give it to her. You’ll know when she needs it most. Hang on to it until then. And just…” He trails off, rubbing at the back of his neck like he’s suddenly uncomfortable. This isn’t our norm. This isn’t what our friendship was like over the years, and it’s obvious he’s struggling with this new line of friendship and the man who is now in his daughter’s life. “Just take care of her. Selene has waited her whole life for a love that sweeps her off her feet. One that rivals the mythology written about goddesses of the cosmos; one that is all hers. Don’t deprive her of that, please.”
Pressure builds in my nose, and I nod, setting my jaw in a hard line, working to control the sudden bout of emotion burrowing into me.
“I promise.”
After we say our goodbyes to Gavin and Cece, we head home, and by the time I pull Luna out of her car seat, she’s out cold, her little mouth gaping, fatigue written all over her face. Selene is unusually quiet, even after she gets Luna cleaned up and put in bed.
“Tell me what you’re thinking.”
She climbs onto the bed in one of my T-shirts. She’s taken to wearing them to bed instead of her own pajamas, and I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight. Her perfect body encased in my clothes that drown her small frame—I fucking live for it. Something that is inherently possessive when it comes to this woman loves it.
Sliding under the sheets, she shifts her body toward mine, tucking her hands beneath her cheek. “Just thinking about my dad. And my mom.”
“What about them?”
“I’m worried about my mom. How she’s going to handle dealing with this on her own? And my dad…I-I guess I still haven’t come to terms with all of this. I can’t imagine a world where he isn’t here with me.”
Reaching out, I sweep the pad of my thumb across the freckles dotting her skin. She’s perfect. “I get that. This isn’t going to be easy, but I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”
She smiles while her eyes simultaneously glass over. “You’re a bit of a rare find. You know that?”
I smirk. “That’s what they tell me.”
She laughs under her breath, nudging me in the shoulder. I catch her wrist, splaying open her palm and caressing her cold fingers. “More of that, babe.”
“More punches? Gladly.”
“More of those carefree smiles, Selene.”
Her smile tapers off, and something warm enters her eyes. Scooting closer, she wraps her arms around my neck, drawing her body against mine. I relish in her warmth, the feel of her curves pressing into me, like pieces of a puzzle I never knew I was missing.
“Did you mean what you told Luna this morning?” I nod, searching her gaze, trying to read her innermost thoughts. There’s an adorable frown marring her face. It’s a hint of disbelief. “How can you be so sure?”
“You’ve carried my child. You’ve raised her into this beautiful, sweet little human that I’ll forever be thankful for. There’s no way I can’t love you.”
She smiles, but there’s a sadness behind it. At times, she’s the easiest person to read, her thoughts written on her face. She wears her heart on her sleeve, just like now. For whatever reason, what I said makes her sad, and I can just imagine why.
“I don’t just love you because you gave me Luna. Even if she weren’t in the picture yet, I’d have no other choice but to love you, Selene. You’re the one pure thing in this town. You’re the bright light I’ve been searching for my whole life. I just didn’t realize you were right there under my nose all along. I was too blind to see it then, but I’m not now.”
Her mouth opens, then closes, like that of a gaping fish, as she tries to string together a sentence. It draws a chuckle out of me. “I know this feels fast, but I know what I want. And I want you. Always.”
“I’ve waited years to hear those words fall from your lips, Endymion Black.”
She presses her lips against mine in the sweetest kiss that hits me square in the chest. I roll her body on top of mine, gripping the hem of the shirt and peeling it over her head. Her round tits press against my chest when she leans back down to kiss me again. My tongue tangles with hers. With sure movements, Selene works my briefs down my legs, exposing