Page 110 of Nothing to This

“Oh, so I get to make all the rules?”

“If they get me laid, I’m happy.”As she rolled her eyes, amusement left his lips.“You want to talk birth control?Okay.I didn’t bring it up because you know my stance.”

“You want babies.”

“If it happens, I’ll be happy, yeah.I won’t lie to you.I’m not actively aiming for it though.”

Were they too different?His ease bordered on aloof.He might be okay making it up as they went along, in her view, the time for that had passed.They weren’t kids anymore.

“Please take this seriously.”

“Okay,” he said on an inhale and scrubbed his hands through his hair then across his stubble.“Seriously.”Squeezing her hips, he guided her off him and back to her side of the bed.“Don’t go anywhere.”

“Don’t go—” She grabbed his wrist when he tried to get up.“Where are you going?Leaving me in bed after one round is not making this last.”

“I don’t pack rubbers these days, Siren.”He leaned in to kiss her.“I’m a family man now.I’ll have to go out for them.”

Hooking a hand around the back of his neck, she yanked him down on the bed again.“I’m on the pill, smart guy.”She kissed him.He dropped onto his back, his hands in her hair, taking her with him, putting her on top.Planting her hands on his chest, she put a little space between them.“I was on the pill when we conceived the twins too.”

He pushed her falling hair back, over and over.“You want me to wear a rubber?I will.”

“It’s a different pill and it’s worked for the last five years.”

“My swimmers haven’t taken a swing at it yet.”

“Is that what this is?What I am?Your baby machine?”

This time she tried to get up, but he pulled her down to lie above her again.“You are my future, Rylee.You need me to get the snip to prove it?‘Cause I will… You’re smart, beautiful, passionate, confident.No woman has ever turned me on like you do.This is real to me, if you’re unsure—”

“We’ll live here.I don’t want too much disruption to the kids.”

“My beautiful, pragmatic Siren.”

“My children will always be the most important thing in my life.Over happiness, relationships, everything.I will always choose them first.”

“As will I.”

Her stomach lurched again.It was getting impossible to ignore.No matter what she said, this man, JD, had gotten around her defenses.

“Is this real?”she whispered, a little old now for a schoolgirl crush or rushed hormones.

“I love you, Rylee Hampton,” he said, caressing her cheek, looking deep into her.“I haven’t said it because I promised to take this slow and I don’t want to spook you, but I love you.I want to spend the rest of my life with you.Whatever celebrations and challenges that come along in the future, I want you with me and I want to be with you through yours.”

And searching his imploring gaze, she couldn’t see a hint of doubt.“Sky will be sorry she missed that speech.”He laughed, still running his fingers down and across her cheek.“What if they weren’t yours?If I was just some woman with kids.”

“I love you.You, Rylee.”

Maybe that was what kept snagging her.“How can you be so sure of this?Haven’t you ever made a life-changing decision you came to regret later?”

“Only one.”

“This could be another.”

“No.”He kissed her.“Because that one regret is you, Siren.I should never have let you walk out of that hotel room without fighting for us.”

“We’ve changed.Both of us.”

“Time does that.”