Page 103 of Floored

"Hello, the present you're about to open isn't just from me. I had some help in getting this to you and to the baby." Jude turned the screen, and I saw his mom wave nervously. I gasped, a hand coming up to cover my mouth. I only spared Jude a quick glance through my lashes, but he was watching me with a slight smile.

"Lia," his mom started in a wavering voice, "Jude's father and I wish very much we could be there to give you this in person. And I'd like to start by apologizing for what happened at the pub the last night we saw you. We have no excuse for our behavior, and"—she looked over at Jude—"it's something that we're working on as a family, to overcome. I hope you can forgive us because we'd love to meet our grandchild someday soon. And if there are any mistakes on the gift, it's because Jude doesn't take direction very well. But I did try." In the video, Jude gave his mom a smile, and she returned it. It was awkward, and they both looked unsure, but I felt a tear go down my cheek all the same. "Take care of that little one for us."

The video cut off. I couldn't even risk a glance at him before I opened the next package.

It was two small creatures made from the same soft wool of the sheep I'd found in his room. One was a similarly shaped sheep with a lopsided head and one leg. Through my tears, I traced the other, a black and gray wolf.

"So our families can teach our child all the things they know as well," he said in a rough voice.

His eyes were filled with tears, and I cupped the side of his face, smoothing a thumb underneath his eyes. "You talked to your family?"

"We are very much a work in progress," he said, clasping my hand and pulling it down so he could lay a kiss in the center of my palm. "I won't say we're all the way there, but with the help of a therapist," he said with a wry smile, "and a few tense phone calls before my visit, yes, I'm talking to my family."

I wiped at my face. "I'm going to have to redo all my makeup, and I can't even be mad about it."

He grinned. "One more, love."

"Oh, geez." I set the small toys aside with just one more soft touch to the wolf. With a grin, I knew this would win Paige over in a heartbeat. She'd love him.

I found myself holding my breath as I unfolded the last bit of tissue. My forehead creased in confusion when I saw a small jersey. It was a different blue, with different logos, but my heart skipped dangerously when recognition clanged like a noisy bell in my head.

"Seattle?" I whispered. "You ...

He settled his hands over top mine, which were clutching the Seattle Sounders jersey with shaking fingers.

"One-year contract," he said, holding my gaze steadily. "My agent thinks I've lost my bloody mind for doing this, but I couldn't stand the thought of being across the ocean from the two of you."

I shook my head. "Jude, I don't even know if I can say this delicately because my emotions are like ... gone right now," my voice wobbled, "but isn't this a massive step down for you?"

"Yes." His grip tightened. "And while you were gone, I realized there are worse things than not playing in England. There are worse things than not being the player I used to be. There are worse things than not having my family understand me." Jude cupped my face the way I'd cupped his, and I leaned into that touch. "I will be happy playing here because the worst thing I can imagine is being away from my heart. That's you, love. Both of you." He slid closer, resting his forehead against mine, and took a deep inhale. "I don't know what I did to deserve finding you that night because you were the catalyst, Lia. Whatever hope I've found for the rest of my life started with you. I know how closed-off I was, how selfish I've been, and reparations begin now. If it takes you a month, a year, two years, for you to trust what we have, I'll wait."

A sob escaped my mouth, and I was hardly able to see him through my tears. The warmth of his hand on my face caught plenty of my tears, and I knew he meant it. And my heart was so full of the truth of that I couldn't find a single word as he held me. My hand gripped his shirt when he tried to pull away, and he laughed under his breath.

"My love," he said, wiping my tears with sure movements of his hands over my skin, "I'm not going anywhere."

"You're not," I replied.

"Not as long as you'll have me." He grinned. "You were so right about us, Lia. And as much as I missed you, this time apart was good for me. We needed it to do this right. Because now, I know that our future is built on something unshakeable, yeah?"

"Yeah." I couldn't stop touching him. "You'd really wait that long?"

His thumb touched the center of my bottom lip. "If that's what you need."

When I pulled in a shaky breath, my tears finally cleared from my eyes, and I slid my hands behind his neck and into his hair. "You know patience isn't my strong suit, right?" I whispered, tugging him closer.

"Is that right?"

I nodded. "Especially when I know what I want."

As his mouth descended achingly close to mine, he laughed. "I'm so bloody in love with you."

I let his words wash over me in a warm, contented sweep. Our lips touched once, twice, and then he tilted his head with a groan, fitting his mouth firmly to mine.

Winding my arms around him, I slid my tongue against his, relief lighting up every nerve ending in my body. I hiked up my dress as high as it would go and tried my damnedest to straddle the beautiful man's lap.

He laughed into my mouth when I couldn't pull it up higher. "Look at you," he murmured. He tugged the dress up over my hips in one sharp tug, gripping my ass and sliding me closer as he sat back on the couch. His hands caressed my thighs, my stomach, and as we traded kisses, his fingers tangled into my hair.

I pulled back and stared at him, one hand over his mouth when he tried to kiss me again. "Is this real? I'm not having one of those really vivid pregnancy sex dreams, am I?"

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