Ruthlessly His (16 page)

My cheeks start to burn red, and my chest swells with emotion. I text him immediately.

Me:
I absolutely feel the same way about you.

Shane:
Glad we’re on the same page. That’s a damn good sign.

I read the chain of texts over again at least five times. Fuck, his words feel so good. A black car shows up just as he said it would, and I get in the back and sit back as the driver takes me to God knows where. We drive through the financial district of the city and past all of the major medical centers and hospitals until we pull up to a large district courthouse.

I get out of the car and see Shane immediately. He’s wearing a black suit with a perfectly pressed white dress shirt, and a red, silky tie. His hair looks freshly styled, and his skin looks smoother and creamier than usual. I can’t help but smile as I get closer to him. He does the same.

As I walk towards him, my hands are in my pockets. He comes up to me, threads his hands in between my arms and around my back, and pulls me into his body tightly. He nestles his mouth against the side of my face, and his warm, minty breath feels like a thousand suns on my skin.

“That’s kind of uncharacteristic of you,” I say.

He presses his lips together in a straight line. “You ever have a gut feeling about what you need to do in life… It’s so strong, but you continue to ignore it?” he says.

I nod once. “Yeah, who hasn’t?”

“Well, I’ve ignored mine my whole life, and I’m not going to do it anymore. I did it with you, and that was the last straw. You’re the best thing that’s ever walked into my life since I can remember, and I refuse to let you walk out.”

My cheeks flush bright red. I finally take my hands out of my pockets and reach them around his broad, muscular shoulders. I let go of my inhibitions and hug Shane with everything I’ve got.

He looks down at me again. “Hey,” he says softly.

“Hey what?”

“I want you to be a part of my family. I know that sounds crazy, because we haven’t known each other very long. But the only person I want in that courthouse with me, trying to win back my son, is you.”

I let out a soft smile. “You’re an asshole,” I say sarcastically.

“I know. But I think I might really love you.”

I swallow heavily, and my eyes start to well up. I run my thumb across the stubble on his jaw. “I think I might feel the same way about you too, Shane.”

He chuckles lightly. “That’s a damn good place to start,” he says.

I couldn’t agree more.

We head into the courthouse, hand in hand, and I just know this moment marks the beginning of the rest of my life.

THE END

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