They've struggled and they've fallen. They've loved and they've hated.
But they've done it together. Because nothing could keep them apart...
Kole found Lexi when she was at her worst. He was the one person who
could have destroyed her. Only he had other ideas.
The chemistry they shared was something that couldn't be ignored. It
had the ability to conquer all the demons that still hid within Lexi's
mind. But it was up to Kole to show her she was worth the fight, and
Lexi needed someone to fight for her.


Conquer
Desired Affliction Series, Book Two
C.A. Harms

Prologue
"Kole, how do you feel about Lexi's progress over the last few years?"
I looked at Gail like she was insane. How in the hell could I not be
happy? Lexi had become such a different person than she was years
ago. She had always been strong in my eyes but now she knew it too.
She no longer hid from life; instead she grabbed on tight and took
control. I smiled as I looked over at the beautiful girl sitting next to me.
So enamored by the woman she had become.
"She's amazing." Even though that didn't even begin to describe how
much I adored her. "Watching Lexi over the last few years become this
strong, beautiful woman has given me the greatest joy." I squeezed her
hand tightly and brought it to my lips. I placed a soft kiss onto her
knuckles and let my lips linger a moment before pulling away.
"Well, Kole, I have to agree with you. " Gail smiled at the two of us.
"Lexi has really come a long way. The help she has offered here at the
center has truly been a great addition. "
She turned her focus to Lexi talking directly to her now. "Lexi, you' ve
given the young victims here at the center such hope. They look up to
you for your strength and perseverance. It' s an amazing thing to
witness and you' ve come so far and still you offer support to others. I
hope you continue to volunteer and come in to see me. " Lexi still took
compliments the same. She blushed and bit her lower lip between her

teeth, tucking her chin toward her chest.
I watched her closely; the sweetness within her still made my heart
race.
"Thanks," she whispered. "Helping others who've experienced what I
have or a form of it just makes me feel accomplished. I feel like, for a
moment, I' m giving someone a piece of their life back. I love helping,
and yes, I plan to continue volunteering. "
Gail smiled, seeming pleased before she turned back to me. "So, Kole,
last week we touched a little on Lexi' s resistance. I know that you' ve
asked her to move in with you. You do understand why she' s
questioning that move, don't you?"
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out as I looked Gail straight in the
eye. I didn't want to fight with Lexi again, which was exactly what we
had been doing lately when it came to this topic. When we fought it
always left me feeling empty. I hated placing tension between us and
this topic always did just that. It had a way of pissing me off.
"I do understand where she's coming from. I just wish she would
understand it isn't like that."
I turned to face Lexi before continuing. "Baby, it was a long time ago.
Just because Miley's back in town doesn't make any difference. I don' t
think of her that way anymore. I love you, Lexi. She was my past and
you are my future. Miley being back isn't going to change any of
that."
I couldn' t stand her uncertainty. It drove me crazy and I was trying not
to get angry. I'd never given her any reason to don't me, but for some
unknown reason she did. I regretted telling Lexi about Miley. She
wanted to know why I was so against relationships when I first met her,
so I gave her a little piece of my history. I knew I owed Lexi the
complete truth, after everything she entrusted to me about herself, I
couldn't lie.
Gail spoke and pulled me out of my thoughts. "Why don't we talk
a little about Miley?"
I began flexing my jaw in an aggravated manner. It was a reflex of
mine. "Do we have to talk about her? She really has nothing to do with
any of this." I felt Lexi pull her hand away and I knew I needed to

continue. I leaned forward in frustration, running my hands through my
hair. Resting my elbows on my knees, I let my focus fall to the floor,
taking in a deep breath. I didn't like talking about ex's. I didn't see the
point, they were a part of the past.
I let out the aggravated breath I was holding, remembering this was not
the time. Looking up at Gail, I continued with a story I didn't want to
rehash for Lexi's sake. "I met Miley during freshman orientation my
first year at college. We were taking some of the same classes and
happened to be standing in the same line when we met. We started
hanging out and before I knew it we were dating. I had dated a few girls
back in high school, but never anything too serious. Miley was my first
real girlfriend." I continued looking forward, the story leaving a bitter
taste in my mouth. "We got close, but when I joined the fraternity,
things changed. She became different when she was around the house. I
went home for the holidays and when I came back I found out she had
been sleeping with one of my frat brothers and I immediately broke it
off with her. Then I was forced to watch the two of them together
through the years. So yeah, relationships became something I avoided.
"
I turned my head slightly to look at Lexi. "Until I found you, Lexi.
Then it changed and I found that I wanted more. I love you. Please don'
t question that love." I saw her swallow hard and I grabbed her hand
once more.
"Lexi, how do you feel about what Kole has said?" Lexi blinked and a
tear fell; my chest ached. I fucking hated this. Why the hell did Miley
come back here anyway? Her family wasn't around here. She
transferred out of UNC after our second year and until now, never
found a reason to turn back.
"It makes me nervous that she's back," Lexi said with honesty. "When
we ran into her last week at the coffee shop, it felt so out of place. It was
hard. The way they looked at each other made my chest ache and not in
a good way. I could tell he cared about her and it was pretty evident that
she still felt some type of connection too. It was a little uncomfortable.
"
This entire situation was making it hard to sit there and not react. I
wanted to force her to understand the depth of my love for her.

Part of me wanted to get up and leave the room, but I knew that
wouldn't help. Lexi was feeling insecure about our relationship and I
had to fix that. I had to make her realize how much she meant to me.
After all this time, I would think it was something she would already
know and understand.

Chapter 1
Lexi
"Is that her?" Megan asked from across the table where we were
sharing coffee. I glanced up just as Miley and two other girls entered
the café. She was so tall and thin, my version of perfection. Her blonde
hair flowed with the breeze that followed behind her from the opened
door. She smiled at something her friend said as she stepped up to the
counter.
"Yeah, that's her." I pulled my eyes away to look back at Megan, trying
my hardest not to reflect what I was truly feeling.
"Lex, you gotta let it go, sweets. Kole loves you. Miley was a long time
ago. "
Just then I caught movement to the left and looked up to see her
approaching. She had on a tight red shirt and a skirt that was extremely
short, showing off her long fit legs. She was smiling at me.
I hadn' t realized I was holding my breath until Megan whispered,
"Breathe, Lex. Don't let her make you feel uncomfortable."
"Hi, Lexi, was it?" I turned to look up at Miley as she stood staring
down at me, with a fake smile plastered on her face.
I forced a smile in return. "Hello. Miley?" I knew her name and I

was more than sure she knew "Lexi" was mine, but I had to play along.
I didn' t want to let on just how much her being back worried me.
I offered a polite introduction between Miley and Megan, and she
forced herself to be polite. "It's nice to meet you," she said with the
same fake smile she'd shown me.
We talked very briefly before she excused herself and joined her
friends at a corner booth. "She's beautiful," I whispered without
realizing I said it out loud.
I looked up to find Megan giving me a disapproving stare. "Stop. Now,
Lex! You' re who Kole wants. Don' t do this to yourself. " I looked
down at my hands as I popped my knuckles in a nervous state. The ugly
sense of jealousy washed over me once more.
"You didn't see them together, Megan. It was obvious that they still had
feelings for each other. I can't let that go unnoticed." I wanted more
than anything to forget that first interaction between Miley and Kole.
Only I couldn't.
"Where's Kole?" Megan asked and I noticed by her tone she was
irritated with me.
"Signing papers for the gym renovations and then he's supposed to call
me. He's having furniture delivered to his apartment at two and he didn'
t know if he' d be done by then. I may need to meet them for the
delivery."
Megan lifted her cup to her lips and finished off the contents in one
gulp. She stood from the booth, grabbing her purse without a second
thought. "Let's get out of here. I don't like the sudden change in
atmosphere and you need to stop torturing yourself. "
I grabbed my things and slid from the booth because she gave me no
other choice but to follow. But I couldn't shake the insecure feelings
inside me. Just before I let the door close, I took one quick look behind
me and instantly regretted my choice. Miley was watching us leave and
our eyes connected. She smiled slightly and offered a wave. I returned
the gesture and walked out with a knot still lodged deep in my stomach.
I had just reached Megan's car when my phone began to ring in my
purse. I dug around in my bag and finally found it buried at the bottom.
Kole's name lighting up my screen brought on an uncontrollable smile.

"Hello," I said, speaking just above a whisper to hide my insecurities.
"Hey, baby. What are you doing?"
I knew Kole loved me. I just feared that he still loved her too. "Megan
and I just had a coffee and now we're on our way back to the dorm.
Where are you?"
I could hear him shuffling around through the phone. "I just finished
signing all the papers. I can be there in two minutes. Can you wait for
me?"
I immediately turned to look back at the café. I didn't want him and
Miley face to face again. "I can just meet you at the dorm. "
Kole laughed lightly, "Lex, the dorm is even further away. I wanted
you to go back to the apartment with me. Can't you just wait there? I' m
on my way already. "
I let my head fall forward as I stared at the ground, kicking the gravel
beneath my feet. "Okay, I'll wait."
I hung up the phone and threw it roughly into my purse. I looked up at a
very puzzled Megan. She was watching me with her eyebrows
lifted.
"Looks like Kole's on his way here. Maybe you'll get to see the way
they gawk at one another." I turned around and rested myself back
against Megan' s hood.
I heard her approaching as she drug her feet along the pavement.
Coming around the front of the car she sat next to me, placing her hand
on mine. "Lexi, you' re gonna drive yourself crazy. You' ve got to be
insane if you can't see how much that guy loves you. Kole worships
your every breath. He has a past with her, but it was for a short time,
long ago. You can't keep feeling like at any moment he's gonna rush
back to her. Stop with this crazy insecurity. "
Before I could answer her I heard the crunch of tires approaching. I
looked up as Kole pulled in next to us. He had just bought himself a
new Avalanche and I still wasn't used to seeing him behind the wheel.
Everything was coming together for him. The gym was finally on its
way to completion. Having it so close to campus was great for business
because the jocks seemed to flock there. The renovations for the fitness

rooms were under way and before he knew it, classes would start. He
had already started the training sessions and private instructions for the
few clients he had signed up. Once the rooms were done he could take
on more. He just didn't have space at the moment.
It was amazing how, still to this day, every time he looked at me my
heart would feel as if it skipped a beat. I was so attracted to every part
of him, inside and out. I felt like I couldn't breathe without him. He
smiled at me as he climbed out of his truck and walked toward me as I
remained seated on the hood.
I tried to hold my smile back, but it was pointless; I loved him like
crazy. He had his snug jeans on with a dress shirt folded up at the
sleeves. He looked completely yummy and I fought the urge to attack
him. I watched him as he got closer and my insides melted.
Once he reached me he didn't speak; instead he grabbed my belt loops
and pulled me toward him, making me slide down the hood. He tightly
gripped my hips and lifted as I wrapped my legs around his waist
tightly. His mouth met mine and I ran my tongue over his lip teasingly.
I could feel him smile against my lips before doing the same to me.
When I sucked the tip of his tongue, he groaned loudly.
"Okay, seriously guys, stop with the PDA, soft porn or whatever you
want to call it. You're on my hood, for Christ's sake." Megan was
laughing behind us and I couldn't help but smile.
Kole pulled back and looked at me as he brushed my hair back and
tucked it behind my ear. His smile lit up his face. "I missed you. "

Chapter 2
Kole
Lexi looked up at me from under her long lashes. She had to know by
now what she could do to me with one look. She was like an addiction,
one I had no desire to break. I kissed her once more because I couldn' t
stop myself. Wrapping my arms around her waist I lifted her slightly; I
needed her closer. With her toes barely touching the ground I attempted
to kiss her until she was numb. I wanted more than anything to get her
alone for an hour.
"Hey, Kole. "
I felt Lexi immediately stiffen in my arms at the sound of a woman's
voice. I slowly lowered her to the ground and watched her eyes closely.
She looked past me and at that moment I almost picked her up and
carried her to my truck. I debated on turning around. I knew that move
was only going to cause the unwanted tension to return between Lexi
and me.
I slowly turned only to come face to face with Miley and her
friends. "Hey. "
She was smiling at me, fluttering her eyes and I hated it. The sexy
demeanor she was trying to portray was unwanted. She bit her lip, and

when she did, it was nothing like when Lexi bit hers. I watched her as
she looked over her shoulder at her friends, with a smirk on her face.
"You remember Katie from when we were together." I could tell she
was trying to throw it in Lexi's face. I felt Lexi attempt to pull her hand
from mine, but I squeezed hers tighter, forcing her to remain at my side.
The first time I ran into Miley with Lexi, I was surprised. I knew I
fumbled through that one. This time I was prepared.
"Not really, Miley. That was a long time ago." She just smiled and then
licked her lower lip. "Listen, I got things to do, I just came to pick up
my girl. " I pulled Lexi closer and she looked up at me with what I
already knew was a forced smile. I kissed her forehead and turned
toward my truck, dragging her along.
"Maybe later we could catch up with each other and hang out, " I heard
Miley call as I led Lexi away, placing my hand on her lower back.
When we reached my truck I opened the door to help her in.
"I don't think so. Not really much to catch up on, but thanks anyway. " I
walked around to the driver' s side and opened the door, looking back at
Megan.
"Hey, you and Rad get hold of us. Come over tonight for pizza or
something. " She smiled and climbed into her car as I climbed up into
mine. I shut my door and backed out, leaving Miley staring after us as I
drove away.
I reached across the seat and took Lexi' s hand in mine. "I love you,
baby," I told her with a smile. She looked a little surprised, maybe
shocked, and I knew it was caused by the way I brushed Miley off. She
smiled over at me as we made our way to the apartment. I hoped that I
had just eliminated some of her insecurities, but if not I' d keep proving
my love for her.
We had a few hours to waste before my furniture would be here. I
already had an idea of how I wanted to spend it.
Once we entered the apartment I grabbed her sides and pulled her back
into me. I brushed the hair from her shoulder and started to kiss along
her neck. I flipped my tongue ring lightly against her ear before sucking
gently, rewarded with a soft moan.

"I love you so much, Lexi," I whispered against her ear. "I want you so
bad. "
Reaching for the buckle on her shorts I slowly began unbuttoning the
waist, sliding the zipper down, and slipping my hand under her panties.
When I felt how wet she was, I knew she wanted me too. Lexi let her
head rest back onto my chest as I slipped my finger in further. I
watched her face as I began fingering her, slowly gliding over her clit
with every stroke. She was breathing heavily as her hips begin to rock
against my hand. I used my other hand to slide her shorts and panties
the rest of the way off. Once I stood up again behind her, she reached
around to grip me through my pants. Oh yeah, I was hard as stone and
all I wanted was to spend the next couple hours inside Lexi.
I spun her around and backed her up against the wall behind her. I
watched her hands begin to work the buckle of my jeans free. Our eyes
never left each other as she tugged my pants down and I stepped out.
Lexi reached into my boxers and took my hard cock into her hands. Her
tiny fingers wrapped around me as she started stroking slowly. I let my
eyes flutter shut as I took in the feel of her.
I tilted her head up and our eyes connected once again. Leaning
forward, I kissed her softly, then rested my forehead against hers.
"Move in with me, baby. Please." She looked at me and then kissed me
once more.
Reaching around the backs of her thighs I lifted her up. Lexi wrapped
her legs around my waist securely and I guided myself into her slowly.
Her eyes shut and her head fell back against the wall behind her.
"Open your eyes, Lexi. Look at me." She opened them and watched my
eyes carefully. "Don't close your eyes. Just watch me. Watch what you
do to me. Watch how good you make me feel, how much I love you." I
began moving my hips and thrusting into her.
I could feel how wet she was getting as it pooled between us. Her eyes
were fluttering as she fought to keep them open. I was moving within
her with such slowness and she was taking it all in. Feeling her tense
and squeeze my cock tightly only drove me to start moving into her
faster. I could feel her slipping as her body began to relax. I wanted
more.

So much more.
I held her tightly against me and carried her to the bedroom, lowering
her to the bed. I watched her eyes as I removed my shirt before reaching
down to help her remove hers. Every time I saw her in my bed it made
my chest tighten. I wanted that every day and every night. I wanted to
share my life with her and I was determined to convince her to move in
with me.
When I lowered myself over the top of her she hooked her leg around
my waist, immediately pulling me back to her and I slipped in to her
wetness once more. Lexi let out a low moan once I was fully inside of
her warmth. Her hips began grinding into me begging me to move. I
couldn't hold back as I began thrusting my hips to meet hers. Hearing
my name fall from her beautiful lips as she raced toward her orgasm
drove my hunger. I slammed into her hard and fast. "Oh yes.. .harder,"
she begged.
I gave her what she wanted. I felt the tension build and held off because
I wanted to come with her. I fisted her hair as it fell behind her head.
"Are you close, baby?" She nodded her head as she stared into my eyes.
"Me too. I wanna feel you come, Lexi. Come on, baby. come for me."
I felt her insides begin to twitch around me and I slammed into her over
and over. She screamed my name and I let go completely as she milked
me dry.
I stayed suspended over her, still inside of her, watching her face
closely. Slowly Lexi opened her eyes and looked at me smiling.
"What?"
I returned her smile and kissed her sweetly. "I was just thinking how
great it would be to have you here all the time. " She started to say
something and I placed my finger over her lips to quiet her. "Let me
finish... please." After she agreed I removed my finger slowly.
"I've lived here for three weeks and you've stayed ninety percent of that
time. I got this apartment with the idea that you would live with me. I
didn't take Radley up on his offer to be roommates because the only
one I wanna live with is you. I want to wake up every morning to

you. I want to find your dirty laundry scattered across the floor,
because let's face it—you're a slob." She rolled her eyes, but didn't
argue. She knew it was true.
"I want you to move in with me. I'm ready to share my life with you
fully. Megan could move in with Radley and you could move in here.
Please think about it." She closed her eyes and bit her lip; I knew she
was thinking. "You, baby...just you and me. You're everything I want,
Lexi. I want us forever. " She swallowed hard and I slipped from the
bed. I watched as she pulled the sheet up around her and sat up to watch
me.
I had planned to do this later this weekend, but couldn' t wait any
longer. I took the box from my drawer and walked back to the bed,
feeling my heart beat rapidly. I sat next to her and watched her eyes as
they fell between us. When she looked back up to me her eyes were full
of tears.
"Lexi Nicole Warren, I love you with all my heart and soul. I want to
build a life with you because I can' t live without you. You bring me
such happiness every day and I want to spend the rest of my days with
you in my arms." I took the ring from the box and held it out between
us. I looked up to her just as a tear slipped down her cheek. "Will you
marry me?" I held my breath as I waited for her response.
Lexi lowered the sheet and crawled toward me as she straddled my
legs. She took my face into her hands and lowered her lips to mine. She
kissed me and I felt her body shudder against me. When she pulled
back she whispered the best word I'd ever heard in my life. "Yes."
Sliding the ring onto her finger felt better than I'd ever imagined. And
the smile on her face in that moment was a smile I'd give anything to
see every day for the rest of my life.

Chapter 3
Lexi
"Let me see it!" Megan shrieked as she ran into the kitchen, acting like
a child on Christmas morning. I held out my hand that now held the
most gorgeous ring I'd ever seen and she took it into hers.
"Megan, why are you so eager? You saw it when he bought it!" Radley
hollered from the doorway as he shut it behind him.
"I know, but seeing it on is so much better than seeing it in a velvet
box." She pulled me close and hugged me tightly. "I told you he was
completely in love with you. You have nothing to worry about, Lex,"
she whispered against my ear. When she pulled back we both shared a
knowing smile.
Looking down at the diamond on my hand I knew she was right. Kole
didn't have to propose to me. If he had any thoughts about us not being
together I know he wouldn't have given me this ring. It was real, we
were real. I had to stop questioning his love.
I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, pulling me back into his
chest. He placed a soft kiss against my shoulder and I reached over my
head to feel his face against my palm. "Do you like it?"
I immediately turned in his arms and looked up at him. "Of course

I love it, Kole, it's beautiful. I love it even more because you're the one
who gave it to me. I love you." He kissed me, holding me as close to his
body as possible.
"So have you decided if you're gonna move in with me?"
I pushed against his chest and backed away. "Not sure yet. I think I
need you to try and convince me later. Ya know, show me what I' d be
missing if I chose to stay in the dorm until you made an honest woman
out of me. "
His eyes were gleaming at the challenge. He never liked to lose.
He took a step toward me with a smirk and I knew then that I was in
trouble. "How about I just show you now?" He reached out to grab for
me and I slipped away before he could get a good hold and began
moving toward the living room.
I thought I'd gotten away until he hooked me around the waist from
behind, causing me to squeal in surprise. He tossed me over his
shoulder like a sack of potatoes and began walking toward the
bedroom. I tried my best to wiggle free.
"Kole, no! Stop!" I begged, but it did nothing to stop him.
Megan was laughing as if this was the funniest thing she had seen and I
flipped her off for the lack of help in my time of need. Radley just
shook his head as if we'd all lost our minds before looking back toward
the television.
We entered the bedroom and Kole immediately lowered me to the
floor. I took a step backwards placing some distance between us and
never once took my eyes off his. That devious grin of his told me he
had no intentions of letting me out of this room any time soon. He
appeared as if he was about to devour me and I had no choice in the
matter.
"Kole, we have company. This is rude." I continued to back away from
him until I was against the wall next to the bathroom door.
"All you have to do is answer my question, Lexi."
I was getting nervous because he was stalking me as if I were his prey.
The thing was I wasn't sure I wanted to stop him. I really just wanted to
get lost in each other. I knew we needed to get back out in the living
room; I also knew my answer to his question, so I could stop this entire
thing at any moment.

I loved the way he was looking at me, though. His tongue was resting
against his lip with the glimmer of his piercing shimmering in the light;
it was erotic.
He was inches from me and I felt the heat rise in my cheeks with the
thoughts of what he could do to me with that tongue and those lips. He
placed his hands against the wall on each side of my head and leaned
forward.
"Just answer me, baby," he whispered. "You can stop this with the right
answer," he assured me as he skimmed over my lips with his.
"What if I don't want to stop it? What if I want you—right here, right
now?" I teased back.
He brushed his lips against mine softly, taunting me, causing me to
shiver. We watched one another without saying anything more. We
were waiting silently for the other's next move.
Kole continuously flipped his gaze from my mouth to my eyes, as if he
was trying to make a choice. I rose up on my tip toes and whispered
against his lips. "If Radley and Megan weren't here, we'd continue
this... for hours." I felt his tongue trace my lip, taunting me slowly and
my knees grew weak. "Yes, Kole; I'll move in with you." I caved,
giving him the answer he wanted.
He smiled and kissed me gently, not giving too much, before backing
away. I watched as he walked out of the room, leaving me slouched
against the wall in a puddle of sexual tension. I blew out a loud
steadying breath and pushed off the wall, knowing that I had just been
played.
When I made my way back to the living room, Kole looked up from the
couch and grinned. I offered him a glare as I sat in the recliner instead
of next to him.
Radley looked back and forth between the two of us curiously, before
speaking.
"Dude, she doesn't look satisfied. Maybe you should take her back in
there and relieve some of that crankiness, because she should be
smiling." Megan punched him in the gut. "What? I'm just saying she
looks like she needs a little more lovin' . "
Kole's eyes connected with mine as he answered Radley. "Lexi's

just upset because she tried to seduce me in the bedroom and I told her
we were being rude to our company." He laughed when I narrowed my
eyes at him before getting up and going to the kitchen to order pizza.
Once I reentered the living room after placing the order, Kole was in
my chair. Radley was stretched out on the couch and Megan took over
the other recliner. Kole was watching me awaiting my next move. His
fingers were laced together, resting on his stomach. He actually
thought he'd won. I glared in his direction and he tried to hide his smile.
I'd show him.
He wasn't that slick.
I glided past him deliberately shaking my hips a little more than usual. I
looked over my shoulder, watching his eyes fall to my ass and instantly
felt triumphant. Mission accomplished, I thought as I flopped down
onto Megan's lap. Kole grinned and both Megan and Radley laughed
behind their hands. I continued to glare at him holding back all signs of
amusement.
I was getting really good at proving a point with Kole. I could be
severely stubborn and thick-headed. This just seemed like the perfect
time to show off that side of me.
When the pizza arrived Kole and Radley paid and we all ate around the
coffee table watching 40-Year-Old Virgin on Netflix. Of course the
guys got into a conversation about not being able to go that long
without sex.
And I found the opportunity to torment Kole even a little more.
I watched Kole closely without smiling. "I could go without sex," I said
with a shrug. "I mean, it's good and all, but.. .I could go without it."
Kole never took his eyes away from mine. Radley laughed from my
left. "Damn, dude. You need to step it up a notch. Your girl doesn' t
need your noodle. You gotta be doing something wrong. "
Kole stared a little longer before a cocky smile spread out over his lips.
"I think I feel a challenge coming on. What do you say, Lex? "
I shrugged my shoulders and waited for him to continue.
"Fine. We'll see who can hold out the longest. Sound like a plan?" he
asked with a smirk.
I smiled in return. "Sounds like plan." I looked over at Radley and

Megan who were both watching us with interest. When I saw Megan
attempting to hide her laughter behind her hand, I knew she had an idea
of what I would say next. "That includes self-pleasuring, too. "
Kole's lips curved up just a little more. "Challenge accepted." We
stared at one another for a few silent moments before I heard Megan
giggle and Radley laugh.
Kole wanted a challenge and now he had one. But make no mistake, I
planned on torturing him every chance I got. Wait until no one was here
and I unpacked boxes in the nude. I caught myself smiling as I thought
of the millions of ways I could make him cave.
Megan was watching me as she spoke to Kole. "Kole, you're in so
much trouble. I can see the wheels turning and it doesn' t look so good
for you. "
Kole just smiled and watched as I picked up the plates and started
cleaning up the mess from dinner.
Megan and Radley decided to it was time to leave around 11:00. My
evening was already planned and Kole was keeping a safe distance
from me. I saw him disappear into the bedroom and I slipped into the
bathroom for a shower. I took extra time to shave my legs and trim up
nice and clean, as thoughts of teasing him rolled through my mind. I
applied my coconut lotion and sprayed on a small amount of Kole' s
favorite perfume, all with a smile on my face. I folded my towel, lay it
on the sink and slowly opened the door.
When I entered the bedroom Kole had already turned out the light and
was lying in bed. Disappointment ran through me. My plan wasn' t
going like I' d hoped. I made sure to rub my leg against his suggestively
as I climbed in bed.
When I heard his light snore I felt like punching him. I groaned in
frustration and flopped onto my side. This was really not going the way
I had planned. I felt a forfeit on my part coming on very quickly.
I thought this would all be so easy. But already I was second guessing
myself.

Chapter 4
Kole
I rolled over to find Lexi's sexy ass facing me. Literally, her bare naked
ass was turned in my direction and I bit my knuckle hard between my
teeth. I tried not to groan as I felt myself growing hard looking at her
naked body.
The woman was gorgeous and irresistible.
Just when I thought I was past the point of caving she rolled toward me.
As if her backside wasn't bad enough, how in the hell was I going to
stop myself from giving in now? Seeing Lexi's beautiful body naked in
my bed asking to be touched was too much. But I stayed strong as I
leaned across her and grabbed the sheet to pull up over her body.
Glancing down I moaned, "No fucking way!"
She shaved, as in shaved all of it.
I turned as I heard a giggle, only to find her staring up at me with a huge
smile on her face. "What's wrong, Kole? You look frustrated."
I groaned and yanked the sheet over her body. Rising from the bed, I
quickly went to the bathroom for a shower. "You're so fucking evil,
Lexi," I complained.
I still heard her laughing as I flipped on the shower. I turned to find

her standing in the doorway. still naked. "Remember—no
self-pleasuring. You just have to deal with the hunger." She spun
around and shook her naked ass all the way back to the bed. I let out a
deep calming breath and flipped the water to cold. She was so damn
evil.
I felt a little better once I was out of the shower and dressed to head to
the gym. I had two clients today and a meeting with a new one this
morning. Everything was falling into place.
I loved being a personal trainer. It had always been a dream of mine to
start my own gym.
When I came around the corner I found Lexi bending over a box as she
unpacked a few of my things. That part was no big deal; it was the fact
that she was doing this still completely naked.
"You're loving every minute of this, aren't you?" I said, already
knowing the answer. The girl was definitely leading in points. I really
had to find a way to reverse the roles.
She looked back over her shoulder with her naked ass still arched up,
with a gleam in her eyes. She tried to appear as if she had no idea what
I was talking about, but I knew different. "Loving what?" she asked
with innocence.
I knew if I touched her I was not going to be able to walk away. But my
hands were twitching at the idea of feeling her silk skin beneath them.
She stood up and turned to face me, and I let my eyes roam over her
body from head to toe. Meeting her eyes once more I took a step toward
her. Lexi stood tall watching me as if she had just won.
I stopped only inches from her and leaned forward to kiss her softly.
I could tell she wanted more just by the way she began to suck at my
lower lip when I pulled away.
"Let me tell you something," I whispered only inches from her lips.
"You know that I think you are amazing in every possible way. If you
wanna walk around here every day naked, shaking your ass, go ahead. "
She smirked and I continued, not letting the naughty look in her eyes
affect me. "Before long you're gonna cave and you'll be the one
begging

for me to give you what you need." I leaned in to skim over her lower
lip with the tip of my tongue. She whimpered just enough for me to
know I had her. I kissed her once more, just a small quick peck, before
I backed away and went for the door. "See ya later. I got a busy day
today," I hollered over my shoulder without looking back.
I left the apartment feeling satisfied with the teasing game we were
obviously playing because I had just turned the tables.
I drove to work completely worked up and horny as hell. I had to make
her cave. I knew if she didn't soon, I would and I couldn't let her win. I
was about five minutes late when I hurried from my truck into the back
entrance of the gym. Dropping my bag off in my office I made my way
to the front.
"Hey, Paige, is my nine o'clock here?"
I grabbed the file she had prepared off the tray on the counter.
"Actually, she just got here and I think she's changing. I'll send her your
way as soon as she resurfaces." I nodded my head and walked back to
my office. I sat down at my desk and began checking emails while
waiting for my potential client.
My phone beeped in my bag and I grabbed for it, quickly remembering
that I had not yet turned the volume down. I slid my finger across the
screen to unlock it and instantly felt my mouth grow dry. I wasn't
expecting Lexi to send me a close-up of her shaved sweetness but she
did. An up close and personal view. I flipped my phone sideways to
enlarge the photo and get a closer look. Holy hell that was hot. The
picture was followed by a taunting message.
Lexi: You should feel it... so smooth and soft. Imagine sliding in and
out slowly feeling nothing but me. No barrier at all. Complete silk!
Damn, she was good, because I could feel myself falling apart at the
seams.
I heard a shuffle at my door and jumped in reaction, fumbling with the
phone to hide the image.
When I looked up my stomach dropped and all sexual thoughts went
right out the window.

"Fuck," I mumbled more to myself then to the person standing before
me.
Could this day get any worse?
"Hi, Kole. Are you ready to whip me into shape?" Miley stood in my
doorway with a skimpy little workout outfit on. I could tell she wore
nothing underneath because her nipples were poking through the thin
material
I swallowed hard. "What are you doing here?"
Miley stepper further into the room and closed the door behind her. My
eyes fell to her ass and finding it too was on display, I quickly looked
away. She turned back and smiled at me. She walked around the chairs
on the other side and rounded the corner of my desk. She sat down on
the edge of my desk and licked her lips. "I'm your nine o'clock and I' m
looking forward to having your hands on me. "
I couldn't do this. "Not happening. Miley... sorry, but you'll have to
work with one of the other trainers. "
"What if I only want you? " She definitely had a hidden agenda as she
licked her lips slowly and suggestively. I kept my eyes on hers and
nothing else.
The last thing I wanted was for her to think I wanted anything in return.
I heard a knock on the door and she slid away just enough to place a
small space between us.
"Come in," I said in a rush.
When Radley appeared in the doorway I was instantly thankful. He
immediately looked over to Miley; his face became tense and if I wasn'
t mistaken, angry.
"What's going on in here?" he asked as his nostrils flared.
Miley smiled. "Hey, Radley. How have you been? " She stood from
where she was perched on the side of my desk and turned to face him.
I watched as he took in her appearance just as I had. She wanted to be
noticed, that was for sure.
"I was just telling Miley here that I won't be taking her on as a client." I
reconnected with Radley and he showed no signs of leaving the room. I
was secretly grateful.

"Come on, boys, really. Are your girlfriends that insecure? If you love
them they shouldn't care. A little flirting doesn't hurt, anyway. It's good
for the soul." She winked back at me over her shoulder.
"What fucking game are you trying to play, Miley?" I'd had enough.
"You left after sophomore year, and now you show up here pretending
as if it all didn't fall to shit prior to you fleeing."
I looked over at Radley and nodded toward the chair in front of my
desk. He picked up immediately on what I was offering and sat down in
the chair opposite mine. We waited for her response.
"Maybe I thought we could start over. be friends," she said with a
shrug. But I knew better. Miley was vindictive.
"I love Lexi. And when I say I love her, I mean I really love her. I have
no desire to screw that up, not now, not ever. I don't want to be friends
with you or even acquaintances. You need to hang up this game you're
trying to play, because I'm not falling for it."
She attempted to convince us that it wasn't a game, but neither of us
bought it.
She finally gave up and left my office with a hmmph. The minute the
door shut Radley let me have it.
"What the fuck, dude? What was going on between you two before I
walked in here?"
I leaned forward onto my elbows, and stared back at him without
faltering. "Nothing happened, Rad. I'm in love with Lexi; you know
that. She's my life, man. There is no way I'm letting that go for any
reason. Trust me. "
He stared me down for a few silent moments before he nodded his
head, accepting what I said.
Only when he left he didn't seem convinced. I needed to talk to Lexi. I
craved the sweet sound of her voice.
Who was I kidding? I needed to go home and lock her ass in the
bedroom for the next week. I was missing out on valuable sex time with
my girl for some stupid ass game. Screw this, she could win, she could
gloat and rub it in my face that I caved, because that is exactly what I
was doing.

Chapter 5
Lexi
"Did you like your picture?" Those were the first words I spoke when I
answered the incoming call from Kole. I couldn't help but laugh as I
envisioned Kole's face when he opened his phone earlier.
"Oh yeah, that was definitely the highlight of my morning. I think I
need a closer look though. "
I bit my lip. "Really... does that mean you're caving already? Wow,
Kole, I thought you were tougher than that." I felt confident and cocky.
I'd gotten beneath his tough exterior and it hadn't even been
twenty-four hours.
"What can I say, baby? I'm addicted to you."
I giggled. "Well, it really is too bad that I'm not home." I had gotten
dressed right after he left and went to the dorm to begin packing my
things. I didn't have much, but I wanted to surprise him. I was loading
my last box up just as he called. Between Megan and me, we piled
everything I had in two cars.
"Where are you?"
I climbed into the front seat of my car. "Just went to town to pick up a
few things we needed. "

He was silent for a minute. "Stop by here before you go home." I
smiled at the thought of us in his office, alone. "I don't have another
client until one. I want you, Lexi. I give up. You win. I can't go without
you; I feel like I' m going insane. "
I felt a rush of heat run through me and wetness pool between my
thighs, just thinking of what he'd do when he saw me. "Ten minutes."
After we hung up I quickly went back to the apartment and unloaded
my car and Megan's. I changed into a skimpy skirt and made my way
back out into the living room.
"Jesus, Lex, you're gonna kill the poor boy. After all the teasing you've
done since last night, Kole may be the first to collapse from intense
arousal. "
I laughed at her. "He caved already." I took a spin. "This is the prize."
She giggled. "Well, he lasted longer than I thought he would. I figured
he would've jumped you the minute we left last night."
Laughing together, she followed me out and we made our way to our
cars.
Less than five minutes after leaving the apartment I pulled up to the
gym and sat in my car looking at the building for a moment. I loved
seeing Kole's name lit up on the front. He had worked so hard over the
last year to get this place going and it was all finally coming together so
perfectly.
I found Paige at the front desk and she offered a kind smile. "Hey, girl,
you looking for your man? " I nodded my head and she pointed toward
the weight room.
"Thanks."
I paused at the doors, watching him through the glass. He was bench
pressing and his muscles tensed and flexed with each thrust.
I found Radley at his side and he was the first to notice me, offering a
wave, motioning for me to enter.
I pushed through the doors and walked in their direction, when all four
guys who were watching Kole turned toward me. Kole sat up from the
bench and I watched his gaze rake over me. A sly smile stretched out
over his lips as he stood up and began walking in my direction. He didn'
t

give me a chance to speak.
His lips crushed to mine with a sense of urgency.
"Did you wear this skirt to tease me or can I have a taste of what's
underneath?" he whispered so only I could hear.
I didn't reply with words, only with actions as I took his hand into mine
and pulled him toward the door. He threw his towel up over his
shoulder. "Later, boys," he said happily, and I shook my head, knowing
that his friends knew what was about to happen.
Once Kole locked his office door it was like years of sexual desire had
been released all at once. He gripped my hips and lifted me onto his
desk. He reached under my skirt and pulled my panties down roughly.
I was in awe of his hunger for me.
Kole dropped to his knees between my thighs, gripping my knees and
pushed them upward opening me further.
The moment I felt his tongue connect with my clit I moaned loudly. He
explored me completely as I relaxed back onto the desktop.
There I lay with my legs spread before him and his tongue rolled
through my wetness. He sucked my clit into his mouth at the same
moment he slipped his finger into me and my back arched. His fingers
began to move inside of me and I could feel myself building toward my
release.
I ignited as my hips bucked, demanding more.
I hadn' t come down from the explosive orgasm before I felt his
hardness rub against me. He had moved up my body and was ready for
more as he guided the head of his erection to my opening and slowly
began to sink into me.
"Never again, Lex. We don't wait. I can't go without you. I need you,
baby. Fuck, I need you so bad. "
Kole's movements picked up and he thrust his hardness into me deeply.
The deep moans that ripped from him only excited me more. "So
good," he growled as he slammed into me over and over.
With each thrust of his hips I heard papers flutter to the ground. It felt
as if he pushed harder and deeper each time. I was climbing once again
when I felt his cock twitch inside of me.
Looking up at him I found his eyes were shut and his mouth was

slightly open. I watched in amazement as he came with me and the look
on his face was such a turn on. I loved knowing that I made him feel so
good.
After a few moments he opened his eyes and looked down at me with a
cheesy grin on his face. "That was so hot. I think you should visit me
every day in a skirt."
I rolled my eyes and then winced as he withdrew from me slowly. I
suddenly felt so empty. I wanted him again almost instantly.
As if Kole read my thoughts, he pulled me into his arms. "No company
tonight, okay? Just us. I want to have dinner and watch a movie. Then I
want to stay up half the night making love to you. I wanna wake up
with my fiancée next to me and have morning sex for hours."
I kissed him and smiled. "That sounds amazing."
"Like heaven," he whispered as he kissed me softly.
I left the gym feeling as if I was floating. I felt complete and so in love.
I looked down at my ring and felt fluttering in my stomach as I
imagined spending the rest of my life with Kole.
I was in a daze as I climbed into my car and drove toward the grocery
store. Even as I walked through the aisles of the Foodmart, I couldn't
stop smiling. I picked up the things I'd told Kole I had already
purchased.
Just as I was placing the last bag into my car I heard someone holler my
name. I turned around quickly to find Miley exiting the store. "Hey
you," she said with forced cheeriness. "It seems like we are constantly
running into each other. "
I smiled politely. "Yeah, it seems so."
She shifted her bag to her other hip, still grinning back at me. "Kole's
gym is really nice. You must be really proud of him." She tilted her
head to the side and closed her eyes as if temporarily lost in thought. "I
can't wait until the renovations are done. Training with him in the small
weight room isn't going to be easy with all those sweaty guys around. I
guess we'll make do, though. Does he train you, too?"
I swallowed back the jealousy that began to boil within my stomach.
"When did you start?" I asked, ignoring her question.
She smiled triumphantly. "I was with him for a while this morning

for my orientation. We planned my work out and got everything set up.
I' m so excited. "
I didn' t want her to know how this affected me. I just continued placing
my bags into my car and then shut the trunk.
"Well, I better get everything home and get dinner started. It was nice
seeing you again." It was a brush-off, but I had to get out of there.
I didn't wait for her response. Getting into my car I drove away before I
cried in front of her. Why didn't he tell me about his meeting with her?
Was that why he was so worked up? Was he turned on so much from
being with her?
Because this morning when he left he was so confident that he'd
withhold. He was so sure I would be the one to come crawling to him.
What changed?
I carried everything into the apartment and no longer had the urge to
unpack my things.
Instead I opened a new bottle of wine and filled the nearest glass I
could find. Walking back to the bedroom I sat down on the edge of the
bed in a daze. I was tempted to text him, but I decided that it would be
childish.
So I chose pouting instead, because that was so much more mature.
It was about 4:30 when my phone began ringing. I didn't get up to
answer it. I let it ring over and over until I heard the front door open. I
hadn' t moved from my spot on the bed.
I felt the mattress dip behind me but didn't even react, only continued to
look out the window.
Kole brushed away my hair that had fallen into my face. "Baby," he
whispered, sounding alarmed. "Did something happen? Look at me,
Lex. What' s wrong?" He rolled me to my back and hovered over me
with a concerned look on his face.
I couldn't smile, I felt like I couldn't breathe.
"You tell me, Kole," I said in return. "Did something happen? Is that
why you didn' t tell me you were with her this morning?"

Chapter 6
Kole
Shit.
Miley had this planned; I know she did.
"Baby, nothing happened. She came by thinking I' d fall for her game.
She wanted me to train her but I declined. You can ask Radley; he was
there. "
She looked miserable. I was mentally kicking my own ass for not
telling her earlier. But the moment I saw her in that skirt, all other
thoughts flew out the window. I wanted her so badly nothing else
mattered.
"Why exactly do you feel threatened by Miley?" I asked because the
question was long overdue. "I' ve been trying to figure out what it is
about her that intimidates you. "
Lexi jumped up quickly from the bed and spun around looking at me. I
knew what I was saying was coming out wrong but I hated that this shit
kept coming between us.
"Why?" she said in an irritated shriek. "Because I was lucky enough to
witness your reaction to seeing her for the first time after all these
years. I saw the way you looked at her and smiled. It took you a

few minutes to even remember that I was standing next to you. So yes,
I feel threatened by 'the one that got away.'"
She stormed out of the room and I followed behind her, feeling my own
burst of anger. "Lexi, 'the one that got away', really?"
I hadn' t even noticed until now that Lexi had moved her things in.
Everything was still in boxes, but it was here.
I walked toward the kitchen and found her refilling her wine glass. I
remained silent, watching her as she lifted it to her lips, taking a big
gulp. I wondered how much she had already consumed. I chose to keep
that question to myself. Right now wasn't the time for me to ask.
Instead I walked to her, reaching out I traced her arm with my finger.
She flinched from my touch and it caused my chest to tighten. It' s been
so long since she's had that type of reaction; the return pained me worse
than anything else. I grabbed her elbow and turned her to face me.
"Don't, Lex. Don't act like that." The hurt in her eyes made my stomach
knot. "I love you. I never said anything because when you showed up
all I was thinking about was you. You are all I ever think about, " I
assured her. My mind was so consumed with this woman that on most
days I barely had room for anything else. "I am so in love with you that
it' s borderline insane. "
I tilted her chin up to make her look at me. "Baby, I want to marry you.
I put the ring on your finger. That should mean everything. You're who
I want to spend the rest of my life with. I need you to trust in us. "
Her lower lip trembled. "I hate the thought of you touching her," she
confessed. "Do you have to train her?"
Without any further hesitation I pulled her into my chest and held her
against me tightly. "I'm not her trainer; I refused it. When I told her
she'd have to train with someone else, she rejected it. That's when I
knew she was just looking to cause trouble." I pressed my lips to Lexi's
forehead, kissing her softly, slowly breathing her in.
"Can we please stop wasting our time on her?"
She nodded and I looked down just in time to see a tear slide along her
cheek. "I don't want to lose you. You saved me in so many ways and
you're the glue that holds me together. I can't lose you."
I leaned in and pressed my forehead against hers. "You're never

going to lose me. I promise you." I needed her to understand this.
"We're forever."
I guided her backward toward the countertop by placing my hands on
her hips. I lifted her up onto the counter and rested my body between
her knees. She still wouldn't look directly at me.
I had to bring this tension to an end.
"Speaking of forever," I said, and she finally gave me the attention I
was hoping for. "My mom called today. She was a little pissed that I
asked you sooner than I planned. She wanted to be here during the
proposal. But she got over it when I told her you said yes and that you
were moving in with me. "
Lexi smiled at the mention of my mom. They had really become close
over the last couple of years.
"She's ready for the date. She wants to start planning." I watched Lexi
closely and she didn't appear freaked out so I continued. "She wanted to
know if we would be willing to plan for a New Year' s wedding. I know
it's rough with your school schedule and job searching. That would
only give us a few months to plan everything, but I think we could pull
it off. What do you think?"
I saw a flicker of joy in her eyes when she offered me the first smile
since I'd come home. "Are you ready to be married to me?" she asked.
I gripped her face in my hands and kissed her hard. "Damn it, you
stubborn girl. I'd fly to Vegas right now and marry you," I assured her.
"I'd run down to the courthouse on Monday morning and marry you if I
knew my mother wouldn't hire a hit man to kill us both."
That triggered a laugh. She knew my mother would be pissed if she
missed out on our wedding.
"A New Year's wedding would be perfect," she replied with a grin.
We had just set a date.
In a little over four months I was going to marry Lexi.
"Let's call Mom and tell her the news." I felt the tense moment had
passed and I was grateful. I reached in my back pocket for my phone.
Listening to Lexi talk to my mom about planning our wedding was the
greatest feeling. I watched the excitement in her eyes as they talked

about colors and possible locations.
I sat next to her on the couch with a beer in hand and watched her smile
as she laughed at the things I was sure my mother was going overboard
about. Lexi was the daughter she never had.
Lex looked over at me with a gleam in her eyes just before holding my
phone out to me. "Your mom wants to talk to you. "
She was already rambling when I placed the phone to my ear. "Kole,
you guys need to look at places to rent out. You can't waste any more
time. Everything will be booked. "
Lexi was doing her best to hide her laughter. I was sure my mother had
already given her the same speech.
"Okay, Mom," I looked over at Lex and widened my eyes in
exasperation. "I'll rearrange some things and Lex can check her
schedule. We'll plan a few days to go out and start looking soon."
I knew we'd have to select a location soon. She was right; if we waited
too much longer we'd never get a place. And she wouldn't get off our
asses until we did, either.
After I hung up I swung Lexi's legs over mine and pulled her into my
lap. "Are you ready for this?"
Lexi kissed me and I pulled her back to me just as she started to pull
away. I deepened the kiss and ran my hands through her hair, assuring
she couldn't get away. "I'm so ready to marry you," I whispered against
her lips. "Lexi Hartman is really catchy. "
I could feel her smiling.
She remained in my arms on the couch as I held her, talking about plans
for our big day. I watched her face light up as she talked about the
things she imagined when she was little, all along taking mental notes. I
wanted to do as much as I could for her to make it happen just as she
imagined.
When she talked about her dad walking her down the aisle, it pissed me
off, knowing the chances of that happening were minimal. I hated
seeing the hurt in her eyes.
"Maybe I could ask Radley to do it," she said, just barely above a
whisper.
I squeezed her close and hoped it was enough to soothe her

heartbreak.

Chapter 7
Lexi
"Silver and red? I love it. Very holiday-ish."
Megan and I sat in a booth at the café as I showed her the dresses I'd
found for her and Natalie.
Natalie had become a special part of my life since I met her in therapy
at the center. We had formed a special bond because of the painful
memories we shared and the healing we'd done together.
"Holiday-ish? What the hell is that?" I laughed at Megan's confusion
from my choice of wording.
"Yes, it's fitting for the Christmas and New Year's holiday season. I
love the colors and the theme. Where is Natalie, anyway? " I said,
looking around the café.
Just then the door came open and in she walked. With flowing black
hair and olive skin, she was such a knockout. Her skin tone was really
going to look beautiful against the dress I found.
"Sorry I'm late," she said as she flopped down in the empty chair beside
me. "I got stuck with a dead battery. Thank god Rachel' s boyfriend was
on his way to pick her up." Poor girl has had one hell of a time with that
car of hers lately.

"So," she said, rubbing her hands together excitedly. "Show me."
Megan and Natalie "oohed" and "ahhed" over the dress I'd chosen for
them. They instantly found the shoes they thought would match
perfectly, in the same catalog as the dress.
"So how about you? Any dress that's called out to you yet?" Natalie
asked.
"No," I said, shaking my head. "I haven't found 'the one' yet. I picked
up a few more recent bridal books and I thought I would shop around a
little more online tonight. We're going to Charlotte this weekend, too.
Beth has some places she wants us to look at for the wedding so who
knows? Maybe I can look around there. "
I was beginning to think I'd never find a dress I loved. I felt like I'd
looked at a million over the last couple weeks, finding nothing I could
imagine wearing on my big day. I tried not to get discouraged.
Before either of them could answer, we all turned toward the direction
of the bell chiming above the front door of the café.
I was shocked to see Kole and Radley entering, both looking as if they
were up to no good.
Once Kole reached our booth he knelt next to me, giving me that
charming smile of his. "Hi, beautiful." He pressed a light kiss to my
lips; even the smallest of kisses from him still managed to send shivers
throughout my body.
"Hi," I whispered in return. "What are you doing here?" I watched his
movements closely as he pulled a red rose from behind his back and
handed it to me. "I have a surprise for you," he said and I was instantly
intrigued. Who doesn't love a good surprise? "You have to come with
me now, though. "
Without hesitation, I placed my hand in his and he led me outside to his
truck, helping me inside. I watched in silence as he walked around the
front of the truck and when he climbed in he looked excited. "What are
you up too?" I asked with curiosity. "You'll see." He winked at me then
backed out. When we pulled up at the bridal boutique downtown I
looked over at him, puzzled.

"You're gonna go inside and ask for Trudy. She's gonna sit down with
you and listen to you explain what your dream gown would be." He
took my hand into his and I continued to watch him. "After you
describe every last detail, Trudy's gonna create it for you. My mother
and I've already worked it all out with her. Now you need to do your
part. Go make your dream dress, baby. "
I slid across the console to the center and hugged him to me. "Thank
you. You're amazing." I kissed him once more. "Thank you."
He smiled back at me sweetly. "I told you that you deserve happiness.
This is me attempting to give it to you. "
"You make me happy every day, Kole. Every day!" I assured him,
because I needed him to know that. Lately Miley's presence had made
me a nervous wreck, but I was trying to let go of that jealousy.
I went inside and looked around at all the gowns and veils hanging
everywhere. I was mesmerized by all the beauty.
"Can I help you, sweetheart?" I looked up to see a little lady behind a
mess of silk. She had pins stuck in a pin cushion attached to her wrist
and a measuring tape draped across her shoulder.
She was obviously a designer.
"I was looking for Trudy."
A voice from behind startled me. "You must be Lexi Warren."
I spun around just as a younger woman emerged from the staircase. She
had flowing blond hair and the perfect figure. I tried not to stare. I was
expecting an older woman with silver hair and glasses, not this
unbelievably beautiful creature.
"Yes, I'm Lexi."
She extended her hand out and I placed mine gently into hers. "It' s
great to meet you, Lexi. Why don' t we step into my office and we can
get to know one another a little better. "
I followed her to the back of the boutique, through what seemed like
mountains of fabric. We entered a cute little office with a cozy couch
and chairs and in the center of the room sat a table covered with stacks
of bridal books.
"Would you like something to drink?" she asked.
"Yes, please; water." I offered a smile.

"So, Lexi, I've had the pleasure of meeting your fiancé and talking to
his wonderful mother," she said as she sat in the chair across the table
from me. "I must say those two adore you. The way Kole explained
you, well, I was beginning to think he made you up. You got that boy
wrapped tightly around your finger."
I blushed and smiled. "He's pretty amazing, isn't he?"
She repositioned the magazines before her and pulled out a pad of
paper and a pen. "Tell me what kind of dress you imagine walking
down the aisle in. "
I took a deep breath and began. She listened quietly, taking notes and
only asking questions when she found it was necessary. Two and a half
hours later I was looking at a rough draft of the dress I explained. On
paper it looked perfect and I could've almost kissed her. She was an
artist.
"That's it. That's the dress I imagined." I gushed with excitement. She
smiled at my comment. "I know."
That was all she said as she watched me trace my finger over the paper.
I could picture it completed in my head, and it was beautiful.
"Let's get you measured and then I can start creating your dream."
I followed her back out front where she continued to work her magic,
measuring and jotting everything down on paper.
When I walked outside Kole was already waiting. He stepped from his
truck and I ran toward him jumping up to wrap myself around him.
Placing his hands onto my thighs he held me securely to his body as I
kissed him, hoping to express just how much what he had done for me
meant.
"I love you. You're the greatest guy I know and I'm so lucky that you
chose me to marry." I kissed him once more, loving how it felt to be in
his arms.

Chapter 8
Kole
I watched Lexi sleeping peacefully next to me. I think I wore her out,
but in all fairness she was the one who told me to get her naked. She
never said when I should let her get dressed again. I was thinking
maybe we should have taken a break to at least eat.
It was 11:30 at night and I was starving.
I nudged her shoulder. "Are you hungry?"
She groaned and grunted in response and I laughed lightly. "Did I break
you?"
Without saying a word she picked up her pillow and threw it in my
direction. I dodged it just as it went off the edge of the bed and landed
on the floor.
Laughing at her cranky behavior, I rose up from the bed and made my
way to the kitchen. Lex hated being messed with when she was asleep;
it always caused the worst reactions.
After rummaging around in the refrigerator, I threw something quick
together.
I grinned seeing the pile of cinnamon Toaster Strudels in the freezer.
Lexi could live on those damn things alone. That was one thing

she stayed stocked up on.
A thought crossed my mind as I plucked one from the box and placed it
in the toaster. I leaned back against the counter eating my sandwich
while I waited for hers to finish cooking.
Once it was ready I squeezed the icing on the top and made my way
down the hall toward the bedroom with a smile on my face.
Slowly I crawled onto the bed and pulled the sheet down carefully to
expose more of her. Lexi had an amazing body and I was seriously
addicted to her.
Once she was exposed I dipped my finger into the icing and place a
small amount onto her hardened nipple. She moaned softly as I did the
same to the next. I dipped it once more making a trail down her
stomach stopping just above her clit.
I was already growing hard at the thought of licking off the sweet
goodness from her skin.
I placed the plate onto the night stand next to the bed and eagerly
lowered my lips to her nipple. I traced a circle around it before sucking
softly.
I let it make a popping noise as I released it from my lips moving to the
next one. I thought for sure that would have woken her, but she barely
stirred.
But once I sucked the sweet frosting from her other nipple, I looked up
to see her bite her lower lip between her teeth.
But I continued on; licking all the icing from her stomach I began
moving lower. I ran my tongue down the path of icing until I found her
swollen clit, and this caused a deep moan to escape her.
I flipped my piercing over her a few times before sucking softly,
pulling her clit into my mouth.
I was so fucking hard, but I wanted to make her come first. It was like I
needed it, more than I needed my own. I ran my finger through her
wetness, slowly inserting my finger inside of her. She moaned louder
and grabbed my hair, fisting it in her hands. I loved when she did that.
She pulled me close and rode the waves as she began to pump her hips.
"Does that feel good?" I asked. "Do you like the way my tongue feels
fucking you?" I dipped my tongue inside of her and stroked her

with it, taking away her ability to respond. I already knew the answer
anyway.
She screamed out my name and told me not to stop, which I had no
intention of doing. I kept my tongue inside her, getting as much as I
could. "You taste so sweet. So good. "
I felt her tense and buck her hips as I continued curling my tongue
inside of her and rubbing her clit. Suddenly her thighs clutched my
head, only I kept eating away at her.
"Oh my god.. .yes!" she screamed.
I let her ride it out before I brought my body over hers. I was so hard it
hurt.
I hovered above her as I stroked myself, admiring the gorgeous woman
beneath me.
"What are you waiting for?" she asked with urgency. "I'm an open
invitation; get inside. "
I grinned at her eagerness as I thrust forward and sank into her. We had
been going at it for over six hours and she was exhausted, I could tell. I
also knew that she never turned down sex with me, so a little humor
made it fun.
I began rocking into her as I kissed her hard, rolling my tongue with
hers. I felt as if I was seconds away from blowing and I was trying to
hold back. But the moment she started talking I felt myself slipping
fast.
"You feel so good. I love having you inside of me." Lexi talking dirty
was always my undoing.
I groaned and bit her shoulder. "Fuck, I'm gonna come," I whispered,
still doing everything I could to hold back.
Once she whispered against my ear, I was done for. "Come with me,
Kole. Come inside of me." I felt her squeeze me and I let out a loud
groan as I emptied myself, coming so hard my toes curled as my body
shook with pleasure.
I collapsed on top of her and she held me close, gently stroking over my
back with her fingertips. After a second I heard her giggle. "What's
wrong? Did I break you?" She used my words from earlier.
I laughed and nodded my head into her shoulder. I think we had set

a new record for marathon sex. I slowly withdrew from her and rolled
to her side.
After a few deep breaths I was able to speak.
"I brought you a Strudel thing. It's on the night stand."
I felt her move around to grab it, and it was all I could do to hold back
the laughter rising in my chest as I watched her raise the plate up from
the night stand. She was using the glow coming in from the street light
outside to look at the plate with a puzzled look.
After a second she spoke, "Kole, did you lick off the frosting
first?"
Still trying to hold back the laughter, I answered. "Nope. I used my
finger first, but I did lick it off of you. "
I hid my face in the pillow as she silently figured out what I meant.
"Kole," she shrieked. "I'm all sticky. Go get me a wash cloth."
I jumped up from the bed and walked into the bathroom laughing.
When I came back to the bed she was eating with a smile on her face. I
began wiping her nipples slowly and swallowed hard when I felt my
cock twitch.
"Lexi," I whispered in the darkness. "I'm getting hard again."
I could just imagine her rolling her eyes at me.
"Give me the damn rag, you horn-dog." She tried to sound put off by
my need for her but I knew she loved it.
I laughed as I watched her clean herself up and then finish her snack.
When she was finished she took a drink of water and curled into my
side. We were silent for a few minutes before she threw a curve ball I
wasn't expecting.
"My mom left me a message today. I guess I should've changed my
number, huh?"
I started to get up, but she gripped my waist holding me tightly. "I
didn't want to get you worked up; I just wanted you to know. We'll talk
about it tomorrow, okay? Right now I just want you to hold me and
make me feel safe. "
I held her close and kissed her head, trying not to let the irritation
consume me. "You'll always be safe with me," I assured her.
She fell asleep quickly and I lay next to her, wondering what her

mom could've said in the message that made her feel unsafe.

Chapter 9
Lexi
I was sitting at the table in the kitchen when Kole finally got up. I had
been staring at the same cup of coffee for over an hour.
When I heard the clink of the coffee cup as Kole poured himself a cup,
I turned to look at him. He watched me with an unsettled look on his
face.
Slowly he approached the chair across from me, his eyes never leaving
mine.
"So can we talk about it now?" I looked down at my fingers laced
around my cold coffee. "Lex, what did your mom's message say? Talk
to me."
I knew he would get angry, not at me, but at the situation. I hated when
he got irritated or angry. He closed himself off and became distant. I
didn' t like the way that made me feel. When I looked back up at him,
he still watched me closely.
I slowly let out the breath I was holding, hoping it would calm my
racing heart.
"I was shocked when she called. I let it go to voicemail because, to

be honest, I had nothing to say to her. "
I paused to wet my dry throat with cold coffee.
Kole noticed the face I made and took my cup from my hands. He went
to the sink to empty it, refilling it with fresh coffee he made his way
back to me at the table. Once he was seated across from me I continued.
"She has two letters for me," I paused for a moment as I looked back up
at him. "From Matt." I watched as Kole's jaw began to tense and
release. His ears were reddened with anger.
"Why the fuck is he writing you?" His nostrils flared.
I shrugged and looked down at my hands once again.
After a few silent minutes I looked up at Kole, and he had his head
resting in his hands with his elbows propped up on the table.
I knew he was pissed and I waited for him to calm down before I
continued. "She said she would forward them to my address at the
dorm. She was real short and didn't say much more than that."
He lifted his head and wrinkled his forehead, "You wanna read them?"
he asked.
I shook my head. "No, but I thought you might want to. I don't want to
see them. "
I quickly swiped away a tear that escaped down my cheek and Kole
stood from the table to kneel next to me. He placed his hand on my
thigh, turning my body to face him.
"Lexi, he's not gonna hurt you ever again. Do you understand that?" he
asked me, and I nodded my head. "You're safe with me." He kissed me
softly and I knew he meant every word.
I never once doubted that Kole would do anything he could to keep me
sheltered from all things Matt.
Once he left for the gym, I spent the day unpacking the last of my
things. The apartment still felt cold and I couldn't wait to decorate it
and make it our home.
The knock on the door startled me and I peeked through the peephole
quietly. Megan was smoking a cigarette and I knew instantly that this
wasn't going to be a good visit. She only smoked when she was pissed
or nervous.

I opened the door and she rushed in still holding the cigarette, puffing
away. She turned to face me while I stood, still holding the door open,
wondering what in the hell she was on.
She shrugged as if to ask "What?" and I pointed to the cigarette she
held between her fingers.
Appearing extremely nervous and distant she looked down at her hand.
"Oh, shit. Sorry." She walked back to the door and tossed it out before
coming back inside.
I watched as she flopped down on the couch, looking as though she
hadn' t slept in days. She looked exhausted. I noticed the bag in her
hand and I waited silently for her to explain why she looked so strung
out.
"I' m freaking out, Lex. I mean really freaking out here. " She took in a
deep breath before opening the bag enough for me to see inside.
"No way, really?" I asked with a shocked expression.
"I don't know, I'm four days late. You know me: I'm never late. I'm not
like you, 'Miss Irregular.'" I laughed and tried to muffle it. "Why in the
hell are you laughing at me? "
I bit my upper lip and did my best to be serious. "Well, let' s go pee on
a stick, momma. "
She shook her head and got up from the couch. "Not funny, Lexi," she
said, annoyed.
After about fifteen minutes we were both standing at the sink in the
bathroom, staring down at the stick.
"What does that mean?" We looked at the test in confusion, trying to
decide if the line was there or not. I looked at the back of the box and
then the test once more.
"I think it' s broken. One line means no and two lines mean yes, " I said,
before pointing toward the test. "You don' t have either. Maybe you' re
having triplets. "
She collapsed on the toilet in frustration. "Damn it, Lexi, shut up. This
is serious. "
I reached into the bag because she had three more inside, all the same
brand. "Okay, let' s see if these work. " I pushed her off the toilet and
sat down holding a stick under me.
Megan scrunched up her eyebrows, "What exactly are you doing?"

I laughed as I peed on the stick. "I'm proving that you bought a generic
brand of pregnancy tests and that they suck." I finished and grabbed a
wad of toilet paper, placing the test onto it and we waited.
She only laughed and told me I was nuts.
But it felt good to make her laugh. She was so stressed at the moment.
I shrugged at her while we watched closely in silence. I heard a gasp
when two dark lines appeared on the test in front of us. "What the
fuck?" I said, instantly grabbing for the box once more.
Megan laughed. "Maybe I' m just having sympathy delays. Ya know,
like sympathy labor pains. " I flopped down on the floor holding the
test in one hand and the box in the other.
"Shut up, Megan. Seriously—just shut up." This was supposed to be a
joke. I was supposed to see a nonexistent line just like Megan so I could
prove the test was shit.
I felt her sit down next to me and she brushed my hair back from my
shoulder. "Are you okay?"
I took a deep breath. "I don't know." I sat there in shock. Some joke.. .I
was going to pee on the damn stick and show Megan that I also got
nothing. Two lines on a stick weren't in the plans.
"Maybe it's wrong. We should try another brand." I nodded my head
and we stood from the floor together.
I had class in two hours and I felt like skipping. I needed to figure this
out. Megan was the one who thought she was pregnant, not me.
Fifteen minutes later we stood in line at the drug store, holding two
separate brands of pregnancy tests. I was nervously biting my nails
while Megan tapped her foot impatiently.
The young clerk looked up at me and smiled.
I noticed her protruding stomach beneath her smock and I forced a
return smile. Was I ready for this? If I was being honest with myself, I
would admit that I was terrified. I lost my baby over three years ago and
I was worried it would happen again. This baby was part of Kole, a
symbol of our love. Could my heart withstand another loss? I hadn' t
realized I was crying until a tear dripped onto my hand.
"Are you okay, hun?" the cashier asked.

I smiled back at her reassuringly. "I'm fine, thanks." After I paid, we
drove back to the apartment and I quickly held both sticks under me
and waited for the results alongside my best friend.

Chapter 10
Kole
Everything was working out just I' d hoped.
Lexi had no idea what I' d been up to over the last two weeks. She
thought we were leaving Saturday morning to go see my parents for a
couple days, but she couldn't have been more wrong.
I' d actually been planning a surprise birthday party for her and it was
only one day away. I couldn't hide my excitement as I watched the
chairs and tables being set up.
She really had no clue.
Tomorrow night I would act as if I was taking her out to dinner.
I rented out a place on the beach to have the party and it was the perfect
setup for what I had planned. The dance floor and a DJ would be set up
inside, food was being catered and a bar for drinks would add the final
touch.
I planned a fire on the beach later in the evening to end our night. Lexi
loved sitting by a fire.
I remember the first spring break trip we took together. Radley and
Megan went with us and we rented a cabin in Tennessee. It was
secluded and she loved it. We sat out by a fire and roasted
marshmallows like four

young teenagers.
She was so peaceful and relaxed that week.
So I made sure there would be a fire... and marshmallows.
My mom and dad would be here tomorrow night, too. Nothing could
screw this up.
"Wow, look at this place." I turned around and found Miley standing in
the entryway. "You're going all out for some birthday party."
I crossed my arms over my chest, "It's worth every bit of time and
expense. Lexi deserves it and when you love someone as deeply as I
love her, it isn't enough." She smiled and walked toward me.
"What are you doing here, Miley?"
She stopped a few feet away from me as her eyes roamed over me
slowly. "Checking the setup location for all the flowers you ordered. "
I looked at her puzzled. "So what, you're a delivery girl now?"
She laughed and adjusted her top which was cut entirely too low in the
front. "I bought the floral shop, Kole. I just came along to make sure
they got it right for you. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect.
"
I chuckled. "Yeah, I'm sure that's why you showed up."
I walked away, refusing to play her game and went to my truck.
I grabbed my phone and dialed Megan's number. It went to her
voicemail and I left a quick message. "Hey, it's Kole. I just wanted to
make sure you still had Lexi occupied. Just let me know if something
comes up. Thanks, Meg. You've been awesome."
Without that girl keeping Lexi busy I wasn't sure I could have pulled
this off.
I watched the doors ahead of me as Miley came out. When she saw me
sitting in my truck she waved and I turned my head. She was really a
piece of work.
I made it home that night a little later than I'd planned. When I walked
in I found Lexi in the kitchen making dinner.
Walking up behind her I brushed her hair aside as I placed light kisses
on her shoulder and slowly up the side of her neck. I could feel the
chills rising on her arms beneath my hands.
She tilted her head back to rest on my chest. She wore snug yoga pants
that enhanced every sexy curve of her body and I ran my hands

over her trim hips, pulling her back into me tightly. She moaned softly
and that' s when I noticed her eyes were reddened.
A rush of anxiety ran through me as I turned her around to face me and
looked into her eyes. "Why have you been crying? Did something
happen?" She shook her head and I saw her lip tremble.
She attempted to turn away from me but I refused to let her. "Lex,
please. Talk to me. "
She shrugged away and I tried not to get angry regarding the way she
chose to withdraw.
I let out a deep calming breath as I pulled a beer from the fridge and
poured her a glass of wine. She always drank wine with dinner. I knew
she would talk when she was ready, so I tried to be patient, even though
it was irritating the fuck out of me.
She carried dinner over to the table and I followed behind with our
drinks. When I sat the wine in front of her she just stared at the glass.
"Is that not the kind you wanted?" I asked.
She bit her lip and stood from the table.
I watched as she grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator.
"I think I'll just have water tonight."
I ground my teeth together and slowly counted to ten. I didn't want to
snap at her but I was riding a thin line with patience.
"Since when? You've had wine every night with dinner since you
moved in here." She just shrugged as if that was explanation enough.
What in the hell was going on?
"I don't like the games, Lex. Just tell me what the problem is." It was
the one last grasp for clarity I had left in me and she looked at her plate
instead of at me.
"I just don't feel like drinking," she whispered.
It happened before I had a chance to breathe through it. I slammed my
fist down onto the table and the silverware bounced and rattled.
"Bullshit!"
When I looked at her, her eyes were full of tears and I instantly
regretted my outburst. I took a few deep breaths. "Just talk to
me...please. Stop fucking shutting me out! I'm here with you, damn it."
Another deep breath. "Stop pushing me away. "

The tears ran down her cheeks, and my heart fucking broke. But I chose
to wait it out. I wasn't going to go to her and give her another free pass.
I wanted her to talk to me.
"I'm not shutting you out, Kole. I'm scared," she whispered. "I'm
terrified."
I shook my head because she had just hit my weak spot. "What are you
scared of?" It hit me hard to see her shudder as she cried. She looked up
at me and blindsided me completely.
"Kole, I'm pregnant."
What the hell? Wow. I wasn't expecting that. She stared at me and I
stared back, shocked. I wasn't sure what to say. "Are you mad?"
I shook my head, still saying nothing.
"You are mad, I can see it." I still stared at her continuing to shake my
head, blown away by the news she just dropped in my lap
After a moment I got up from the table and went to her, pulling her into
my arms. "Lex, I'm not mad," I assured her. "Shocked, but in no way
am I mad. When did you find out?"
She laughed. "It was kind of a joke with Megan at first." She went on to
tell me about how Megan showed up and then the entire situation that
followed.
I listened and smiled but only one thought kept rushing around
throughout my mind.
Lexi was carrying my baby.
When I looked at her I had this overwhelming urge to cry. I was gonna
be a dad... someone's dad.
There was a little person growing inside my future wife and I was
gonna be a dad.
Lexi had finished talking and she was just staring at me in confusion. I
watched her eyes as they scanned over my face before shifting mine to
her lips. I let my gaze continue to fall to her stomach and immediately
reached out to touch her there.
When I looked up at her, she smiled softly.
"We're gonna have a baby, Lex," I whispered. "A baby," I said again.

She watched me and I couldn't hold back the tear that escaped. I pulled
her to me and kissed her gently. "I love you so much." I spoke against
her lips just before leaning back to rest my forehead to hers.
She whispered back in a trembling voice, "I love you too."

Chapter 11
Lexi
"How'd it go? How did he take it?" Megan asked.
I smiled as I thought about how Kole was last night. He was so calm
and gentle after he found out I was pregnant. It was funny actually how
he treated me like I might break.
The remorse he had for his outburst still made me feel so raw.
"Surprisingly well, actually." Until we found our way to bed and
slowly pleased one another over and over. I felt I could keep that part to
myself.
"I' m on my way there, are you ready?"
I pulled myself out of the fantasy I was silently having remembering
Kole's hands. "Um, yeah, I'm ready."
Megan made plans to take me to the day spa for my birthday. It had
become a yearly thing and it was always her treat.
I laid back and allowed myself to be pampered.
I got a facial, massage, a pedicure and even had some touchups done to
my hair. I felt amazing and completely relaxed.
"Do you know where Kole is taking you to dinner? " I looked over to
the chair next to me as Megan got her toenails painted to match mine.

"No, he won't tell me. He said it's a surprise." She smiled and I tried to
think of what he could possibly be up to and what my best friend might
know.
"Well, you have to call me later and tell me about it," she said.
I closed my eyes, concentrating on the relaxing foot massage and
forgetting my suspicions of some diabolical plan. "Yeah, if it's not too
late I will. We're leaving early tomorrow for Charlotte, so I'm hoping to
go to bed early. "
***
When I arrived at home I was greeted with a large bouquet of red roses.
I felt warm and fuzzy as I opened the card.
~To the love of my life, my future...my always and the mother of our
unborn child. I love you so much. Happy Birthday, Beautiful. Love
Kole~
I smiled as I leaned forward breathing in the floral scent. They smelled
amazing.
Smiling to myself, I searched for my phone and dialed his phone
number. After two rings he picked up.
"Hi, baby." That deep husky voice of his was something I would never
tire of.
"Hi," I said in return. "I just wanted to thank you for the flowers.
They're beautiful."
I could picture his smile spread across his face. "You're welcome. I
should be home in about an hour. Then we can get ready for dinner; I
made reservations at six." I was dying to know where we were going.
"Reservations where?"
He laughed, "Nice try, Lex, but not happening. You'll love it; that' s all
I' m saying. "
We talked for a little longer and I let him go so he could get home
sooner.

At that moment I put my seduction plan in motion. I went to the
bedroom and slipped on a white lacy thong and the bra to match. After
fluffing my hair and spraying on some perfume, I went into the living
room and waited for Kole to get home.
When I heard his truck pull up, I gave my hair one quick shake and sat
in the chair directly facing the front door.
I spread my legs just enough to tease him.
When he opened the door and our eyes found one another's, he smiled.
"Well hello," he said slyly. "Is it my birthday or yours?" he asked,
dropping his gym bag next to the door and reaching to pull his shirt
over his head. I watched him approach me before kneeling in front of
the chair.
"You like what you see? " I asked, already knowing the answer by
seeing the lust in his eyes.
He nodded his head as his eyes floated over my barely covered body.
"You want to do all kinds of dirty things to me, don't you?" He nodded
his head in agreement once more.
I rose up from the chair slowly, taunting him.
His face was inches from the front of my panties and he looked
forward, licking his lips. I slid past him and made my way down the
hall, looking back to see him staring after me.
I listened to him groan loudly before I heard movement behind me. He
hooked me around the waist and pulled me back into him. "Are you
teasing me, or do I get to fuck you? " he growled in my ear.
I bit my lip and looked over my shoulder.
"Tell me where we're going for dinner and you can do whatever you
want. "
He bit my shoulder and groaned.
I felt his hand slid into the front of my panties as his fingers continued
to slip closer and closer toward my clit. When he connected my knees
instantly felt weak. I slouched forward against the wall in front of me.
"Somewhere near the beach. You'll love it," Kole whispered. "Let me
surprise you." He bit my ear lightly and sucked it into his mouth,

flipping his tongue.
I could feel him working my panties down with ease. They were
quickly in a pool at my feet as Kole slipped his fingers inside of me,
stroking me slowly with one hand and unzipping his pants with the
other. My plan to seduce him backfired, but when his cock slipped into
me from behind I no longer cared. He worked me over slowly as he
ground his hips against me.
"You have such a sweet body. You were made for me, baby," he cooed.
"Fucking hell, you feel so good." I pushed back against him and he
thrust his hardness into me so deep.
I wanted to come so badly.
I reached down and began stroking my clit as he fucked me from
behind.
"Damn, are you touching yourself? " he asked.
I nodded and he reached around feeling for my hand. He found my
fingers flipping against the ball of nerves. "That is so hot. "
I began to tremble as the muscles in my stomach tightened. I felt the
hotness spread through me as he came inside of me, causing me to
explode around him as we stood breathless in the hallway outside our
bedroom.
When he pulled back he turned me around to face him. "You can't
seduce me, Lexi," he said with a touch of arrogance. "Not when you
already know how good I can make you feel." He kissed me hard and
whispered low, "That was just a taste of what the rest of our lives is
going to be like. I plan on taking every opportunity I can to make you
come over and over. "
He kissed me before he walked to the bedroom for a shower, leaving
me hungry for more.
"Wow, he's good," I whispered to myself. I made a mental note to work
on my seduction skills, because he was only improving on his.
When Kole emerged from the shower, I was waiting fully dressed on
our couch. "Wow, look at you. Are you in a hurry? " He was still
wearing the same cocky grin he had when he left me in the hallway.
"You said six; it's five-forty," I said with a shrug.
He smiled and grabbed for my hand, pulling me toward the door.

I knew he was up to something the way he was acting. He was antsy
and playful. The smile never left his face once. It was adorable.
He sang along with the radio and I laughed uncontrollably. He was a
gorgeous man, but his looks did not make up for being tone deaf.
When we pulled into the parking lot I turned to him confused. It wasn't
a restaurant; it looked more like a banquet hall of some sort.
"You sneaky-ass shit!" I watch as he looked at me pretending to not
have a clue. "Yeah, you can go ahead and pretend this is nothing. Later
I'm so gonna torture you."
He leaned across the center console and kissed me softly. "Sounds hot..
.I can't wait to be tortured."
I rolled my eyes at him and climbed out from the truck.
I braced myself as I entered through the front doors because I already
knew at any moment I was going to be surrounded by guests.
"SURPRISE!"
Even though I expected it, I still jumped at the sound.
I laughed as everyone rushed forward wishing me "Happy Birthday"
and hugging me close.
Beth and Jack, Kole's parents, approached and I cried. "Hi! I'm so glad
you guys came." Beth hugged me closely.
When she released me she rubbed my stomach quickly and privately,
catching me off guard. I looked up at her and she winked holding a big
smile across her face.
I immediately looked at Kole and he laughed, shrugging his shoulders.
I couldn't believe he told her already, but honestly I was not surprised.
Megan took my hand and pulled me toward the group of girls near the
DJ where we found Natalie and her roommate Rachel. Also mixed in
the crowd was Maria from the café dancing with Stacy from my
accounting class.
I couldn' t believe he pulled this off.
No one showed any signs of anything being planned and now here we
all stood.
"You all knew about this and no one slipped up. Especially you,

Natalie," I said, pointing at her. "You can never keep a secret." She
giggled, throwing her hands up into the air and continued dancing.
Radley walked up to me and hugged me close.
He whispered into my ear, "Happy birthday, mommy—I mean Lex,"
before pulling away with a gleam in his eyes.
I shook my head and laughed. I had a feeling by the end of the night
everyone would know.
After the alcohol started flowing and everyone was a little tipsy they
broke out the karaoke screen and microphone.
Megan and Radley sang "Happy Birthday" while everyone joined in. I
laughed at the rock version of it they all created.
It was the funniest thing I had ever witnessed.
I was sitting on Kole's lap and he was laughing at something Radley
was saying when I noticed Megan over by the DJ. She motioned for
Kole and he slid me off his lap.
Once he stood he bent down and kissed me.
"I' m up, baby," he said, followed by an overly exaggerated wink.
Did I mention Kole was a little drunk himself?
I scrunched my brows in confusion. Radley joined him on stage and my
stomach began twisting nervously. I couldn' t believe Kole was going
to sing. He couldn't carry a tune.
Everyone watched both Radley and Kole hold microphones and laugh
while waiting for the song to begin. It was comical.
Kole's eyes connected with mine and he winked. "I love you, baby," he
whispered into his microphone and I felt my cheeks heat.
I blew him a kiss and smiled in return.
Once the song began and the two big lugs started dancing, everyone
laughed. Kole is not a big dancer, but seeing him wiggle around and
move his hips was adorable.
They both began shaking their asses toward the audience as the song
began.
Kole belted out the main verse, putting everything he had into it.
Radley took over as Kole turned his back to us, shaking his ass. I had
tears flowing down my cheeks, I was laughing so hard.
Once the air guitar and trumpet effects started I heard Megan snort

with laughter beside me. The both of them were laying it on thick.
Kole slowly made his way toward me still singing the main line of the
song. He stood in front of me wiggling his hips a little too sexually for
the audience we had. Considering his parents were there it made me a
little embarrassed. When I caught them out of the corner of my eye they
were laughing along with everyone else, so I brushed aside my earlier
concerns.
I turned back to my sexy fiancé and reached into my small purse at my
side. When I pulled the dollar out of my wallet and held it in the air, I
heard loud whistling from around the room.
He continued to wiggle his hips and watched my eyes as I tucked the
dollar into his waist band. He shimmied and grinded on my leg causing
me to throw my head back in laughter.
Oh wow.
What a show.
Once the song ended Kole held the microphone off to the side, his
demeanor changing almost instantly. After a few seconds the music
changed to a soft tone.
He finally spoke.
"Lexi, I love you so much. Happy Birthday, beautiful." He stopped for
a second to clear his throat before continuing. "You deserve the world
and I plan on spending my life giving it to you." He kissed me softly
and the "aw" sounds filled the room along with applause. He squeezed
my hand firmly as he pulled me up from the chair and turned me
alongside him to face everyone.
At that moment I knew what he was planning. I started to stop him, but
then relaxed against him. I wanted him to have this moment. Drunk or
not, I wanted him to share his excitement.
"I love the hell out of this girl. She is the love of my life and I can't wait
to marry her in a few short months. We just found out that my fiancée
here is gonna have my baby too. So I wanted to share that special news
with all of you. Thank you all for being here to share this day with
us."
Kole took me in his arms and held me close. I felt his lips press against
my neck as he kissed me and whispered that he loved me.

I absolutely adored this guy and at that moment I wasn't sure I could've
been any happier. After everything I'd been through, I feared I' d never
have this peace. Kole had given me so much over the last few years.
He stood by me through the good and the bad.
We struggled—especially in the beginning—but we made it, with the
scars to prove it. Those scars made us who we were. I still fought the
pain at times and the dreams on occasion, but much less frequently
because he was by my side.

Chapter 12
Kole
I was so nervous, hoping Lexi wouldn' t get mad at me for what I was
about to present. I had a few more surprises for her tonight, and the
closer they got the worse my stomach felt.
I stood in the doorway watching her talk to her friends as they gushed
over the news of her pregnancy. Talk of babies and showers flowed
between them. Watching her smile was like a day of complete sunshine
without a cloud in sight.
When I looked at her, I couldn' t help feeling happy. Lexi was beautiful
and kind. She had so much life in her. The darkness that followed her
when we first met had slowly begun to fade. I knew she still had her
fears, but she was one of the strongest people I knew.
She was my rock, my heart.
I took a deep breath and started walking toward her. Trying to maintain
my nerves, but I felt my hands shake and my palms turn sweaty. Lexi
looked up and our eyes met. She let her gaze fall to my hand and her
smile faded slightly.
I continued toward her and she started shaking her head no and backing
away. Megan caught her arm and she turned to face her with her

eyes wide. I was now standing directly in front of her as Megan spoke.
"Lex, you can do this. You've been playing so much over the last
couple of years." Megan attempted to soothe her nerves. "You're
amazing and you have a beautiful voice."
She looked back to me and I lifted my hand to give her the guitar. "I
wanna hear my girl sing. "
Her eyes filled with tears and I knew she was feeling nervous so
stepped closer. "Baby, I love you so much. You're an amazing,
beautiful woman and everyone in this room will be in complete awe of
you the moment you start playing. It's time you show 'em how amazing
you
are."
I placed my lips to hers gently and she trembled slightly. "I love you,
baby. More than anything. "
She took a deep breath, taking the guitar from me and approached the
stage. Lexi took a seat on the stool and adjusted the microphone. She
stared at her hands holding her guitar firmly as if giving herself a
mental pep talk.
After another deep calming breath she began.
Once she started strumming the guitar, the room went silent and my
heart raced. It was like a trance set in. Half the room had no idea my
beautiful girl could play.
As she began with the first verse I watched the mouths of a few people
gape open. Some of the guests whispered to each other as they
continued to watch.
She played a lot of country songs; that's what she loved. She'd opened
up a lot about her dad over the last couple of years and I' d learned he
was the one who taught her how to play. Her voice melted my heart as
she sang out calmly, with no signs of nervousness. I fell in love with
her more and more with each word. I watched her sing with her eyes
closed, feeling the softness of her voice.
Lexi's head slightly swayed from side to side.
I don't think there was a person in the room who wasn't star struck at
that moment. I looked around the room watching all the guests'
reactions. My mom held onto my dad's arm and the tears floated down
her cheeks slowly.

She got to hear Lexi sing once before by accident. We went home for
Christmas and Lex sang for me when she thought my mom wasn' t
home. She heard the entire thing and immediately melted the same way
I did every time she sang.
Megan and Radley watched without looking away once. They were
two people, like me, who knew what this really meant. Lexi was finally
singing again. She was playing for people and a little piece of the old
Lexi had just reappeared.
The old Lexi that had a passion for sharing her amazing talent with
others was right in front of us. I hoped that she wouldn't be upset with
me about this. I knew she just needed a little push.
My eyes caught sight of a woman I hadn't noticed before standing near
the doors. There was something very familiar about her side profile. I
continued to watch closely, waiting to get a better glimpse.
She held her hand over her mouth in a shocked expression, her eyes
focused only on Lexi as if she were the only person in the room.
As if she could feel my eyes on her, the woman looked away for just a
moment, allowing me a better look and my heart jumped. I instantly
felt sick. Lexi's mother stood in plain sight. If Lexi looked up at that
moment she would see her.
I'd sent a letter two weeks ago to her mother, only I wasn't sure if it
reached her. The letter talked about what an amazing, beautiful
daughter she had and how she was missing out on that beauty. I ended
it by extending an invite to the birthday party.
My mom had informed me she had also recently talked to Lexi's mom
and we thought maybe I could reunite them somehow.
The song ended and I looked up to Lexi. Her eyes were scanning the
room and when she connected with mine she smiled. Without another
passing second, I walked up to her quickly as everyone began to clap
loudly. I took her in my arms and she cried into my shoulder.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for loving me so much, Kole.
" As if loving her was actually avoidable.
I pulled her toward me, hoping she still felt the same after she faced the
newest guest. I was instantly terrified that I had made a mistake. I
pulled back and she looked up into my eyes as I forced a

smile.
Lexi's eyes began to roam before I could say anything and I knew she
had found her mother when a look of disappointment filled her eyes.
The tears pooled and her nostrils began to flare. She looked back up to
me and then immediately back to her mother.
After Lexi blinked and the tears ran over she whispered with such hate.
"What in the hell is she doing here?" she hissed. "Why is she here,
Kole?"
I swallowed hard and it burned with regret. "I invited her. " The look
she gave me was full of hurt and I felt like my heart split in two. "Why
would you do that? Tonight of all nights, I can' t believe you did this."
She pushed back from me and turned toward the doors that faced the
beach.
I started to go after her when Megan grabbed my arm. "Let her go,
Kole. Just give her a minute, okay? She's shocked."
My mom had made her way to Lauren. I knew my parents had sensed
the tension when they locked eyes with me.
My stomach was in knots and I'd sobered up almost instantly. The
guests had slowly begun to mingle once again and I found my way to
the doors and stood staring out as the waves crashed in, slowly washing
up onto the beach.
I couldn' t swallow past the burn in my throat. I had to go find her. My
heart was breaking for her and I hated that I'd even sent that letter.
What the hell was I fucking thinking, inviting her mom? After all this
time, I should have talked to her first.
I saw the shadows in a distance as I walked down the beach toward the
girls. I could hear Lexi crying as I got closer and I felt the tears burning
in my own eyes at the sound of her pain. She sobbed heavily as Megan
tried to calm her.
"Lexi..." I spoke into the darkness.
I was just a few feet away from her now and I wanted to grab her and
pull her into my arms. She turned to face me with a look of devastation.
"Why?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion. "Why would you
invite her, Kole? After what she did to me when I needed her most.

All this time she could have come to me and reconciled, and she didn't.
What the hell were you thinking? I don't need you pushing this
relationship between her and me." She sniffled. "She walked away
from me without a second thought. She made that choice. She left me. "
I let my arms fall to my sides in defeat.
I knew I fucked up big this time. Now, the question of "how the hell
could I fix it" was running through my mind.

Chapter 13
Lexi
I was so angry. How could he invite her and not warn me? She shoved
me out of her life when I needed her.
When my world was at its darkest, she deserted me.
I had so much anger for her that I still couldn't get past it all. Both of my
parents deserted me and I wasn't sure I'd ever forgive either one of
them.
"I'm sorry, Lex. I should have talked to you first. I'm so sorry."
My own anger overpowered every other emotion inside me. Years of
frustration and a sense of abandonment came at me full force. I was
trying to fight the anger I felt toward Kole, but I couldn't get past it. I
felt like he deceived me. I needed someone to blame. I needed someone
to lash out at.
I had to get this anger out of me.
I needed to scream and cry.
I needed to fight it; I had to put my defenses up.
I had to protect myself.
"Do you care how much you've hurt me?" I asked. "What possessed
you to think this was a good idea?" He started to talk and I

struck out quickly. I lunged forward and pounded on his chest with
such hate filling my own. I was blinded by years of pain and the man I
loved was paying the price for all the wrongs throughout my life.
"How could you do this to me? How could you put me through this?
She turned her back on me and left me in the hospital after I lost." My
voice cracked and I couldn't even say the word "baby." "She walked
away from me and didn't even care that I was pregnant because of a
rape and not promiscuous acts. Don't pretend you know what's best for
me when it comes to her and me. You have no idea what I went through
when she walked out on me. You don't know how hard it was to accept
that she could turn her back on her own daughter so easily. The only
person that can make the choice of ever letting her back in is me, not
some fantasy of happy afters. "
I gripped his shirt in my fists looking up at him. "I can't be near you
right now; I need space!"
I turned to Megan, "Please take me home," I told her as I walked past
Kole, leaving him standing alone as Megan followed me to the parking
lot.
She called Radley to bring out the keys and my purse. She tried to
whisper, but I heard her as she told Radley what happened. She asked
him to go find Kole and make sure he was okay.
It made me feel better. I was made at him yes, but I still loved him so
much that the thought of him alone left an ache in me. Only I was too
stubborn to let my own anger go.
When we pulled up to the apartment I got out quickly. Megan turned
off the car and started to follow me inside and I began to shake my
head.
"No, I wanna be alone." She looked saddened by my brush off. "Right
now I can't do the girly 'midnight talk.' I can't pretend that everything
hasn' t just shifted within my heart. I can' t be around anyone right
now." I knew if anyone could understand the things going on inside my
head right now, it would be Megan. "Just let Kole stay with you and
Radley. I need to be by myself tonight, please. "
I turned toward my apartment and she watched from behind as I
unlocked the door. When I was safely inside and shut off the porch
light,

I heard her start the car. I found my way toward the bedroom and
collapsed onto the bed. I curled up into a ball and began crying.
My mother's last words all those years ago were running around over
and over in my head.
"Pregnant? That's great. How the hell does this look for me? I have a
daughter that got knocked up right out of high school. Do you even
know who the father is? " Disgust laced her words. "You 're going to
end up on welfare, bouncing from guy to guy. First your father runs off
with his secretary and now my daughter has turned into a god damn
slut." I still flinched each time I replayed the day. "You wanna run
around town spreading your legs for every guy who shows you
attention? You want to be a slut, fine, but you sure as hell aren' t living
with me. Pack your shit and get the hell out of my house. " I watched my
mother turn and walk out of the hospital room. She didn' t even allow
me to explain.
I went through the DNC alone and devastated. I called Megan after the
procedure, asking her to come and get me still feeling numb.
When I got home the next day my mother was gone. I found my clothes
bagged up sitting on my bed. I didn't bother taking anything but a few
photos and what my mother had packed; I didn't want anything else. I
left my house key on the counter and walked out. That was the last time
I was home.
My phone beeped in my purse and I ignored it. After a few more times
I took it out of my purse and turned it off, dropping it to the floor. I
wandered the apartment in a daze. I had no idea what I was doing, I just
couldn't relax. I finally dozed off on the couch in complete darkness.
***
I woke the next morning before 6:00 still wearing the clothes I wore to
the party. I mindlessly moved through the hall toward the bedroom to
change into sweats.

Gripping my keys tightly in my hand I walked out the door locking it
behind me. I drove with no particular place in mind, deliberately
leaving my phone at home. I didn't want to be found. I didn't want to
talk to anyone. I didn't want to share my feelings. I just wanted to shut
down and be alone.
I drove for over an hour when I spotted a small café just off the side of
the road.
I sat in my car staring straight ahead for over fifteen minutes before
finally getting out.
The café was older and smelled of grease. The smell engulfed me the
moment I opened the door. Nausea hit me hard and I placed my hand
over my mouth. I backed out of the door and jogged to the side of the
building quickly. Hunched over, I emptied the contents of my stomach
until the painful dry heaves began.
"Hey, hun, are you okay?" I heard a woman's voice behind me, startling
me for a moment. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and turned around,
leaning against the building. A sweet middle aged woman wearing an
"Andy's Café" polo shirt peered at me with a look of concern.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm pregnant and the smell of the
grease was a little overwhelming. Sorry. I tried not to make a scene."
She laughed. "You didn't cause a scene, sweetie. I just happened to
look up when you opened the door. I saw you turn green and bolt; I just
wanted to make sure you didn't need anything." I thanked her for her
concern.
"So how far along are you?"
I shrugged. "I have my first appointment next week. I would say maybe
a little over a month. I just took the test recently. "
She smiled a genuine smile. "Well congratulations."
I thanked her once more and made my way back to the car, pulling out
of the parking lot. After stopping at a gas station, I finally got back on
the road, driving toward home.
I found the nearest payphone, which wasn't easy considering they
rarely existed anymore, and called Gail's cell phone.
She wasted no time agreeing to meet me at the park. I needed to

talk desperately and I know she immediately sensed the urgency in my
voice.

Chapter 14
Kole
"Have you heard anything from her yet?" I paced the floor of our
apartment holding the phone to my ear. Megan and I had been trying to
find Lexi all morning.
I came home around 8:00 this morning and found her phone on the
bedroom floor. Lexi was nowhere to be found and her car was gone.
I had no way to contact her and I was going a little crazy.
"No, Meg ...nothing! I think I'm gonna go drive around some more. It' s
almost four o' clock. I' m freaking out here because no one' s heard from
her. What the fuck am I supposed to do? " I couldn' t handle this. I
needed to find her and now.
I hung up the phone, grabbed my keys, and yanked the door open only
to stop abruptly. Lexi stood in the doorway staring back at me.
I let out a deep breath and I shrunk to the floor right in the doorway. I
reached out my arms, wrapping myself around her legs, seeking
security. I felt her hand comb through my hair gently and I lost it. The
tears ran down my cheeks as I looked up at her. I saw the hurt in her
eyes, but she forced a small smile.
"I' m sorry," she whispered.

"Why are you sorry?" I asked in confusion. "I'm the one who's sorry. I
never should have invited her. I'm sorry I hurt you; that was never my
intention. "
Lexi shrunk to the floor with me. "I hit you, Kole," she cried. "I hit you
and said awful things to you. I hate that I did that to you. "
I stood, pulling her into me.
I scooped her into my arms and carried her to our bedroom. When I
reached the bed I slowly lowered her to the mattress.
She looked exhausted and it made my chest tighten. This was my fault
entirely.
I brought myself to rest next to her and pulled her to my chest. "I love
you, Lexi." I buried my face into her neck and took in the feel of her
body. My heart was racing and I had a knot in my stomach that had
been there since the moment I came home to find our apartment empty.
I was slowly calming now that she was here with me, but I needed
more.
I lowered myself until my face hovered over her stomach. I raised her
shirt slowly and kissed her just above her waistline, pressing my
forehead to her gently. I took in a deep breath.
"I wish I could fix everything bad that has ever happened to you. I wish
that I could take all your pain away." I couldn't look at her. I was so
pissed at myself. "I don't want you to hurt. God, I'm so sorry."
"Kole, look at me, please." I took another deep breath, because
everything inside of me was screaming not to, but I ignored it and
looked up at her.
Lexi traced my cheek with her fingertip and I let my eyes close as I
allowed myself to feel her touch. "I know you had good intentions. I
know you never meant for any of it to hurt me." Her lower lip trembled
as she continued to talk. "I was angry and I took it out on you. I'll never
forgive myself for the way I acted toward you. I know you'd never hurt
me. Forgive yourself, please. "
I let my head rest back onto her stomach feeling her skin against my
cheek. I fell asleep wrapped tightly around her, and when I woke up it
was dark out.
I sat up in bed and watched Lexi asleep next to me. She was so

fucking beautiful. I felt the burn again in my throat while I watched her.
I couldn't let go of the look on her face when I found her on the beach
last night. What she said to me rang through my head over and over.
I saw the blue light blinking on my phone at the end of the bed. I had a
million missed calls and texts from Radley and Megan. I sent out a
quick text to everyone letting them know she was home. I couldn' t let
everyone keep worrying.
The doorbell rang and I got out of bed quickly doing my best not to
wake Lexi.
I opened the door without even looking to avoid the chance of them
ringing the bell again. I instantly regretted doing so.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. "I don't think she wants to see
you." Lauren held a box in her hands looking back at me. She seemed
saddened, but I don't think she was surprised.
"I know she doesn't want to see me. I understand why. I just wanted to
drop this stuff off." She handed me the box she held in her hands.
"What's all this?" I looked down at the package I now held. Lauren took
a step back as if she felt desperate to put some space between us.
"These are things that I should have given Lexi years ago. They're
things that belong to her, that I had no right hiding from her." Before I
could question her more she turned and walked toward her
car.
Before she got inside, she paused and turned to ask me one last
question that sank my heart. "He forced her, didn't he? Matt—he hurt
Lexi?" I couldn't speak because acknowledging the truth always left me
feeling raw. I just nodded my head and watched her climb into her car
before slowly backing out and driving away.
"What is that?" I turned to find Lexi standing in the hallway. I
wondered just how much she'd heard.
She took a step toward me and I closed the front door. I carried the box
over to the table setting it down in front of us, wondering if I should
have demanded Lauren take the box with her when she left.
I immediately tensed when I opened the box and found Matt's letters
inside. I picked them up and stared at his writing on the front, as if

by doing so somehow I could inflict pain on his sorry ass.
I felt Lexi reach past me and into the box, lifting a bundle of envelopes
held together by a rubber band. Her hand immediately went to her
mouth when she brought the pile closer. "Oh my god," she gasped as
her eyes found mine. "They' re from my dad. "
Lexi hands trembled as she removed the rubber band and dropped the
pile to the table. They scattered across the surface and her tears fell
heavy.
"He wrote to me." I took her into my arms and hugged her close. "He
never forgot about me... she just hid the truth." I couldn't refrain from
holding her tightly until her tears slowed. Lexi fisted my shirt and
looked up at me.
"How could she have done this to me? All these years I thought he left
me too. I thought he didn't want me. I felt like I wasn't good enough for
my own father." I watched the tears run down my broken girl's cheeks
and felt helpless to stop them. I had no idea what to say or what to do. I
took her hand into mine and began to pull her toward the bedroom.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
I looked back to her. "I think you need a break from everything. You
need to rest, let it all sink in. "
She pulled against my hand and I released hers. "No. I wanna read
them. I wanna know what he felt all this time. I need to read them,
Kole. I have to know. "
I didn' t want her getting upset any more than she already was. She
needed to think about the baby and her health. I couldn' t upset her any
further, so instead of arguing I just nodded my head in agreement.
I followed Lexi back to the table and took a seat next to her as she
began the emotional journey of all the words her father spoke over the
years.

Chapter 15
Lexi
Finding out after all this time that my dad had written me and sent cards
was overwhelming. I had so much hurt inside from a lifetime of feeling
disconnected from my parents. Seeing his words on paper, all his
feelings laid out for me to read was unbelievable.
They started shortly after he left and continued until last year. He
explained how sorry he was that he hurt my mother. He apologized for
not being the father he should've been. The letters expressed over and
over again how much he loved me and still wanted to be a part of my
life.
"He wanted to know me, Kole," I whispered. "How could she let me
miss out on this with him? How could she keep us apart like that? She
punished him by hiding me, but in the end she was punishing me too."
He soothingly rubbed my back and watched me silently.
"I have to go see him. I have to go see my dad." I felt almost manic
about the idea.
He nodded his head. "Then we'll go see him." I found myself shaking
my head in response, "Kole, you need to stay here. We have things to
get done for the wedding and you have the

gym. The contractors need you and you have clients. "
He smiled. "I'll get people to handle everything. You need me and I' m
not letting you go alone. "
I leaned forward still holding the last letter in my hands and offered him
a gentle kiss. "Thank you. "
"Don't thank me. I want you happy, Lex. That's the most important
thing to me." His love for me at times was still hard to accept. I'd spent
a lifetime of feeling as if I just wasn't enough.
But for Kole, I was.
We went to bed, but I couldn't sleep. I let my mind run away from me. I
couldn't let go of the excitement within me. I was going to see my dad.
It' d been nine years and I could still see his smile. The anger I felt
toward him all this time now felt undeserved. I curled into Kole' s side
and he pulled me closer. Looking up at Kole's face I watched him while
his eyes were closed.
I could tell he was barely awake and I focused on his breathing as it
became deeper and deeper until his body relaxed. The arm he had
around my waist gave way and his hand slid away from my hip.
***
I woke up to Kole tracing my jaw with his thumb. I turned toward his
touch. "Good morning, beautiful," he whispered huskily. "When do
you want to go?"
I smiled and crawled on top of him, straddling his waist as I looked
down into his eyes. The warm feeling of being so deeply in love spread
through me. Smiling down at the gorgeous man I planned to marry
made me feel safe. Kissing him softly, I let my lips linger over his
before pulling back to look at him once more.
"I love you so much." I felt his hands running over my sides and I
fought the tickling sensation it was causing. He grinned as if sensing it
and let his hands slide to my hips.
"Right now, I just want to be right here with you," I confessed. "I

wanna pretend that nothing else is happening. I want to feel your body
against mine. I want to kiss you and love you. Can we do that? Just for
a
little while?"
His grin caused the heat to rise within me. I loved his smile. my
devious, hot, sexy man. God, I loved this guy. I couldn't imagine being
without him.
I allowed my body to relax against his and began kissing him slowly.
Taking in the feel of his tongue as it slowly began stroking mine. I
sucked on the tip of his tongue, causing him to groan, feeling him grow
hard beneath me. I slowly pressed myself against him.
I wanted to feel more of him; I needed to feel him close.
I reached down between us to lower his boxers and he placed his hand
over mine. "Are you sure you feel up to this? I know you've had a rough
couple days." His concern for me only made me love him more.
I bit my lip and watched his eyes focus on my mouth. "I want you,
Kole. I'm absolutely, without a doubt, in desperate need of you." I
lifted my tank top over my head and looked at him lying before me. His
eyes roamed my bare chest. "Touch me, Kole. please. "
His hands ran up my stomach to cup my breast and he squeezed gently.
He sat up bringing his mouth to my nipple, flipping his tongue against
the hardness before sucking it into his mouth. I felt it low in my
stomach. The feeling of his tongue rolling across my breast between
sucking drove my need for him deeper.
I ran my fingers through his hair, gaining his attention as he looked up
to me. I wanted him so badly I couldn't stand another moment without
him. "I need you." I knew I sounded desperate but I didn't care.
He leaned back away from my breast and began kissing my neck until
he reached my ear. "I always need you, baby," he whispered.
When Kole entered me, I moaned his name just above a whisper
because at that moment I felt complete. My heart ached at the love that
swelled within my chest.
It wasn't rushed or hurried.
He moved slowly within me and I knew he was making love to me. He
wanted this to last and I needed it to last. He held my hips, guiding me
with the movement of his. We rocked together in a perfect rhythm as

his eyes locked with mine and he watched as I began to climb.
I could feel the sensation build deep in my stomach. He slowly
withdrew and thrust forward driving me over the edge as I came,
throwing my head back. I felt his lips on my neck and his tongue
tracing my collarbone.
"I love watching you. You're so beautiful, Lexi. So fucking beautiful."
I brought my lips to his and bit down softly onto his lower lip. He
groaned and I began rocking harder and faster. He gripped my hips, but
I never stopped. I wanted to feel him come. I needed to feel his release.
"Lexi, slow down. "
I shook my head and continued to ride him with purpose. His thighs
tensed beneath me and his tongue rested against his lip. I couldn' t help
but kiss him, sucking his tongue into my mouth.
I whispered against his lips, "Come in me, Kole. I wanna feel you. "
Another deep groan escaped him and his fingers dug into my hips.
"Fuck!" he growled, almost animalistic.
I felt his warm release as I continued to stroke him until his body
relaxed against mine.
After he took a deep breath he whispered into my shoulder where his
head still rested. "Holy hell. One of these days I think you' re gonna kill
me with this body of yours," he chuckled. "Insane!"
I giggled and he held me close.
And at that moment everything else seemed irrelevant. Because Kole
was here loving me, and when he gave me that love, I felt complete.

Chapter 16
Kole
I grabbed the letters from Matt out of my top drawer. I'd put them there
last night with the intention of reading them when I was alone; now was
that time. Lexi was taking a shower and I needed to get to the gym and
take care of a few things before we took off to St. Louis.
I stuck my head into the bathroom. "Hey, Lex, I' m gonna run over to
the gym for a little bit and then I' ll come home and load the car. " I
heard her mumble an "Okay" through the sound of the water running.
"Don't carry anything out by yourself."
She peeked out from behind the curtain and rolled her eyes at me.
"Fine...dad."
I walked over to the shower and leaned forward to kiss her wet lips.
"You better be nice or I may just climb inside there with you and make
you scream. " I winked and backed away toward the door. She watched
and just as I turned toward the hallway I heard her groan out in
frustration.
I left with a huge smile on my face.
When I pulled into the gym parking lot I reached into my passenger
seat and picked up Matt' s letters. There were two dated within a few

weeks apart. I fought the anger that began to boil thinking about what
he put Lexi through.
I tore the first one open and began to read.
Fucking hell, the nerve he had.
He was actually making excuses for what he did to her. He went on and
on about finding a way to deal with his urges. I couldn't believe what I
was reading.
I opened the second one and it was the same thing. I sat in my truck
fighting the urge I had to fucking punch something. There was no way
that sick fuck was getting anywhere near Lexi or my baby.
The ringing of my phone pulled me from my frustrated state. I saw that
it was the gym calling.
"I'm here," I assured him. "I'm on my way in now."
Radley let out a deep breath before telling me what I didn't want to
hear. "Dude, you' re not gonna like what you walk into, man. "
I pushed through the front doors and let my hand holding the phone fall
away from my ear. I was looking at all the employees carrying around
towels and buckets with mops. You could hear the water squishing
under their feet. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.
A day that started out so amazing was quickly turning to shit.
"We called the plumber, but it's a wreck." Radley walked toward me
looking like he'd just been through hell and back. "You had water
shooting out of the pipes in the men's locker room. I had them turn off
the water main, but it must have been draining for a while. The water
saturated the weight room and the lobby. You're gonna have to contact
the insurance on this one. "
I blew out an exhausted breath.
"I gotta go call Lexi. We're gonna need to reschedule our trip."
I pushed past Radley and went into my office. The last thing I wanted
to do was disappoint her, but I knew I had to be here. I couldn' t leave
this mess for Radley or anyone else to handle. It was my gym, which
made it my responsibility.
She sounded so sweet when she answered the phone. "You miss me
already. "
Of course I did. Hell I missed the girl when she fell asleep and I

wasn't able to talk to her, even though she was right next to me.
"Hey, baby, I got some bad news." I said what I was dreading. There
was no way to sugarcoat it.
She was quiet for a few seconds. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" she
asked.
I wasn't looking forward to sharing this with her. I wanted to be there
when she reunited with her dad. "I have a huge problem at the gym.
Looks like I'm not gonna be able to get away. I'm so sorry." I squeezed
the bridge of my nose with my fingers, trying to fight the tension
headache that was already building.
"Kole, it's okay. Megan can go with me, and Nat. She was kind of
disappointed that she was gonna miss out, anyway. It'll be a girl's
getaway."
I was pissed, but tried to hide it.
"Lexi, I'm gonna be honest with ya. I really don't like the idea of you
girls traveling alone. I wanted to be there with you. " A huge sense of
disappointment filled my chest.
"It's okay, caveman. We won't leave each other's side. I'll only be gone
a few days and we'll talk every day." I was silent for too long and she
quickly started again. "Kole, I've missed nine years of my father's life. I
don't want to wait any longer. I want him to know me. I wanna share
everything with him. I wanna tell him about you and us. I want him to
know about the baby. Please don't ask me to wait."
I let out a slow deep breath. I couldn't tell her no and expect her to
wait.
"Call Megan, but you guys are taking my truck. I don't trust your car
going that far." I gave her no chance to argue. "I don't like it, but I can't
tell ya no."
I knew she was smiling; I could sense her excitement. "Okay. Thank
you. I love you. "
I let my head fall forward into my hands and shook my head thinking
about how whipped I was. "I love you too. When I get a chance, I'll
come home and switch cars with you."
We said our goodbyes and I went out to help clean up some of the
mess.

When I finally made it home Megan was already there.
I walked in to find them sitting at the table waiting for me and I
immediately felt my stomach drop at the thought of Lexi leaving. I
didn' t want to be away from her. She walked toward me and laced her
hands around my waist. When her lips touched mine I let my eyes
close, taking in the feel of her lips. It was unbelievable how much I
loved this girl. Lexi became my world and everything I did was for her.
I adored her.
Once her lips left mine I felt hollow.
"Do you have to leave?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "I'm
gonna miss you. "
She smiled up at me. "Yes, and I'll miss you too. I need to do this, Kole.
I need to see my dad. "
I pulled her to me just a little tighter and breathed her in. I could smell
her shampoo and I felt calmed by it, just a little. "I just hate that I can't
be there with you." She buried her face into my chest and placed a light
kiss through my shirt.
I looked over my shoulder at Megan and she was watching us with a
smile on her face. "Hey, Meg, do me a favor. Take care of my girl," I
gave her an intense look, "and my baby. "
I felt Lexi's arms tighten around my waist just a little more as I kissed
the top of her head and took in the feel of her wrapped in my arms. The
next few days were really gonna suck.

Chapter 17
Lexi
Kole helped us get everything loaded into his Avalanche and Natalie
arrived shortly after. I waved to Kole as we backed out and drove away.
"Awe, that's so sweet. Why can't I find a hunky caveman like you
two?" Natalie was turned around in the seat watching out the back
window as Kole faded in the distance.
Megan and I laughed at Natalie as she stared longingly at my sexy man.
I pushed forward when I really just wanted to turn around and go back
for one more kiss. I silently agreed that it was going to be hard being
away from Kole.
I missed him already.
It was a little after 2:00 in the afternoon when we left, and we had a
long road ahead of us. We planned to stop at a hotel so we could get
some rest before continuing tomorrow.
I hadn' t contacted my father because I wanted to surprise him instead. I
didn't want our first encounter after all this time to be over a phone
conversation.
"So how far is it again? I mean, are we stuck in this beasty truck

for days or just hours?" Natalie was a rambler. She was quiet when I
first met her at the community center, but now she never shut up. "I get
car sick sometimes. I guess I should've told you that earlier, huh?"
I looked over at Megan and we both laughed. "Total time is a little over
twelve hours, Nat. I thought we could stop near Nashville and get a
room, then get up tomorrow and finish the drive." I looked in the
rearview mirror and smiled back at her. "Oh, and by the way... if you
puke in Kole's truck, he may kick your ass."
Megan laughed, "Yeah, I agree. Considering the guy still has the dealer
plastic stretched along the floors, he may not appreciate the puke. "
Natalie just giggled and watched out the window as we sped onto the
interstate.
We had been gone less than an hour when my phone started to ring. I
quickly slipped on my Bluetooth and answered my caveman's call,
unable to contain the smile on my face.
"Do you already miss me?" I asked.
He laughed in response but I knew he did. "Lex, I missed your sexy ass
before you left the parking lot. I just held out as long as I could before
calling you." I imagined him smiling that sexy grin. I could sense his
mood and it was one I knew well.
"So you in the mood for some dirty talk? " he asked, his voice husky
and low.
I laughed. "Um, no. I' m not alone and I' m pretty sure the girls aren't
up for it." I looked over at the puzzled look on Megan's face as she
shrugged her shoulders.
"Tell 'em to plug their ears."
Before I could answer I heard a laugh and looked in my review mirror
at Natalie's expression. "Wow seriously? It hasn't even been an hour.
No wonder you're knocked up. The guy can't stay off you." She shook
her head. "He's a horny caveman."
Megan laughed first and then Kole broke through the laughter. "Horny
caveman?"
"Yeah, Natalie has been entertaining to say the least. Oh, and she
suffers from motion sickness, so you may have to shampoo your
carpets when we get back." I bit my lip to hide my own amusement.

His reaction was panicked. "Hell no, Lex, hang her head out the
window. Better yet, throw her ass in the back. No fucking puke in my
truck."
All three of us laughed at his manic reaction. I reassured him that she
wouldn't puke and he calmed down a bit. I knew the new direction of
the conversation pulled him from his horny state at least. I let him go,
agreeing to call him when we reached Tennessee.
"Love you, baby. Drive safely."
I smiled because I always did when it came to Kole. "Love you too,
babe. Talk to you soon. "
The remaining drive went smooth. After stopping just outside of
Asheville, North Carolina to get a bite to eat, we drove the remaining
distance to Nashville. Megan had called ahead and booked us a room at
the Embassy Suites. I was exhausted by the time we pulled in to the
parking lot at 9:15. I hadn't slept very well last night and it was now
catching up with me.
Megan ran inside to check in while Natalie and I waited by the car
stretching our legs. Once she came out we grabbed our bags and made
our way to our room. They wanted to go out to dinner and I just felt like
sleeping, but forced myself on. I made a quick call to Kole to let him
know we made it, but unfortunately it went to voicemail. I left a quick
message.
"Hey, where are you?" I asked. "I told you I'd call when we got to
Nashville. Call me back. We made it here safely. I think we're gonna
step out and grab a bite before bed. I love you. Miss you like crazy. " I
silently wondered what he could be up to.
I changed quickly into something comfortable and we made our way
downtown. We chose a little Italian restaurant and were seated quickly.
I could barely eat because I was so nervous about tomorrow. A million
things were running through my head. What if he was mad that I just
showed up? What if he refused to see me? What if he was remarried
and she hated me?
I was brought from my inner panic when Megan gripped my

shoulder. "Lex, are you okay? You look pale. "
I just shook my head, waving off my worries as nothing and told them I
was tired.
I needed some sleep and I wanted to talk to Kole. He could relax me,
but he wouldn't answer his phone. I tried to call once more before I
finally gave up and went to bed.
Forcing myself to find some peaceful place within.

Chapter 18
Kole
"What the hell are you doing here, Miley? How do you even know
where I live?" I asked, feeling frustrated.
I had just gotten out of the shower when I heard the knock on the door;
I thought it was Radley. He was closing the gym and was gonna grab a
pizza and some beer on the way over.
We figured with our girls gone we would make it a boys ' night and
crash here. If I had known when I answered the door it would be Miley
standing there, I would' ve put on something other than the towel I had
wrapped around my waist.
Miley looked me up and down, making my skin crawl as she silently
devoured me. She licked her lower lip before answering my question.
"Damn, Kole, you look good in a towel. I bet you' re even hotter
without it. " She reached forward and jerked on the front of it before I
could stop it from sliding away.
I held on to the corner and yanked it back into place. "What the fuck,
Miley?" I scrambled backwards down the hall shielding myself from
her prying eyes. When I reached the bedroom I quickly threw on some
shorts and a T-shirt before going back out to get rid of her.

I entered the living room and found the front door closed, and relaxed
for a moment. But that was short lived when I heard the pop of a soda
can behind me. I turned around and there she stood, in my kitchen,
holding a can of Sprite and staring at me with a smirk on her lips.
"What are you doing here? Get the fuck out!" I yelled pointing toward
the front door.
Miley just laughed and moved around the countertop towards me. She
wore the skimpiest pair of cutoff shorts I'd ever seen and the tightest
white t-shirt. I could instantly tell she was not wearing a bra. Her
nipples were erect and she pushed her chest out further when she
caught me looking. I looked at the ground quickly to settle myself.
Miley was a very attractive girl, but she wasn't Lexi.
I looked back up at her and she was now only a few feet away from me.
"You need to leave. "
She bit her lower lip and then released it slowly, tauntingly. "Kole, I
know Lexi is out of town. I heard her friend Natalie at the cafe earlier.
She was saying they were taking a little road trip. So I know the
chances of us getting caught are slim." She took another step toward
me, bringing her hand up to my chest. She ran her fingers down toward
my stomach before I gripped her wrist.
"Miley, you need to leave, now." I was getting pissed that she thought
this was a fucking game. "There's no way anything is gonna happen
between us. I wouldn't touch you if you were the last woman on earth."
I pushed her hand away and went for the door.
When I jerked it open, Radley was walking up the sidewalk toward my
apartment. His face instantly changed to angry when he saw Miley just
inside. She walked toward the door, but before she walked out she
turned her head toward me and smiled.
"That was really great, Kole. I don't think I've ever come so hard.
You're still a fucking champ between the sheets."
I watched her walk out and get in her car, feeling disgusted by the
thought of her even being inside the apartment I shared with Lexi.
Radley was facing her too, and when she pulled away he turned toward
me quickly. Without hesitation he dropped the pizza to the ground
along with the beer.

I watched it fall as it collided with the pavement below. When I looked
up from the ground his fist connected with my cheek and I had no time
to shield myself. Before I could register what happened he punched me
again, this time in my eye.
"You piece of shit!" he barked. "You got a fucking kid on the way,
man! Hasn't Lexi been hurt enough?"
My head was hazy and I shook it to clear the fog.
He spun around to leave as I stood in the doorway of my apartment
trying to register what was going on.
He didn' t even give me a chance to explain before he squealed from the
parking lot as I was still attempting to register the past five minutes.
I grabbed the pizza box and twelve pack of beer from the ground and
went inside, dropping them both onto the coffee table.
I walked toward the bathroom and once I looked into the mirror I
instantly got pissed. That was gonna fucking bruise. I could see the
discoloration of my eye already and my left cheek was split slightly.
My best friend had just punched me, not once but twice, and then left.
I walked to the bedroom and grabbed my phone from the dresser. When
I saw the light blinking I pressed the button on the side, waking the
screen.
I had missed three calls from Lexi. I listened to the voicemail she left
and felt guilty for not answering when she called.
I tried to call her back but it went unanswered, which only enhanced
my guilt.
"Hey, baby, I' m sorry I missed your call. I was in the shower and then
watched some TV. I left my phone in the bedroom on the dresser. Glad
you're safely tucked away in the hotel. Call me in the morning." I
paused for a second before continuing, "I love you, Lexi. I miss you
and I need you home so fucking bad. I need you here with me." I hit end
and dropped the phone to the bed next to me, feeling defeated.
I let myself rest back onto the bed and ran tonight's disaster through my
mind over and over. After an hour of attempting to calm my nerves I
decided to call Radley.
I knew he deliberately ignored my call, so I decided to leave him a

voicemail since he wanted to avoid the situation. "Listen, fucker,
nothing happened with Miley. She showed up here and I thought it was
you. I answered the door straight from the fucking shower in a towel. I
ran to the room to get dressed and when I came out she had invited
herself in and made herself at home. I was in the process of kicking her
fucking ass out when you showed up. Plain and simple! "
His phone beeped letting me know I ran out of time. I had no idea how
I was going to get myself to fall asleep.
I had Lexi hundreds of miles away.
Radley fucking punched me—twice.
What the hell would tomorrow possibly bring?

Chapter 19
Megan
When we made it back to the hotel room, Lexi crashed quickly. Poor
girl; I thought the trip and stress of meeting her dad was running her
down. I made a mental note to keep an eye on her tomorrow. Maybe I
could convince her to let me drive. I wouldn't think Kole would care if
it meant Lexi could rest along the way.
It was after 11:00 when my phone vibrated on the table next to me.
Both Lexi and Natalie were sleeping so I slipped out onto the balcony
to talk to my man.
"Hey, hot stuff, I thought you were having a boys' night?" I could
immediately sense he was irritable and pissed off.
"Fuck the boys' night. Kole had other plans." I had been with Radley
long enough to know when he was angry and when he was beyond
controllable. This was definitely one of the uncontrollable moments. I
continued to stay silent. I knew he was taking deep breaths to calm
himself because I could hear him. After he silently breathed through his
anger he continued.
"Meg, I fucking caught him with Miley," he said in a pained whisper.
"She was in the apartment with him and she was dressed all

trashy, wearing Daisy Duke shorts and a see-through top. She came out
strutting herself. When she saw me she thanked him for the fuck they
apparently just shared and then left. "
I felt sick. I turned back to look into the room, seeing my best friend
sleeping in the bed and my heart broke. How could he do this to
her?
"Megan?"
"Yeah, I'm here."
Radley took another deep breath. "I punched him, Meg...twice. Then I
left his wounded ass on the front porch of his apartment. "
A tear escaped me and I wiped it away. "Good. you should' ve beaten
the hell out of him." I could feel the burn in the back of my throat,
"What am I supposed to say to Lexi? This will destroy her, I know it. "
I let the tears fall; I couldn't hold back anymore. "You can't tell her yet.
He needs to be the one to tell her. Wait until you get back." I leaned
against the railing wondering how I could look at her tomorrow and not
have her know I' m hiding something.
"Okay. I just can't believe he would do this to her. I'm so broken right
now I don't even know what to say."
We both sat silently as my mind raced. "Let her be happy for a couple
days. Let her find her dad and do it without this heartache holding her
back. Then when you girls get back we'll get her through this. I promise
you, okay?"
I agreed because I knew it was the only option.
I let him go, but couldn't calm my mind. I had a phone call to make, but
I didn't want Lexi to be able to hear anything I had to say. I knew I
needed to get this off my chest or there would be no chance of me not
spilling it all to Lexi in the morning.
I grabbed the keycard for the room, my phone and Kole's car keys. I
exited the room as quietly as possible.
Once I reached Kole's Avalanche I climbed inside shutting the door
behind me. After a few deep breaths I dialed the number.
It rang three times before he answered, instantly sounding worried.
"Meg, is Lexi okay?"
I let out a low laugh. "As if you really care. "

"Megan," he let out a deep breath. "What are you talking about?"
I couldn't stop myself as I began yelling at him. "How could you cheat
on her, Kole? After everything she's been through, how could you?"
My tears were falling heavily as if I was the one he'd broken, but in a
way he had. Because Lexi' s happiness meant as much to me as my
own. "This is gonna destroy her. I don't know if she'll come back from
this. How could you? What about the baby? The wedding?" I cried so
hard I couldn' t stop the shuddering of my breath.
I could hear Kole' s deep breathing. It reminded me of Radley when he
was attempting to calm himself.
I hated Kole right now.
I hated what he did to my best friend.
Lexi deserved to be happy and for a while I thought she found it, but I
was wrong. I wanted to punch Kole; actually, I wanted to do worse.
"Megan, I never cheated on Lex. You have to listen to me. I couldn't do
that to her. She means everything to me." Something about the tone of
his voice made my stomach tense. "God, Meg, you know me; you
know how in love I am with her. I wouldn't jeopardize our future
together. Megan, you have to believe me.. .please."
I took a few deep breaths to calm my tears. "Why was Miley in your
apartment?" I waited for him to explain.
"She showed up because she heard Nat talking earlier in the café. She
knew Lexi wouldn't be here. She arrived just when I was getting out of
the shower. I opened the door expecting it to be Radley. Instead I found
her standing on the porch." He took a deep breath. "She tried to yank
my towel away. "
I wasn't yet convinced he was being truthful.
"Megan, I swear to you—I was gone for two seconds and when I came
back she was in the kitchen and had gotten herself a soda from the
fridge. I told her to get out but she made a pass at me, telling me Lexi
would never find out. I told her to get out, that I would never do that. I
opened the door to make her leave and that's when Radley walked up."
He paused. "She took that as the opportunity to stir shit up. She let Rad
think we had been inside having sex. I don't know how to make you or
Radley believe me, but nothing happened." He was rambling on and
on.

"Nothing."
I wanted to believe him, I did, but I was stuck in the middle.
I was left with only one choice. "Radley and I both agreed that we
should wait until we get back home before we say anything to Lexi.
This trip is supposed to be a happy time. When we get back you need to
tell her, Kole. or I will. "
I hung up; there was nothing left to say.
At least for now there wasn't.

Chapter 20
Kole
I couldn't sleep after everything that happened. I felt like my entire
insides were made of fire. My chest burned, my throat stung, and my
head throbbed.
What the fuck was I gonna do?
Lexi would believe Radley because he saw Miley here. I didn't want to
hide anything from her, but I didn't want to tell her over the phone
either. Maybe Megan was right; maybe I should wait until she got
home.
Once the sun began to rise I put on my workout clothes and went in to
the gym. I needed to occupy my mind because I was tempted to drop
everything and go after Lexi. I was terrified that she would think I
cheated on her.
I had been in the weight room for over an hour with the music on full
blast when it was suddenly shut off. I stopped and placed the weights
down.
When I sat up, Radley stood in the doorway staring at me with a scowl
on his face.
"What? You wanna punch me again?" I asked him.

He stood with his arms crossed, staring at me without speaking a word.
I stood up and grabbed my towel, wiping the sweat from my face.
"I never fucking cheated, Rad. I wouldn't do that to her. I couldn't hurt
her like that. I love her, man. Nothing will ever be worth throwing that
girl away. Lexi means the world to me, and my baby—damn, dude, I
couldn't do that to them."
I stood staring at him waiting for him to speak. The tension was thick as
he watched me closely. I never took my eyes from his as I waited for
him to do something, anything.
"I talked to Megan this morning, about twenty minutes ago. I can't say I
fully believe your explanation, but I'm letting it sit for a while. I still
don't understand why the hell she was in your house. That's Lexi's
home now and she never should've been there."
I sat back down on the bench as he approached, taking a seat across
from me. "Rad, it wasn't planned; she couldn't have been there more
than three minutes. I thought it was you when I opened the door. "
He laughed, "So you thought I'd want to see your naked ass or
what?"
I forced a smile in return. "I had a towel on, man. I know my package
makes ya jealous so I'd never flaunt it in front of ya. I can't have you
crying on my doorstep. "
Humor at this moment just felt wrong.
He was quiet for a few minutes. "Sorry I fucked up your pretty
face."
I shrugged. "You thought you were defending my girl' s honor. I can' t
knock ya down for that, man. I' ll take this one, but next time I' m
swinging back." I kicked his foot with mine and he laughed.
"You're gonna tell Lexi about everything, aren't ya?"
I nodded my head. "Yep, I'm not hiding anything from her."
Radley looked up at me, "You do know she's gonna be pissed as
hell, right?"
I just nodded my head in agreement. I knew it would be a rough
confession. I also knew it was gonna take a lot of convincing on my
part and a lot of tears on hers.
Miley was a hard limit for her.

The thought of it all made me sick to my stomach. I wished more than
anything I could go back twenty-four hours ago and change it all.
My phone rang in my gym bag and I grabbed for it quickly. I wasn't
missing her call this time. "Hey, baby. I'm sorry about last night." She
sounded tired when she spoke.
"Are you okay, Kole? Last night your message sounded as if something
was bothering you." She yawned and in the moment I almost confessed
it all.
I let out a slow steady breath. "I just miss you like crazy, Lexi. Our bed
felt empty, so I slept on the couch. I don't like it without you in it." I
could tell she was smiling when she spoke.
"Megan kept me warm last night. I don't know how Radley sleeps with
her. She's like a damn sauna. "
I stood from the bench and walked across the room. "Lexi, you know
how much I love you, right?" I didn't want to worry her, but I was
freaking out about what I was going to have to tell her when she got
back.
"Kole, you're worrying me. Are you sure everything is okay?" she
asked.
I had to let it go for now. I couldn't put her through this right now.
"Everything just feels lonely without you. I'm okay. I just can't wait
until you get back. I want you to call me once you reach St. Louis." It
was time to change the subject because I could feel my resolve
slipping.
"Your dad is gonna be shocked, but happy. He's been missing you for
nine years. I haven't even been away from you for twenty-four hours
yet and I' m going crazy. I feel sorry as hell for the guy. He must be
living in the darkest depths of hell. "
She giggled. "You're just addicted to me. Not everyone loves me like
you do. "
I smiled because she was right; I was addicted. "You got that right
baby, I do love you pretty damn deeply. Now go see your dad so you
can get that sweet ass back home to me. I'm having withdrawals."
We said our goodbyes and I made my way to my office. I had to get my
head on straight. I needed to come up with a plan on how to approach
Lexi when she got back.

Chapter 21
Lexi
"Okay, ladies, time to wake our asses up. Plug that bad boy in." Natalie
tossed her MP3 player from the back seat. I was majorly dragging ass. I
plugged in the player and hit play.
As I put the car in reverse, the funky beat flowed from the speakers. I
couldn't hold in the laughter. "What we need to do is liven it up just a
bit. Otherwise these next six hours are gonna suck ass for sure. "
Natalie was bouncing around and started singing along with the funky
techno pop sound that was playing.
The beat was kind of catchy.
I turned, looking at Megan and she was silently staring out of the
passenger's window. "Hey, why the long face?"
The smile she gave me was so fake. "I'm good, just tired. I couldn't
sleep worth shit last night. I'll be all right after coffee, though."
The ride was full of laughs. Natalie was definitely feeling spunky
today. She had me laughing most of the time. Megan became a little
more talkative, but I could tell something was bothering her.
We stopped a couple times and Megan decided to drive the second half
of the trip. I fell asleep and when I felt Megan nudge me I thought

we were stopping for a break again. Only I was wrong.
When I looked up rubbing my eyes, I noticed the houses surrounding
us. They were beautiful homes. All of them had big sprawling green
lawns in front of two and three story homes. Megan pointed to the
house just to the left of us. "That's it, Lex. Number sixteen forty-five."
I was staring out the window at a two story brick home. It had an
attached three car garage and it was gorgeous. Nothing like the small
hole I grew up in. It was just a little after 5:00 in the evening.
In the driveway sat a large SUV and a smaller four door black car. The
nervousness immediately set in as I realized just how close I was to my
father.
"Megan, what if he doesn't want to see me? What if he gets upset that I
didn't call first? Maybe I should have called." I began feeling nauseated
as my nerves took over. I felt her grip my arm and I turned to face her.
For the first time today she appeared focused when she spoke. "You
listen to me. You and your father have lost nine years—nine years,
Lexi. Don' t you dare sit here and deny him any more time. He would
never have written to you for all these years if he didn't hope that one
day they would reach you. He won't care that you didn't call first." I
blinked to clear the unshed tears. "He'll only care that you're here now."
After I took a deep breath I reached for the handle.
Natalie and Megan were right behind me as I approached the driveway.
The garage door began to rise and it caused me to stop suddenly.
I watched as my father and a blonde woman made their way to the
waiting SUV. I stood frozen with shock. Two children followed behind
them closely. Two boys, one smaller than the other, were bickering and
pushing at each other. The younger one caught sight of us standing at
the end of the driveway. He stopped and stared back at me silently.
"Who are you?" he yelled out.
I felt Megan take my hand into hers and squeeze lightly just as my

father turned to look at who the boy was referring to and our eyes
connected. The duffel bag he held on his shoulder slipped away and fell
to the ground. After a slight hesitation he took a step toward us and I
couldn't look away.
I was unable to read his expression.
My father continued to walk toward me and when he was only a few
feet away he spoke. "Lexi.. .my girl. Oh my god.. .Lexi." He reached
out taking me into his arms and I felt his entire body shuddering against
mine as he squeezed me close.
He whispered words I needed to hear. "I prayed that one day you'd find
your way to us. "
He pulled back and took my face into his hands as he spoke to the
woman who stood only a few feet away. "Kate. she found me. My girl
found me." I looked over his shoulder as she approached us at the end
of the driveway and guided the two boys along with her.
Once they were standing next to my father he released my face.
He placed his hands, one on each of the boy's shoulders, and introduced
us. "Kyle and Tyler, this is Lexi; your sister. "
I looked from one boy to the other and was unable to speak. My throat
burned with emotion. I knew if I spoke I would cry so instead I just
smiled.
The oldest one reached his hand out to shake mine. "Hi, Lexi. I'm
Kyle. Dad always tells us stories about you. "
I looked at my dad and then up to his wife. She smiled warmly. "Lexi, I
remember you being the sweet little girl with pigtails. You've turned
into a beautiful young woman. I can't believe you're standing here," she
said, almost in awe. "We've talked about you so much to the boys and
now here you are. " She shocked me when she moved forward taking
me into her arms. "I'm so happy you finally made it to us."
My father' s eyes were full of tears and I finally let mine fall as I hugged
her back. I remembered my father running off with his secretary. I was
so small, though, I really didn't remember much about her.
She was nothing like my mother had described her.
"Who are your friends?" my father asked, looking behind me.
I turned and found both Natalie and Megan with tear-stained faces.

They quickly swiped away their tears and stepped forward.
"This is Megan and Natalie, my two best friends," I said before turning
back to face my father and his family. "Girls, this is my dad, Keith, and
his family. "
He corrected me quickly. "We' re your family, sweetheart. We always
have been. "
I felt odd standing in his driveway when they obviously had plans. "We
can come back another time. I don't want to ruin your plans. I apologize
for just showing up unannounced. "
My father spoke first. "No, no need to rush off. The boys have a soccer
game and then we were going to grab something to eat. Why don' t you
girls join us?"
Before I could answer Kate spoke up. "Lexi...girls, you aren't running
off. You just got here and the boys would love it if you joined us. "
They were both smiling up at me and it was contagious as I
immediately found myself smiling in return.
The littlest one tugged on my shirt and I knelt down in front of him. "I
told Heather, at school, that I had a sister and she called me a liar. Then
she stomped on my foot and ran off. Could you please come to my
game so I can prove to her you' re real?"
I laughed. "Sure, buddy. We'd love to come to your game." We got
into Kole' s Avalanche and I made Megan drive. There was no way I
could trust myself right now. I felt a little out-of-body at the moment. I
was still trying to accept everything I had just found out.
"Hey, honey, are you okay?" Megan asked from next to me as we
waited for my father to back out so we could follow them to the park. I
just nodded my head and pulled out my phone from my purse.
After two rings Kole answered and I immediately felt the rush of
emotion overtake me. "Kole, I found him. " I breathed out the words
but even I heard the shudder in my voice. "Oh my god, Kole, I have two
brothers, and they are the sweetest little guys. His wife is so nice. "
I continued to sob between words. I let them fall without attempting to
stop. I spent so much time thinking my father abandoned me. I thought
I wasn' t important to him and then I found out he had spent nine years
missing me.

Chapter 22
Spending the day with my dad and Kate watching the boys play soccer
was wonderful. My father introduced me to everyone he could.
I caught him watching me often, as if he thought he may be dreaming.
Once the game was over we decided to go out for pizza. The boys
played video games alongside Natalie and Megan until Kate had to
drag them away to go home.
They insisted we stay with them.
"Lexi, we have more than enough room. I have two spare bedrooms
and a full basement with futons and comfy couches. I won' t allow you
girls to stay in a hotel. "
We finally agreed because we figured out quickly it was pointless to
attempt to argue with Kate.
When we walked into their home I looked around in amazement. It was
beautiful and I immediately felt the homey feeling it oozed.
Everything was so colorful and welcoming.
They showed us the joining guest quarters in the walkout basement. It
was right off the family room, which overflowed with entertainment.
They had a pool table, ski-ball machine and a few pinball games. It was
amazing.
After we were all settled and the boys went to bed we gathered out

on the back deck. The backyard was equally amazing. They had a huge
pool and hot tub. The yard was huge and seemed to go on forever into
the darkness.
"Would you girls like something to drink? Beer, wine? " Natalie and
Megan both accepted Kate's offer of a glass of wine and I asked for a
bottle of water.
Both my father and Kate looked at me with a curious look on their
faces.
"Most twenty-one year olds don't turn down the offer to have a drink."
My father winked and I smiled. Now was as good a time as any.
"Well, the pregnant twenty-one year olds should decline." Once it
registered what I just said, Kate and my father looked at each other
before looking back at me, both smiling excitedly.
"What. Lexi!"
Kate stood next to my father as he laughed. "So I'm gonna be a
grandpa. Well, damn." He leaned back and took a long drink of his
beer.
"Well, I saw that gorgeous diamond on your finger earlier, but I was
waiting for you to fill us in. Married and a baby on the way. that' s
wonderful." I could sense a small amount of regret in Kate's voice as
she squeezed my dad's shoulder and he placed his hand over hers.
"I'm not married yet." My father's face appeared a little softer. "We're
actually planning a New Year's wedding and just found out about the
pregnancy. " My dad smiled once again and I knew he was happy he
hadn' t missed those big moments in my life.
We stayed up for a couple hours as I filled them in on Kole and the last
few years. I actually chose to leave out the therapy and anything to do
with Matt. All I wanted was to see my father smile, so anything bad
could just be left unsaid for now.
"Why didn't the boy bring you here? Where is he now?" I turned to my
dad and noticed I had zoned out for a moment.
I cleared my throat. "Oh yeah, he planned on bringing me. He actually
just opened his own gym and they had a main pipe burst and some
flood damage. I told him the girls could come with me so he could get
the mess under control. Next time maybe. or you guys could come visit
us." I shrugged my shoulders and he smiled.

"Well, I'd like to meet him before I walk you down the aisle to give you
away." My father winked at me and it made me feel twelve all over
again. Oh God, how I had missed him so much over these years.
Kate had planned a small cookout tomorrow and a pool party, prior to
our arrival. I really felt as if we were intruding on their plans, but she
insisted that we were more than welcome to join them.
After we said goodnight, Megan, Natalie and I escaped to our rooms
and got ready for bed.

Chapter 23
Kole
This was my second night without Lexi next to me. The bed seemed so
big without her. I hated not being able to stretch my legs out and feel
hers against mine. I missed the smell of her shampoo as her hair tickled
my nose. I couldn' t wait for her to get back home. I just wanted to hold
her close and feel her warmth.
I had been waiting for her to call me and when it was almost 10:00 in
the evening, I decide to call her instead.
It rang three times and I was about to hang up when she answered.
"Sorry, I was just getting out of the shower. I planned on calling you in
a few minutes. "
I smiled. "Well, I couldn't wait any more. This whole being so far away
from you really sucks." I took in the sound of her soft giggle.
"How was your night? What all did you do?" I listened as she explained
her evening. The excitement in her voice as she described her day with
her dad was great. Lexi had been so lost for so long and lately it seemed
as if she was getting stronger and more confident.
"How are you feeling? Have you been sick to your stomach anymore
today?" Earlier when I talked to her she said she felt nauseated.

The caveman tendencies in me were resurfacing. "You need to be
getting rest and not stressing yourself out. "
She was quiet and all I heard was her breath lightly coming through the
phone. I listened for a few seconds without any response from her.
"Lexi?" I whispered. "Baby, are you awake?" Still nothing; there was
no answer from her.
I listened a little longer and after a few minutes her breathing became
much deeper and I realized my girl had passed out cold. She fell asleep
as I was lecturing her about taking care of herself and the baby.
I listened to her breathe and I couldn't bring myself to hang up; I found
her breaths coming through the phone calming. If I closed my eyes and
held the phone close it felt as if she was there beside me.
***
I woke to the sound of Lexi's whisper.
"Kole.. .wake up. Lazy bones.. .are you there? Kole?"
I smiled, but kept my eyes closed. My cell phone felt as if it was fused
to the side of my face. I reached up and switched it to the other side. As
I peeled my eyes open I noticed the sun was barely up. "Damn, Lex,
what time is it?"
She was usually the one that hated mornings. "It's not quite six."
I groaned and closed my eyes again. "Go back to sleep, you psycho."
She giggled against my ear and I smiled more than I should be able to
this early in the morning.
"I'm sorry I fell asleep on you last night."
"Don't worry about it. You need sleep. Plus I got to listen to the sweet
little whimpers you make. It helped me sleep being able to hear you
breathing. It was like you were here with me. "
I could sense her smile. "You miss me that much, huh?"
I ran my hand up through my hair and let out a deep breath. "You have
no fucking idea. I miss you so bad it hurts. "
She took in a deep breath. "One more night, handsome. Then I'll be

on my way back to you. I miss you too. "
She was right. One more night and then she would leave the following
morning to come back home. The next thirty-six hours were gonna be
hard as hell.
I had to be honest with myself; Lexi's current mood was eating at me.
She sounded so damn happy and the fact that we had barely talked was
driving me crazy. I was definitely feeling a little pushed off. I tried my
best to not get jealous that I wasn't there to share this moment with her,
but it was hard.
I listened to her excitement as she talked about the cookout they were
having. A house full of people and my girl was there. without me.
Apparently it was Kate's family and some family friends who would be
there. I found myself wondering what guys would be there too. That
caveman in me appeared once again.
I hung up the phone feeling like a total ass because I wanted to be there
with her, staking my claim.
I forced myself to push forward and jump in the shower. I needed to get
this day over with quickly.

Chapter 24
Lexi
I woke Megan and Natalie up a little after 8:00. It was time to go
shopping. None of us had brought our swimsuits and there was a pool
party.
"Okay, you two, get your asses up. Pool party today and I'll be slipping
my bootie into a suit. I plan to enjoy it before my belly starts blocking
the view of my feet. " I smiled as that vision rolled through my mind.
They groaned as I shook the beds to get them moving. "Come on, we
need to go shopping. The party starts at eleven. Move your lazy asses,
now!" I yanked the covers off and quickly ran from the room to finish
getting ready.
I was in the kitchen talking to Kate when both Megan and Natalie
entered. Megan shot me the death glare and Nat just looked like a
walking zombie. I laughed and slid the plate of bacon across the
counter.
Kyle came running into the kitchen bouncing a basketball. He stopped
quickly when Kate turned to give him the silent warning.
He slid into the chair and I grabbed a slice of bacon to hand to him. He
took it and shoved it into his mouth. "So where are you all going this

early?" he grumbled with a mouth full of food.
I leaned over placing my elbows on the counter. "Shopping for
swimsuits. We need them for later." He turned, eyeing Megan and
Natalie carefully, and when he turned to face me he was smiling and his
eyebrows shifted up and down.
"Can I go too? I can be the judge of the suits you try on." I rustled his
hair and he laughed. Kate scolded him and he disappeared down the
hall quickly without even a hint of embarrassment.
***
We spent two hours shopping, and when all three of us were happy
with our choices we drove back to the house. It was unusually warm for
September and I wanted to enjoy the weather, plus the pool was heated.
We changed into our suits and made our way outside to help with any
last minute setup.
My father was handling the grill and the rest of the food was managed
by a catering company. It was a relaxing setting and we all sat back to
enjoy ourselves.
The house was filling with strangers of all ages. Natalie found herself
in deep conversation with a friendly neighbor girl who showed up. She
was about the same age as Nat. Megan and I chose to stay out of the
crowd and lounge by the pool.
Kate and my father had been randomly bringing people over
throughout the day to introduce us.
It was a relaxing day and I was enjoying the family gathering because
growing up, it was always just my mother and I; rarely did we entertain.
It was a little after 1:00 and I was lost in the rhythm of the music
playing from the stereo just behind Megan and me.
I hadn' t heard anyone approach, but when the shadow blocked the sun
I looked up, squinting my eyes to see who was standing over me. Kate
was standing to my right, but what caught my eye was the person
standing directly in front of me.

"Lexi, this is my brother Adam, Adam, this is Lexi." Before me stood a
tall, blond, shirtless guy wearing only swimming trunks that hung low
on his hips. He had blue eyes that were staring intensely at me. He just
watched me and I found myself unable to look away. For a moment I
felt slightly uncomfortable as his eyes roamed my body slowly. I
pushed past it until I watched him lick his lower lip.
I sat up and wrapped my arms around my midsection, crossing my legs.
"Hi, Adam, it's nice to meet you. This is my friend Megan."
A small smile spread across his lips. "It's really nice to meet you both."
He never even looked at Megan. He watched me intensely and just
when I was about to say something he stepped back. "I'll see you girls
around the party." He winked before he walked away.
Kate still stood next to me. She must have picked up on his actions
because she knelt down next to me. "Don't let him get to you. He's been
in the military for the last four years and I think the lack of female
companionship has gone to his brain. He sees a pretty girl and he goes
all playboy on them." She laughed, only causing both Megan and I to
do the same. She excused herself and walked off to mingle with her
guests.
"Holy shit, Lexi. That boy wants you. He couldn't take his eyes off
you." I rolled my eyes at her and let my body relax back onto the
lounger.
Just before I closed my eyes I looked around the party quickly. My eyes
connected once again with Adam. He was across the pool standing with
a couple of other guys but his eyes remained glued to mine while he
slowly drank his beer. I pretended not to notice he was once again
staring and closed my eyes. I was concentrating on the music coming
from the stereo. I fought the urge to grab my towel and cover up.
"Blond hottie is still eye-fucking you, Lex. If you weren't already
knocked up I would worry." Megan was annoying me slightly.
"What is your deal, Megan? You do remember I'm engaged, right? It
isn't like you to be so forward regarding guys and me." She shuffled in
her lounger and avoided my comment. I reached out and pulled her arm
making her face me. "What?"
She smiled lightly. "Nothing, I'm just playing."
I glared at her. "Don't lie to me, Meg. I know you too well, so spill

it! What gives?"
After a thirty second stare off she looked away. "Don't you dare hide
something from me. "
She looked up, taking her focus off her hands knotted together in her
lap. "We'll talk later."
I slid forward getting close to her, giving her no choice other than to
look at me. "We'll talk now."
She took my hand in hers and at once I felt nauseated. "Lexi, it'll upset
you and this isn't the time." She tried to pull her hand back but I
squeezed hers tighter.
"Tell me, because you know I'd never hide something from you. If it
was something you needed to know I'd tell you." She watched my eyes
carefully as she told me what she knew.
"Radley and Kole got into a fight. Rad showed up at the apartment and
Miley was there. She was just leaving—actually, Kole was making her
leave, but she was dressed really sleazy." The sadness in her eyes made
my stomach lurch with uncertainty. "Kole swears nothing happened
between them. "
I fought the tears as I stood up wrapping my towel around my body
tightly. I walked toward the house as the bile rose in my throat. I just
barely made it to the bathroom before I emptied the contents of my
stomach.
I lifted myself up from the floor and Megan handed me a wet
washcloth. "Lexi, it could be nothing. I was going to tell you when we
got home. I didn't want to ruin this trip for you."
I looked at her as the tears flowed down my cheeks. "So you've been
acting like a bitch toward me because you were avoiding me? You
knew this whole time and hid it from me." She started to speak, but I
pushed past her, walking toward the bedroom.
I scrambled for my phone with one purpose.
I was so pissed off. I was pissed at Megan for hiding this from me. I
was so angry at Kole because he played it out the last couple days like
everything was perfect. It all infuriated me.
Megan stood silent in the doorway as I dialed Kole's number. I was
shaking and the tears continued to fall. I knew he would be at work, but
I

didn' t give a shit.
When he answered he sounded out of breath. "Hey, beautiful girl."
I angrily swiped away a tear that was running off the tip of my nose.
"When were you planning on telling me, Kole? " I asked. "When were
you gonna tell me that you and Miley had a slumber party?"
I heard something fall or drop, creating a loud boom. There was some
shuffling on the other end of the phone, followed by a door shutting.
"Lexi, listen to me, I was gonna talk to you about this when you got
home. It isn't what you think."
I laughed. "Was she at our apartment?"
He blew out a heavy breath, "Yeah, but—"
I shook my head. "Kole, when in the hell are you ever gonna put my
feelings regarding Miley first?" I could tell he was panicking. "You are
first! Always," he assured me.
By him saying this it only pissed me off even more. "No, I'm not, Kole,
because if I was she wouldn't have fucking been in our home. She had
no right being there." I paused for a few seconds to breathe deeply
before I could continue. "Did you have sex with Miley?"
It sounded as if he growled. "Hell no! I never slept with her. I couldn't
do that to you. God damn it, Lexi. I fucking love you. No.. .no!"
I felt the air rush from my lungs. I hated doubting him.
"I gotta go, Kole. I need to think." I just needed some time.
I pulled the phone from my ear but not before hearing him say.
"Think about what?"
I hit end and dropped my phone to the bed as it started to ring with
Kole's incoming call.
I turned and walked from the room and passed Megan, saying nothing.

Chapter 25
Kole
My phone shattered as it collided with the wall in my office. I collapsed
into my desk chair running my hands through my hair, pulling at the
ends. "Mother fucker! "
I hadn' t heard my door creep open. Looking up quickly, I found Radley
standing in the open doorway, staring at me in shock. His eyes flipped
from me to the shattered remains of my phone on the floor.
I blew out an exhausted breath.
"She knows," I said in explanation of my outburst. "Lexi knows. She
fucking hung up on me saying she had some things to think about. " I
felt my chest tighten almost to the point of being unable to breathe. "I
can't lose her, Rad.. .I can't. Lexi's the other half of me."
I looked directly into his eyes with pure honesty as I continued. "I
swear to you, Radley, nothing. nothing," I emphasized the word,
"happened with Miley. I could never hurt Lex like that. Now I feel like
I'm gonna lose her anyway. I feel so fucking lost, I don't even know
what the hell to do. "
Radley took the seat across from my desk and slouched back. He
watched me closely before speaking. "Do you wanna know what my
ass

would be doing right now if my girl was hundreds of miles away and I
could lose her?" I waited silently. "I'd be on the first flight out of here
and fighting for her with everything I had. "
I took in what he said. "So when can you be ready?"
His expression changed as he wrinkled up his eyebrows. "Why the
hell do I gotta go?"
I laughed lightly and stood from my desk. "Because you miss your girl,
that' s why. Oh, and because I may need backup. " He followed behind
me and I could faintly hear him grumbling.
I signed into the front desk computer and found two flights, one leaving
at 6:00 am the next day, and another leaving in less than three hours. I
booked two tickets without asking Radley and paid with my credit
card. After I printed out the information I turned to face him.
"Hurry your ass up, dude, we fly out at four-fifty and we'll arrive
around eight. Go pack fast and meet me at my place. "
I grabbed my bag and left him staring after me dumbfounded. I crawled
into Lexi' s car and drove home to pack myself.
Less than an hour later a very grumpy Radley and I sat in airport
waiting for our flight.
"Hey, did you tell Meg we're coming?"
He turned looking at me still slightly irritated that I was dragging him
along. "No, did you want me too?"
I shook my head continuing to bit my nails nervously. "Nah, I can't give
Lexi a heads up. Maybe you can text her when we're sitting in front of
the house." He laughed lightly and I smiled as much as I could manage.
By the time we boarded the flight I had chewed my fingernails to the
point of pain. My nerves were going crazy and I couldn't calm myself
no matter how hard I tried. Nothing would calm me until Lexi was in
my arms and we were okay.
Radley slept most of the flight, which did nothing for my nerves. I had
no one to help keep my mind occupied. I spent the entire flight running
different scenarios through my head.
I had to hope Lexi wouldn't be even more pissed off because I showed
up.

Once the flight landed we quickly found our way to the car rental desk.
I had already reserved a car online. We stood in line waiting for the car
and my irritation level was through the roof. When the middle-age
woman began asking me the required questions, I attempted to not
sound like a complete ass. Once I had the keys in my hand to the Dodge
Charger I practically ran to the car.
"Dude, slow the fuck down."
I heard Rad as he jogged after me. I went up the aisle of cars hitting the
lock button on the key fob until the black car honked and its lights
flashed.
"Move your ass, man," I yelled over my shoulder to him as I climbed in
to the driver's seat.
I had requested a car with GPS in it. I pulled it out of the orange bag,
plugged it in and mounted it on the dash. After punching in the address
I got off of one of the letters from Lexi's dad, I backed out. It showed
that we were only about twenty miles away.
As we got closer my stomach began flipping even worse. "Hey, you
want me to let Meg know now?"
I thought about it for a second. "Dial the phone, but let me talk to
her."
As he dialed I could tell he was hesitant, but he passed his phone to me.
When Megan answered she sounded like she was choked up. "Hey. "
I wasn't sure what to say at first I know she thought it was Rad. "Hey
Megan. It's Kole. Are you okay?" I heard her sniffles.
"I'm fine. Where's Radley? Why do you have his phone?"
At this time the GPS showed we were less than two minutes away.
"Radley's with me and we're here. We flew in about thirty minutes ago
and I'm minutes from Lexi's dad's house now. Can you meet us out
front?" When she replied I had to hold the phone away. It was a few
decibels too high.
"Oh my god, are you serious?" she asked.
I pulled the car against the curb. There were cars lining the streets.
"We're here now. Are all these cars for the cookout? Is it still going
on?"
She sounded as if she was moving. "Yep. It turned into more of an adult
hangout. "

I looked up and found Megan walking out the front door. I hung up the
phone without saying anything more and handed it back to Radley just
before Megan launched herself into his arms.
I didn't want to break up their reunion, but I wanted to find Lexi.
"Where is she?"
Megan lifted her head slightly from Radley's chest. She shrugged her
shoulders, "Not sure, probably out back. She's pissed at me because I
held the truth from her. She won't talk to me right now." I instantly felt
horrible for putting Megan in this place.
"I'm gonna fix this, Meg, I promise." She nodded her head but I could
tell she was hesitant.
She led us inside and through the kitchen. There was a wall lined with
huge windows looking out over the pool. Just as she went to open the
slider someone entered. A petite blond woman walked inside. She
looked from Megan and Radley to me and then back to Megan. Before
she could ask, Megan spoke up.
"Kate, this is my boyfriend Radley, and that's Kole." She pointed
toward me and I extended my hand to her. She shook it softly.
"Kole," she repeated my name. "As in Lexi's Kole?"
I nodded and she smiled brightly. Before I could object she wrapped
her arms around me and gave me a welcoming hug. "It's great to have
you here. Lexi didn't tell us you were coming." She released me and
looked up at me.
"She has no idea. I hope us just showing up isn't too rude."
She squeezed my hand, "You're always welcome Kole. Now, let's go
surprise Lexi. She seemed sad today; I think she misses a certain
someone."
I followed her as she led me out of the door. My eyes locked
immediately with a tall, thinner man. His hair was the color of Lexi' s
and I would know that nose anywhere; only on him I didn't consider it
as cute. Kate guided me in his direction.
Before she had a chance to introduce us, I extended my hand. "You
must be Keith, Lexi's dad."
He nodded his head taking my hand into his, "Yes I am, and you're
Kole," he said with a smile. It's really nice to meet you."

We shook hands before releasing, "Thank you, sir, nice to meet you
too. "
He turned toward the pool pointing. "Lexi's out by the pool. It's a good
thing you're here. A few times I thought I was going to have to kick
Adam out of here. I think he has a little crush. "
I immediately tensed. Who was Adam? "Thank you. I'll go find her if
that's okay."
Her father stepped aside and smiled. "I'm sure she'll be happy to see
you. "
God I hoped so.
Once I rounded the deck and turned I saw her. She wore a short
sundress and sandals. Her hair was wildly wrapped up into a messy bun
as she lounged back in a chair with her feet propped out in front of her
on a small table. I felt my cheeks heat and my jaw tense as I noticed the
guy sitting entirely too close to my girl. I knew instantly that this must
be Adam.
Megan stood next to me. "Is that Adam?"
She nodded. "Yes, he's Kate's brother. He's been drooling all over Lex
since he got here. He undressed her with his eyes within the first thirty
seconds of meeting her and hasn't really let up since."
I felt like grabbing the little prick by his throat and slamming him to the
ground. I swore if he leaned in any further I wouldn't be able to control
the urge. I was pissed that he was flirting with her.
I stood watching as my girl laughed at something he said and my
stomach tightened. Fucking hell, this was hard to watch.

Chapter 26
Lexi
"How long are you staying here, Lexi? Because I'm thinking I wanna
hang out here as much as possible." Adam grinned that pretty boy grin
I'm sure worked wonders in the past.
Did this guy seriously think he was gonna get anywhere with me. "Not
sure." I cleared my throat, "You do know I'm engaged and pregnant,
right?"
He stared at me a little too long before he answered. "In my eyes,
engaged means there's still a chance you'll back out, and I like kids." He
said with a shrug and I rolled my eyes.
Something caught my eye causing me to look up. I immediately froze.
"What the heck?" I whispered. Adam turned, looking over his shoulder
toward the direction I was staring and I saw Kole tense when his eyes
flipped to Adam and back to me.
Adam turned back around facing me. "Let me guess.. .Kole?"
I just nodded my head and stood up before I slowly walked over to
meet him. I still wasn't sure how I felt about this.
Once I reached him I whispered, "What are you doing here?"
He looked a little pissed off so I chose to hold back my bitchy

comments. He had the nerve to be pissed because Adam and I were
talking, but he was inside of our apartment, alone, with his
ex-girlfriend.
He lifted his hand to my hip and possessively pulled me closer against
him. His lips sealed over mine and for a moment I caved to his
demands.
I had missed his kisses so damn much.
I pulled back because it registered what he was doing when I looked up
to find his eyes connected with something over my shoulder. He was
attempting to prove a point with Adam.
That's all this was to him, just another one of his caveman, she's my
woman things.
This only pissed me off more. "If you two idiots are gonna start this
immature little game, leave me out of it. "
Kole' s eyes flipped to mine, but he never smiled. "This is no fucking
game, Lex. You're mine and that dumbass better figure that shit out real
quick. "
I just shook my head and pushed past him.
I avoided walking past too many people as I approached the gate on the
side of the house. I unlatched it and walked toward the front yard.
I could hear him approaching quickly behind me, so I began walking
faster.
I had reached the driveway and was walking toward Kole's Avalanche
with the sole purpose of gaining some space.
He gripped my elbow and spun me around. "Lex, stop!"
I glared up at him. "What?"
He dropped his arm to his side, letting his early cockiness fade. "Do
you want me to leave, Lexi? " I stared at him silently. "Are we ever
gonna get past this fucking garbage? Are you ever gonna understand
how much I love you, how much I need you? "
He blew out a deep breath. "I love you. and I swear to you nothing
happened. She barged in and I was just getting out of the shower. I
thought it was Rad because he was coming over. I wrapped the towel
around my waist, ran for the door to let him in, and there she
stood."
I waited as he explained what apparently happened the day Miley

was in our apartment. "I stepped into the bedroom to quickly get
dressed." He ran his hand through his hair in a frustrated state. "When I
came out, she'd let herself in and I made her leave. Radley walked up as
she was coming out, and as you can see by the bruise, he busted my eye
up."
He reached out and looped his finger through the belt on my sundress.
"I love you, Lex. I always will. No one can change that. You're the only
one I want, now and always." I couldn't hold back the tears. "You are
the reason why I strive so hard, because I want to be able to give you
the world. I won't let anyone get in the way of that."
I let him pull me close to his chest and he wrapped his arms around me.
I felt his lips rest against my forehead as he whispered more of what he
needed to say. "I know you wouldn't hurt me. You have to learn that
there is no way I will ever hurt you. I need you in my life, Lexi. Please
believe me when I say nothing happened. "
I' d missed him.
I' d missed his touch, his words, even the way he smelled.
Feeling him this close was something I knew then that I needed more
than anything else. I looked up into his eyes and he stared back into
mine. Slowly Kole lowered his lips to mine, but he kept his eyes open
watching me. I held back the smile at the thought of him watching me.
I mumbled from under his lips, "Close your eyes, you fool."
He laughed lightly and let his eyes flutter shut just as I felt his tongue
swipe mine while backing me up against the side of his truck. Feeling
Kole's body pressed tightly to mine spiked my need for him and I ran
my hands up through his hair. He lifted me by placing his hands onto
the back of my thighs.
I instantly wrapped my legs around his waist tightly as I squeezed him
closer.
I felt Kole grind himself against me, then from behind the vehicle I
heard a noise. I turned just in time to see Adam walking around the
back of the truck. He stopped when he saw us. "Hey, Lexi, are you
okay?"
The noise that erupted from within Kole sounded like a growl. He
lowered me to the ground quickly and spun around to face Adam.
"Are you fucking kidding me? Hang it up, man, give it a rest. You

do know we're engaged and she's carrying my baby, right?" Kole took
another step toward Adam and I grabbed his arm. He never turned to
face me. "You need to just walk away. Because you're really starting to
piss me off. "
I could feel the anger boiling within Kole. I pulled on his arm and
looked past him to Adam.
His eyes finally connected with mine. "Adam. you can go back to the
party. Things here are fine. "
He stared at me attempting to read my expression. I lovingly ran my
hand across Kole's stomach stopping just before reaching his hips. I felt
him relax just a little as Adam turned and walked back toward the
house.
I waited until Adam was out of view, "Hey, caveman, you okay?" It
took a few seconds before he looked at me. "Who the hell does he think
he is? Did he actually think I would hurt you? What did you tell
him?"
I stepped back from Kole, releasing my hold on him. "First of all, don' t
take that tone with me. I never told him anything. He knew I was upset
earlier and he has been following me around the entire party. For your
information, I made it perfectly clear how much I love
you—repeatedly. That's more than I can say for you."
I turned to walk away from him and he grabbed my hip and pulled me
back to him. Why the hell was he so damn stubborn?
"Let go, Kole."
I felt him shaking his head against the side of mine. "Never."
After a minute of holding me securely, he turned me to face him. "I'm
sorry. I just don't like other guys looking at you."
I looked up into his eyes. "Do you think it's easy for me to watch Miley
drool all over you? I know you two shared something a long time ago,
but she still feels it. I can't say that I blame her, but it isn't easy for me to
see. The way you feel about Adam right now—threatened and maybe a
little jealous—imagine feeling that every day. "
He hugged me close. "Listen to me. I love you. I came here for you. I
can't lose you. I need you."
I looked up at him a little confused. "You're not losing me, Kole.

Why would you think that?"
He rested his forehead against mine and closed his eyes. "I thought you
were gonna leave me over the Miley thing. "
I placed my hands on his face raising his head from mine. "I was upset
and hurt that you and Megan didn't tell me right away. I was angry and
I didn' t want to say anything I would later regret. I just needed some
time to think and calm down. It'd take a lot more than that to make me
leave you. "
I brushed my thumbs over his day old stubble. "You do you understand
that you saved me, right? You're a huge reason why today I can walk
down the street without looking over my shoulder. I trust you, with
everything. I know nothing happened between you and Miley. It
doesn't make it any easier knowing she saw you naked, but I know you
didn't do anything with her." I kissed him softly and wrapped my arms
around his neck hugging him tightly.
"You mean everything to me," I whispered.
He held me securely and breathed me in slowly.

Chapter 27
Kole
Over the next day I got to see Lexi interact with her family and
stepmom. I watched her as she talked to her little brothers and they
hung on her every word.
Radley and I were invited to stay the night at the house instead of our
original plans to stay in a hotel. Out of respect for Keith, I kept my
hands off Lexi under his roof. It was harder than hell not to crawl into
bed with her. Radley fucking snored, and I spent half the night fighting
my urge for Lexi' s closeness.
Now here I sat watching her ass in her tight little shorts. It' d been days
since we last had sex and I just wanted some time alone with her. Lexi
still, after all this time, got my blood flowing and made me feel alive.
"So, Kole.. .I hear you started your own gym." I was pulled back to
reality when her dad took the seat next to me.
"Yes, sir. It's more like a fitness center—aerobics classes,
weight-lifting and personal trainers. With it being near the college I get
a lot of the athletes. It's doing really well."
"You don't have to call me sir. Call me Keith," he insisted. "I hear

that you and Adam had a little conflict last night." I immediately
tensed; I didn't want Lexi's dad to have a bad opinion of me.
"Yeah, um. about that. I need to apologize to both you and Kate. It was
really disrespectful on my part and I'm very sorry."
Lexi's dad chuckled deeply shaking his head.
After a silent minute he spoke. "Kole, you don't owe us an apology. I
knew it'd just take the right man to put him in his place. Adam is a
cocky asshole. If he wasn't Kate's brother I would've decked the little
shit myself a long time ago." Keith smirked as if imagining doing that
very thing. "He has no conscience. He'll sleep with anyone, married or
single. The boy is just looking for trouble. He saw Lexi five minutes
after getting here yesterday and followed her around like a lost puppy.
A few times I thought I was going to have to handle him, but then you
showed up." He paused and looked out into the yard at Lexi.
We sat silently watching her play soccer with her brothers as Kate sat
next to the pool with Natalie and Megan.
Radley was passed out in a lounger next to them.
"Keith, I just want you to know that I love your daughter and I'd do
anything for her. She's amazing." He nodded, but said nothing. I could
tell he was silently regretting his time lost with her that he'd never get
back.
After lunch we all got in the pool while Keith went into the office for a
little while to get some work done. Kate had to meet with her book club
and we all insisted that they leave the boys with us.
I was sitting on the step as the water lapped at my sides when I felt Lexi'
s hand on my shoulder. I looked up at her, squinting past the glare of
the sun.
"Hey, beautiful," I ran my hand up her leg gripping the back of her
thigh as I guided her around in front of me. She took a seat on the step
between my outstretched legs.
She had her hair pulled up into a sloppy bun leaving her neck fully
exposed. Licking my lower lip in anticipation I leaned forward and
placed a soft kiss onto her shoulder before leaving another just behind
her ear. She moaned lightly and I smiled against her neck. I slid my
hands around her resting them onto her lower stomach.

"Didn't you miss your appointment with the doctor?"
Her head fell back onto my shoulder and I kissed her once more along
her neck.
"Monday at nine. I moved it," she whispered.
My fingertips traced the top of her bathing suit at her waist and her eyes
fluttered shut.
"Does that feel good?" I asked and she nodded.
I wanted to throw her over my shoulder and take her to the nearest
bedroom. I missed the feeling of her body against mine.
"I need thirty minutes alone with you, Lex. I'd prefer longer, but thirty
minutes would work too. Please." I was already growing hard from the
fantasies rolling around in my head.
I ran my tongue up the side of her neck slowly as she slid back into me,
moaning lightly. I was so turned on by having her this close, I felt like I
could explode.
"I don't feel right having sex in my dad's house. Especially with the
boys here with us; they trusted us to watch them. "
I sucked on the skin behind her ear and my fingers slid just below the
waistband of her suit bottoms. She let her legs fall open slightly and I
smiled against her neck.
"See, you want me too. Let me make you feel good baby. Five minutes;
that's all I need."
I didn' t wait for her to reply before I slid my hand further into her
bathing suit. I slipped my finger over her clit and through her folds. I
watched her squeeze her eyes tightly shut as I slipped my finger
between her wetness and let it slide into her slowly. Her hips slowly
began to move as she stroked my finger.
"Sneak off with me for a few minutes."
I pulled my finger from her warmness and sat up straight when I saw
her little brother Tyler swimming up to us.
"Kole, will you be on my team? Kyle got Radley and I got Natalie and
Megan." He leaned in whispering, "I like girls, but they really stink at
water volleyball. I think Natalie is actually scared of the ball. "
I laughed and Lexi turned to face me, I noticed her cheeks were
flushed. I kissed her lips softly and then leaned closer to whisper in her

ear. "I will be inside of you before this day is over. That's a promise."
I heard her deep intake of breath and I stood up, walking further into the
pool.

Chapter 28
Lexi
I sat in a frustrated state on the steps, watching Radley and Kole play a
game of volleyball with my brothers. I secretly vowed to pay him back
for getting me worked up.
"You still pissed off at me?"
Megan took a seat next to me on the steps. Throwing my arm over her
shoulder I pulled her in closer. I gave her a big overly exaggerated kiss
on her cheek and made a smooching sound before pulling away.
"Don't ever hide shit from me again. No matter how much it may hurt.
We've always been honest. I don't want that to ever change." I hugged
her tightly, "I love you, Meg. You're more than my best friend. You're
my lifeline."
She cried on my shoulder. "I'm sorry, Lex. I love you too."
Natalie joined us after she saw we had finished our heart to heart. We
watched the game continue until my dad and Kate made it home.
Everyone laughed as Kole picked Tyler high into the air so he could
spike the ball for the winning point. The best part was when Kyle
turned to Radley and threw his hands up in the air. "Really, dude?
Seriously, man, an eight-year-old just schooled you. "

My dad laughed loudly and everyone else followed. Kyle swam over
toward Megan. "You really love that meathead? " he asked with a
smirk. "Whenever you're ready for a real man, you know where I live."
He swam past her and grabbed his towel, walking toward the house.
Megan looked at me doing everything she could to fight her smile.
After Kyle entered the house everyone broke out in laughter.
"Well, I think you got some competition, Radley," my father proudly
announced from the patio.
Megan giggled. "He is a cutie, and I bet he doesn't snore as loud as you
do. "
Radley just shrugged his shoulders and climbed from the pool looking
completely unaffected. The guys made their way to the patio to join my
dad for a beer while the girls sunbathed.
Kate was younger than my father by almost eight years. She was so
easy to get along with and talking with her was like talking to Megan
and Natalie.
"Lexi, I know you and Kole aren't sharing a room out of respect. We
really don't mind, sweetheart. I mean, you're already pregnant." She
shifted her eyebrows in a suggestive manner and I know my mouth fell
open in surprise.
I knew my face had to be a deep shade of red. Megan laughed and
Natalie sputtered out the water she'd been drinking.
"What? I was your age once, not long ago I might add, and I know how
hard it is to stay away from a man you crave." I instantly knew she was
speaking of my father when her eyes drifted off in his direction.
I took a deep breath and smiled at her when she turned back to face
me.
"Surprise him tonight and invite him to share your room. I mean it."
She stood and walked away leaving me speechless.
"Did she seriously just give me permission to have sex with Kole in her
guest room?" I gasped.
Natalie was the first to speak up. "Oh yeah, she sure did." I watched as
Natalie fanned her face dramatically. "I really need to find me a
caveman. I mean all this sex talk is getting me excited." She giggled
when I threw my empty water bottle at her before walking

toward the house.
As I walked toward the guys, Kole looked up as if he could feel me. He
lifted his beer to his lips taking a sip, watching me the entire time. I
could see a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth before I slowly
pulled the beer bottle from his lips and kissed him sweetly. I leaned
over, whispering in his ear, "I'm gonna go soak in the tub for a while.
You can think about me, all wet." I kissed his cheek and walked away.
Looking back just before entering the backdoor, I found him glaring at
me playfully. I winked just before closing the door behind me.

Chapter 29
Kole
How the hell she flipped this teasing game around on me I was still
trying to figure out. I spent the rest of the night watching her flaunt
herself in front of me. I lost count of how many times she rubbed her
tits against my arms or her ass to my groin. I seriously felt like I would
explode with the next touch.
I followed her to her room to say goodnight and stood in the doorway. I
knew if I got near the bed I would tackle her. It' d been too long and I
wanted her so damn bad.
I watched her from the back as she pulled her shirt up over her head.
The minute that she unhooked her bra and let it drop to the floor I felt
my cock twitch. I seriously thought at that moment that she was trying
to torture me.
When she turned to face me I knew it was true. She bit her lip between
her teeth and waited for my reaction. I attempted to play it cool.
"You gonna sleep like that?"
She fought her smile as she continued to hold her lower lip hostage
with her teeth. She shrugged and took a step toward the bed. She stood
before me wearing only her panties and I felt like screaming. I let out a

slow breath and took a step toward her.
This was gonna be the test. Could I continue this game? Or would I
cave like a little bitch and drop to my knees begging her for release?
She watched as I rounded the bed and stood before her. Using my
thumb I pulled her lip loose from the hold she had. I lowered my mouth
to hers taking her lip between mine, sucking lightly. I heard a little
moan escape her as I continued to tease her slowly.
Just when I knew I had her where I wanted her I stepped back. I held
my laugh as she followed me with her puckered lips. Watching her eyes
as they fluttered open she looked up at me questioningly. "Why' d you
stop?"
I raised my hand to her face and brushed back the hair that escaped the
tangled mess on top.
"I need to get to bed. We have an early day tomorrow and I'm gonna be
stuck driving back." I dropped my hand to my side and turned to leave.
I had just made it to the door and was about to turn the handle when she
spoke. "Kole Hartman, if you walk out of that door, I swear to god, I'm
gonna kick your ass."
I fought against my urge to laugh as I turned to face her. "What do you
mean?"
She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her bare chest. "Don't
play stupid. Get over here and get in this bed with me, now."
I watched her face as she held her serious but cute expression. She
figured out that I'd just flipped the game around on her once again. It
was now in my favor.
"We're in your dad's house." I stood near the door making no attempt to
approach her.
"I know. " She dropped her hands to her side once more. Her tits,
begging to be touched, were once again in perfect view. "But my
stepmom gave me permission to share my bed with you. "
I smiled. "Oh, she did?" I walked toward her once again. "Well in that
case, I should definitely stay here. I mean, I wouldn't want to offend
her."
I placed my hands onto Lexi's hips and pulled her against me. Her
mouth was inches from mine. "I knew I liked that lady. "

I didn't kiss her, but nudged her backwards to the edge of the bed. "So
are you ready for bed? I'm pretty tired myself."
I lowered her to the bed, still refraining from her kiss. I could tell by the
look on her face that she was the one close to begging. I brought myself
to rest on top of her.
"God damn it, Kole. Stop! Now!" She was panting as she spoke.
I looked into her eyes and let my view wander downward until I
focused on her lips. I pushed my erection against her center and
watched her eyes squeeze shut as she whimpered.
Lexi was completely oblivious to the inner battle I was fighting. I
wanted to pull her panties aside at that moment and sink into her, but
this game was too fun. I loved winning when we teased one another. I
loved knowing that she needed and wanted me that much.
"What am I doing that I need to stop?" Before she could answer I
rotated my hips and pushed my hardness against her once more.
She took in a deep breath and locked her eyes with mine. "Listen," she
said breathlessly. "You know what you're doing. You aren't playing
fair. I invited you to share this bed with me, and I'm barely dressed.
You can stop teasing because you won." She took another calming
breath. "Now if you don't fuck me, I'm gonna knock the shit out of
you."
I couldn' t contain my laughter.
"Damn you're feisty."
I smiled down at her, finally lowering my lips to hers. She trembled
beneath me as I ran kisses down her neck, pausing to suck on her
shoulder before going any farther. She moaned loudly in response.
"Shh, you gotta be quiet."
When I took her nipple into my mouth she bit hard onto her lip. I rolled
my tongue and flipped my tongue ring against her nipple before
moving on to the next one.

Chapter 30
Lexi
At this moment I no longer gave a shit that Kole had once again won
the game. I just needed him. I felt like I was being driven insane by
need. I felt like I was on the verge of violence. "Lexi, stop moaning so
loudly. "
I looked down at Kole puzzled. He smiled and continued to work his
way down my body. I had no idea I was even moaning out loud. I was
driven by pure lust and he was taking too damn long.
I sat up and nudged him over onto his back. Quickly I straddled him
and began working on the buckle of his jeans. He brought both of his
hands up and laced them behind his head. He watched my hands as I
slid his zipper down and started tugging his jeans down his legs. Once
they hit the floor I crawled up his body and smiled. "Commando, huh?"
He shrugged his shoulders. "My girl's been gone and I didn't have clean
ones. "
I laughed as I shook my head. "What in the world would you do
without me?"
Kole reached out gripping my shoulder and pulled me down onto

him. "I never want to find out. I couldn't survive losing you."
Before I could answer him he took my lips with his. The familiar and
addictive feeling of his piercing flipped against my lips. Over the next
few minutes everything happened so quickly. He flipped me over and
gripped my panties, sliding them down my legs. I tugged his shirt over
his head and we became a tangled mess of arms and legs. The both of
us were completely driven with need.
When I felt him enter me I threw my head back and bit my lip to the
point of pain. I wanted to scream his name. I needed this so much and I
was barely able to control myself.
"Harder, Kole...harder." A deep growl escaped him as he began to
move. His hips thrusting with such urgency, he continued to drive into
me harder and faster.
"Fuck, so good... so fucking good." He groaned back loudly and this
time I had to quiet him. He panted against my neck as he continued to
pump his hips faster. I wrapped my legs around him tightly and brought
myself up to meet each thrust. I was so close and I needed it so badly.
The sound of his moans made my need stronger.
"I don't know how much longer I can last," he whispered.
The slickness of our bodies slid together as we both fought for release.
"You close, Lex?"
I threw my head back against the pillow and moaned deeply,
"Yes. oh yes!"
I felt him twitch inside of me as he drove forward once more and his
warmth spread within me.
I tried to calm my breathing I felt like I might pass out.
Light kisses on my collarbone brought me out of my haze, causing me
to look up into his eyes. I smiled at him and his mouth found mine. He
kissed me softly and sweetly.
His eyes appeared softer. "I love you, Lexi. I'm sorry we've had a rough
few weeks. I promise you it's gonna get better. We're done with the
drama. "
I brushed his cheek with my fingertips and he closed his eyes, leaning
into my touch. "I love you too, you big knucklehead. "

His playful smile returned as he tickled my sides. "Knucklehead,
huh?"
I laughed as he tickled me until I snorted. "Okay. okay, stop!" I wiggled
free and he gripped my hips tightly pulling me back to him.
He rested his head onto my stomach and kissed me softly. "Stop
moving around so much. My son and I are trying to sleep here. "
I ran my fingers through his hair as I listened to him breathe. The soft
rhythm slowly became deeper until his body relaxed heavier against
mine. Before long my eyes became heavy and I drifted off to sleep
dreaming of the life I knew we would have together.

Chapter 31
Lexi
"I just got you back in my life, kid. Promise me you'll stay there." I
hugged my father tightly in my embrace as the tears rolled down my
cheeks heavily.
"Of course. No one could keep me away now, I promise." I looked over
my shoulder to see Kole watching us closely. He smiled and leaned
against the side of the Avalanche.
After a few more minutes my father released me and turned to Kole. He
held out his hand and shook Kole's firmly. "Take care of my daughter,
Kole. "
Kole nodded. "Definitely. She's my life, Keith. I'll take care of her." My
father smiled in return.
I continued my goodbyes as Kate hugged all of us and Tyler kissed my
cheek. Kyle stood back from everyone else and appeared very quiet.
I took a step toward him and rustled his hair playfully. "What's wrong,
Kyle?" He just shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. "Did I do
something to make you mad? "
Kyle looked at me and then up at the group that was watching us. "Just
don't wanna say goodbye." He looked back to me and continued.

"Dad always talked about you and we would listen. I never believed I
really had a sister." He looked down at the ground kicking his foot
lightly. "I never could figure out why you never came around. I didn' t
really want to meet you, I guess. I kind of hated you. "
I swallowed hard and fought my tears.
Kate stepped forward behind me, "Kyle! Go inside!"
I reached out and placed my hand onto Kate's shoulder. "It's okay.
really. Let him talk. Please. "
She looked from Kyle to me and then turned toward my dad. I watched
as my father wrapped his arm around her shoulders and she buried her
face into his neck.
I turned back to face Kyle. "Tell me why, Kyle. It' s okay. "
When he looked back at me his eyes were full of tears and he quickly
wiped them away. "I hated you because you made dad cry. He' d cry
when he looked at your pictures and I was angry with you because you
never came around. " He looked up at my dad and then back to me.
"Lexi, I don' t want you to leave. " I reached out, taking his hand into
mine and then he let the tears fall. "Dad' s been happy and I like having
you here. I like having a sister. "
I reached out to him and wrapped him in my arms. "I think having
brothers is pretty cool too." I knelt down in front of him. "I'll make a
promise to you and to Tyler." I paused as his eyes questioned mine.
"I promise you both that I'll always be in your lives. I may not be here
every day but we'll talk every day. I'll visit and you guys can visit me
too. After all, you're both gonna be uncles."
He smiled at me and hugged me tight. "You swear?"
I nodded and laughed. "I swear, buddy."
Pulling away as I watched the four of them wave goodbye was hard. I
watched out of the window as we passed the houses and got further
away.
I felt Kole's hand rest on my leg. "Are you okay?"
I turned to face him as the tears continued to fall. "Promise me we'll
visit. Tell me we'll come back."
He nodded and smiled. "Anytime, baby. You just say the word, okay?
There's no way I'd deny your family, I promise." He squeezed my

leg and I rested my head back against the seat.
The drive home went by quickly, considering I slept most of the way.
This time Kole drove the first half and we never stopped. He wanted to
get home quickly, so about halfway through Radley took over.
Pulling into the parking lot of our apartment was refreshing. I had
missed our little place and the comfort of it. It was ours.. .our
home—for now anyway.
We both slept like babies once we hit the bed. There was no energy for
anything else.
I woke on Sunday to Kole wrapped tightly around me. I attempted to
squeeze out of bed without waking him, but soon realized it would be
impossible.
"Kole, wake up. I have to pee and I can't move."
He groaned and rolled to his side. I crawled from the bed and went into
the restroom. When I made my way to the kitchen I was shocked to see
the time. We had slept in until noon. I hadn't done that in so long. I
noticed the light on my phone blinking.
The number was one I didn't recognize, so I dialed my voicemail and
listened to the message. The moment the voice came through the phone
I dropped it. I took a few deep breaths to calm my nerves and when that
didn' t work I ran to the bathroom. The moment I reached the toilet I
threw up.
Kole appeared in the doorway, "Lexi, are you okay?" I heard the water
running and then felt the cool rag touch my forehead. "Here, put this on
your head. "
After a moment I turned and looked up to him with tears in my eyes. He
brushed my hair back away from my face. "Morning sickness?"
I shook my head and attempted to stand.
"Let me help you back into bed." I let Kole guide me to our room and
lower me to the bed. He pulled the covers up over me and took a seat
next to me.
I felt sick again just thinking about the message. "Get my phone." He
watched me wrinkling up his brows in confusion. "Please. It's in the
kitchen, on the floor, next to the table." He stood slowly and left the
room.

When he returned he sat next to me once more and handed it to me. I
shook my head. "No, listen to the message." He turned the phone
around and dialed my voicemail, punching in the password.
I watched as his face went from confusion to pure hatred and anger. His
eyes connected with mine. "What the fuck...you're not talking to him
Lexi. There is no fucking way you're gonna go see him."
I took a deep breath, "I have to. It's time I let go of that part of me. I
need to let him know that I longer fear him. He can't control me
anymore, Kole. "
He collapsed onto the bed next to me and ran his hands through his hair
in frustration and anger. He pulled roughly at his ends before releasing
his hold.

Chapter 32
Kole
The last week had been pure torture. Lexi and I were back to our
tension-filled lives. We' ve barely talked, and we haven' t touched each
other in days.
The day she was to see Matt had finally arrived. He asked her to come
to his counseling session on any Sunday. I didn't agree with it and I
refused to pretend it didn't piss me off that she was going. She said she
needed to let it go; so fucking let it go. I didn't like the idea of them
being in the same city. How the hell could I handle them being in the
same room? She asked me to drive her there; like she had a choice.
I wouldn't have let anyone else take her.
She was quiet in the passenger seat, and I knew it was because she
knew I was pissed off. I felt like I should say something to her, but I had
no idea what. I just wanted to be done with all of the bullshit. I mean,
hadn' t we already had enough since we met? I was ready to move on
from it and start being happy.
We were only about ten minutes from the prison when Lexi turned
down the radio. She was nervously squeezing her hands and popping
her knuckles. "Kole, I know you're mad at me and I understand why. I
really

do, but can you understand where I'm coming from? Can you please try
to accept that I need to do this? Please?"
Her voice was shaking and it nearly broke me. I drove in silence and
she turned back to the window. I could hear her sniffles and I hated that
I made her cry. When we pulled into the parking lot I took a deep
breath.
Once I placed the truck in park I turned to face her. She never looked at
me and that was hard. I had been a dick the last week. I felt like every
time we talked it would turn into a screaming match. So I spent a lot of
time at the gym or sleeping.
"Lexi, my agreeing to let you come here makes me feel like a failure. I
promised to protect you from him. I can't just be happy about you going
inside the jail and being face to face with the guy who hurt you. I want
to be there to keep him from hurting you again." That got her attention
and she looked at me with confusion. I continued to try to explain.
"I feel like I'm not protecting you from him. I should be keeping you as
far away from him as possible. Instead I fucking drove you to his front
door." I slapped the steering wheel in frustration. "The worst part about
it is I can't go in there with you. All I want is for that asshole to stay the
hell out of our lives. Giving in, coming here, because he wants you to,
is like letting him win. I don't want to do this for him. He deserves
nothing. "
She undid her seatbelt and crawled across the center seat. She straddled
my lap and I rested my hands onto her hips. I couldn't look her in the
eyes. I felt like the worst version of myself.
She lifted my chin. "Kole, look at me.. .please."
I looked up into her eyes and saw the unshed tears. "It's because of you
that I have the strength to do this. I have the strength to face my
attacker, look him in the eye, and tell him he no longer has control over
me. It's because of you that I now feel safe to breathe. You haven't
failed me, Kole. You saved me. "
Lexi lowered her lips to mine and I took in her kiss as her tears dripped
between us. "I love you so much, Kole. You're the light at the end of a
very dark tunnel. You're my caveman. You are the icing on my

Toaster Strudel. "
She tried humor and I smiled. "Well, if you're comparing me to your
Toaster Strudels, then I must be pretty damn special. I know how much
you cherish them. "
She smiled in return. "You have no idea just how special you are to
me."
I reluctantly walked her to the gate and kissed her as she entered. We
called last Tuesday, making the counselor aware that she would be
coming today. The guard had her name and after showing proper
identification, the guard let her in.
Once she reached the doors she turned one last time to face me. She
brought her hand to her lips and blew me a kiss. I pretended to catch it
and place it against my heart, but on the inside I felt like it was
breaking.
After she was gone I turned around and leaned forward gripping my
knees taking in deep breaths. I felt like I was going to puke at any
moment. I honestly felt like I willingly fed her to a pack of hungry
wolves.
I had never been so fucking pissed off at myself until now.

Chapter 33
Lexi
The room was white with metal chairs; four metal chairs, to be
exact.
I looked around slowly, waiting for anyone to enter. The door made a
clicking sound behind me and I spun around.
"You must be Lexi Warren." A tall dark haired woman extended her
hand toward me. She was followed by a shorter, older man. They both
looked at me waiting for a response.
I took a deep breath and stood up bringing my hand out to meet hers.
"Yes, ma'am. I'm Lexi."
She smiled politely. "My name is Rose, and this is my colleague Mark.
We're Matthew's counselors." Hearing his name made the bile rise
within my throat. I instantly became nervous once again. "The guards
will bring Matt in once we direct them to. We just wanted a few
moments alone with you prior to our session. We wanted to make sure
you understand what this is. "
I wasn't sure I was following her. "With all due respect, ma'am, I didn' t
come here for a therapy session. I have my own counselor for that. I
came here for closure. "

Rose nodded at me and Mark took over. "This session is designed for
our patient to receive that as well. He is asking for forgiveness and he
has been working to forgive himself as well. He's trying to recover
from his past just like you. It's important that he's able to do so before
he can move forward.
A laugh escaped me before I could control it. "You have got to be
kidding me. That screwed up piece of shit not only raped me of my
virginity, but he raped me of the last three years of my life. I can tell
you right now, up front, that I am not here to help him in any way. If
that's what you expect of me, then you can just forget it. I could care
less if he rotted here in this hell hole. "
The door clinked loudly next to me causing me to turn to the right. The
air instantly rushed from my lungs but I refrained from showing any
signs of weakness.
I stood tall and watched Matt enter the room.
"Wow. Matt, you look like hell. Prison really hasn't been kind to you.
has it?" I took a seat once again before the fact that my knees were
shaking became evident.
"You look really good, Lexi." He attempted to smile.
"Don't," I said strong and confidently. "Don't you dare. I came here
today to tell you that I won't allow you anymore of my thoughts or my
fears. I despise you, but I won't waste my time thinking about you or
the things you did any longer. You're a disgusting piece of shit." I took
a deep breath. "You can pretend all you want that you have changed,
that you're.. .healed. But you're still a coward. You're still a waste of
space."
I stood from the chair quickly and took a step toward him. I saw for a
moment the old Matt. The Matt that felt he could intimidate me. I
watched as his eyes went dark and his lip curled into an arrogant grin. I
felt the urge to cave.
Instead I laughed. "You actually think that can still work? Your
infamous rapist scowl?" I glared at him holding his stare with mine.
"Try again, because you no longer scare me. Rot in hell." I turned
toward the door and the guard buzzed it so I could walk through.
Just before I made it through I heard his voice. "Lexi, I know that I hurt
you. I know that I'm a coward and you're right—I do deserve to rot

in here. I don't expect forgiveness from you. I do want you to know that
you never deserved to be hurt the way I hurt you. The other girls that I
hurt didn't deserve it either. I was cocky and arrogant and felt that I
could take whatever I wanted. I never stopped to think about anyone
else but myself. No amount of apologies or counseling sessions could
ever give back what I took from you or from them. So I won't apologize
again. I will say, though, that I hope all of you have a great life. I hope
that when you walk out of this room you never give me another
thought. I took enough from you and I shouldn't be allowed another
second of your time. "
I couldn't face him. "That's a promise I can make. I won't give you
another thought. I won't ever let you take anything more from me than
you already have." I pushed the door open and rushed from the room.
Once I was past the room and I knew he could no longer see me, I
collapsed to the floor. I let out the deep sob I had been fighting since the
moment he walked in. The guard knelt beside me. "Miss, are you
okay?"
I took a deep breath and nodded my head. "I will be now."
The moment Kole saw me walking toward the gates he jumped out of
his truck and walked to the gates to meet me.
Kole took me into his arms holding me tightly. "I' m okay, Kole, I did
it. I faced him and I said what I needed to say. This is all part of my past
now and I can move forward. We can move forward with our life
together without it haunting me. "
It took a moment for him to respond to me as he continued to hold me
close. "Baby, I never doubted you. But I'm sure glad it's over. Let's get
you out of this place and get you home to start our new life. "

Chapter 34
Lexi
Kole sat next to me as the doctor squirted the warm gel onto my
stomach. The moment the "swoosh-swoosh" noise began to fill the
room his face instantly lit up with excitement. I smiled at him and
watched as the doctor moved the instrument around on my belly.
"Is that our baby's heartbeat?" Kole asked as he watched in amazement.
After a few more clicks on the machine the doctor smiled over at Kole.
"Yes, that would be your little miracle's heartbeat. Strong and steady. "
He turned back to point at the screen. "By the measurements I' ve taken
and the dates you' ve given the nurse, I would have to say you' re at
about sixteen weeks. " I shook my head in confusion. I had no idea how
I didn't figure it out sooner.
"Wow, I'm that far? I guess I'm just a little shocked that I didn't notice
the signs. " I looked over at Kole who still had his eyes glued to the
monitor screen.
"Well, with your irregular cycle and the fact that you haven't really
dealt with much morning sickness, I would say that it isn't that
shocking. Were you on birth control? " The doctor clicked a few
buttons and the

pictures he took began to print.
I swallowed hard. "You see, that's the thing, urn..." I paused and that's
when I felt Kole's eyes on me. Oh hell.
"I forgot to get my shot a few months ago, and when I realized I had
forgotten it was already too late." I turned to Kole. "I'm sorry I was so
stupid. "
His reaction wasn't what I expected. He stood and kissed me hard.
"Well, I'm happy as hell that you forgot. I mean look at this." He
pointed to the picture that the doctor had given him. "That's our kid,
Lexi. Our little baby." He continued to stare at the pictures and I
couldn't help but smile at him.
I faced the doctor and shrugged my shoulders. My doctor smiled in
return.
"Well, Lexi, you can get dressed. I'll have Laura get your prenatal
vitamins and all your information together for you. I'll want to see you
again in four weeks." He stood and left the room leaving Kole and I
alone together.
I gripped his chin and forced his eyes to connect with mine. "Kole, did
you hear what I said? It's my fault that I'm pregnant." I slowly released
his chin and waited for him to get upset, even just a little bit.
His smile was crazy big instead. "Lexi Nicole Warren, I don't care if
you forgot your shot. I'm happy as a pig in shit right now. Look at
this—this is our baby, and in five months we'll get to meet this little
person. We made a life together and I refuse to think there is anything
wrong with that. "
How could I argue with that? Kole was in Heaven right now and I loved
watching him float around on cloud nine.
***
We stopped for lunch once we left the doctor and he called his mom to
tell her about the appointment. I took the opportunity to call Kate and
my father. After two rings Kyle picked up the phone. "Hey, buddy,
how's it going?"

He proceeded to tell me about his soccer practice and the goal he scored
against Trevor, the team bully. "That's awesome Kyle. You better tell
Kate to start taping those practices and games for me. I don't wanna
miss one. "
He agreed before he gave the phone to my dad.
"Hey, how'd your appointment go?" I smiled because he remembered
and it made me feel important.
I took a deep breath and told him about every second of it. "I' m sixteen
weeks, Dad. That means by my wedding I' m gonna have a huge
stomach. " The thought dawned on me and I quickly faced Kole with a
horrified expression on my face.
He was so involved in his conversation with his mom that he didn' t
register my expression. I finished my conversation up quickly with my
father and waited impatiently for Kole to finish his call.
Once he hung up he looked at me shrugging his shoulders.
"What?"
"Kole, we can' t get married in three months. " I stared at his shocked
expression. "My dress won' t fit me. I mean, by our wedding, I' m
gonna be what?" I quickly calculated it in my head. "Oh my god, Kole,
I'm gonna be over seven months pregnant." I shook my head, "I'm
gonna be huge and my dress won't fit me." I began to panic. "We can't
get married on New Year's." I stood from the table and walked out of
the restaurant toward the truck.
Once I reached the side of it, I leaned against it.
I hadn't even heard Kole approach. "Lex, it'll be okay. We'll just call
Trudy and tell her. I'm sure she'll be able to make some changes to the
design. "
I instantly became frustrated, "No! I don't want to change the dress. I
want to change the wedding date. We can' t get married until after the
baby' s born. "
It was his turn to get frustrated. "Hell no, that' s not happening. We're
not putting off the wedding. We'll just move it up."
I shook my head in confusion as he turned to the truck and opened the
door.
Oh my god, was he insane? "We can't move it up. We would have

to get married within the next month—two month's tops."
He was looking at me with an expression as if asking "what would be
wrong with that?"
"My dress wouldn't be ready. We'd have to find a place open and then
change the invitations. It would be too hard and it would never work."
He gripped my waist and held my close. "It's okay, Lex. It'll work. I'll
make it work. I don't want to wait until after our baby is born. I wanna
marry you now. "

Chapter 35
Kole
I spent two days on the phone with various people but I made it happen.
Here we were three weeks later and the wedding was in full swing. We
were four days away from the big day and I was ruthless. I refused to let
anything ruin this for us.
I had become "Groomzilla"—at least that' s what Lexi and Megan have
been calling me the last few weeks.
I paid extra to have Lexi' s dress finished in time, which solved the
dress dilemma.
We decided to rent out the same place where we had celebrated her
birthday. The memories from the last time we were here needed to be
overridden. This place was too beautiful and what better way to
recreate memories than to marry Lexi and celebrate our love there.
"So, jackass, are you ready for tomorrow night? " Radley bumped
shoulders with me and crossed his arms over his chest. I looked over at
him and his smile spread wider. He wiggled his brows up and down and
laughed lightly.
"You do know that if you got a stripper, Megan' s probably gonna chop
off your nuts?" I told him.

This time I laughed because his gaze shot directly across the room
toward the girls. After he realized they were too far away to hear our
conversation he instantly relaxed.
He took a deep breath. "Fuck, dude, don't talk so loud."
That's the moment I regretted agreeing to allow Radley to plan the
bachelor party. Hell, I didn't even want one, but he and the guys
insisted it was necessary.
I groaned and leaned against the doorway. "Rad, you better not be
planning anything that's gonna get us in trouble." His grin became even
wider and he chuckled as he walked away looking smug. I was
debating if I should fake some flu bug and ditch the guys completely so
I could stay in the safe zone.
I looked up to see Lexi approaching from across the room.
I waited until she was only a few feet away before I pushed off the wall
and moved toward her. She smiled and damn if she couldn't still make
my knees feel weak. I reached toward her, wrapping my arms around
her waist, softly kissing her lips, and leaning my forehead against hers.
"You ready for all this?" I kept my eyes closed as she rubbed her hands
up and down my arms slowly.
"Yes, I'm ready. Are you ready for your last single night out with the
guys?" I could tell she was trying not to let it bother her that she had no
idea what I would be doing tomorrow night.
"Lex, if I could skip it without the guys calling me 'pussy boy' for
weeks afterward, I would." I whispered looking down into her
gorgeous eyes.
She just laughed. "Really, Kole? They already call you 'pussy boy,' and
besides, I wouldn't let you skip it. You should go out with the guys and
have a good time." Lexi paused for a second, "Um...not too good of a
time, though. "
I chuckled lightly. "Don' t you worry about that. I' m sure it' ll be boring
as hell. "
Lexi smiled and took a step back. "Sure it will. " She winked and
walked back across the room to where Megan and Natalie were
wrapping up little bottles of bubbles to give to our guests at the
wedding.

Chapter 36
Lexi
I was seriously making my best attempt not to pout as I watched Kole
get ready for his night out with the guys. He had already changed three
times but that was his fault, though. He was the one who kept asking
me how he looked and I kept lying. He looked hot as hell, but I
continued to make excuses as to why he should change.
But damn, if it wasn't seriously backfiring in my face. It seemed that
each time he changed, he just got sexier. It was truly a no-win situation.
He turned around questioning his appearance once more and I forced a
smile. "You look good." Good was mild in comparison, but that was all
I was offering.
His eyes questioned mine as he walked toward me, with a smirk if I
wasn't mistaken. I stood in the bathroom door wanting to just attack
him and make him forget all about this night out thing.
He wore the jeans I loved; they were made with frayed holes
throughout and fit his thighs and ass to perfection. The red Henley shirt
was stretched out by his impressive muscles, across his chest and arms,
making it even harder to hold back from touching him.

I looked up at him once he was within a foot of me and I could tell he
was fighting a grin. I bit my lip between my teeth staring up into his
eyes, feeling the undeniable attraction I had for him heat my neck and
face almost instantly.
Kole hooked his finger into the front of my pants and pulled me to him.
He gripped my hip with his other hand and I let my head rest on his
chest, just breathing him in.
I felt his breath on my neck just before I felt his lips. He placed soft
kisses along the path to my ear gently whispering along the way. "I love
you baby." Another kiss. "You say the word and I won't go." Kiss. "I'll
stay home with you and we'll have our own little party." I smiled at his
comment.
"You're not staying home. I trust you, okay? Completely." I refused to
be the jealous fiancee. "You're gonna go and enjoy a night with your
boys." I took a deep breath and squeezed him a little tighter, burying
my face into his chest.
"But you better not let any stripper girl touch what's mine. I'm pregnant
and hormonal, and if that happens I can guarantee you' ll regret it big
time. And so will she. "
A soft chuckle shook his chest against my cheek. "There is no way in
hell any girl is getting anywhere near what' s yours. I promise. "
I wasn' t ready to let him go, but when I heard the doorbell ring I knew
I' d have to. I felt his arms wrap around me just a little tighter and he
kissed my forehead, leaving his lips pressed against me a few seconds
longer than the kiss.
"Megan and Natalie will be here soon. I' m sure Megan' s right behind
Radley. She's been drilling him about strippers; ever since he got drunk
and got a lap dance in that bar and then lied, she doesn't like the idea of
strip clubs." He should have just fessed up from the get go then she
wouldn't doubt him.
"Enjoy yourself tonight." He looked down into my eyes and kissed me
softly, letting his lips linger against mine.
The doorbell rang once more and I stepped back. Kole groaned and
pulled me along with him to answer the door.
A short time later I watched as he climbed into Radley's Tahoe

with his two groomsmen, Tucker and Mason. I knew they were up to no
good by the nervous look on Radley's face. I fought against the laughter
rumbling in my chest as I thought of what Meg was gonna put him
through later.
***
Our night was nothing like whatever the boys had planned. I sat in a
chair with my feet stretched out in front of me. I had already been
waxed and massaged. Now my feet were being rubbed and I was
fighting against the comatose state I was drifting into.
"So you're not mad?" Megan interrupted my pedicure once again. She
had been on the edge of a nervous breakdown since she showed at my
apartment to pick me up.
I laughed. "No, Meg. I'm not mad. You gotta trust Radley. He's coming
home to you and he loves you. They're not gonna screw up. Just let
them have fun and trust him. "
She flopped back in the chair next to me and blew out a frustrated
breath. "I should have hired a male stripper. I could have found some
guy dressed as a cop to arrest you or something." Poor girl was
miserable at the thought of Radley being anywhere near a half-naked
girl shaking her ass at him.
On second thought, the vision of Kole in that situation kind of made me
feel slightly nauseated.

Chapter 37
Kole
"So which one of you sexy ass men is the groom? " I let my head fall
forward and let out a deep breath. When I looked up I found all three of
my so-called friends pointing directly at me with beaming smiles.
"Assholes..." I mumbled as I shook my head at Radley and he laughed,
leaning back to watch. Two fucking strippers—two. The dick couldn't
just get one.
As they got closer the blonde straddled my lap and the brunette went
around the back of my chair. I held my hands up in surrender. "Really,
ladies, you can dance for my friends. The one in the yellow shirt really
needs some attention. "
I let my head fall to the side to find Radley flipping me off. The room
was spinning and I regretted the repeated shots we did before settling in
this private room.
I lifted my head and noticed the blonde was a little too close to my face.
The moment I let my head fall back to gain some space I bumped into
the other girl.
"What's wrong, baby? You nervous?" The brunette whispered from
behind me against my neck.

I closed my eyes and silently planned a slow agonizing death for
Radley.
"We don't bite; we just nibble," the blonde assured me as she continued
to grind on my lap.
I was just about to respond to the girl when I felt her run her tongue up
the side of my neck.
It was like a cold glass of water on a hot day. My body went rigid.
"All right, ladies, I think that's enough," I said as I stood quickly,
nudging the one on my lap backwards. I reached the door and twisted
the handle looking over my shoulders toward the girls. "They're all
yours, boys. I'm getting a drink."
I heard Mason tell the strippers, "Don't take it personally, ladies, he
secretly has a vagina. "
I chuckled and kept walking toward the bar.
"What can I get ya, sweetheart?" The lady behind the counter asked me
as I pulled myself up to the bar and sat in the stool.
"He'll have two shots and a Bud. I'll take the same." Radley took the
seat next to me and slapped a fifty down on the bar.
I smiled and turned forward, "What's wrong, Radley? You scared
Megan will castrate ya in your sleep?"
He chuckled. "Hell yeah, man. She fucking drilled my ass for hours
before we left and then she's texted me five times since we've been
here. She said I was sleeping in my truck tonight if I even thought about
letting a stripper breathe on me. "
I couldn' t hold in the laugh. "What the hell do you expect, Rad? She
has a visual of your last encounter with a stripper embedded in her
mind. What kind of dumbass lets his friends take pictures of a girl's tits
in his face and then doesn't delete them? Megan got to see that shit and
I'm surprised she didn't kick your ass then." He hung his head.
"Imagine if that was her with some guy's junk in her face." His face
scrunched up and he shook his head as if to clear that picture from his
mind.
"I get it, man. Fuck, I thought you were my friend." He was silent for a
moment before he looked over at me with an arched brow. "What the
hell is wrong with us, Kole? We're in a strip club full of half-dressed

girls and we're sitting at the bar getting loaded." He slid his shots across
the bar to me. "Well, you're getting loaded; I gotta drive your drunken
asses home tonight. "
I sunk back the first two and then grabbed for the others. "You may
have to carry me in too. My lips are starting to get numb as fuck. " I
heard him laugh as I threw back the next two.

Chapter 38
Lexi
After we left the spa we went to a restaurant for a late dinner, agreeing
on a little Italian place downtown. We spent most of the time laughing
over Megan's sulking and being worried sick about the boys and their
night out.
"Stop laughing. It's so not funny." Megan leaned forward and placed
her face into her hands, groaning loudly. This little outburst caused a
few people to turn in our direction, attempting to figure out where it
came from.
I should have been embarrassed, but I was enjoying her pouting a little
too much.
"Alright little Miss Grumpy Pants, let' s get you outta here before you
start scaring the other guests. " I took her hand into mine and pulled her
up from her chair.
She whined the entire walk to the car.
"Ah hell, I forgot my keys on the table. " Megan and I both turned to
find Natalie darting back toward the restaurant in a hurry.
Megan leaned against the trunk of the car as we waited. "Do you think
I' m being stupid?"

I knew Megan had reasons to worry, but that was the past. Radley loved
her and she had to let the past go. "No, you just have to trust him, Meg.
He loves you. "
"Well, look who's here."
Megan and I both turned to find Miley walking in our direction with a
smug look on her face. I hadn' t seen her since before she threw herself
at Kole, and I had been hoping I wouldn' t have to face her any time
soon.
Before I could say or do anything Megan pushed against the car
practically lunging herself forward. "Well if it isn' t the skanky slut who
can' t take a hint. " Megan now had her body positioned between Miley
and me, and I could tell she was fuming with irritation.
I knew a lot of it was related to her aggravation about the guys but
Miley was about to suffer the moods of Megan.
When she got fired up it was easier to just walk away.
"Oh, I can take a hint, darling. I knew just how to take the hint Kole
dropped when he told me Lexi was out of town. " She shifted her brows
in somewhat of a suggestive manner. "I took so much more that night
too. I think I took nine inches for a couple hours, because Kole was
dropping hints right and left. "
Megan stepped toward her and I came up behind her, now feeling my
own anger taking over. "Kole doesn't want your nasty ass."
Megan held her arms out shielding me and Miley laughed.
"What—poor Lexi can't fight her own battles?"
"I'm pregnant, you bitch."
Miley's smile fell just a little and I saw it a second too late. Megan
swung her hand in Miley's direction and the loud crack echoed through
the parking lot. Miley instantly grabbed her cheek just as Natalie came
running toward us.
Megan took another step toward her. "Stay the fuck out of Lexi and
Kole's life. Next time I won't just slap you—I'll break your fucking
nose."

After I came home and was able to calm down from the adrenaline rush
of Megan drilling Miley, I took a quick shower and crawled into
bed.
I woke some time later to my phone ringing and looked over to the
clock on the nightstand for the time. I groaned because I hated being
woken up more than anything. Crawling from the bed to get my phone
from the dresser I couldn't help but smile when I noticed Kole's picture
lit up my screen.
"Hello," I said as I lifted the phone to my ear.
I could instantly tell he was drunk. "Hey, sexy fiancee," he slurred. I
laughed and he continued.
"Are you home, baby?" His voice lowered just enough to make it a tad
huskier.
"Yes," I replied.
"Damn, I wanna come home too. I miss you." He laughed and covered
the phone to say something to someone.
When he returned back to our phone call his mood had instantly shifted
once again. "Radley says I'm a pussy.. .am I a pussy?"
I tried not to laugh at the fact that he whispered the question. It was like
he wanted to make sure no one could hear him ask me.
"No, you're not a pussy. You're just a good guy," I assured him as I took
the phone with me back to bed. I crawled in under the covers and
listened to him argue with the guys. He told them that "his Lexi said he
wasn't a pussy."
I laughed at his defiance. He was like a toddler. "You're crazy drunk,
aren' t you?"
"Yes," he whispered back.
There was a shuffling of the phone and I could hear him telling
someone to give him back Lexi. I laughed once again at his slurred
speech.
"Hey Lexi. You home?" Radley asked.
"Yeah, I'm here. Kole sounds hammered. You're driving, right?" I was
hoping that I wouldn't have to go pick up four drunken idiots.
"Yeah, I'm sober. I only drank a couple beers all night. Kole on the

other hand, well, he had a party with a bottle of Patron." Radley
laughed at something. "Um...Lexi, have you ever seen Kole attempt to
breakdance?"
I sat up straight in bed. "Damn it, Radley don' t let him hurt himself. He
has to walk down the aisle in two days. "
Radley hollered something as he covered the phone. After a minute he
replied. "He' ll walk down that aisle just fine. Well, maybe." He
chuckled and before I could yell at him he spoke once more. "No really,
he' ll be fine. We' ll be there in about twenty minutes. I' m gonna load
everyone up. "
"Okay, be careful," I replied before hanging up.
Just as he promised, Radley pulled in the parking lot a little less than
twenty minutes later. I watched as he led my drunken man up the
sidewalk. I opened the door and when Kole saw me he smiled all white
teeth and dimples.
"Hey there party animal," I said with a smirk.
He braced himself on the door as Radley held onto his other arm.
"There' s my baby," he whispered. "Fucking beautiful. " He looked
over at Radley and nudged his arm. "Isn' t she hot, Radley? I' m a lucky
man,
ain' t I?"
He took a step forward and I moved out of the way as Radley led him to
the bed. I helped get his shoes and socks off just before we led him to
bed. "You need help or you got it from here? " Radley remained next to
me as we both stood at the foot of the bed looking down at Kole.
"I got him," I assured Radley.
I couldn't help but laugh. Kole's entire lower half was hanging off the
end of the bed. Just when we thought he was passed out he shocked us
both.
Kole spoke in a whisper with his eyes closed. "Hey, Lex?"
I giggled. "Yes, Kole?"
I think he actually thought if he continued to whisper Radley wouldn't
hear him.
"Lex, can we have sex? I'm seeing double right now and if I looked up
and saw two of you while you were riding me, that would be cool as
shit. " I looked at him in shock as Radley covered his mouth

laughing.
"He's all yours." He winked as he began backing away. "I gotta go back
and pick up the other two. Those jackasses wouldn't come out of the
back room. They had their own private strippers and I was scared to go
in and see what they were up to." Radley hollered back as he walked
down the hall toward the front door.
"Hey, you do know that Meg is gonna kill you, right? You may want to
take her with you. You know, so she sees that you're not doing anything
bad. "
"Nah, I'll only be in there for ten minutes." I heard the door slam shut,
cringing at the thought of Radley's face off with Megan; she was
already irritable knowing they went to a strip club.
It took me fifteen minutes to get Kole out of his jeans and slide him up
in the bed enough that he wouldn't fall off the end.
I crawled in next to him and curled into his side.
He was silent and his breaths were steady, so when he spoke I jumped a
little in surprise. "Lexi, I love you. "
I smiled against my pillow. "I love you too, Kole."
"I really wanna have sex, baby." I was just about to talk him out of it
when he continued. "I'm just scared to move. I might get sick if I do."
"It's okay. We'll just have to catch up tomorrow."
He let out a deep breath.
After a minute of silence he whispered once again. "A stripper girl
licked my neck. I think I threw her off my lap. I remember her
stumbling backwards." Another deep breath escaped him. "Are you
mad?"
I felt a little sick at the thought. "Nope, not mad. We'll talk tomorrow;
just go to sleep. "
I continued to listen to him breathe and finally realized he had passed
out.
***
After a night of grumbling and a lot of tossing in his sleep, Kole was
finally waking up. I had already been up for a few hours just waiting

for him to join the living.
I sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he began to stir. His arm
came out next to him and began feeling for me. When he realized I
wasn't there his eyes came open. He turned to face me and smiled his
sexy morning grin.
"Morning. What time is it?" he asked, turning toward the clock. "Shit, I
slept half the day."
After he registered what day it was, he exclaimed, "Fuck, Lexi, you got
class in an hour. " I smiled as he sat up and scooted his way across the
bed toward me. He kissed my forehead. "I need to brush my teeth then I
need some kisses." He lifted my chin and kissed my nose.
I still hadn't said anything. He slowly registered my silence. "Why are
you so quiet?"
I arched my brow and answered him. "Can you explain to me how or
why a stripper licked your neck? Oh, and maybe why she was on your
lap?" His eyes went wide and he grabbed my hand.
"I never touched either of them. Radley got two strippers to take us four
upstairs to a room. They both came at me at once and the moment I felt
the first one touch me I jumped up out of the chair. I promise. Then I
went back out to the bar, where Rad and I sat and got drunk—well, I
got drunk." He looked worried.
After a silent moment I leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Okay." I
crawled from the bed and went toward the kitchen to get my things
together for class.
My back was to the hallway, but I heard him shuffling in my direction.
His hands slipped around my waist and rested on our baby. He slowly
traced circles onto my stomach under the edge of my shirt.
"Don't be mad at me, baby ...please," he whispered, sounding a little
panicked.
I turned in his arms and wrapped mine around his waist hugging him
close. "I'm not mad. I don't like that she got that close, but I'm not mad."
I kissed his lips softly. "Thank you. "
Kole looked down at me. "Thanks for what?"
I smiled at him to ease his worried mind. "Thanks for stopping it

before it went any further. "
He shook his head and let his eyes close.
"You're so amazing." His lips brushed against mine and it tickled
causing me to laugh lightly.
"I love you, but I never want to hear of anyone but me being in your lap
or licking you anywhere. Got it? " He nodded his head and grinned
against my lips before he kissed me. "I got it."
I walked toward the bathroom hollering over my shoulder. "Oh yeah,
and by the way, Megan bitch-slapped Miley last night. She deserved it
and I was happy I was there to see it. It was the highlight of my day." I
went into the bathroom and he followed right behind me, once again
looking puzzled.
"Um, should I ask what happened or leave it alone?" "Leave it alone
would be best, but I know you're curious." I paused as I felt the
temperature of the water. When I turned back to look at him he smiled.
"She spouted off about showing up here that night and Megan was
already in a mood. She was defending my honor and yours. End of
story. It really was fun to watch, though. I wish I had recorded it. "
I heard him chuckle as I pulled the shower curtain closed behind me
just before he shut the bathroom door.
When I stepped from the shower, I was face to face with Kole who held
my phone out to me. "What?"
"You need to call Megan." I didn't like the look on his face. "What
happened?" I asked, feeling my stomach tense with worry. "Call her. I
just got off the phone with Radley and, um...let's just say that things are
rough right now between them. "
I looked at him questioning his concerned look. After I realized he
wasn't going to explain any further, I took my phone and dialed her
number.
When she answered I could tell instantly that she had been crying. Her
voice shook and was just above a whisper.
"Meg, what's going on?" Megan rarely cried over something that truly
wasn't worth it.

"I'm done. It's over...we're done," she said in explanation, still leaving
me confused.
My chest tightened and at first I thought she was over exaggerating
because she was upset he was at a strip club.
"Honey, you can't be mad at him for just being in the strip club. It was
just a bachelor party and he came home to you. " I tried to make it better
but it backfired. Her crying grew louder and at this point I could barely
understand her words. "Megan, slow down, take a deep breath. "
I could hear her breathing and blowing out slowly, trying to do as I
suggested.
After a few moments she spoke again. "Lexi, this morning about three
o' clock Radley still wasn' t home so I called his phone and some girl
picked up. "
Her voice shook and I placed my hand over my mouth to hide my
surprise. I looked up to see Kole watching me and instantly knew he
had already been on the phone with Radley.
"He went home with some stripper from that nasty club, Lexi. " She
took a deep breath. "Do you know what he did then? " I shook my head
no as if she could actually see me. "He came home stumbling through
the door apologizing for not being home sooner. He smelled like some
cheap ass perfume and had lipstick on his shirt. " She started sobbing
again and it broke my heart in two.
"Meg, I' m coming over, okay? Just take deep breaths and stay calm." I
felt her pain. "I'll be there soon."
When I hung up I looked at Kole and shrugged my shoulders. "What do
I do? What do I say to her? I can't defend him, Kole, not when I don't
know the truth."
He walked toward me and placed his hands on my shoulders. "I don' t
think he cheated. I talked to him this morning after she threw him out.
He said he went back to get the guys and, um. well, they started doing
shots and then one thing led to another. He woke up on the floor at
Mason's house and the stripper from the club was next to him. He said
they were both fully dressed. "
I pulled back from him and looked into his eyes. "That still doesn't
make any of this okay. "

"I know."
I got dressed in a rush and threw my hair into a sloppy bun. "I'll be back
later. I need to go talk to her. "
I gave him a quick kiss goodbye before driving to Megan's house to
console my best friend and hopefully heal her shattered heart.

Chapter 39
Kole
Radley and I stood in the back room of the church and he looked beat.
He hadn' t talked to Megan since she threw him out. He looked
miserable.
"How are you holding up?" I asked.
"You want honesty or do you want me to lie to ya because it' s your big
day?" He arched a brow as he looked over at me waiting for my
response.
I reached out, squeezing his shoulder and he looked up from the floor.
"I want the truth. How are you?"
"I fucked up big time, man. Nothing happened with that girl. " I already
knew that by the glum look on his face. And the fact that the man was
head over heels in love with Megan. "I couldn' t have cheated on Meg,
drunk or sober. The girl means too much to me. I just don' t know how
to fix it. She won' t take my calls, and she won' t answer the door when
I try to see her. Hell, I fuckin' slept on the front porch last night and she
said nothing when she left to come here. She walked past me like I was
some lawn ornament." He looked up at me. "What do I do?"
"Just stop trying so hard. You have to prove to her that she's your

world. You have to show her that nothing means more to you than her.
Megan's a hard one, but she loves you, and just so you know, she's not
doing as well as she appears."
Radley shook his head and let it hang to the floor once more.
I had hopes that something about a wedding might make Megan
sentimental and remember the good times she shared with Radley.
Maybe Radley and she would find some time to talk later now that they
both had time to cool off and think about the situation.
I stood near the altar with my hands shaking. It wasn't because I
nervous or having second thoughts. It was pure excitement. I couldn' t
wait to see Lexi walking towards me wearing her dream wedding dress.
It was insane how damn much I loved her. There wasn't anything I
wouldn't do for her.
"You got your speech ready?" Radley whispered over my shoulder.
"It isn't a speech, dumbass, they're my vows," I whispered back. "I got
it all up in here. No one knows, so keep it quiet. I never told Lexi to
prepare anything. "
Radley laughed. "She's gonna be pissed that you didn't let her know,
dude. She's gonna feel unprepared."
That thought had crossed my mind when I decided to prepare my own
vows without telling her. I just hoped that she would understand I
needed to say my own words. I didn't want to repeat the general vows
that were spoken by millions every day. I wanted her to have my words
in her mind when she thought back, remembering our wedding.
I took my place at the front while my groomsmen and best man took
their place alongside me.
My mom was the first to enter, walking toward me. Once she reached
me she kissed my cheek. She looked in my eyes. "Kole, this is one of
my happiest days." Her eyes glistened with tears as she stepped aside. I
swallowed past the burning within my throat and turned once again to
face the door.
Natalie entered next followed by Megan. I watched as her eyes
connected with Radley's and they filled with tears. She quickly looked
away and Radley blew out a frustrated breath next to me. I looked at
him and whispered, "Dude, she has every right to be pissed. You're just

gonna have to man up and take the glares and the drama, your stupid
ass created it. Now you have to let her go through it in her own way and
accept it. "
The music changed as I watched the doorway ahead. Lexi and her
father stepped into view. My knees instantly felt weak and my eyes
blurred with emotion. This was it—I was about to marry my best
friend. When she took the first step toward me I felt the first tear drop.
At that moment I didn't give a shit if the guys called me a pussy. Screw
'em.
I fought the urge to kiss her the moment she reached me. Her lower lip
trembled as she looked up at me. I mouthed "I love you" and winked at
her. It hit her then and the tears fell from her eyes.
I shook her father's hand and he placed Lexi's shaking hand into mine. I
could see Megan straightening the train of her dress as she stepped up
to meet me.
I honestly couldn't tell you a word the priest spoke. I was completely
hypnotized by the beautiful girl in front of me. I had wished over and
over for this day and here we were.
"Kole has prepared his owns words for Lexi," he announced and Lexi
scrunched up her eyebrows. She didn't appear mad. Instead she smiled
up at me.
I took a calming breath before I began.
"Hey, b a b y . " I smiled and she looked down to hide the blush that
spread across her cheeks. I lifted her chin by placing my finger so I
could look her in the eyes. When she looked up into my eyes hers filled
with tears.
"Hey," she whispered back.
"I know we never talked about sharing our own vows, but I couldn't let
today slip away without letting you and everyone else hear my words."
I smiled down to my beautiful girl.
"Lexi, sometimes I feel like you're a dream. Every day I fall in love
with you all over again. Your smile, your eyes and your amazing heart
captures me and takes me on the most amazing ride. You make me
weak in the knees whenever you enter a room and I promise to spend
my life giving you everything I can. I promise to cherish every moment
we have together and I will always take care of you and protect you. I

promise to be faithful and honest. I'll give you the world, because
you've already given me everything by agreeing to become my wife.
You're my best friend, Lex, and I can't live without your love. You give
me so much strength and everything I do is for you and the life we'll
live. You, me and our baby," I placed my hand onto her stomach. "I fell
hard for you and no one can ever weaken that. My love for you grows
every day. You own my heart, Lex; it is completely yours." I attempted
to blink back the tears, but they ran down my cheeks before Lexi
reached up to wipe them away with her gentle caress. I leaned into her
hand and kissed her palm.
I took a deep relieving breath and realized I said so much more than I
had originally rehearsed, but it was easy to tell her how I felt. It just
began to flow from me and I knew I could have kept going.
"Now, Lexi, you have also written something for Kole you would like
to share. "
I looked at the priest and then quickly back to Lexi. She was smiling
her megawatt, beautiful, sexy smile. No wonder she wasn' t upset—she
planned the same damn thing.

Chapter 40
Lexi
"You actually thought you could outdo me, huh? " I whispered to Kole
and winked. His return smile made me laugh.
"I've spent the last three weeks going over everything. All the way back
to when I was twelve and a hunky fifteen-year old, dreamy guy took me
for ice cream. I know for you it was just a nice gesture for the little girl
who had a crush on you, but for me it was so much more. You were so
kind and gentle. You never treated me like a little pest. Instead you set
the bar for my future. All through grade school and high school, no one
ever compared to the Kole who let me crush on him without making me
feel embarrassed by it. "
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. I knew I needed to be careful
with my next words. Not many people knew that part of my life. I took
a deep breath and the tears fell as I continued.
"Eventually I ran into some not so great guys who had me questioning
love and happiness. I took everything that I felt when I was twelve and
tucked it away. It was you, Kole, who found the old Lexi and pulled her
back to the present. I know we struggled and sometimes it was hard.
But you never gave up on me. You stood by me every day through

everything. You kept me above water. You took all the fairy tale
endings I once believed in and made them real. Here we are today,
confessing our love for one another in front our family and friends and
I couldn't be happier. You're my knight, my hero.. .the stubborn guy
who wouldn't let me fall. I love you so much, Kole, and every day I
thank God that you found me. Without you, this world would be such a
dark place. "
I felt him squeeze my hands in his, but I couldn't see through my
unshed tears.
When the rings were exchanged and the priest spoke his final words,
Kole stepped into me. He placed his hands on each side of my face and
looked into my eyes. He lowered his lips to mine, but just before
kissing me he whispered, "I'm gonna love you forever, Lexi."
I smiled against his lips as they possessed mine.
The reception was amazing. I danced with my brothers and the fact that
just a few months ago I didn't even know they existed seemed almost
impossible. It felt like they had always been within my heart.
The emotional dance with my father had me once again a hormonal
mess. Pregnancy and weddings were a bad mix. I excused myself so I
could go to the bathroom to get ahold of myself and make sure my
make-up wasn't running down my face.
I found Megan hiding in the bathroom crying on Natalie's shoulder. I
brushed her hair aside and she looked up at me. "I'm sorry; I held it
together through the ceremony, but when we got here I couldn' t face
him. "
"Hey, don't apologize. Do you remember how many times it was me
who needed a friend to lean on? You've always been there for me. No
matter what plans you had to cancel or how much sleep you had to lose.
Now it's my turn to be here for you. I don't care if it's in the middle of
my wedding. You need me. I will always be here for you... always."
I walked her over to the bench against the wall and Natalie and I took a
seat on either side of her. She cried and shuddered for the next ten
minutes before she began to slowly calm down.
"I don't think he cheated on me." I sat in silence. I really didn't know
what to say so instead I let her continue. "I'm so angry with him
because he went back there after dropping off Kole. Kole was the
reason

he said he went there in the first place. He should've just picked up the
guys and left.
"He went back to Mason's house and passed out. That stripper drove his
Jeep and they went and did god knows what. He never should've gotten
that drunk to begin with."
She wiped her tears away quickly. "I just don't know if I can talk to him
right now. Your wedding isn't the place for us to worry about our
problems.
I took her face into my hands and looked directly at her. "You better
listen to me right now. Your problems will always be my problems too.
If you want to talk to him and yell at him, then do it. If you 're unhappy,
Meg, I' m not whole. I need your happiness in my life too. It might be
selfish of me, but I want everything right in my world. " I winked at her
and she smiled.
"Well, who am I to deny Lexi of her happiness? " She smiled and I
kissed her cheek.
"That's right. Do as I say. You know better than to argue with a
pregnant lady by now, don't you?"
I got a giggle out of her and that was a great start.
Once I returned from the bathroom Kole found me and insisted I dance
with him. When Kole led me to the dance floor I instantly became
calm. I molded myself against his chest. This man melted my insides
every time he smiled.
"Hi, wife." Kole kissed me softly.
I smiled up at him. "Hello, husband."
There it was, his accomplished smile. That smile he carried whenever
he beat me at anything. "What are you smiling about?"
He chuckled. "I won. You wanted to wait. I won... again."
I shook my head. "Yeah, well, I have to let you win every once in a
while. I get bored winning all the time. You're so easy, there's no
challenge."
He tickled my sides. "Stop!"
I squirmed and he pulled me tightly against him, wrapping his arms
around me securely. I looked up at him and he lowered his lips to mine.
His tongue traced my lower lip and I smiled when I felt the familiar

metal. I let my tongue meet his gently. I felt like crawling up his body
right now and wrapping my legs around him. I could barely control the
need I had for him at that moment.
"Is it time for us to sneak off yet? I wanna be alone with you." He
kissed me once more, sucking at the tip of my tongue and lightly biting
my lip.
"Soon. very soon," he whispered.
Kole brushed his thumb across my lower lip. "Have I told you yet how
beautiful you look?" I nodded as he lowered his lips to mine once again
and we were lost in each other. Slowly dancing to the sound of "I Knew
I Loved You" by Savage Garden, he held me close and everyone else
seemed to fade away. My safety and security was just being in his arms,
knowing that I consumed his heart just as he did mine.
Just before we left the reception, I caught sight of Megan and Radley
right outside of the sliding doors facing out toward the beach. Radley
was down on his knees and he was holding Megan's hand in his. My
heart raced as I watched him reach into his pocket and pull out a box. I
pulled on Kole's hand as we stepped quietly outside the door to witness
the moment. We stood in the shadows and listened as Radley confessed
his love to Megan.
"Megan, I love you so much. I know sometimes I'm an ass. I know I
take for granted what we have and forget how special things are with us
but you mean the world to me. I can promise you that no matter what,
I'll always take care of you and I'll never stop loving you. When I look
forward to my future, you're all I see. I want to love you and protect you
forever."
Megan stood before him with her hand over her mouth sobbing as
quietly as she could manage. You could see the light reflect off of
Radley's glistening eyes.
"I bought this ring for you six months ago. I was going to propose to
you on our anniversary in two weeks, but Meg, I can't wait. I can't wait
because this is something I should have done a year ago. I knew I
wanted to spend the rest of my life with you almost instantly. You
challenge me and make me so angry at times, but god damn, Meg, I
love you so deeply sometimes I feel like I can't breathe without you."

Radley stood and took Megan's face into his hands. "Baby, I'm sorry
for any hurt I have ever caused you, but I can promise that from the
moment I met you, it has only ever been you. You're more than enough
woman for me. "
She giggled between tears and he laughed. "Marry me, Megan. Let's
share our life together. Let's make babies and grow old together. Give
me the one thing I need the most and that's to call you my wife."
I stood under the shadows of the porch as tears ran heavy down my
cheeks. "I had no idea he had it in him," I whispered to Kole and he
pulled me in tighter to his chest.
"I did, because that guy loves Megan as much I love you. When you
love someone as deeply as we love our girls, nothing means more to
you than their happiness. "
He kissed my neck from behind. "Let's give them a few minutes alone."
We stuck around a little while because I wanted Megan to share her
news. When they emerged from the beach hand in hand my tears
threatened to fall once more. Megan illuminated happiness and love.
Radley kissed her softly in the doorway and I melted. At that moment
their love for each other was obvious and it filled the room.
She walked towards me, her eyes still red and puffy from crying both
sad and happy tears. Radley hadn't once released her hand.
She looked at both Kole and I; before she could say it Radley caved. "I
proposed to Meg. "
Megan slapped his shoulder and I laughed.
Kole put his arm around my neck and shook Radley's hand. "It's about
time. Hell, you bought Megan's ring before I even had Lexi's."
I looked up at him and glared. "You knew this whole time and you
didn't tell me?"
"Hell no. If I would've told you, Megan would have known five
minutes later. "
I looked at Megan and she laughed. "I guess they know us too well,
huh?"
I took her in my arms and hugged her tight. I whispered into her ear, "I
heard the proposal from the back door and it was beautiful. He

loves you more than anything. Don't question it, okay? Just live it." She
nodded her head against mine. "I will. I promise."

Chapter 41
Kole
It' d been a month since Lexi and I were married, the best month of my
life. For once we had no drama. No crazy ex' s or guys trying to take
what' s mine. We just had us and our happiness.
I sat on the couch watching her at the table. She had her messy hair
piled on top of her head in a bun, little strands escaping and falling
around her face in every direction.
I watched her as she sat wearing her glasses and biting the end of her
pen. She was wearing one of my T-shirts. I had to admit to myself that
when she wore my shirts it made me feel like the caveman she always
said I am.
She was mine, all mine.
I let my eyes trail down further. Seeing her bare thigh from the side
made me instantly hard. The shirt rode up on the side just enough that I
could see the side of her boy shorts, or whatever it was she called them.
I just knew that the lace around her thigh was calling to me. I knew I
should let her study, but I could no longer fight the need to touch her. I
stood from the couch and walked toward her. She must have heard me
coming because she looked up just as I knelt down in front of her.

"No games, Kole. Seriously, I have to study if I'm gonna pass this
class." She held up her hand as if that was gonna stop me.
I laughed and slid my hands up her outer thighs. "I think you need to
take a break." I leaned forward and kissed her lips sucking lightly on
her lower one. I ran my tongue down her neck as she arched her chin
upward. A little moan fell from her parted lips. "I think we should
spend some time having crazy monkey sex." I suggestively shifted my
eyebrows up and down.
Lexi laughed and rolled her eyes. "What in the hell is 'crazy monkey
sex' ?"
I picked her up in one quick swoop as she giggled and held onto my
neck. Once we were in the bedroom I lowered her to the bed, crawling
up her body until I was hovering above her. I braced myself with my
arms looking down into her eyes. "It's better if I show you."
Slowly I lowered myself down until my body completely covered hers
and our lips were inches apart.
I watched her eyes fill with need. She licked her lower lip. "Show me,
huh?"
I nodded. "Yes, I' m gonna show you over and over. You' ll be begging
me for more. " I lowered my lips to hers flipping my piercing against
her tongue.
I groaned against her mouth and she wrapped her arms around my neck
pulling me closer. She always made me feel mindless and driven with
need. I pushed my hardness against her and her hips rose up to accept it.
The things she could do to me were insane. I felt lustfully crazy
whenever she was near.
I lowered myself gradually down her body, taking in every sexy ass
inch of her. I kneaded her breasts in my hands, flipping her nipples with
my tongue. Pinching lightly, I rolled them between my fingers. She
threw her head back.
I couldn' t hold back the grin that spread across my face. A horny Lexi
was one of the hottest things I had ever seen. Knowing that it was me
her body reacted to threw me into caveman mode once again. The urge
to stand up and beat on my chest roaring ran through my mind.

I paused over her stomach and placed a sweet kiss just below her belly
button. "Plug your ears, little one, daddy's about to make mommy
scream my name. "
Lexi giggled and I smiled up at her before I continued lower. I slid her
underwear down her legs and took my place between her thighs. I
watched her bite her lip while I slowly ran my tongue over her wetness.
I never took my eyes from hers; sucking lightly, I watched her eyes
flutter shut. Pleasing Lexi was such a fucking turn-on.
I ran my tongue over her once more. "Does it feel good, Lex?"
She nodded, moaning "Yes."
Without opening her eyes, she gripped my hair and pulled. For the next
five minutes, I did nothing but please her until she screamed out, "Oh
my god, Kole ... yes!"

Chapter 42
Lexi
My mind was racing after the explosive orgasm that had ripped through
me. When I looked up to see Kole removing his shorts I smiled. That' s
right, he better get naked. I felt bestial and crazy hungry for him.
"What's wrong?"
Did he really need to ask? He knew exactly what I wanted; he just felt
the need to tease.
"Don't tease me. Get your ass over here and claim what's yours. Don't
make me wait or you'll be the one begging." I held his gaze without
smiling.
It took a matter of three seconds for him to crawl onto the bed, hover
over me and sink into me slowly. He began moving within me and I
couldn' t muffle the deep moan that ran through me. Looking down
between us, seeing his muscles tense with every thrust was so erotic.
His hips slowly rotated as he sunk into me over and over again slowly.
"I thought you wanted crazy monkey sex?" I bit my lip taking in the
slow tease of his hardness.
He buried his head into my neck.
"Slow, baby, I need slow. Let me make love to you. Feels fucking

amazing and I need it to be slow." He whispered into my ear.
I felt myself building once again. Okay, yeah, slow could be good...
real good. I tightened my legs around his waist and rose up to meet his
rotating hips. "I'm so close."
His eyes met mine as he watched me. I looked at him deeply and the
orgasm that had been teetering on the edge finally fell. hard.
"Kole, yes." I squeezed my eyes shut tightly and took it all in.
His movements picked up slightly and his breathing became heavy.
"Fuck, Lexi damn. So fucking good."
He tensed and drove into me once more before emptying himself as he
shook with pleasure.
We fell asleep wrapped together. naked.
***
When I woke up it was beginning to get dark out. Panic set in at the
thought of my exam tomorrow morning. I hadn't finished studying
because of Kole and his caveman tendencies. I smiled at the thought of
it and felt the need for him begin to pool once again deep in my
stomach. Before I could cave, I crawled from bed and threw Kole's
T-shirt back on. After spending far too long looking around on the floor
for my panties I gave up and grabbed a new pair from the drawer.
I grabbed the phone and ordered pizza for dinner. I had already lost
study time, even though it was worth every second. I just knew that I
had no spare time to make dinner. The fact that I was a horrible cook
and Kole knew that made it easier to use take-out as a fallback.
Kole finally got out of bed about the time the delivery guy rang the
doorbell. He stood in the entry way to the kitchen in just a pair of
boxers. I giggled as he looked at the door puzzled and ran his hand
through his bedhead.
"You may wanna put some pants on before you pay for the pizza." He
grinned and disappeared down the hall only to reappear with a pair of
basketball shorts and a T-shirt.
After he paid the guy and shut the door he carried the pizza to the

counter. "You want milk, baby?" I nodded my head and continued to
hover over my books.
Kole had made our plates and sat down across from me in silence. I
knew he felt bad for distracting me earlier, so he was doing his best to
not interrupt me now.
I smiled and placed my hand onto my stomach as I felt our daughter
move around inside me. We found out last week that we were having a
girl.
"She moving?" I looked up at his hopeful grin and nodded. He reached
out his hand and I placed in onto my stomach with mine over it. He
appeared to be concentrating hard and I fought against the laughter. All
at once she moved and his face lifted up and our eyes met.
"I still can't get over it, a girl. What kind of things can I do with a girl?
I don't wanna play Barbies." He looked serious.
"Kole, girls can play sports too. Girls can be interested in other things
beside dolls and glitter. She's gonna love her daddy as much as I do.
Believe me, once she's here and gets old enough, you'll play Barbies." I
laughed at his facial expression.
Once it sank in, though, he grinned. "Yeah, I know I will. "
He rose up, kissing me softly before taking his plate to the couch to flip
on the TV. He allowed me to continue studying in silence. I could still
feel his eyes watching me from across the room and I knew if I
acknowledged him I'd find myself once again unable to study.

Chapter 43
Kole
We spent Thanksgiving with my parents and planned to spend
Christmas with Lexi's dad. It was only a couple of days away and I
could see the excitement of seeing her dad all over her beautiful face.
She' d been overwhelmed with finals and I knew she was a little
stressed. Working overtime to get her classes completed was starting to
take a toll on her. She took some online courses toward her degree and
planned to do just online classes next semester. She pushed forward
and planned to graduate with a mental health degree this year.
Lexi wanted to go forward working at the community center. I knew
the pregnancy would slow her down a little, but she' d get there. She'd
be doing what she loved. She was amazing with the troubled kids at the
center, and Gail loved the days she volunteered.
I'd spent the last couple months secretly planning Lexi's Christmas
present. With the help of Radley, my dad, and Lexi's father we were
almost ready. I couldn't wait to see her face when she opened the box.
I was on my way home when my phone rang with Lexi's ringtone. I still
couldn't stop smiling whenever I heard the jingle she put on my phone.
Some nagging squealing voice saying, "Your wife is

calling... hello, hello...your wife is calling." I still remember her giggle
when she found it online.
"Hey," I answered with a smile.
She was crying and I pulled over on the shoulder of the highway in a
panic. "Lexi, what's wrong?"
Through her sobs, "I'm at the hospital. I fell and they brought me here."
"Who brought you there? And are you okay? " I spun my truck around
heading back toward the hospital before she even began to explain.
"I tripped down the stairs leaving Emerson Hall today. Some guys
helped me up and afterward one of their girlfriends called the
ambulance and they brought me here." My heart sank and before I
could ask she continued, "We're both fine. I just broke my wrist."
I blew out a deep breath. "I'll be there in five minutes, okay?"
I hung up my phone relieved that they were both okay, but I still felt
sick at the thought of Lexi falling down the stairs. I couldn't get to her
fast enough. I quickly parked my truck and went in through the
emergency room doors, looking around for the nearest nurse.
"Can I help you find someone?"
I looked to the left at the little girl dressed in scrubs. She looked like she
was twelve.
I shook my head. "Yeah, um. my wife was brought in today. Lexi
Hartman. She fell down some steps. She's pregnant." I waited for the
girl to look over the screen on the computer and then she directed me to
Lexi' s room.
The minute I saw her I felt the bile rise in my throat. She had a bandage
on her forehead and her arm was in a sling. When she looked over at me
her eyes filled with tears.
"Hey there, slick. Did you forget to tie your shoes before you left
class?"
That was just us, Lexi and I; we developed this comfortable teasing
game. I promised the day I agreed to marry her that I would always do
whatever I could to make sure she smiled. This was my attempt. I
leaned over placing a soft kiss on her wounded forehead.

She laughed lightly. "I don't have shoestrings, jackass." I kissed her lips
and hugged her gently. "I was excited to get home and tell you I passed
all my exams despite your continued X-rated interruptions. " I grinned
at that comment.
"I wasn't watching where I was going and I fell. When I brought my
hand out to protect my stomach the doctor said that was when I
probably broke my wrist. "
I looked at her arm, "Are they gonna cast it?"
She nodded and I heard the door open behind me. The nurse entered
pushing a big machine behind her.
"Hi, Lexi, I' m Regan. Doctor Mitzler wants you to have a sonogram
just to check everything with the baby. It's just a precaution, because
the heartbeat is strong." Lexi nodded her head toward the nurse in
agreement and I stood up moving to the other side of the bed.
We both watched as the 3D imagine of our daughter filled the screen. It
had only been a couple weeks since we saw her last, but it still hit me
hard. My chest tightened and I squeezed Lexi's hands with mine. I
watched the screen as she rolled the instrument around checking over
everything she could.
The nurse assured us both that everything looked great as she handed a
warm wash cloth to Lexi. I watched as Lexi wiped the gel from her cute
as hell little belly. She still wasn't as big as I imagined her to be. Lexi is
a small girl and seeing her with a pregnant belly was, in my eyes, the
greatest thing. Just knowing that she was carrying my daughter made
me emotional.
I kissed her as she looked up into my eyes. "I'm gonna take you home
and you' re gonna rest, okay?" She nodded up at me and I kissed her
once more.
Once they finished with her cast and she had her discharge papers I
took her home. I called Radley and Megan earlier and they agreed to
pick up Lexi's car for me.
Of course when we got home, Megan needed to see Lex because she
had to know she was okay. They ended up staying for over an hour
before leaving. It took everything I had not to grab Lexi and carry her
into the bedroom to put her in bed myself.

Once she did crawl into bed she slept soundly next to me. I was worried
about cuddling her because of her wrist and the soreness she had from
falling. Instead I lay awake just watching her sleep.
I pulled her shirt up slowly, exposing her belly and placed my hand
over it. The thought of something happening to Lexi or our daughter
made me feel sick. I couldn't sleep very well because I woke with every
little movement or sound she made. I felt at ease watching her rest next
to me and I wanted to make sure, for my peace of mind, that she was
peaceful.

Chapter 44
Lexi
"Oh, sweetheart, how are you feeling? " Kate took me into a soft hug
once she opened the door. Kole and I had just arrived at my dad' s house
to celebrate Christmas. Both she and my father had been calling Kole
repeatedly asking how I was doing and to make sure we were still
coming to their house for a few days.
"I'm okay. It looks worse than it is." I brushed it off like it was no big
deal. The first twenty-four hours were the worst, but it had gotten a
little better since then.
I followed her inside and the smells of baked goods flooded my senses.
"Oh wow, what is that delicious smell? " I extended my nose into the
air, breathing in deeply.
Kate laughed and directly behind me I heard Kole chuckle. "She's got a
nose for the good stuff. Is that pumpkin cinnamon? " Kole sat our bags
down just beside the counter.
Kate just smiled. "I've actually been baking for the last two days, and to
be honest, I think I have at least one of everything. "
I knew instantly I was going to be in trouble. I had done so well with
the weight gain until now. I walked to the counter and grabbed a

handful of cookies. The first bite was amazing because it was still
warm. Kole joined me until we heard my dad holler as he entered
through the front door.
After a delicate hug from my father and a quick kiss from Kole, the
boys escaped into the family room for some football.
I went to bed early because I was exhausted from the drive. When I
woke on Christmas Eve morning to Kole sprawled out next to me
naked, I instantly regretted going to sleep before he joined me. The
sheet was just barely covering his ass and I couldn't resist touching
him. When he moaned in approval I laughed.
"Morning, sexy girl. You feeling a little frisky?"
He didn't even open his eyes. He just continued lying in his current
position.
I trailed my fingertips down his back and slipped my hand under his
hip. Sliding between the sheet and his body, I found what I was looking
for and gripped him firmly. After I felt him get hard within my hold, I
pulled my hand away. I rolled toward the edge and started to crawl
from the bed.
"I'm actually feeling a little hungry. I think I'll go grab something."
He reached out and quickly gripped my hips, holding me on the
bed.
"Lexi, you started something, so I think we should finish it. " Kole
pulled me back toward him. I giggled as he rose up on the bed in all his
naked glory and proudly displayed the fact that he was ready to get
busy.
For the next hour we devoured each other. At times I was a little
worried someone would hear us. I was sprawled out over his chest
breathing heavily as I tried to come back down from the high of yet
another round of caveman Kole.
"How was that? Better than breakfast?"
"I think maybe I should have chosen the Toaster Strudel instead. "
Kole immediately began tickling my sides. Rolling over he placed his
body over mine. "I love you, Lexi. You make me so god damn happy. "
He kissed me, letting his lips linger for a few seconds before kissing me
once more.

After we both took a quick shower we joined the rest of the family in
the kitchen.
Kole spent the afternoon playing video games with Kyle and Tyler.
They had some sort of baseball season competition going on and were
taking it far too seriously.
I spent the day in the kitchen with "Katie Crocker." I swear she cooked
enough goodies for an army. The only time we saw the four boys was
when they snuck into the kitchen to steal something off a plate.

Chapter 45
Kole
I woke up full of excitement. Today was it. Lexi was going to open her
present and I could barely contain the urge to give it to her now.
I sat in the living room as I looked around at her dad, Kate, and her
brothers. They were tearing at the gifts that were on display in front of
them. Lexi rubbed my arm and I turned toward her. "Are you gonna
open your present, Kole?"
I had been so consumed with watching everyone else I hadn't even
touched mine. I was distracted from answering her when I heard a
voice behind me, causing my blood to boil.
"Merry Christmas, everyone. Uncle Adam's here." The strong desire to
possess Lexi took over me, so I went with it. I wrapped my arm tightly
around her and pulled her into me closer. I think she picked up on my
mood and traced her finger along my jaw. I looked down at her and she
arched her chin up. I knew she was attempting to help me with my
anxiety about Adam. After all, the last time I saw the asshole he was
trying to take what was mine.
I kissed her softly and she whispered against my lips. "I love you and
there is absolutely no reason to question that."

I knew she was right, but fuck if this guy didn't piss me off. The anger
became worse when I turned my head to the side and found him eye
fucking my wife. My jaw tensed and I started to bounce my leg in an
attempt to keep my cool.
"Can I have my present now, please?" Hearing Lexi's little whisper
against my neck and the light kiss that followed calmed me just a bit.
Oh yeah, her present would definitely make me feel a little better. I
would enjoy throwing that shit in Adam's face for sure.
"You sure can. You know my girl gets whatever she wants." I said it
loud enough for Adam to hear, who was still perched next to us staring.
"Hey, Keith, can you have one of the boys grab Lexi's package for
me?"
I watched as Kyle reached under the tree and pulled out the flat square
box. He carried it over and handed it to me. When I placed it into Lexi'
s lap her dad and Kate watched with excitement. Lexi looked over at
me smiling.
"Open it. This has been killing me for two and a half months now." Her
eyes went wide.
"What?"
I just shrugged and pointed toward the box. She pulled gently on the
big purple bow as it slowly fell away. When she lifted the lid she
scrunched up her face in confusion. She never said anything. Instead
she lifted the album from the package slowly examining it. There was a
key taped to the top of the leather album. Lexi ran her finger over the
metal key before opening the first page. I heard her gasp and when she
turned to face me her eyes were full of tears.
"Our house. I bought it right before the wedding and we've all been
working on it since. "
Lexi couldn't speak as the emotions took over. She slowly flipped
through the pages looking from picture to picture. I had taken before
and after photos. It went room by room, showing her how we changed
things from the way they were to become what I knew Lexi would love.
When she reached the back page her hand went over her mouth. I had
spent time creating the nursery and took pride in leaving it until the

end. I did it on my own—every stencil, every detail. I was so proud of
our little girl's room, and now, watching Lexi's eyes, I knew she loved it
too. The tears ran heavily down her cheeks and she turned to look into
my eyes.
"Hanna?"
I waited for her to say more and when she didn't I shook my head
lightly in confusion. "What?"
Her eyes filled with tears and spilled over as she stared up into my eyes.
Everyone in the room was silent as they waited. She swallowed hard
and took a deep breath. I traced her tears away with my thumb and
watched her eyes close.
"I wanna name her Hanna. It means joy." Her eyes opened and once
again connected with mine. "You've given me so much joy and I think
we should reflect that happiness in our baby's name."
I smiled down at my beautiful girl and nodded my head in agreement.
We had just chosen our daughter's name, and I had just fallen a little
deeper in love with my wife.
When I eventually caught site of Adam he looked ill at the site of Lexi
and me. I had to admit it felt fucking great that he just witnessed our
love in such depth. I mentally spun around to face him, flipping him the
bird yelling, "Fucking suck on that, asshole!"
Keith's eyes connected with mine when I turned forward, and the grin
he held let me know he knew exactly what victory I was internally
celebrating.
***
We spent the rest of the day smiling and laughing. Lexi was so
emotional; it seemed as if she cried at everything. I hated to see her cry,
but today it had its advantages because she was overly clingy. Having
Lexi in my arms always made me feel whole. I let go of the fact that
Adam stuck around continuing to try to get Lexi's attention. He looked
like a starving dog waiting for some table scraps. I fought the urge to
laugh as Lexi snuggled into my chest and kissed my neck. I held her
just

a little tighter; Adam appeared ill at the sight of us.
The day was perfect and Lexi was perfect. I couldn't wait to get her
home and take her to our new house. It was so hard to keep it from her
and now I wanted to cut the trip short just so I could get her there
sooner.

Chapter 46
Lexi
"Everything turned out so perfect. I just can't believe he did all of this
and you had no idea." Megan really thought it was great that they all
knew about Kole buying me a house. I stuck my tongue out at her and I
continued to fold towels. We had been living in the house now for
almost a month. It seemed crazy to think of how far Kole and I had
come. If I thought back to almost four years ago and had to guess how
our lives were going to turn out, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have been
like this.
The trouble we had in the beginning almost broke us. Even after Matt
went to prison, I was difficult and stubborn. Kole never gave up on me,
though. He stood by me and loved me unconditionally.
The front door closed and I looked up into the eyes of the gorgeous man
I adored. He smiled at me as he approached, stepping behind me.
Wrapping his arms around my waist he brought his hands to settle onto
my stomach.
"How are my girls doing?" He kissed my neck and breathed me in
slowly.
I let my head fall back onto his shoulder looking up into his adoring
eyes. "We're good, but suddenly we became much better." I

dropped the towels and turned in his arms to face him. "I missed you. "
Before he could answer I rose up on my tiptoes and kissed him softly.
"Oh hell, guys, no wonder you're pregnant. This is my cue to take off."
Megan blew a kiss as she grabbed her bag and went out the front door.
"Alone.. .I like that," Kole whispered just before his lips once again
found mine. I giggled when he picked me up and carried me toward our
bedroom. As he lowered me to the bed, he took a minute to look down
at me. I smiled up at him and his eyes closed for just a minute. When
they opened they appeared glossy.
I lifted my hand up to touch his cheek, "Hey. What's going on? What' s
wrong?" He just shook his head and once again let his eyes close. "No
way, mister. Crawling into a denial bubble is my game, not yours. Now
spill it. "
He relaxed his body alongside me and brushed the hair from my face.
As his thumb lightly grazed my jaw, I leaned into his touch. My eyes
fluttered shut as I fought my own tears.
"I love you so much, Lex. In less than two months our daughter is
gonna be here and we'll be a family. You're amazing and I just got to
thinking today about everything you've been through." He swallowed
hard and I looked up into his eyes.
Kole kissed me softly, letting his lips linger for a few seconds before
pulling back. "I fall for you over and over each day, Lex. You give me
so much without even trying to, just because you're in my life. I have
everything I could have ever imagined and it's ours. It's all so
overwhelming at times. "
His forehead rested against mine. "A girl like you is next to impossible
to find. I'm just one lucky bastard because not only do I have you, but I'
m gonna have a little mini you to love also. "
I couldn't fight the tears. I held him close to me. "Thank you. Kole, you
are my knight. You're my savior and every day you remind me of that. I
love you so much, you crazy caveman. "
The feeling of his soft kisses on my shoulder, leading up my neck set
off my cravings for him. I needed his touch. Slowly over the next hour
we made love. He took his time with every move, every taste. It

was the most erotic, yet romantic, experience we had ever shared.

Chapter 47
Lexi
Over the next month and a half things were wonderful. We were
surrounded by friends and family daily. All the girls decorated my
backyard and I came home from Lamaze class to a co-ed baby shower.
It was perfect and meaningful.
Megan and Radley had a set of onesies made for Hanna. They were the
cutest things I had ever seen. The first one was yellow with purple
writing. Displayed across the front in fancy script, it said, "Auntie
Megan is cooler than my mommy." I laughed and shook my head. Of
course she had to say something like that. Radley's was red with white
writing and when I read the wording on it I laughed turning it to face
Kole. "What do you think?"
After he took a second to read it Kole chuckled. "Bullshit, man...you
wish." I turned the onesies so everyone else could see the words. "My
Uncle Radley has bigger muscles than my daddy." Laughter filled
the backyard as Radley shoulder bumped Kole and smiled.
All the girls ended up in the nursery checking out Kole' s masterpiece
while the guys hung out in the backyard being men.

Kole had painted the room a pale purple with pink and yellow accents.
A butterfly theme surrounded the room and it was amazing how much
work he had put into it. It just made it so much more special because he
had done it all himself. He had help remodeling the rest of the house,
but when it came to the baby's room he handled it fully.
***
I was down to the last four weeks and was beginning to get miserable. I
had a lot of back pain and spent a lot of time with my feet propped up. I
took classes online this semester because I didn't want to fall behind.
Sitting on the couch cramming became a daily ritual which soon got
very boring. I felt cooped up and I needed to get out. So when it was
time for my doctor appointment, I was more than happy to get dressed
and take a break from studying. I texted Kole to remind him to meet me
at the doctor, but still hadn't heard back from him.
When I got to the doctor and Kole wasn't there, I made an attempt to
call him but it went unanswered. I was starting to worry a little. It
wasn't like Kole to go so long without calling me or texting.
I knew he was at the gym so I called the main number. "Kole's Gym,"
Radley answered the phone.
"Hey, where's my husband? He was supposed to meet me at the doctor,
but I think he forgot." Radley was silent for too long. "Radley?"
He cleared his throat, "Lex, Kole isn't here. He left about an hour ago.
He had to go pick up the new mats for the yoga classes tonight. He
should have been back by now, but we haven't seen him. Did you try
calling his phone?"
"Yes, I called and I've even texted him, but nothing."
"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure he's just running a little late. I'll figure it
out, okay? You just get to your doctor appointment and make sure all is
well with my niece." He took a deep breath, "I'll call you or Kole will.
Promise."
I hung up feeling sick and extremely uneasy.
I went into my doctor's office and waited nervously in the waiting

room, staring at my phone. I didn't hear the nurse call my name the first
time, until I felt her lightly touch my arm pulling me from my worried
state. I had been in my own little world.
I followed her back to the exam room and got undressed. I knew my
doctor said that today he wanted to give me a sonogram because two
weeks ago I'd had a little spotting and they had been watching me
closely. When they took me into the Imaging Room I suddenly felt
guilty that I was about the see our little girl without Kole. I felt the
warm gel roll across my belly as the nurse began moving the wand
around slowly. She said nothing as she clicked and moved.
After about five minutes she sat the wand down. "Lexi, I'm just going
to grab the doctor for a minute. I want him to take a look at something
with me. "
I felt a sense of panic overtake me. "What? Why? What's wrong?"
"Nothing to be alarmed about, sweetheart, it's just a precaution."
Nothing to worry about... what—do I look like an idiot? She wouldn't
be getting the doctor if it was nothing to worry about.
When my doctor stepped into the room he said "hi" to me kindly.
Immediately he began watching the screen and the nurse guided the
wand around once again. She pointed to the screen saying a few things
to him in a voice lower so I couldn't hear.
"Could one of you please tell me what's going on?"
The nurse removed the wand and shut of the machine. My doctor
handed me a towel to clean myself up and took a seat next to me.
"Lexi, have you experienced any leakage or discharge since I last saw
you?"
"I wouldn't say leakage unless you count the fact that every time I move
I pee myself just a little. Why?" I watched my doctor in confusion.
"Well, your fluid around the baby is extremely low. With that being
said, I fear you may be slowly leaking amniotic fluid, which has led to
what we found on the sonogram. I'm a little worried about an infection,
for not only you, but for the baby as well. " I slowly took in everything
he said and tried to remain calm.
"What I would like to do is admit you into the hospital and get you
started on some antibiotics. Unfortunately, with the lack of fluid there
is

not much we can do for that besides induce labor and get your little one
delivered. Once she's here we can get her antibiotics started as well. I
believe this is the safest solution. "
I heard everything he said and just nodded my head.
"We'll call over to the hospital and let them know you'll be coming. If
you would like to get dressed, we can get started. "
He squeezed my hand and I looked up at him. "Everything is going to
be okay, Lexi. There is no need to worry." He left the room and closed
the door softly behind him.
My entire body felt as if I was floating. I couldn't believe that I was
going to be admitted into the hospital and Hanna would soon be here. I
got dressed and quickly found my phone. Still no text or call from
Radley or Kole. I did, however, have five missed calls and two texts
from Megan insisting that I call her.
"I'm walking into your doctor's office now." Megan didn't even
say "Hello. "
"Okay, but why?"
"Are you done or still waiting?"
"Done, um. well, actually I' m not done. I' m waiting for the doctor to
come back in. They're admitting me."
"What. why?" Megan screeched into the phone.
"Just wait a few minutes and I'll be out. I'll explain then." I let her go as
the nurse came back in.
She thoroughly explained to me that I needed to go straight over to the
hospital and the maternity floor nurses were expecting me. After she
gave me my paperwork I made my way out to find Megan.
Once she saw me coming she stood quickly. "Now tell me what's going
on. Is everything okay? Should you be walking?"
"Slow down, Momma Bear." I laughed.
I gave her the quick explanation of everything and then she insisted that
she was driving me to the hospital. I knew I had no choice than to go
with Megan as I climbed into her car. I tried to call Kole once more.
Once we reached the parking deck at the hospital Megan escaped the
car to get a wheelchair.
"I'm not an invalid, I can walk."

"Over my dead body, lady. I'm pushing you." Megan's phone began
ringing in her purse and she quickly answered it. She really didn't say
much, but I noticed that the speed of the wheelchair had slowed
tremendously. I twisted to look up into her eyes and instantly became
worried.
Once she finished the conversation, she stopped and came around the
front to kneel in front of me. "Lex," she blew out a deep breath,
"Radley found Kole. He was in an accident." I started to stand and she
nudged me back down. The tears rolled from my eyes as I thought the
worst.
"Someone ran a red light and hit him. He's okay, Lexi...he's okay." I
looked up from my lap and blinked away the tears so I could see her
face.
"He's okay?"
She nodded her head and squeezed my hand. "They checked him out at
the hospital and now Radley is bringing him here. I promise. Now we
need to get you upstairs. "
I let her continue to wheel me to the maternity ward as thoughts of Kole
swarmed my mind. I felt empty and I knew I would until he was in front
of me and I could touch him to know he was, in fact, okay.

Chapter 48
Kole
"Dude, I seriously don't give a fuck about my truck. They towed it and
I can figure out where they took it later. I need to get to Lexi." The fact
that Radley was even talking about my truck and its condition was
pissing me off. I needed to get to the hospital.
I left the gym earlier and drove over an hour to pick up a delayed
shipment of yoga mats. When I got there they had already loaded them
onto a truck and sent them out for delivery. I was pissed as hell that I
was running late for Lexi's appointment, I hadn't even seen the UPS
truck run the red light. I was side-swiped and my truck spun around,
smacking the telephone pole on the other side. The impact banged me
up a bit and gave me a pretty good gash to my forehead. Radley drove
up on the scene, and once he found out it was my truck he pulled over.
He couldn't get through the swarm of cops and rescue workers, so he
decided to follow the ambulance once he saw it leaving.
Arriving at the hospital to find me getting my head stitched up eased his
mind a bit. I was in one hell of a bad fucking mood because my phone
was still in my car and I needed to call Lexi. I didn't want her to worry.

Radley laughed at my forwardness with the doctor as I told him he
needed to get this shit stitched up because I had places to be.
Once he told me about Lexi getting admitted, well, that just pissed me
off more. I needed to get to her.
An hour and a half later, with a lot of bitching on my part, we were on
our way to the hospital. The bad thing was it would take over an hour to
get there.
"Give me your phone, man, I need to call Lex."
He tossed it to me. "Call Meg. Lexi may not be able to answer. At least
Meg can give Lexi the phone if possible. I called Megan about fifteen
minutes after I got to the hospital and found you. I told her to let Lexi
know I had ya and you were okay. "
I took a deep breath as the phone rang.
"Rad, are you on your way?" Megan rushed out without even saying
hello.
"Hey, Meg, it's me. How is she?"
"Well, she's worried about you and terrified of giving birth without you
by her side. They're giving her the epidural now and they've started her
on Pitocin to induce labor. "
"We're about forty minutes away. Do you think they'll let me talk
to her?"
Megan told me to wait a minute and I could hear her talking to someone
before getting back on the line with me. "I'm going back in her room
now. They're done...hang on."
A few seconds passed and I then heard the most beautiful sound come
through the phone. Lexi's light whisper, "Kole, are you okay?"
I laughed lightly, "Yes, baby, I'm okay. How you doing?"
I could hear the shakiness in her voice. "I need you here, Kole. Are you
almost here?"
"I'm close, Lex. Just relax and try to rest. I'll be there soon. I love
you."
A light sob escaped her. "I was scared, Kole. I need to see you. I need to
feel you and until I do I can't calm down. I have to see for myself that
you're okay."
I couldn't help but smile. "Okay, beautiful, I'll be there soon."

I let her go and over the next forty minutes I chewed every one of my
nails. Time seemed to drag on and I couldn't get to Lexi fast enough.
Once we reached the hospital, I got out, quickly taking off toward the
elevators and leaving Radley to park his truck.
People looked at me like I was crazy as I ran down the halls looking for
the directional signs that led me to the maternity ward. Just when I
started to get irritated that I had taken the wrong way, I saw the sign,
letting out a sigh of relief.
I introduced myself to the nearest nurse and she immediately led me to
Lexi's room. Once I pushed open the door she gasped and her hand
went up to cover her mouth. "Oh my g o d . "
I went to her and took her into my arms. "It looks much worse than it is.
I'm okay. I can't say the same for my truck, though. I'll have to look for
a new one. "
"A new truck?"
I shrugged my shoulders slightly as I looked into her red-rimmed eyes.
"It's messed up pretty bad."

Chapter 49
Lexi
It was heart wrenching to see Kole with all his bruising and cuts. His
face had two bandages, one above his left eye and another along his left
jaw. He had to get stitches and his eye was already turning purple. I
looked over at him as he slept in the recliner next to my bed. He
wouldn't leave even when Radley and Megan tried to convince him to
go eat.
I had been in what they considered labor for about nine hours. They
broke my water and I was dilated to seven centimeters.
I actually had a lobby full of people waiting for Hanna to arrive. Kole's
parents and my father had arrived a few hours ago. Kate and the boys
were going to wait until tomorrow to fly in. Natalie, Radley and Megan
were also here and every once in a while one of them poked their head
in to check on my progress. We finally put a stop to it when Radley
entered just as the doctor was examining me the last time. Kole got a
little caveman-ish and said visitors were no longer allowed.
I couldn't help smiling at him as I watched him sleep. Here we were,
about to become parents and I couldn't fight the emotion of it all. The
tears slipped from my eyes as I reached for my phone.

I tried to keep my voice down when she answered. "Lexi?" "Hey,
Momma."
"Hi, um, are you okay? I mean, I'm glad you called, but...I'm a little
shocked, actually. "
I wiped at the tear that ran from my eye. "I was calling to tell you that I'
m in the hospital. in labor. "
My mother took in a deep breath. "Oh, Lex, wow. A baby?" There was
a pause before she continued. "I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you all
those years ago. I was terrible to you. I turned my back on my own
daughter and I'm so sorry."
"I know, Momma." It was all I could get out.
"I'm so glad you and Kole have each other. He's such a good man. That
guy is completely yours through and through. "
I swallowed past the lump in my throat and forced myself to continue.
"Maybe when, um, when we bring Hanna home you can come see her;
I'd like that."
I could hear her sobs. "Definitely, baby girl. I would love nothing more
than to meet your daughter so I can make sure she knows just how
lucky she is to have you. "
We said a tearful goodbye and I hit end. I stared down at my hands
when a contraction caused my stomach to tighten. I wrinkled up my
face and closed my eyes while I allowed the pressure to peak.
I felt Kole's hand grip mine securely and his thumb rubbed my
knuckles gently. "Almost done, baby. "
Another hour passed before the doctor checked me again. It had been a
long day. Each time they checked my progress it had barely changed. I
was getting very discouraged. I was hungry and tired and so ready to
see my little angel. I was in complete shock when the doctor announced
that I had reached ten centimeters and they started to prep the room for
the delivery.
The anxiety of the situation set in and the tears fell heavy.
I looked over into Kole's eyes and he smiled. "She's coming, Lex. We'
re about to meet our daughter. "
I nodded my head because I was so choked up with emotion I knew I
couldn't speak, even if I tried.

After three hours of pushing, we heard the sweetest cry fill the room,
causing me to melt instantly. Kole's face was filled with such joy as he
looked between our daughter and me. He looked torn with what he
should do next. I knew he wanted to go over to where the nurses had
taken Hanna, but he felt he needed to be with me too.
I squeezed his hand causing him to turn back to face me. "Go see your
little girl, daddy. "
Kole leaned forward to kiss me. "Thank you."
I watched him in amazement. He stood, observing as they measured
and weighed her. He watched their every move, guarding her closely.
He was such a caveman, yet so damn adorable.
Watching Kole approach me carrying our daughter delicately wrapped
within her pink blanket was like falling in love with him all over again.
He had to be the sexiest daddy I had ever seen. He lowered Hanna into
my arms and we both began examining her fingers and toes. I lifted her
little hat off to see a full head of coal black hair. I smiled, thinking of
the baby pictures Beth had shown me of Kole. His head was full of the
same black silky hair.
"She's so tiny; five pounds three ounces," Kole whispered as he rubbed
her cheek softly. I watched her in amazement as her little lips began a
slight suckle. I turned to face Kole and we smiled in unison.
Kole eventually pulled himself from the room long enough to update
the lobby full of people that Hanna was here and that she was
absolutely perfect.

Chapter 50
Lexi
"Here, let me help you, Lex. Stop overdoing it." Kole pulled the dish
towel from my hand slowly and stepped up toward the sink. I smiled
and leaned my hip against the edge of the counter.
"You do know that it's been almost two weeks and I feel good. I think I'
m perfectly capable of drying the dishes. "
He tilted his head and grinned. "I said I got it." Kole leaned over to kiss
my lips and brush his nose across my cheek. "Go prop up your feet and
take advantage of the fact that Hanna is asleep. "
" F i n e . "
I walked away grumbling. "Damn caveman."
I heard his chuckle as I sat down on the couch and reclined, flipping on
the television. I let my head fall back against the cushion and closed my
eyes for just a bit.
I hadn' t realized just how tired I was because the next time I opened my
eyes it was dark outside. I sat up quickly in a panic. It was quiet and
Hanna hadn't woken me up for her feeding. I stood up and looked
around the living room and kitchen. The light from our bedroom

caught my attention and I walked in that direction.
When I peeked through the door I saw Kole holding Hanna against his
bare chest as he rocked her slowly back and forth. I pushed it open
slowly and his eyes met mine. He grinned deeply and looked down at
Hanna.
"Is she asleep?"
"She just closed her eyes. I fed her and gave her a sponge bath. She has
a fresh diaper on and clean jammies. "
I crawled up onto the bed next to him and looked down at her sweet
little face. "Wow, I'm kind of impressed."
He blew out an exasperated breath. "Oh please, I got this." Leaning
forward he kissed my lips softly. "Piece of cake. "
I snuggled against his arm and he lifted it, putting it around my
shoulders. I kissed his chest. "I love you, Kole. "
"I love you too."
"So I guess now is a good time to tell you that my mom will be here
tomorrow. "
"What?"
I tilted my head back looking up at him. He watched my eyes closely. "I
invited her over. I think it's time she meets Hanna." "Are you sure about
this?" I nodded my head.
"I just don't want you getting upset."
I kissed his lips softly. "I'll be fine, promise. I need to forgive her. She
made a lot of mistakes, but we all make mistakes; you know that. Think
about it. If I wouldn't have forgiven you for the huge mistake you made
with that skanky bitch Hope, we wouldn't be here together holding our
daughter. It's time to forgive her and I think she's changed."
"Okay."
***
The next morning Kole seemed nervous. He needed to go into the gym,
but didn't want to leave me alone with my mom.

"I'm fine, okay? Go." He looked at me like I just told him the moon was
purple.
"I wanna be here if you need me. "
"She's not an axe murderer, Kole. She's my mom, and maybe some
time alone with her so we can talk would be good for us. I ' ll call you if
I need you, I promise. "
He finally agreed and I could tell by his face that it took every ounce of
effort he had. He kissed both Hanna and me goodbye and made his way
to the door. "I' ll have my phone on me at all times. If you need
anything, call. "
"Okay. Bye. "
He shook his head and walked out the door.
I was just finishing up with Hanna's mid-morning breakfast when the
doorbell rang. I placed her into her bassinet and walked toward the
door. After a deep breath I let my mother back into my life. . . with
caution.
"Oh my god, she' s beautiful. Look at all that hair and that mouth. She's
got her momma's lips. Look how it's perfectly heart shaped."
When she turned to me her eyes were glistening with tears. She smiled.
"I'm so sorry, Lexi. I ' m sorry for everything. I know you'll never make
the same mistakes I made. You've turned into an amazing woman, no
thanks to me. "
I grabbed a box of tissues and we sat together on the couch. "Can I ask
why? Why didn't you give me the letters from Dad? And why did you
act the way you did that day in the hospital? I just don't understand
what happened. "
She took a deep breath. "Your father and I were young when we got
married. We were young when we had you, and I agree now that we
were better off apart. At the time I didn't see it that way. When he left
me, I felt like a failure. I wanted to punish him for leaving me for

another woman. It was selfish and cruel, I know, because by doing that
I was also punishing you. I was too caught up in hurting him to realize
it. He came back to town a couple times, but we had moved and I
changed jobs so he wasn't sure how to find us."
She shook her head and her lip trembled. "I told him that you didn' t
want to see him and he left. He tried to write more letters and send more
cards, but I continued to hide them. "
Her eyes met mine. "I know I took a lot of years away from both of you
and I can never give them back. You need to know that your father
loves you; he has always loved you. I didn't want him to take you away
from me too, so I lied to keep you. "
We both looked at one another as the tears continued to fall. "Do you
remember when I hurt my back at work the summer before your senior
year?" I nodded my head waiting for her to explain. "I was put on pain
medication, and over the course of my recovery, I became addicted to
the medication. I would take one after another so I could numb the pain
of everything. You and I grew further apart and I regretted a lot of
things. It was easier to block it out by being incoherent."
I sat in shock listening to my mother spill her dirty secrets. "I became a
person I didn't recognize, and when I took you to the hospital that day, I
was high and strung out. I took years of frustration out on you when
you didn't deserve it. I walked away from you when you needed me
most. I ' l l never forgive myself for not listening to you and hearing the
truth. "
"I spent the next two and half years in and out of rehab. I relapsed and
went back so many times. I finally got clean and was able to start my
life again." She took my hand in hers.
"Kole sent the letter inviting me to your birthday because I had called
his mother after years of not talking. I went to her and told her
everything about my addiction. During our conversation, she brought
up that you and Kole were together. I told her I missed you and that I
wished we could attempt to have a relationship. "
She squeezed my hand as I looked up, meeting her reddened eyes. "He
thought he was doing a good thing. I know you were upset with him,

but you got a good man there, Lexi. I can see the love he has for you
and any girl would be envious. He would do anything for you. "
At this point I was sobbing into my hands and I let all the years of
abandonment and heartache go. I let all of the years of hating her wash
away. I knew she regretted her choices and I had to free myself of the
pain and anger I had felt for all those years. I wanted to move forward
and I wanted her to be in my life and in Hanna' s. "I forgive you, Mom."
She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me close. "I love you,
Lexi. "

Epilogue
Kole
Coming home from the gym to find baby bottles draining next to the
sink still made me smile. After four weeks I still was amazed by the fact
that I had a daughter. Hanna, just like Lexi, consumed my heart and
soul entirely. My two beautiful girls had me completely wrapped
around their gorgeous little fingers.
I could hear Lexi and I slowly made my way down the hall toward her
voice. I stood in the hallway just outside of Hanna' s room, watching
through the cracked doorway. Lexi was sitting in the glider next to the
crib, rocking Hanna softly as she sang gently.
I watched in awe, taking in every single moment and etching it
permanently into memory. I never wanted to forget how I felt watching
Lexi hold our little girl, lightly stroking her sweet little cheek. I
swallowed past the lump in my throat as I listened closely to the words
Lexi sang.
I pushed the door open gently and Lexi looked up at me smiling. Yeah,
the caveman was crying. I smiled back and wiped the tear from my
cheek.
"Hi. "

I knelt in front of Lexi and kissed Hanna's head right before leaning in
further to place my still trembling lips to Lexi's. I rested my forehead
against hers gently. After a silent moment I spoke.
"There is nothing in this world that is as beautiful as you two right now.
I could watch you both for days and still feel like I need more. Do you
even understand what you have given me, Lexi? Everything you've
given me?"
I relaxed back onto my knees and looked into her eyes as they glistened
with unshed tears. I traced her jaw with my thumb slowly. "You are the
best thing that has ever happened to me, and then to give me the gift of
becoming a father just makes you more amazing. I love you two so
damn much. You make me fall harder every day without even trying
and I feel like I can't breathe without the two of you."
We sat this way for a while just watching our perfect daughter. Every
grunt caused us to laugh; even when she let out her little baby farts she
was still adorable. There was no way in hell life could get any better.
This felt right; it felt like it all turned out just as it should have. The
road we took to get here was rough at times, but it led us to where we
were right now. And there was nowhere else I would rather be.

Conquer—Song List
I Want to Love You Madly—Cake I Won't Give up—Jana Kramer
Blurred Lines—Robin Thicke I Knew I Loved You—Savage Garden
Crazy Ride—Michelle Branch

Risk
Desired Affliction Series, Book Three
C.A. Harms Coming Soon

Acknowledgements
Thank you to all my fans and followers, without your praise, my drive
to keep writing wouldn't be as strong. Thank you for all the kind words
and inspiration you share with me along the way. You are all amazing
and I love sharing my stories with each and every one of you.
Maria Trojanowski, once again you are so kick ass. You never fail me
when I need a boost in the right direction. If I hit a snag I know you will
shoot an idea at me. Even if that idea is so off the wall that all I can do is
smile, it still gets me moving in one way or the other. Thank you for
being exactly who you are.
The great and wonderful Lisa Watmough with RockWat Designs...I
love your guts girl. You rock my world!
Barbara Martoncik, thank you so much for your continued support. It
means the world to me.
To my husband who has given me some great writing material without
even realizing it.
To my children Jayden and Tayler, I love you both to the moon and
back. You both are my greatest accomplishments in life.

About the Author
A little about me, let's see where to start.
I love HEA stories, as long as they come packing a little heat. I need
some excitement, some angst and moments that make me fan my face,
those are always good too. I am an Illinois girl, born and raised. Simple
and true, it honestly doesn't take much to make me happy. I love the
little things, they truly mean the most. I may have a slight addiction to
my new Keurig, oh my, that thing is a godsend. And so fast too. I have
two children who truly are my very best friends their faces never fail to
put a smile on my face. I have been married to my husband for sixteen
years and even though at times I want to beat him with a stick, I would
never change the years we have had. We have learned and fallen, only
to pick each other up, dust off the ache and help each other make it
right.
I am one of those authors that adore my fans, I love to hear from you.
After all it is because of each one of you that I continue to write. I look
forward to you feedback.
Be sure to follow me to stay up to date on all my upcoming releases.

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-CA-Harms/35479194795

6151
Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Charms0814

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6895633.C

A Harms Blog:

http://authorharms

.

blogspot.com/

Limitless Publishing:

http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/c-a-harms/

Newsletter:

http://bit.ly/1xsgHCS