“It’s okay, Autumn,” I whisper. “He can talk.”

Autumn glares at Reign, and pokes a finger into his chest. “You hurt her again, I’ll fuck you up. You decide what you want and you stick with it. Got me?”

He stares down at her. “Yeah, I got you.”

She turns and walks over to me, cupping my face. “I’m a phone call away.”

I nod, squeezing her hand.

She leaves and when we hear her car drive off, Reign shuts the door and walks over, stopping in front of me. He points to the seat beside me. “Can I sit?”

“That’s up to you,” I say, my voice small.

I scoot to the end of the couch as he sits down at the other end. He turns his body towards me and stares at me for a long, agonizing moment. “There’s a lot of shit I need to say to you, Tia. But the first thing you need to know is that I didn’t tell Selena about the baby. She overheard you scream it at me; she was in an office nearby. I didn’t know she was going to come to you. If I did, I would have stopped her.”

My heart swells with emotion, but I say nothing. I just keep the empty expression on my face.

“The second thing you need to know is that I’m fucking sorry. I’m so goddamned sorry I didn’t believe you. I wanted to believe her; I held onto hope that there was something good left in her, but there wasn’t. I knew that over a week ago, but today confirmed that for me. I knew that before you saw me with her, and it looked so fuckin’ bad I know that you might not believe me but it’s true.”

I still don’t say anything.

He sighs and goes on. “I put you fuckin’ second, there is nothing I can say to make up for that. But I fucked up; I know I did.”

He looks up at me, his golden eyes meeting mine.

“You didn’t put me second, Reign,” I whisper. “I put myself second. You made it clear how you felt for her.”

“But I was wrong,” he protests. “I was fuckin’ wrong, Tia. When I started getting feelings for you, it threw me. It put everything I was working for off-balance. She was there, all sunshine and rainbows, makin’ me believe there was something left. I found myself with feelings for two women. I thought I loved her.”

“Thought?” I ask.

“Thought. You want to know the exact moment I realized that what I was feeling for her wasn’t love, that what I felt for her was loss and desperation?”

I nod.

“I took her out for a coffee, to talk. I asked her what she loved about me, and she could hardly answer me. I realized then that I was wrong. I had it all fucked up. What I felt for Selena wasn’t love, it was an old flame I was trying to relight. I didn’t realize that until I felt love again . . . with you, Tia.”

My eyes well with tears and I use the back of my palm to swipe them away before they have the chance to fall.

“I’ve been trying to wrap my head around everything, trying to understand the moment I stopped loving her, and started loving you. I wanted to make sure it was right, that I wasn’t going to give you false promises. Then you told me you were pregnant and it threw me, it sent me over the edge because I didn’t know how to react. I didn’t choose her, Tia. I never fuckin’ chose her; I just didn’t choose you, either. But now I am. I’m choosing you.”

My hands are shaking as I blink at him through my haze. “You choose me?”

He scoots closer, cupping my cheeks in his palms. “I’m choosing you because you gave me something I was too fuckin’ blinded to see for so long. You give me friendship, you give me laughter, but most of all, you give me truth. Everything about you is real, Tia. There are no secrets, no darkness, no selfish. It’s all pure and perfect. I want that—I want it every day for the rest of my life.”

I drop my head, but he keeps his hands on my cheeks. My tears run down over his fingers then slide down his arms.

“I love you, Tiani. Didn’t think it would ever happen, but the day I hired you was the best fuckin’ decision I’ve ever made.”

“You love me?” I croak. “Why?”

He shakes his head. “Beats the shit out of me. You’re stubborn, you harbor strange mental disorders, you’re loud and sassy, and you drive me fuckin’ crazy, but shit, I love you. I fuckin’ love you so much it hurts.”

I croak out a shaky laugh. “I guess this means I can’t be your wingman anymore?”

He laughs hoarsely and pulls me into his arms. “Baby, there never needs to be anyone else. The only person you’re picking up for me from now on, is you.”

“And our baby?” I whisper.

“Our baby will be the damned luckiest child in the world. You want to know why?”

I nod.

“Because its parents are fucking epic together.”

I laugh and he pulls me in closer.

Maybe this will work out good after all.

~*~*~*~

Reign’s fingers stroke down my body as his other hand gently caresses my wet sex. “You smell fuckin’ good,” he murmurs.

“So do you,” I mewl, pressing my body up into his.

We’re both naked, hot from the long shower we just took together. Now we’re on the bed, Reign’s body half covering mine, our legs tangled together, his fingers in my pussy, his other hand sliding over my belly, his lips at my neck. I can feel his cock pressing into my side, hot and needy, waiting for its attention.

I slide my hand down, curling my fingers around it. “Do we have to play? Or can I have this now?”