“All right, we’ll stop, grab your bag, and then head to the pharmacy.”

“Right,” I concur, figuring I can leave him in the car and run into the drugstore on my own.

Lucky for me, the gods were feeling generous, because he was going to come inside with me but got a call right as we pulled up to the store. While he took his call, I was able to go in and quickly buy a couple tests and a few random bits from the aisles I walked down. I hid the test at the bottom of my bag, telling myself I wasn’t really keeping anything from him; I was just waiting until I had something to say before I brought the situation to his attention.

Not Pregnant.

Seeing those two words, my chest hurts. I know it’s for the best, but between last night and this morning, I had gotten used to the idea of being pregnant and what that would mean. Tossing the test in the trash under the sink, I wash my hands while fighting back the tears suddenly blurring my vision. It wouldn’t have been good if I were pregnant. I know that realistically. But hope can sometimes be a dangerous thing.

I shake my head and leave the bathroom, heading for the kitchen, where I make myself a cup of tea. Then I take it out to the sunroom, where Sage and I had been lounging in one of the hammocks until a few minutes ago, when I went inside to take the test. Seeing his eyes are closed, I set my cup of tea on the floor then fall-slash-roll into the hammock next to him, resuming my position with his arm around me, my head against his pec and my thigh over his hip.

“I’m not pregnant,” I whisper, and his abs under my hand tense. I feel his chin tip down, but I don’t look up at him.

“Pardon?”

“I… I realized yesterday that I hadn’t had my period since we got together, and I thought…” I let my words taper off as my eyes close. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not.”

“That’s why you wanted to stop at the drugstore last night,” he accuses, and it’s my turn to tense.

“Yeah.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want you to freak out and go all weird on me the way you tend to do when anything happens.”

“I don’t go weird.” His arm tightens. “I love you. I worry.”

“I didn’t want you to worry until there was something to worry about.”

“Look at me,” he rumbles as the energy around us changes. My eyes fly up to meet his, and I swallow at the intense look in his eyes. “You do not get to do that.”

“What?”

“It’s my job to protect you. You do not get to keep shit from me under the pretense that you’re trying to protect me. That is not okay with me.”

“But—”

“No buts,” he cuts me off. “I love you. I love that you want to do that for me, but no. Next time you have something like that happen, you tell me straight up. You do not wait until after the fact to talk to me.”

“I—”

“No. Tell me you get me.”

“Okay, I get you,” I agree, and he shakes his head before cupping my jaw.

“You wanted the test you bought to be positive, right?” he asks, and my shoulders tense along with the rest of my body.

“I….” I shrug, unable to form words.

“I know you did. I can see it in your eyes and hear the disappointment still lingering in your voice. I can’t say I’m not happy you aren’t pregnant, baby,” he says, and my heart cracks. I start to bolt from him, but his arms tighten and he continues talking. “I know from what I’ve read that pregnancy at your stage could be complicated for not only the child you’re carrying, but for you, too. And I do not want that.” His lips rest against my forehead as he whispers there. “What I want is that long life you promised me.”

“You read up about it?” I breathe, and his fingers move to my chin and he lifts until my eyes meet his soft ones.

He turns toward me, resting his leg over mine as he sifts his fingers through my hair. “You’re not the only one who wants a family, Kimberly. I want children with you. I just know we will probably have to adopt or get a surrogate to carry that child for us. I will never put you at risk. Never.”

“You’ve really thought about this.”

“After I fucked up with you, I spent a lot of time thinking about the things I’d do if given a second chance. I’ve definitely thought about our future and what that future would entail.”

“Oh my God. You’re going to make me cry,” I whisper, right before I start to cry and bury my face against his chest, swearing I hear him laugh. But I ignore that, because it will annoy me. Instead, I focus on the fact this amazing man is mine.

“When the time is right, we’ll talk about babies and figure out what we should do.”

“Okay,” I agree as his hand moves down my spine then back up, wrapping around the back of my neck.

“I’d give you the world,” he says quietly, and even though those words are spoken softly, I can still hear and feel the depth of emotion they contain.

I know he would. If he could give me the world, he would do it. But like I said before, I don’t need the world.

All I need is him.

Chapter 17

Sage

“BABE, WE WERE supposed to leave fifteen minutes ago,” I shout, walking back into the bedroom, where I left Kim over an hour ago to get showered and ready.

“Don’t you dare start with me. Us being late is your fault. You should have kept your hands to yourself and let me get into the shower earlier… alone!” she shouts the last word back and I smile, thinking about what I did to her in that shower as I walk around the corner into the bathroom.

Seeing her standing in front of the vanity applying mascara, her upper half bent over the sink with her ass in the air while wearing nothing but a pair of high cut sheer panties, my cock twitches. I cannot fucking believe that tomorrow she will be my wife. Between her, her mom, and my mom, aunts, and cousins, they got our wedding planned in nine months instead of a year, which worked for me, because I was starting to get impatient. Her living with me has been good—no, better than good—but it hasn’t been enough. I want her tied tight to me so that nothing will ever separate us.

Stepping up behind her, I wrap my hand around her waist, pressing my hips into her ass.

“Don’t,” she hisses as my hand slides around her stomach.

“Don’t what, baby?”

“Don’t look at me like that,” she says, then her eyes flare and her pupils dilate as my hand slides down.

My fingers slip into her panties between her legs and through her folds. “How am I looking at you?” I circle her clit, and her ass presses back into my erection while her eyes hold mine in the mirror. “Tell me?” I pinch her clit, causing her hips to jerk back and her neck to arch.

“Like you want to devour me.”

“I like the idea of devouring you.”

“We are going to be so late,” she pants, trying to stand, but before she can, I slide my free hand up her back and hold her in place bent over in front of me while I work her over.

“Hold onto the edge of the sink,” I murmur, and her wild eyes meet mine as she does as I asked. Pulling my hand out of her panties, I take a step back and slide the silky material down her legs. “Bend over a little more,” I instruct, while smoothing my hands over her ass cheeks. Complying, she bends at the waist, causing her ass to tilt even farther and me to get a glimpse of the swollen lips of her pussy from behind. Getting down on my knees, I spread her open and blow across her wet sex.

“Sage.”

“Shhh, I want to eat in silence.” I lick through her folds, listening to her moan deep in her throat. I love the way she tastes, but I love the way she lights up every fucking time I get my mouth on her more. Keeping her open, I lick and suck every inch of her pussy but her clit.

“Sage.” She twists at the waist and grabs onto the top of my head.

Smiling, I give in and pull her clit into my mouth. The second I do, she goes up on her tiptoes trying to get away, but I keep a tight hold on her ass, so tight I know she will have marks from my fingers. Sucking her clit into my mouth, I flick my tongue over the tight bundle of nerves until the sound of her coming bounces off the walls in the bathroom. She falls forward, her forehead resting against the top of the vanity, and I stand, keeping one hand around her waist while I use the other to free myself from my slacks.