“I was worried. I was afraid I would scare you away if I told you how I felt. The last thing I wanted to do was scare you off,” he said, brushing her bare shoulder with his hand.
“Oh, Ben. You couldn’t scare me off. I’ve been a little embarrassed because I fell head over heels in love with you a long time ago. I kept telling myself it wasn’t the real thing, but when I was away, I realized it was very much the real thing. I couldn’t wait to get back to you. I would have done almost anything to have you back in my life,” she said, tears streaming down her face.
He gently wiped them away. “I was out of my mind when I thought I would never see you again. I kept trying to figure out how I was ever going to move on. It seemed impossible. I’m so glad you’re back and I don’t plan on letting you go for a long time. Please don’t take that as me controlling you, but I want you.”
“You don’t have to have kid gloves on with me. Just be you. You are perfect for me in every way, and you are the man I want to be with,” she said, leaning forward to kiss him.
“If I ever do anything you don’t like, t
ell me. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m damn sure going to try.”
“Me too. I’m going to have some neurotic moments and I’m going to be looking over my shoulder for a while, but in time, I know it will get better. Be patient with me,” she said, looking into his eyes.
He looked at her for a while. “Do you think you’ll let your hair go back to its natural color?” he asked.
She smiled. “Curious to see me as a blonde?”
“Maybe. I’ll take you anyway I can get you, but I like you for you.”
She nodded. “Good. I do plan on letting it grow out. I’m also ready to revamp my wardrobe a little. I can’t wait to start dressing in fun clothes instead of trying to hide behind the bulky jeans and plaids.”
“You look sexy in those jeans, but dammit if you in a skirt doesn’t make me lose my damn mind,” he groaned.
“I hope to make you crazy,” she giggled.
He pulled her into his arms and shut off the light. Everything was falling into place and he was excited to see what the future held for the two of them. He was confident she would be in his future.
Epilogue
Katherine
Three Months later
KATHERINE FELT HIS warm body next to her and smiled. His heavy leg was draped across hers as he softly breathed in and out, his long eyelashes resting against his face as he slept. She stared at him for a while, admiring his handsomeness. The jaw stubble was already making an appearance on his face, giving him the rough, sexy look that she adored. He had made it a habit not to shave on the weekends, which she thoroughly appreciated.
Living with him had taken a little getting used to, but now she could never imagine her life any other way. When Ben had asked her to move in, she had been hesitant at first. She was worried they were rushing into things. It seemed like it was too soon, but then after thinking about it and talking it over with Talia, she realized there was no hard and fast rule about when it was the right time. She felt it and he felt it and that was all that mattered.
They’d been living together for a month and every day when she woke up, she got to see him. That was the best part about living with the man you loved. It was comforting to go to bed with him at night and wake up with him beside her every morning. It gave her a sense of belonging she never remembered having before—certainly never with her ex-husband.
Ben was her rock. He was the constant in her life and had encouraged her to take some of the money she’d gotten from Tim and begin the process of building her own coffee shop. She knew it was a risk, but it was something she wanted to try. She’d been taking some night classes at the local college and learning more about business management. Her coffee shop was going to offer fresh baked goods and a laid-back setting that encouraged people to hang back and chill for hours.
Katherine leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the forehead before she got out of bed and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. When she returned the room, she was a little surprised to see he wasn’t in bed. She slipped her feet into her warm fuzzy slippers and made her way downstairs to find him in the kitchen making breakfast.
“Good morning,” he greeted, when she walked into the light, airy kitchen space.
“Hi,” she said, smiling as she gave him a quick kiss.
He handed her a cup of coffee. “Have a seat, I’m making some bacon and eggs,” he told her.
She sat on the barstool and watched him cook. He was wearing a pair of sweats and nothing else. They were supposed to go out for a run that morning. That was another thing she had come to really appreciate. There was always someone to do things with.
“Did you have a nice shower?” he asked.
“I did. I’m ready to go when you are.”
She always showered before they exercised, which he teased her about, but it was just something she did and couldn’t really explain. The shower helped awaken her mind and body, getting her into the right mindset to exercise. She had on her running pants and fitted top, ready to hit pavement, but it was clear that Ben had other ideas. But they had all day and with the cool temperatures, running in the afternoon was just fine with her.
“That smells good,” she said, inhaling the smell of bacon.