Page 129 of Not the Plan

“Thank you, beautiful,” he sighed. Wrapped together, arms and legs entwined, everything stilled inside of him too. “There isone thing, though. Very important to me.” She lifted her head, and he felt her take a breath, steeling herself.

“Okay. What is it?” she asked.

“I need you to meet my family. I want to take you home to meet everyone,” he said. The grin he’d been holding back took over. Her shy smile broke across her face.

“You do?” she whispered.

“Yes, I do. If you’re ready for that.”

She smiled. “I…I think I am.”

“There’s no rush, beautiful.” He made sure to soften his voice, running the back of his finger along her jawline. “Everything in its time. Though Khalil might show up any day. He’s been dying to meet you.”

He grinned at her surprise.

“Why?” she asked.

The emotions were heavy and still difficult to handle. He smoothed a bit of her hair back into place to give himself a second.

“He credits you with bringing the old me back,” he said. “From before Laila destroyed my self-esteem.”

Her cheeks flushed, and her hand went up to her mouth.

“How could I have done that?”

“Just by being yourself. You started building me back up—” A burst of pain made his eyes sting. He had to stop and find his footing again.

She crinkled her forehead. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “Still difficult, is all.” He took her hand and looked her in the eye. “You started building me back up the minute you forbade me from referring to myself as trash. I didn’t realize it at the time, but Khalil said I changed. The way I talked about the future, about myself, began to change. Being with you brought me back to me, to my family.”

Her eyes glistened, but before he said anything else, she snuggled herself against him and squeezed tight. He stroked his chin across the top of her head and kissed her hair.

“I love you so much, Isadora,” he whispered.

She answered with a tighter squeeze.

He held her close, basking in every detail that came with being with her. He smiled, loving the idea of doing it every day when he came home.

—

“This is new,” Isadora said, smiling at his reflection in the bathroom mirror the next morning. Almost ready to go, she was securing the last hairpins in her bun.

“It is.” He smiled back. “Don’t know how I feel about it, though.” He finished tying his tie. “Don’t like waking up next to you and not having enough time to make love.” He nuzzled her neck.

She gasped and he smiled, enjoying her shiver.

“Is that the last one?” he asked, nodding at the hairpin in her hand.

“Yes.”

“May I?”

She tucked her head and nodded, a shy smile bending her lips.

“Do you know what you’re doing now?” She handed him the hairpin as he stepped behind her.

“No,” he said. “But I fully intend to learn.”

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