Replace Me (Kin #2)(64)
Author: Jennifer Foor

I shrugged. “Something like that.”

Joey grabbed my arms and his face showed pain. “I don’t give up that easily, woman. I told you before, I always get what I want. If you’d stayed long enough, you would have realized that I wasn’t goin’ to let you walk out of my life. I’d fight for this, because it’s all I want. I’m a grown man, who knows what he wants in life, but I don’t want any of it, if I can’t share it with you. I’m sorry it took me so long to get back. I had to tie up loose ends and make sure I had a job to come back to.”

“You’re not going back to Italy?” I couldn’t believe this was really happening.

“Lacey, I came home to be with you. I chose you over everything else. It’s time to change and leave my old life behind me. I want more. I want you.”

I was crying so hard and couldn’t bring myself to speak. It was too surreal to me, that he was here, holding me and confessing his love for me.

“I love you,” he whispered against my lips.

Our kiss started slow and then became so much more. Months worth of pain were being sucked away from my heart and it was filling with something new, something full and hopeful.

I clung to him and felt him doing the same. It was freezing, but I was burning up. We broke our embrace and looked at each other again. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Say you love me back. Tell me that comin’ home wasn’t a mistake. Say somethin’.”

“I love you back.”

There was a house full of people waiting for us, but we stayed outside holding each other. It was like one of those sappy movie endings that never happen in real life, except it was really happening. Joey was back. He’d come back for me and risked it all for a second chance.

I wasn’t going to hurt him this time. I knew better.

This time I’d never let him go.

We started walking toward the party. “I thought you liked Italy.”

He shrugged. “I can’t get a decent cup of coffee and croissants are over rated. Who wants to eat pasta with a spoon, when they could be comin’ home to you every night? I missed you, woman.”

That’s when I knew he was all mine.

Chapter 31

Shayne

Ashley was released the next morning, but since she was on bed rest, her parents insisted that she stay with them. I hated the idea, but knew she needed to be cared for when I was at work. We sent messages and I visited her every night, but it was never the time to talk about things.

The longer I waited, the more I doubted myself. She was having twins and I couldn’t put myself out there and then change my mind months later. It wouldn’t have been fair to her or the children.

By the weekend, I’d set myself crazy. I broke my plans to hang out with Megan and decided to invite Ash to come and spend the weekend at the apartment with me. I promised to pamper her and make sure she stayed in a laying position.

Her parents were reluctant, but Ash insisted she could ride in a car and make it there without stressing herself.

We got there with no problem and I helped her into her bed, when she complained about not being mobile.

I brought the fifty inch flat screen into her room the night before and had a huge spread ready for when she got settled. For hours we sat in her bed, watching movies and stuffing our faces. It felt right, being there with her like that.

By the end of the night, we were snuggled up together, but not in a romantic way. We’d talked about names of the twins and even liked some of the same ones. She had her head against my chest and my arm was around her shoulder. I kept wondering how we’d got to this point in our relationship and not noticed it happening. We were definitely closer and now that I was paying attention, the signs were all there.

When the twins started moving around, she had to adjust to get comfortable. I put my head against her stomach, over the fabric of her clothing. She watched me waiting for them to kick me. I took my hand, lifted my head and laid it back down against her naked stomach. Ashley seemed shocked.

I could feel them moving around in there, and without thinking about what was happening, I kissed her belly.

When I looked up, she had a frozen look about her. “What?”

“What is this Shayne?”

“You tell me.” We just sat there looking at each other, hoping that the other person would speak first.

She laughed at me. “You’re bein’ weird. Did you think I fell in love with you for takin’ care of me? Is that what this is?”

I looked down and then back up to her. “Isn’t that what’s happenin’?”

Her eyes were huge looking back at me. She shook her head and started backing away from me. “Don’t play games with me, Shayne. I’m not one of those girls.”

“No. You’re not.” I ran my hand over her face and she closed her eyes. I could tell from the way she was reacting that I wasn’t imagining it. Whatever was happening between us was mutual. I got closer to those puffy lips, never taking my eyes away from hers. Our lips met and I closed my eyes, hoping I wasn’t going to get slapped. She tasted like popcorn and salt and as our tongues met for the first time, I felt something changing. It wasn’t the fact that kissing her was getting me turned on, or the reality of what was happening. I was surprised at how right it felt to kiss her.

After all this time spent living together something had happened between us that neither of us expected.

I pulled away and we shared a moment of silence as we looked to each other for answers. “Shayne. Don’t do this.”

I kissed her again, before I replied. “Do what?”

“Don’t get my hopes up just to end up hurtin’ me. I’ve already been through too much to have my heart broken again.”

I leaned my head against hers and thought hard about being faithful to someone. This wasn’t just a person that I’d known for years. This was someone who knew all of my secrets. I trusted her completely and she not only tolerated me, but had developed feelings for me when I was at my worst. “Ash, I know you’re not goin’ to believe me, but I think I’m in love with you.”

When she said nothing I pulled away so I could see her reaction. Her eyes were full of tears and I wiped them before they could run down her cheeks. “Please don’t say things like that to me.”

I wondered if she was begging me to stop because her feelings weren’t the same. I had to know. For weeks I’d been tearing myself apart over it. “Do you love me?” She stopped pleading and looked away. I grabbed her chin and forced her to look at me. “Yes or no, Ash. Am I imaginin’ that there’s somethin’ happenin’ between us?”