya for keeping secrets. I’ve been running ya away from me by holding on too tight.

“I know not answering yer question was the last straw. Yer the love of my life, Danika. I don’t want to lose ya,” he says as he cups my face.

“That’s not why I left. I mean, it had something to do with it, but that wasn’t the reason why.”

“Then tell me what it is.”

“Every time my mother mentions us having a baby, you get this look on your face. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. You’re getting older.

“We’ve had a lot of shit going on in the last four years. I know you wanted me to focus on healing my family and our relationship. But …”

“Aye, yer right. I have reacted before thinking, but it’s never been about ya. Thirty years ago, the woman I was in love with gave her life to save Wyatt and Noah.

“It all stemmed from the Alliance and Oland O’Brien’s hateful ass. He helped an entitled asshole family track down Cass and Joe to get back at them for my sister choosing Joe over the piece of shit they wanted her to marry.

“Sasha was pregnant at the time, but I didn’t know. I found out after the autopsies. She was older and I was only twenty. We had been hiding our relationship.

“I never wanted another relationship after that until I met ya. I was peeled and never thought I’d be able to love again. Then ya appeared and ya were perfect in every way.

“Danny, I make faces because I know ya don’t want children. Each time yer ma would mention us having our wee un, it burned. I’m not going to force ya to carry my chiselers because of my broken past.

“We have the dogs who miss ya, by the way. I can live without a lot, but not without ya.”

“So you’re okay with being a father?”

He looks down at me in confusion for a beat. His eyes clear and he smashes his lips to mine. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on tight.

I didn’t know what to expect coming here. All I knew was that I missed my husband like crazy. He was angry because I wouldn’t tell him what was going on with me and I was upset because I didn’t know how he would feel once I told him.

Our life isn’t the most child friendly. The shit the two of have done together. Uri and Val get a run for their money with us.

Things just spiraled out of control one night when I asked about his loss, hoping it would be a chance for us both to open up. My hormones got the best of me, and I took off.

“Are ya saying I’m going to be a da? Fuck, I knew yer pussy felt different. I love ya so much.