Slowly, I open my eyes to meet his. He’s resting his head on the inside of my thigh, using it as a pillow. He also has a very smug smile on his lips. I can’t give him crap over it either because he is godly with that mouth. I’m so going to marry him one day.

  “Morning, sunshine.” He turns his head, kissing the inside of my thigh. The curtains in the bedroom are pulled back, and the whole room is flooded with light.

  “Crap.” I try to sit up but get nowhere with Donovan lying on me. “What time is it?”

  “You’re fine. I talked to your boss this morning and checked in with Evy. Relax.”

  I drop back down, processing what he’s saying. “You talked to my boss and my dad’s girlfriend?” My dad might not be calling Evy that, but I am.

  Well, if they’re still together. I can’t fault her if she tells him to get lost at this point. He has some groveling he needs to do, and I hope he does it. It’s clear to me she’s in love with my dad and cares about him deeply. I don’t think he'd be too happy if a man was doing some of the things to me he’s doing to her. She doesn’t need to be kept in the dark.

  “Don’t be mad at me. You were sleeping so I handled some things. You needed to rest.”

  “I’m not mad.” I reach down and run my fingers through his hair. “Thank you.”

  “It’s my pleasure to take care of you.” He climbs up my body, and when he kisses me, I reach my hand between us and guide his cock to my opening. “Sunshine. You’re sore.”

  There is no fight in his words, but he’s trying to do the right thing. I’m really not having it right now because I want him inside me. I want that connection.

  “I do ache.” I wrap my legs around him and lift my hips, making his cock slip into me a few inches. “I ache for you.” I nibble on his bottom lip.

  When I’m with Donovan this way, it’s easy to forget about everything else but the two of us. The rest of the world melts away, and there is only happiness with no other worries.

  “I can’t tell you no.” He grunts as he thrusts all the way inside of me, and I can’t stop the small gasp that leaves me. “Gracie.” His voice is so low it sends a shiver across my skin.

  “Don’t stop,” I beg. The small nip of pain I felt is already gone. Donovan is a big man, and I think it’s going to take me some time to get used to him even now that it’s not my first time. I’m also not going to complain about it.

  “You’re so damn tight and small. Going to have to break you in.”

  “Donovan.” My pussy clamps down around him. I don’t only love the things Donovan’s mouth can do to me but the things he says too. They get me worked up just as much.

  “You like the idea of me breaking you in, don’t you?” He keeps thrusting in and out of me. “That means you need to be in my bed every night so you can go to sleep with my cock inside of you.” He thrusts, and my nails dig into his shoulders. “So you can wake up the same way.”

  “Yes,” I agree, lifting my hips to meet each of his thrusts. That sounds perfect.

  “Good girl. Glad to see we’re on the same page.” I’m too lost in pleasure to fully understand what he means. Especially when his fingers find my clit. I cry out again as another orgasm hits me.

  Donovan groans my name as his release spills deep inside of me, mixing with my own. He buries his face in my neck then rolls us so that I’m sprawled out of top of him. I’m wiped out, and I close my eyes as he starts to run his fingers up and down my back, gently soothing me.

  “If you want we can build a room on my place, or even build on the east side of the property. There are several acres out there for your dad to have his own place close by.” I lift my hips, and Donovan’s hard cock slips out of me. He lets out a grunt, and when I go to roll off him he grips my hips to stop me. “I was only—” I cut him off.

  “I don’t want to talk about my dad with your cock inside me.” That’s partly true, but it’s still a lot for me to process. I know things are about to change, and the things Donovan said last night have me thinking about the future, and I don’t only mean with my dad either. He told me that he loved me and then I let him cum inside of me. That’s bigger than us living together or even marriage, if you ask me. That’s saying you want to tie yourself to me for the rest of our lives.

  “I’ll give you that one.” He gives my ass a squeeze. “But you already agreed to move in.”

  “That was a dirty trick,” I laugh.

  “When it comes to you, I’ll play dirty to get what I want.”

  “I do love it.” I lean up, kissing him. He deepens the kiss, his fingers tangling in my hair before he rolls and pins me under him.

  “Am I pushing too fast? I’ve never done this whole girlfriend thing. Hell, ‘girlfriend’ sounds wrong. You’re way more to me than that. I love you, and I want to wake up to you every morning and fall asleep every night with my mouth on you.”

  “I want that too,” I admit. “‘Girlfriend’ is really new to you?” I ask. I don’t want to know about his past, but I kind of do. Even with the scar, Donovan is fine as hell. He might not see it, but the rest of the world does.

  He didn’t notice the other girls at the corn maze checking him out while he helped me work the stand. His attention had been on me, and I’d checked. Too bad for them, I seem to be all he sees. I love having all his focus, but that said, I also know if I want to be the center of his world I have to actually come and be the center of it. I don’t want to have to choose, but I want a family of my own too one day. I think my dad also wants a woman to call his own. Maybe we’re both worried about how we each might take that.

  “My job came first back then because maybe I was always trying to prove myself or something. A lot of the other agents gave me some shit with how I grew up.”

  “And how is that?” I run my hands up his chest and wind my arms around his neck.

  “Some might say with a silver spoon. I got my criminal justice degree from Penn State.” Damn. I didn’t know all that. I mean, I can tell from his home he does well.

  “Oh, a trust fund baby,” I tease, and I swear he blushes.

  “Hey, I got a full ride to Penn State on my own.”

  “Is that when the FBI swooped in and snatched you up?” I ask. “Oh! Were you in a secret underground student society called the Skulls? I love that movie.” Donovan’s whole body shakes with silent laughter.

  “I’m trying to get you to move in with me here.” He pulls me back to the topic at hand.

  “You don’t think it’s too soon?” I ask, even though I really want this. “There is a lot we still don’t know about each other. I don’t even know what you do for a living now.”

  “I took over for my father’s finance company so he could retire and take Mom on the millions of trips he’s been promising her since we were kids,” he says with a laugh. I love that sound coming from him.

  “Wow.”

  “He’d always wanted either Tidas or me to take it over.”

  “A job in finance. Sounds fancy.” A bit of insecurity bubbles up inside of me. I’ve always and will always be a small-town girl. College was never in the cards for me. I’m not sure I would have gone even if it was an option. It never held any appeal to me because I love Hollow Oak.

  “It pays well, and I don’t hate it. It goes back to trying to play all those what ifs. Life brings you what it brings you. Sometimes you think your world just blew up around you, but when that dust starts to settle you can see the beauty in what’s left.”

  “What was your beauty?”

  “You. It brought me you.”

  “That’s sweet.” I look at his chest because I could seriously cry with how good that makes me feel.

  “You’re pulling away from me. I can feel it.” I open my mouth but close it because he’s right. “I don’t want to scare you, Gracie, but what I really see is that leaving the FBI put me on a path right to you. I ended up in Hollow Oak building a home that is clearly meant for a family. I might not have put it together when I was doing it, but you can see for yourself what it is.”

  “It really is,” I agree. This home is made for a family. A big one.

  “I took over for my father in a job that pays more than well. I can be here all the time for that family. I’m getting a life I didn’t know I wanted. Not until I got a glimpse of it and I got a glimpse of you.”

  “Do you really want that? What if you could go back to the FBI?” I wonder if he’s forcing himself to find a silver lining. On some level would I always be his second choice?

  “Truthfully?” I swear my heart stops for a beat. “I could go back. I’m healed and finished with my recovery. They’ve even asked, but I turned them down. I want this, Gracie. I want you.”

  “I'm just a mail carrier with a high school diploma,” I whisper. The second the words are out of my mouth, I know it was the wrong thing to say.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Donovan

  “That’s all you think you are?” I try to keep the anger out of my voice, but it’s hard.

  “No, I just mean I’m nothing special.”

  “If you truly believe that then I’m nothing at all.” I sit up and bring her with me so she’s straddling my lap. “Because you are the most special person I’ve ever met in my life. You are kind and gentle and compassionate. You give everything to others and never take for yourself. You don’t even want to really take my love, because with what you’re saying, you’re telling me that you don’t deserve it. And that’s not the Gracie I see. That’s not my sunshine. She is brave and loyal to those she cares about. My sunshine deserves the moon, stars, and the whole goddamn galaxy.”

  “Donovan.” She touches the hair at the base of my neck.

  “You listen to me, Gracie Hall. You are my life, my future, and my forever. No matter how you try to put distance between us, I’m not going anywhere. Do you hear me? I choose you, and I will always choose you. End of discussion.”

  “You’re so bossy.” She smiles as her eyes become watery.

  “You’re just now seeing that?” I grin at her when I see her let out a breath of relief.

  “I think I’m just worried about you taking me and all of my baggage on so quickly.”

  I shrug. “I’ve got plenty of my own.” I point to the scar on my face. “But loving you makes me feel like I can do all things. Even the shit I’m afraid of.”

  “You’re afraid of stuff?”

  “That you’ll push me away,” I admit honestly. “That’s something that I couldn’t survive.”

  “I wouldn’t want you to do that to me either.” Her eyes are so earnest as she holds me tighter.

  “Then let me help you figure this out, sunshine. It’s you and me together until the end. Let me help you do this, because you don’t have to do it alone anymore.”

  “I love you so much,” she says and hugs me so sweetly that it makes a lump form in my throat and I have to swallow twice to get it down.

  “I love you too.” I close my eyes and hug her back just as fiercely. “Now let’s go see your dad at the hospital so we can decide what happens next.”

  “And what will that be?” Her eyes are searching mine for answers.

  “Whatever you want and whatever he wants. Between you, me, him, and Evy, I’m sure we can come up with a plan.”

  She smiles and nods. “I think you’re right.”

  “Of course I am.” I smack her on the ass and then kiss her quickly. “Now get dressed before I try to put my dick in you again.”

  “Hmm.” She thinks about it, but I stand up and toss her onto the bed. She bounces once before she giggles. I flip her over so she’s on her stomach and slap her ass one good time.

  “Get up, wench. I need to feed you.”

  “You caveman,” she laughs as I pull on my underwear.

  “Only for you.”

  After we have a quick breakfast, we hop in my truck, and I drive us over to the hospital. Gracie said her dad was supposed to be released today but she wants to get there early and hear how he’s doing from the doctor's mouth. I think after yesterday’s scare she wants to talk to his endocrinologist directly.

  When we get to his room, we see Evy sitting on the bed next to him, and they’re holding hands. It looks like an intimate moment, and for some reason I want to back out of the room and give them their privacy. But Gracie, being my sweet innocent girl, goes right on in.

  “Hey, Dad, morning, Evy.” She smiles at the woman, and I don’t miss the tender way Evy looks at her.

  “Hey, Gracie,” she says and stands from the bed but still keeps a hold of Joseph’s hand.

  “Morning, pumpkin.” He smiles at Gracie and then turns to me. “Good to see you, Donovan.”

  I nod and tell them hello as Gracie jumps right into it. “Has the doctor been in yet?”

  “The nurse said she’d be by in just a few minutes,” Evy answers. “But I think before that your dad and I need to tell you something.”

  “That you two have been sneaky dating?” Gracie says and smiles brightly.

  Evy looks at Joseph, and I can see her cheeks flush a little. “Well, yes.”

  “I want you to know Evy and I did a lot of talking last night,” Joseph says.

  “Good, so did Donovan and I.” I take Gracie by the hand and squeeze it as I look down at her and wink.

  “Evy and I are getting married.”

  “Good morning, Mr. Hall, I bet you’re ready to head home today,” the doctor says, interrupting the bomb that just went off in the room.

  “Umm, can you give us a second?” Joseph asks as he looks around at all of us.

  “Sure.” The doctor smiles and backs out.

  “You and Evy are getting married?” Gracie asks, and when the two of them confirm, she surprises all of us by bouncing on her toes and squealing as she covers her mouth to muffle the excitement.

  “Well, that wasn’t exactly the reaction I was thinking, but I’m happy to see it,” Joseph says as he looks to Evy.

  “Are you kidding me?” Gracie goes around the bed to hug Evy and then her dad. “I’m so happy for the both of you. I mean I knew you’d been dating on the sly, but I had no idea it was this serious.”

  “I think we both realized after yesterday that life is short,” Evy says and shrugs. “I love your dad with all my heart, and we talked a lot about what we want for the future.”

  “You’ve taken care of me a long time, kiddo, maybe even at times when I should have been taking better care of myself.” Joseph squeezes her hand now. “I should have been better about letting you live your life instead of worrying about mine.”

  “Aw, Dad.”

  “No, I mean it. And I’m not just trading out one nurse for another.”

  “I told your dad that I’ll help him manage his diabetes better, but we’re going to do it together.” Joseph nods at Evy.

  Seeing the two of them and the way they look at each other gives me hope. Life is short, and it’s never too late to find love. I stand back and let them talk for a few minutes before the doctor comes back in and goes over Joseph’s discharge paperwork. I step outside for that, giving them as much privacy as possible.

  A little bit later, Gracie and Evy come out of the room with Joseph’s things in a bag. “I’m going to go with Evy to sign his discharge paperwork. Are you okay to hang here for a second?”

  “I’ll be right here.” I lean down and kiss Gracie on the cheek before the two of them walk down the hall.

  I wait a beat to make sure they’re not coming back before I turn and go into the room with Joseph. He smiles at me as I walk in and then he nods like he’s been waiting for this.

  “I know what you’re going to ask.”

  “You do?” I glance over my shoulder and then back to him.

  “Anyone that sees the two of you together knows it’s more than just puppy love. I know what I feel for Evy, and I see the way my baby girl looks at you. It’s the same no matter what age you are.”

  “Gracie is old enough to make her own decisions, so I’m not asking for permission to marry her. I’m asking you to give us your blessing if she says yes.”

  “If?” He chuckles. “She’ll say yes, and yes, you’ll have my blessing.” He nods. “Gracie is a good judge of character, and if she loves you like I think she does, then you’re a good man.”

  “I promise to always be that for her.” I place my hand on my heart and make the vow I will keep for the rest of my life.

  “Then I hope the two of you are as happy as me and Evy.”

  “We are,” I agree, hiding my smile. Because I have a feeling we might be the happiest couple on this earth.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Gracie

  “Are you sure you guys don’t need any help?” I ask my dad.

  They have moved most of Evy’s stuff in, but there are a bunch of boxes left to unpack. Evy comes to stand beside my dad, and he wraps his arm around her and pulls her closer. I love that he’s not hiding this from me because it was beyond silly trying to. He thought it might hurt my feelings that I wasn’t his number one anymore.

  He didn’t word it that way, but I got it. We’d both become a bit codependent with worrying too much about the other. Joseph is a great dad, and he raised me on his own. I never felt like I missed out on not having a mom because he was always there for me. Now it’s time for him to start living for himself. I know he’ll still be here for me if I need him, and I’ll never question that.

  Donovan and Tidas loaded up the last of my stuff into the back of the truck before Tidas took off. I didn’t have a ton left after slowly moving my things over the last few weeks to Donovan’s place. I don’t need the small bed that I’ve had since middle school because Donovan couldn’t fit on that little thing even by himself. He did manage to pin me to it once for a small makeout session that was almost busted by my dad.

 

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