Page 101 of If I Didn’t Have You

“Going for a swim with my wife.”

The low bass of his voice vibrated in my chest, but it was the way his fingertips trailed over my skin that made me shiver. As he guided the dress over my head, doubts crept in. It was one thing to be naked in my house, but out in the open?

“Ben, what if someone sees us?”

“At the falls? Not likely. No one comes out here. Besides, this is our spot.”

Tossing the dress aside, I turned in his arms, feeling bashful despite everything that had transpired between us over the past few days. This was my husband, and while I should feel comfortable in his arms, I still had flabby areas I was working on, desperate to get rid of. Namely, my baby pouch that just didn’t seem to want to go away.

“Hey,” he whispered, tilting my chin up. “You’re beautiful. Don’t ever hide from me.”

28

BEN

That bashful smile that I loved so fucking much tinted her cheeks red, driving me fucking crazy. It was the same look she gave me the first night we came out here, when she was so desperate to hide her body from me.

I won her over then, and I was damn certain she wouldn’t hide from me again after tonight.

“I’m still trying to get rid of the baby fat,” she said, flushing even deeper. “I mean, I don’t suppose I can call it baby fat after all these years.”

“You’re not twenty-one,” I pointed out. “And I’m not the same man you first saw naked all those years ago. I’ve got flabby parts, too. But that doesn’t make me love you any less.”

I slid my hand down her belly, over her hip, gripping her tight as I pulled her flush against me. “Does it feel like I’m not completely turned on by the sight of you?” I asked, digging my erection into her belly.

Fuck, I would take her right now on the grass if I didn’t think I would completely blow the whole plan.

“You’re still as beautiful as you were back then. Just as fucking sexy, and still the love of my life. You could weigh three hundred pounds, and I would still be infatuated with you.”

Her nose crinkled at that. “Please don’t ever let me get that big. I’ve been working hard to get in shape.”

“Me, too,” I chuckled. “I want you happy in your body, but I also don’t want you killing yourself to be perfect. You’re already there.”

Pressing her head to my chest, she let out a long sigh. “You say such sweet things.”

“Can’t let things slide like I have in the past. I’ll never go back to that. Now, are we getting in that water or not?”

“Well, I’m not just going to stand here naked, all alone.”

“I’m okay with that,” I smirked.

But I shed my clothes and took her hand, guiding her into the cool water. It took a minute to warm up, but when I pulled her into my arms, I forgot all about the temperature, and solely on the woman currently pressed against me.

With her arms wrapped around me, we floated into the center of the pool. Her body shivered against mine, and whether that was because of the water or my cock prodding her, I didn’t know. But fuck, I really wanted her.

“Ben…are we going to be okay?” she whispered.

I swallowed hard at her question. We’d been through a rough couple of years, and the idea that things wouldn’t work out was just too damn hard to think about.

“We’ll get there.”

Resting her head on my shoulder, I felt the vulnerability coming off her in waves. She was scared, and I couldn’t blame her for that. We’d fallen apart, and I took the brunt of the blame for that.

“Do you know what I want more than anything?”

“Hmm?”

“I want this feud with the Callahans to be over.”