Page 235 of Beyond the Blue Horizon

I curled my arms around her waist, pulled her close, and murmured at her middle, “Me, too.”

I held her like that for a while before I shucked off the intensity. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“I don’t know. I kind of like your bedroom better.” Her voice went coy.

I peeked up at her. “Don’t tease me, woman.”

A giggle rolled out of her, and she turned and sashayed from my room.

She was my utter temptation.

I followed her downstairs, and the two of us quickly dressed, constantly peeking at each other with smiles that we couldn’t wipe off our faces. We went out into the garage, and this time I led her to my truck and opened the door.

My arms went around her waist, though before I helped her up, I pressed my mouth to the shell of her ear. “Loved having you on the back of my bike. Right where you belong.”

A surprised sigh blew from her, and she leaned back farther, the words heavy with truth. “I liked it, too.”

“Now in you go.” I hoisted her up, and she squealed, joy ripping out of her as she peered down at me as I shut the door. A minute later, I was driving us across the motel’s property and up to the front of her cabin.

I jumped out and rounded to her side of the truck, whipping the door open and helping her down.

Hands continually touching. Needing that connection. The reassurance that this was real.

We strode to the door, and my guts got tangled with my heart when she pressed the keycard to the reader and opened it.

Tangled when we were met with the excitement that erupted from Finn where he was on the floor pushing a toy truck.

His little face snapped up and the most vibrant delight radiated from him as he jumped to his feet. “Mommy and myFeoget home?”

I didn’t exactly know what to do with the grief that wound with the joy. But I guess there was absolutely nothing else I could do but scoop him into my arms when he tottered for me, holding his truck over his head as he came my way, dimple denting his cheek as he shouted, “Wookwhat I got, myFeo!”

“Oh, wow. That is a cool truck,” I told him, hardly able to speak as I held him close.

Realizing what this meant.

The oath I made earlier to Piper.

The oath I made to him.

“Youwikemy truck?” he asked with that beaming smile. “It goesvrooooom!”

My chest clutched, and I set my palm on the back of his head and pressed my mouth to his temple. “Yeah, buddy. I like it.”

More than I really understood.

FORTY-SEVEN

PIPER

“Well,don’t you look properly loved up,” Nelly muttered out of the side of her mouth as I stepped into the kitchen.

“Nelly,” I admonished, just as low.

She shrugged. “All I’m saying is I told you that man would know how to take care of my girl, and he clearly delivered. Woowee…you look like you just ran a marathon. Thatspecialkind of marathon.”

She winked.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about.”