Page 60 of Finding Happily Ever After

Natalie bent down to kiss him hard. “I told you,” she said between kisses. “I’m happy.” And then, taking control of that happiness, she showed him exactly how happy they both could be.

Somehow Aiden had managed to pull himself away from Natalie and his bed, and move into the kitchen. They were both starving and exhausted. It had been an intense afternoon, full ofallthe feelings. More than he even knew he was capable of. But as with a lot of things with Natalie, she somehow taught him things that he never knew about himself. Like, most importantly, his huge capacity to love someone as much as he loved her.

And it was only the beginning.

Their love was only going to grow, of that he was sure.

Aiden glanced to where Natalie sat at the table, devouring the plate of toast and scrambled eggs he’d made for her. “Are you sure you’re ready?”

She looked up, her fork halfway to her mouth. Her smile lit up her face and she nodded eagerly. “So ready.”

Aiden laughed as he took the cup out of the espresso machine and carried it to the table.

“Finally,” she said with an exaggerated wave of her arms. “I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life for this life-changing coffee.”

He’d promised her, when they’d finished making love—again—that he wouldn’t let her leave without actually making her a cup of the coffee. Not that he wanted her to leave at all. In fact, if Aiden had his way, neither of them would leave his house until they ran out of food and needed to go for supplies. But as amazing as it sounded in theory, he knew it wouldn’t happen. At least not this week.

He set the coffee in front of her. “I’m glad you’re ready,” he said dramatically. “Because this coffee will change your life.”

She picked up the cup, but paused when it was almost to her lips. “You know, this could changeeverything.”

He nodded seriously.

She winked and took a small sip of the steaming drink. Aiden watched as she closed her eyes and made a soft moaning noise that, so far, she’d reserved for their time in bed together. Irrationally, he felt a spark of jealousy. She lifted her shoulders in exaggerated delight and when she finally opened her eyes again, there was a twinkle in them. “You were right. My life is completely changed.” She set the cup down and shrugged. “Everything looks different.” She stood and moved to the middle of the room, where she spun around with her arms outstretched, like a little girl. “It’s like I can see for the first time.”

“Okay, okay.” He joined her in the middle of the room and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s notthatkind of life changing.”

“Maybe not,” she said with a giggle as he held her tight. “But you are.”

It was such an unexpected thing for her to say. He was at a loss for words.

“Not like anything or anyone I’ve had before,” Natalie said softly. “You’ve completely changed my life.”

A flood of warmth and love flowed through him. He nodded slowly. “The same way you’ve changed mine.”

They kissed in the middle of the kitchen floor before Aiden led Nat back to the kitchen table so they could finish their meals. The sooner they finished, the sooner he could take her back to bed. But there was one more thing he needed to know.

When they were almost done eating, Aiden finally asked the question he’d been wanting the answer for. “Will you tell me why you waited?”

She didn’t seem surprised at all by the question. Natalie nodded, put down her fork, and took her time answering.

Aiden knew there was more to it than simply waiting for theright one,and he wasn’t surprised when she told him about the bullying in high school or the rumors. Reflexively, his fists clenched under the table at the mention of the boy who’d hurt her. A selfish, immature boy who hadn’t gotten what he wanted from her and so had set out to ruin her. She spoke without emotion, as if it were a fact she’d accepted long ago. Which it obviously was. But Aiden’s heart ached for the girl who’d been hurt so badly and had missed so much.

But the ache melted when he saw the way Natalie responded to the story. “It wasn’t so much that I was going to wait until marriage,” she used air quotes, “or anything,” Natalie continued. “I just wanted to wait until I met someone who was…well, who wasworthit.”

Aiden couldn’t help but be honored by her choice of words.

“And then I guess I got kind of busy going to school and working, and I was focused on my career and…well, it’s hard to find someone worthy when you’re not looking.”

“You weren’t looking when you met me.” He grinned and winked, and she laughed.

“No.” She shook her head. “I was not looking for you. But I sure am glad I found you.” She left her seat and walked around the table to him, where Aiden pulled her onto his lap to kiss her again.

Their lips would be swollen and bruised in the morning, but he didn’t care because he would happily spend the rest of his life proving to Natalie that he was worthy of her, and he planned to keep it that way.

ChapterEighteen

“What’s the injury?”Natalie knelt in the now mostly green grass in the school field, next to the student who held another student’s bandaged and splinted arm.

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