Page 28 of Happily Ever Maybe

“Tomorrow morning.” She bit her lip. “Do you want to go? Imean, everything’s up in the air and I don’t know what we are or what this is,but—”

I didn’t even let her finish the statement. I took her facein my hands and pressed my mouth to hers, cutting her off. She tasted of sugar and spice. She moaned against me, and Iwrapped my arms around her, ignoring the pain in my shoulder from my stitches.

I’d craved her from the moment I saw her, and this felt likea promise.

I didn’t want to stop.

When I finally pulled away and pressed my forehead to hers,I let out a shaky breath.

“Okay.”

“We’re going to do this backward.”

“What do you mean by this?” she asked, humor in hereyes.

I threw my head back and laughed as I held her.

“Maybe that, too. First though, I want you. I want to behere. I want to figure out what the hell we’re doing. At work, with this baby,everything. So, I want to take you out on a damndate.”

“I guess we sort of skipped that.”

“We’re friends, and I’ve wanted you forever.”

“Same.”

“Then let me show you what I feel for you. Let me prove toyou I can do this.”

“Okay. So, tomorrow. Baby’s first appointment.”

I paled. “Holy hell, it’s real.”

“It is. I guess we should make sure we don’t screw it up.”

I pushed her hair from her face and leaned down, taking herlips with mine again.

“We’re not going to screw it up. We’re going to overthinkit, we’re going to make it complicated, but we’re going to make it real. Ipromise. I’m going to be there for you, Jennifer. As your partner.”

“Just not on the job.”

I kissed her again, ignoring the ache in my heart because wemade good partners. We were the best. But if that’s what it took, I would stepback. I would work with others.

I needed her to trust me.

I needed her to love me.

Just as much as I loved her.

Chapter 8

Jennifer

My stomach roiled. I wasn’t sure if it was the morningsickness that had become my worst enemy, or nerves about the meeting coming up.

I was supposed to meet with the team right after Gus, butthere hadn’t been a chance. The company we worked with—the one that’d set us upfor failure—had an emergency, and Noah and Ford needed to be there. So, Ifigured I’d at least meet with Daisy to go over my options.

It had been three days since Gus had kissed me again andsaid he wanted to be my partner.

We hadn’t defined what that meant.