Page 63 of Freeing Hawk
Angel drank from his water then opened the oven. Once he was waring mitts, he pulled out a large Pyrex dish covered with foil and set it on the stove.
“Are you hungry?”
I shook my head. “Can we talk first, please? I don’t want to lose you. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
Angel removed the mitt and set it on the counter. He walked around the island to stand in front of me. After staring at me for a moment, he gripped my hips and lifted me to the island. “I’ve been in love with you, Sasha.” Angel confessed. “Did you think it would be that easy for me to forget that? I agree, this is going to take some work.”
“And Keegan?”
“Honestly?”
I nodded.
“This wasn’t how I thought I’d have my first child.” I told her. “I never once considered adopting or fostering. But if he has no parents, the last place I want him to be is in the system. It’s not what’s in his best interested.”
“We’ll have to do the long-distance thing for a while.”
“When you say a while…”
“Six months.”
He sighed. “All I ask is that you don’t run from me. Don’t hide anything—any of you—from me. I can’t go through that again. Can I trust you to make me that promise?”
“I promise.” I framed his face. “I can’t believe I let things get out of hand the way I did. But I got home and before I knew it, so much time had passed. Not having you around was—I would wake up at nights and reach for you. It was torture.”
He pushed his fingers through my hair to hold the strands to the back of my head. After licking his beautiful lips, Angel kissed me. Before I could react, he pulled back.
“That’s not enough.” Tears toppled down my cheeks. “Please…I’ve forgotten the taste of your kiss, the way your lips feel on mine, the burn of my body each time you kiss me. That wasn’t enough.”
Angel gripped my thighs, pulled them apart and stepped in. Pulling me into his chest, he cradled my head in one of his large palms and took my lips. This time when he kissed me, I melted into him as tears rolled down my cheeks.
The happiness in his arms floated back to him and further heightened my guilt for leaving him the way I had. It all boiled down to the fact I hadn’t trusted him. I was afraid and instead of telling him what was on my mind, I became angry and ran.
I held onto him, praying harder than I’d ever prayed in life that he wasn’t a dream, an apparition my brain cooked up. He felt hard and hot in my arms, real. When I ran out of breath, I pressed my face to his shoulder, my tears seeping through his shirt.
“Hawk?” He called softly. “Hey, now. None of that.”
“I’m sorry.” I lifted my head. “The weight of the world has been lifted off my shoulders and I can’t help it.”
Angel used his large fingers to dry my tears. “You’re not afraid of a little hard work, are you?”
“No. My new start is with you, Angel.” I told him. “I love you.”
Angel smiled, his eyes lighting up as he inched in for another kiss. “Say it again.”
“I love you.”
“Mmm.” He moaned, his hot breath caressing my face. “I love you too, Hawk. I love you more than you’ll ever know.”
Epilogue
Angel
A year later…
Everything was finally settled. It had taken some work and string pulling to get my name on the adoption paperwork for Keegan, but we managed it. The decision had been easy. I loved Hawk and she cared for Keegan. We knew, between the both of us, we could make a good life for him with people who would adore him like crazy.
Eris immediately hugged him when she met him. When she did, the baby had kicked, and Eris giggled. “See? This little bean adores you too. You can call me aunty Aisha.”
