Page 26 of A Perfect Holiday
“I called to schedule my surgery today, and I told Dr. Hardy to harvest as many eggs as needed for the in vitro procedures. I also called Aubree and thanked her and accepted her offer to carry our baby for us.”
“Oh, God, Verity…”
“I’m not done. I also called the lawyer who handled getting Duel back to us and asked him to start proceedings to adopt Henry. When he called me back, he told me that after looking over Sharon’s will, she named you as his guardian if anything happened to his stepfather. All we have to do is sign some papers and he’s ours. That must have been what she wanted to talk to you about before she died.” The look on Boone’s face told me that he’d gotten everything he could ever want for Christmas. I leaned forward and brushed the moisture from his cheek. My heart was so full. “I want to get Henry something special for Christmas.”
“We can talk about that later.”
“Boone, I love you. I want what we had back, too. I’m so, so sorry. You were right. I did keep awful things to myself because I was too scared to deal with them. But then something happened.”
“What?”
“I saw the letter you wrote for Duel…” I had to pause to keep my composure. “And I realized you were right. We have so many options, and so much to give. I knew I wanted to keep Henry and raise him. He needs us and, I think, we need him, he’s so precious and wise beyond his years.”
“He does, and he is, and I thank you for that. I’ve wanted you to be the one to realize it.”
We embraced, and it wasn’t long before things got heated, but I pulled back. “We’ll have to wait. Henry’s not in bed yet.”
He nodded, breathing hard and pressing his forehead to mine to get himself under control. “Now you and I are on the same page. Tomorrow I want to show you some plans to clear out my weight room and your office, and add on a studio for you, and a weight room for me so we can free up those two bedrooms. One for Henry and one for our…new addition.”
“You trust me. You trusted me to come around.” I cupped his face, unable to wait, even a second, to get my hands on my smart, patient, strong and beautiful husband. “That sounds fabulous. I have a ton of shopping to do.”
“I know a sure bet when I see one.” He laughed, and the sound of it was carefree, pure, and rich.
***
BOONE
Lying with one hand tucked under my head, I stared across the room, absently stroking Verity’s silky back. She stirred, shifting her head on my shoulder, her breath warm against my neck, and I glanced down at her, switching to slowly running my fingertip around the curve of her breast and over her nipple while watching it grow erect under my attention.
“You are a sex maniac,” she whispered, smoothing her hand across my chest. I could tell she loved my muscles by the way she pressed into my skin, appreciating the thick hardness of them. Part of the reason I lifted was for her.
“Guilty,” I said. “You tired?”
I felt her smile. “I wonder why.”
I grinned, giving her a little squeeze. “You sassing me, sugar?”
“Yes,” she said her tone eloquent. “I certainly am.”
I laughed and hugged her hard. She rubbed her thumb along my collarbone, then released a heavy sigh and spoke her tone subdued. “Did you lock the door? We have to worry about that now.”
Continuing to stroke her shoulder, I said. “Yes, I locked it, but I’ll explain to Henry that when it’s closed we are having our private time, and he should knock. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.”
Kissing the curve of her shoulder, I moved over her, pressing her onto her back, and roughly grasped her breast, covering it with my mouth. My hips settled between her thighs. Her breath caught, and she groaned. I tested her with my fingers, and my dick tightened, getting harder. “So wet for me,” I whispered, then worked her nipple until she was undulating her hips beneath me. I pushed up on my elbows and watched her face while I guided my dick where it needed to go and thrust into her.
Her eyes popped open, and I caught and held her gaze, slowly flexing my hips again, rocking hard against her, and she arched her neck and closed her eyes, the pulse point in her throat beating erratically.
Watching her face, I moved again, and I could feel the tension mount in her. Geezus, she was close, and I wanted something from her. I had made her come so many times before, driving her insane, but she was in such sensory overload that it would take nothing—nothing—to push her over the edge.
My fingers tangled in her hair, gripping her head. “Look at me, babe,” I said softly. “I want you to look at me while you come.”
As if it cost her an unbearable effort, she did as I asked, her eyes glazed and dilated. “Stay with me, sugar,” I moaned, “Fucking beautiful, sugar.” Then I moved again, and she tried to arch her neck, but I held her head immobile. “Verity…”
My gaze locked on hers, I slowly moved against her, in her, maximizing the pressure. She clutched my arms, her eyes glazing even more, and she drew up her knees alongside my hips, her body arching with tension. My breathing turning erratic, I continued to move, watching her respond, her tightness driving me on. She gripped my arms, slid over my biceps, which I knew turned her on, a desperate look turning her eyes dark. Then on a fragmented groan, she twisted her head back and forth, still meeting my eyes, her whole body archingwhile she contracted around me, her release shuddering through her.
Feeling as if something wild and unbearably beautiful had been set loose in my chest, I closed my eyes and gathered her up in a fierce embrace, experiencing feelings that went far beyond the sexual.
That connection I had forged with her, the one I craved, was back.
