“If I didn’t have you –”
“You got me,” he clipped.
I took a step toward him, stopped and said, “I know. But if I didn’t have you, I don’t know where I’d be.”
“Right back at ‘cha, beautiful.”
I licked my lips then pressed them together before I unpressed them and said quietly, “You asked me not to date Jason again, I didn’t. And he didn’t get anything from me. I swear.”
I watched Creed’s chest expand with his breath then he crossed his arms on it and nodded.
“Can we stop fighting now? I don’t like it,” I whispered.
I saw his face get soft before Creed ordered gently, “Come here, Sylvie.”
I didn’t hesitate. I went there. When I got close, Creed’s arms uncrossed and I walked right into them. It was his turn not to hesitate and they folded right around me.
Against the hair at the top of my head, he promised, “We get through this shit, we get away, I’ll give you a beautiful life, baby. I promise. I f**kin’ swear, a year, two, all this shit will be a memory and you might not have everything you’re used to but what we do have will be beauty.”
I nodded, my cheek sliding against his flannel shirt, my arms wrapping around him tight.
“I’ll give you beauty too,” I promised back.
“You already do,” he whispered and my belly dipped.
“And I’ll give you Kara and Brand,” I went on.
“Lookin’ forward to that, baby.” He was still whispering. One of his arms left me and his hand came to my chin. He lifted my face up to look into his grinning one. “Look forward to makin’ ‘em just as much.”
That made me feel tingly and I grinned back.
I felt my grin fade and I pressed close before I said softly, “I love you a whole lot, Tucker Creed.”
His grin faded, his hand at my chin disappeared so both arms could wrap back around me and he gave me a squeeze before he replied, just as softly, “You’re my world, Sylvie. Always have been. Always will be.”
I pulled a breath in through my nose, gave him a smile that even I could feel was crooked and trembling, I closed my eyes tight and shoved my face into his chest.
Like always when I was there, his arms gave me yet another squeeze and he became what I was to him. Everything. My whole world.
As always.
As it always would be.
Chapter Nineteen
Worth Every Fuckin’ Minute
Present day…
I was showered and getting ready to check out of the hotel room, take off and discover what Phoenix had to offer when a knock came at the hotel door.
I walked to the door, looked out the peephole and stared at the beauty pageant beautiful, tall woman with dark arched brows and gleaming, straight brunette hair standing outside.
A woman who looked a lot like Kara Creed.
Shit.
Fuck.