He’d worried about my state of mind, about the state of us, he didn’t sleep and me moving through the drama, taking in all he was, all he used to be and accepting it meant everything.

And like the everything I gave him, everything Kane “Tack” Allen gave me meant the exact same.

Everything.

I kept talking.

“And that your story is difficult to take.”

He opened his eyes, stared into mine and whispered, “Baby.”

“But I’m not your absolution, honey. You earned it before you met me.”

“You’re my reward.”

Oh God.

I liked that he thought that. Like, a lot.

So I agreed, “Okay.”

“You’re in love with me,” he stated and my breath left me.

So I had to force out my, “I –”

His head came up half an inch and he repeated, “You’re in love with me.”

I closed my eyes.

“Eyes, babe.”

I opened my eyes.

“You’re in love with me,” he said yet again.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“Since we met.”

“I know it sounds crazy, Tack, but –”

“Since we met.”

I fell silent for a moment then said softly, “Yes.”

“Thank f**k you needed that f**kin’ job enough to go head-to-head with me,” he muttered.

“Um…” I started to correct, “I think I went head-to-head with you mostly because you were a jerk. It was only partly because of the job.”

“Then thank f**k I was a jerk.”

Who would have ever thought I’d agree with that?

Still, I did.

“Can I have coffee now?” I requested.

“No.”

“Tack!” I snapped.

“I love you too, babe.”

My mouth dropped open and I stared.

But although my body was still and my mind was blank, my belly got warm and my heart tripped before it got light.

Tack wasn’t done.

“Watchin’ that f**kin’ movie, minute my fingers curled around your chin, turned your face to mine and I saw you were cryin’, that’s when it happened.”

Oh hell.

I started crying right then.

“Or, coulda been when I saw you in your yoga shit,” he muttered, watching the tears fill my eyes.

“Shut up,” I whispered.

He dropped his head and touched his lips to mine.

Then he lifted it and didn’t shut up.

He kept muttering.

“Another layer, I lay my shit out, all of it, it’s ugly and she ends that by bein’ cute.”

“Shut up.”

“And bossy.”

“Shut up.”

“Bossy and a cry baby.”

“Shut up!” I snapped then finished, “And kiss me, for goodness sakes.”

His lips dropped to mine where he said, “That, baby, you be bossy and that I’ll do.”

Then Tack slanted his head and did it.

Hard, wet, wild and thorough.

When he lifted his head, I was dazed, I was happy, later was over, my man loved me, I had it all and Tack said, “Now you can have coffee.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Toothache

Tack and I were sitting out on his deck in the Colorado sun, feet on the railing, sipping coffee and waiting for the kids to wake up so Tack could make breakfast.

We were both silent.

I didn’t know what Tack was thinking.

I was running through all the available scenarios, knowing the players involved, of how the meeting of my parents and Tack would go.

I was coming up with none that didn’t involve mayhem, gunplay or me getting disowned even though I was an only child when Tack asked, “How attached are you to your house, babe?”

My head turned in his direction and I saw him calmly sipping coffee and staring at his fantastic view.

“Pardon?”

He dropped his mug and turned his head to me.

“Your house,” he stated. “How attached are you to it?”

“In, uh… what sense?”

“In the sense that if you’re attached to it in a way that convinces me to give all this shit up, we’ll build a couple rooms on so Tab and Rush can have their space. If not, we’ll put it on the market.”

Seven hundred thousand, two hundred and ten words flew into my head but none of them came out of my mouth before Tack kept going.

“One plus, it’s close to Chaos and Ride. Minus,” he swung his mug out to his fantastic view but added, “and it’s small.”

“I… we… you,” I swallowed then asked, “Are we moving in together?”

His head tipped to the side like my question was borderline insane and he answered, “Well, yeah.”

“When was this decided?”

“You love me?” he asked and my belly flipped.

“Yeah,” I whispered.

“Right,” he grinned. “And I love you and your biological clock is ticking so we best get started on that shit.”

That… shit?

“Uh, you mean, the shit of having a family?” I asked, my brows rising and his grin got bigger.

“Yeah.”

“I’ve known you six weeks,” I reminded him.

“You gonna fall out of love with me tomorrow?” he shot back.

“I don’t think so,” I returned and his grin turned into a smile.

“So what’re we waiting for?”

“Maybe getting to know each other a little better?” I suggested.

“You got any skeletons in your closet?” he asked.

“Not that I know of,” I answered.

“So we’re good,” he muttered, turning back to the view.

“Do you have any,” I started then finished when I got his gaze back, “more?”

“Opened those doors wide and you saw ‘em rattlin’ just this mornin’, Red.”

That was definitely the truth.

“You’ve only lived through one period with me,” I pointed out and his brows drew together.

“Say again?”

“I can be hell on wheels when I’m PMS’ing,” I shared.

His gaze went back to the view as he muttered, “You can be hell on wheels anytime. Like, say, how you’re gearin’ up to be now.”