Page 37 of Duty and Desire

“Yes.” He nods frantically. “They’re on the back seat,” he says. I walk to his car parked in front of Noah’s truck and open the back door. When I see the papers along with a pen, I pick both of them up.

“Bridgett.” Noah steps in front of me, and I rest a hand against his abs.

“This is the one thing I want.”

“Fuck.” He groans, then glares at me. “At some point, I’m gonna get good at telling your ass no and sticking to that.”

“Okay,” I whisper, trying not to smile so I don’t make him angry. Taking the papers and pen from me, he walks them over to Conner, then pulls a key out of the pocket of the coat he has on.

“It looks like today is your lucky day,” he grumbles to Conner, dropping the papers onto the tailgate of the truck before uncuffing him. “Sign them,” Noah bites out, and Conner hops down, flips open the folder, and starts to sign. I let out a relieved breath when he finishes, then take the papers from him and hold them against my chest.

“Now, listen to me for once and go inside, babe,” Noah says. I don’t push my luck. Instead, I head across the yard, and just as I hit the front porch, two police cruisers pull up.

I stand just inside and watch three officers and Noah gather around Conner, and I can tell by the panicked movements Conner’s making they are scaring the crap out of him. I probably shouldn’t be happy to know he’s so intimidated, but given what happened just a little bit ago, I am. A few minutes pass before they let him get into his car, then Noah and the guys talk a bit before they shake hands, and the officers get into their cruisers.

As Conner and the officers turn around in the yard so they can head down the driveway, Noah gets in his truck and drives it toward the garage. I close the front door and walk through the house to meet him.

The second he steps inside the back door, I run toward him. He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me and pick me up. “He signed the papers.” I smile down at him.

“He did.” He carries me down the hall toward the kitchen. “I still wish he was going to jail.”

“Sorry.” I rest my hands on his chest as he plants my ass on the counter, placing himself between my thighs.

“I’ll find a way for you to make it up to me.”

“That might sound like a threat, but I have a feeling it’s not.” I smile, and he chuckles while cupping my face between his palms.

“You know, now that you’re divorced, I’m keeping you.”

“Are you?”

“Fuck, yes.” He kisses me, and I kiss him right back.

If someone had told me months ago that I would be living with a man and falling in love, I would have laughed and laughed.

But I guess things have a funny way of working out for the best, even when you think you’re at your lowest.

EPILOGUE

Bridgett

2 Months Later…

“May and Aiden are here, baby,” Noah says, coming into the kitchen behind me and kissing the side of my neck.

“Did you turn on the grill?”

“I did.” He gives my waist a squeeze and then lets me go when the doorbell rings. “I’ll get it.”

“Okay.” I accept a quick kiss, then watch him walk around the corner and out of sight before I go back to putting the finishing touches on the cake for dessert.

Since Conner signed the divorce papers two months ago, life has been a whirlwind of many ups, with a few downs tossed in.

A week after my lawyer pushed the divorce papers through, a judge signed them, finalizing my divorce and ending that chapter of my life.

Then, a couple of days after, Noah took my brother out for a beer and told him that the two of us were together. I was honestly torn about him telling Aiden; not because I worried that Aiden wouldn’t like his best friend being with his littlesister, but because I was worried Aiden wouldn’t wantmewithNoah.

I fretted the entire time Noah was out that evening, scared that he would come home and say that he’d changed his mind about me after talking to Aiden.