Page 41 of Hart's Redemption

He pressed his lips against my forehead. “Don’t apologize.”

I carefully pushed myself up so I could look him in the eye. The movement caused the remaining tears to streak in salty rivers down my cheeks. He’d never let me apologize for ruining his life, so I offered an apology he would accept. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask.” I stared at him for a long time, not sure if I had the strength to go on. At last, I swallowed past the thick lump in my throat and offered him the courtesy I should have offered from the beginning. “Do you want children, Elijah?”

He wiped away the renegade tears, his thumbs lightly brushing beneath my eyes, while his lips tipped in the smallest smile. “If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said I never really thought about it. Probably not.”

My lip quivered, and he cupped my face as if he could somehow hold me together, even though I was so determined to fall apart.

“Shhh, let me finish, moonbeam.”

I swallowed a hiccup and grasped his wrists to stay grounded. The bond glowed fiercely between us as he leaned forward to place a featherlight kiss on my lips.

“Before I met you, my life was all about staying off the radar and quietly minding my own business. I’m a little ashamed to admit that I didn’t really think about anyone much beyond myself.”

I blinked at him, my lashes miraculously heavy with more tears.

“But then I met you and everything changed. I don’t just mean the bond. You, Josh. You changed my life. I know you don’t believe it, but you’ve brought so much light into my world. Andever since I saw that beautiful dream in your mind, it’s all I can think about.” He rested his head against my chest and let out a deep breath. “The way your face lit up when you looked at our children. The joy in your eyes and the gentle way you spoke to them… I’ll do anything to make that dream a reality.”

He pulled back, and I immediately opened my mouth to argue. His finger against my lips effectively silenced me. “I don’t want to hear how you think it’s irresponsible or how it’s not viable. This is something webothwant. I’m willing to fight for it. Are you?”

I blinked back at him and tried to remember how to breathe. “How do you do that?”

He brushed the hair out of my face. “Do what?”

“One minute I feel like I’ve been scraped hollow by a blunt spoon, and the next I feel like I’m going to burst with light. Is it the bond?”

His smile returned, sparkling in his eyes and causing my heart to stutter. “I don’t think so. I think it might just be us. I want to make you happy, Josh. I’ll always want to make you happy.”

Without warning, I engulfed him in a bone-creaking hug and felt his arms wrap equally tight around me. “I love you.”

Chapter 14

Josh

Laughterbubbledoutofme as Elijah yanked me into his arms. “It could be the moonlight, but I can’t help but think you’re as excited about this as I am.”

He nuzzled my neck, prompting yet more laughter, then stole a quick kiss. “That’s because I am. What lycan doesn’t like to turn and run beneath a full moon?”

“I don’t know, but you could have fooled me last time.”

His excitement dimmed slightly. “Josh, I never properly apologized…”

I shook my head. “You’ve already explained why you were so wound up. Is an apology really necessary?”

“Yes. It was your first real run, and I was a total killjoy.”

An ass. I was pretty sure the word he was looking for was “ass.”

I pushed away from him to finish stripping and squirreling away my clothes. “I won’t argue with that. But as long as we end up sweaty and wrapped up in each other by the end of the night, I think I’ll be good.” The added eyebrow wiggle was probably a bit much, but I couldn’t stop myself. The moonlight danced along my skin and hummed in my veins so loud it was a wonder I could hear anything else.

He snickered and once again pulled me close, capturing my resulting gasp with a dominating kiss.

“Mm, I love you, baby, I really do, but there’s not a snowball’s chance in hell that I’d make it through foreplay without shifting.”

“Oh, I don’t know. Your control has been getting better. I’d be willing to see how far you can go.”

“Cad.” I smacked him in the chest and stepped away.

“Fine, you have a point. Besides, if we got too distracted, then you’d miss your surprise.”