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CHAPTER SIX

Bennett

After our first night together, I couldn’t get enough. Of him or his cute son.

Our days were spent on the beach, swimming, boating, fishing, and even hanging out at my houseboat. My nights were spent in Zane’s bed as he catered to every inch of my body, coaxing orgasm after orgasm out of me. I never knew I could orgasm so much in such a short period of time.

We talked for hours and learned about each other, confessed our dreams and hopes, and I confided in him about my need to get away from my overbearing sister.

“Should I tell her your officially off limits now?” Zane asked one night while cuddled on the couch together watching a movie. Teddy had gone to bed about an hour ago and this was my favorite time of the day, when I finally had Zane all to myself.

“Oh, am I? Officially?”

Zane pulled me into his lap and started tickling me as I batted his hands away, my laughter choking me.

“You know it, hot stuff.” He kissed my lips and wrapped his strong arms around me. I loved how I felt in his arms, so safe and protected, sheltered from the cruelties of the world.

But the nagging doubts that grew bigger with every passing day warned me again and again.

This wasn’t for forever. It wasn’t going to last.

How could it?

I was heading home in a few short weeks, the summer over, with reality knocking at the back door. Besides, he was young and had his whole life ahead of him. He deserved more kids as he was a great father and who was I to hold him back from any of it?

My concerns were harder to hold back as the days passed, and while I enjoyed every second I spent with Teddy and Zane, I wasn’t always present in the moment, worried for what the future might hold.

And today, it seemed to reach its boiling point.

I untangled myself from Zane’s arms and got to my feet. I wrung my hands together, looking anywhere but at his handsome face. “Look, who are we kidding? We aren’t official anything. I’m going back home soon and then what?”

Zane stood up and grabbed me by the waist gently, pulling my body against his.

I wouldn’t, no couldn’t look at him, only able to stare at the couch behind him.

“Hey, wait, come on now, we’ll figure it out.

” He hooked one finger under my chin and lifted, my eyes finding his burning ones.

Always so intense and passionate, and while usually I loved it, in that moment, I didn’t. It was all too much.

I backed away from him and threw my hands in the air. “You always say we’ll figure it out. But we never do, do we? We’re running out of time, Zane. I knew this was going to happen. I knew this was a mistake, a broken heart waiting to happen. And here we are.”

Zane reached out and folded his hands over mine.

“I love you, Xiomara. I love you so much my heart hurts. Teddy loves you, too.” He stepped closer, closing the distance between us.

“I’ve known since the moment we met there was something happening, something neither one of us would expect to hit so hard.

But with it came love and happiness. I never been so happy my cheeks hurt from smiling.

And Teddy, he’s blossoming, and he’s so smart and learning every day from you.

You teach him when you don’t even know you are.

Move here. Live with me. And Teddy. Start a life with us. ”

“Zane…” My heart pounded so hard I thought my rib cage might snap. “It’s not that simple. My job, my age, what if I can’t give you more children? That’s not fair to you. You’re so young and full of life, you deserve a family.”

“I make enough for the two of us but if you want to continue working, the schools around here are always looking for good teachers as the community grows bigger. And if kids aren’t in the cards for us, that’s okay, too. There’s always adoption. A lot of kids need families.”

Tears welled in my eyes. This man was perfect. What’s the catch?

I shook my head as more tears slipped down my cheeks. “Zane, it’s too much to ask. Too much sacrifice for you.”

Zane squeezed my hands and brought them up to his lips, kissing each finger one by one. “I’ll sacrifice every day if it means I get to wake up next to you.”

My cries turned into sobs, a mixture of happiness and anxiousness filling me from head to toe. Could I really move here? Pick up my entire life and career and start over here? And what about my sister?

But I loved him. I’d do anything to stay with him, even if it meant giving up my job, something that scared the shit out of me.

I loved this man so much I couldn’t breathe when he wasn’t around. I’d move heaven and earth to be with him.

And there was my answer. Staring me straight in the face.

I threw my arms around his neck and jumped onto his waist, wrapping my legs around him.

“I love you so much. I can’t let you go.

Yes. Yes. Yes to it all!” I cheered through my falling tears and when my lips found his, the rest of the world around us melted away, leaving only me and him in our little bubble.

We’d figure the small stuff out later.

All that mattered is we found each other and in that we found our forever love.