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He captured my hands in his, his grip firm, centering. “I've known you for eight years.”
I tilted my head. “Well, that's not true.”
“I met you eight years ago and fell for you harder than I've ever fallen for anyone.”
I gulped.
“Since we reconnected?—”
“You mean since I ran into you when you were with Sebastian,” I clarified.
His heated gaze met mine. “Yes, that. I was so startled to see you. So fucking furious with you for giving me the wrong number.”
I lifted a solitary finger. “Let the record state that I didn't actually give you the wrong number.”
Beck roughly dragged a hand through his hair. “Yes, I fucked up the number. That's on me and I'll never be able to get those years back.”
I traced Beck’s pecs paying close attention to a name written there.Alice.
“Then you wouldn't have Alice,” I said. “And we need Alice.”
Pure love and adoration. That was the look Beck blessed me with.
“Yes, we definitely need Alice,” Beck confirmed.
He lowered his forehead to mine and said those three little words again. “I love you.”
I beamed. “I kind of love you too.”
* * *
“Dr. Wozniac is going to be so excited I had sex standing up.”
Beck choked on his coffee.
Alice had gone up to her room to get dressed for the day. When we told her our plan to take her to the Brooklyn Zoo, she immediately bolted upstairs to get ready. I wasn't about to tell her I still needed to shower and so did her dad.
“I'm glad you're going to your therapist about it,” Beck said. While other men may have been uncomfortable or embarrassed, Beck held no such judgment. He was genuinely glad I had someone to talk to.
“She gave me two gold stars for the convo with Paige,” I said, chest puffed with pride.
Beck finished chewing his scrambled eggs. “As she should. How are you feeling about the run in?”
I sank back in my chair and thought about it for a second. “Is it weird to say I feel great? Like I'm glad I didn't have time to think about it or get nervous about meeting with her. Like the universe knew it needed to happen and didn't give me a chance to second guess myself.”
Beck nodded. “You didn't have time to be in your head.”
I pointed my fork at him. “Exactly.”
We chatted about our plans for the day. I would have to go into work later, but the morning was for us. I’d probably have to sneak in a nap between our activities and the going into the office because I wasn't used to keeping the schedule of a seven-year-old, not that I was complaining.
“Can I take the last of the coffee?” I asked with the warming carafe already poised over my ceramic mug.
Beck smiled. “Sure.”
“I appreciate the green light, but I have to be honest, I was going to take that coffee no matter what.”
“I figured,” he said, dragging a thumb across his bottom lip as I brought my drink to my lips. “So when are you going to move in?”