"Hey Gavin, you there?" Trevor asked.

"Um, yeah, s.h.i.t, sorry. I was uh..." I tried to come up with something. I only came up empty as I looked back to find her smoothing lotion over her legs. She sat on the edge of the bed with her legs slightly parted. I could see her red panties, and it was somewhat distracting.

"I'm pretty sure I don't want to know what's got ya distracted. Penny told me that your girl called the office. I was supposed to call you when I got a chance," he stated.

I turned my back to Maria, because there was no way to focus while continuing to watch her.

"I'm gonna need your help. Remember me telling you about Mikey?" I asked him.

"Yeah, sure, the little boy you met at that restaurant, the one who lost his parents," he replied.

Trevor had been my friend since grade school. He knew that I had been adopted and stood by my side when others found ways to make it all into a joke.

"I'm just gonna lay it out for ya. I'm twenty-eight years old, and I wasted seven years of my life with someone I never should have been with." I took in a deep breath.

"I was lucky enough to have a second chance. Maria is my second chance. I have no doubt about it. I asked her to move in with me, and one day I will ask her to marry me." He silently listened to me. Trevor knew me well, so he knew I wasn't one to jump. If I was saying this, it was because I had no doubts.

"I want ya to help me adopt Mikey. I need him in my life. I love that kid; he belongs with me. I believe it with all my heart," I stated.

I turned around to find Maria leaning against the wall just next to the kitchen. She looked back at me with nothing but love.

I wondered how long she had been standing there and how much of the conversation she had heard.

"Gavin, I need to be honest with you," Trevor began. "Because you are a recently divorced single man, it's gonna be hard. Agencies tend to look down upon those things." He took a deep breath. "You know that I will do everything I can to help you make this happen. Let me make some calls tomorrow, and I'll call you in the evening to let you know what our first step needs to be."

"Thanks, Trev. I'll do whatever it takes," I rea.s.sured him.

I hung up the phone and looked up into the eyes of my future wife. She has honestly captured me so intensely that I can barely believe it. The love I feel for her is overwhelming.

"Come here." I tapped on the spot in the center of my chest-the place where she would always rest her head just above my heart, the place I believed now was meant just for her. "Right here, baby."

Maria placed her hand on my chest, resting her cheek just beside it. I pulled her in close, wrapping my arms around her body. She fit within my arms perfectly.

We stood in this position, as I rocked from side to side with my hand gliding over the silk material that covered her back.

"Trevor's gonna start working on it," I told her. "He'll call me tomorrow."

Running my hands up through her hair, I softly tugged. She lifted her head and our eyes met. I smiled down at her and she returned one that melted my heart. I lowered my lips to hers. I kissed her softly at first, slowly allowing it to build to something more.

I lowered my hands back down her body, cupping her a.s.s. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm pretty sure there is a matching pair of panties below this nightie." Finding the edge of her nightie, I began lifting it higher. "I think I need a closer look."

She smiled against my lips and parted her legs just a little. I took it as an invite and ran my fingers over the seam. Her arousal soaked her panties, and I groaned with that knowledge. I didn't pause, but continued along the path of her panties at the seam of her leg. Allowing my finger to slip just beneath the edge, I found her ready.

The moment my finger slid into her from behind, her head fell backwards. Her neck was completely exposed, and I skimmed my lips over her throat, biting gently before soothing it with my tongue.

I loved the sounds that this action caused in her. It was one of the most arousing things I have ever heard.

Slowly kneeling before her, I parted her legs further. Lifting her leg, I placed it over my shoulder. Pulling her panties to the side, I looked up to find her looking down at me. Her pure, l.u.s.t-filled eyes begged me to continue.

The moment my tongue connected with her, she moaned loudly. "Yes," she said. "Mm, so good."

As I slid my finger back into her, she gripped my shoulders tightly for support. Within seconds, she was lost to the pleasure, her hips rocking against my hand.

"Oh, my G.o.d. Yes," she hollered as her body shook.

I quickly scooped her up and carried her to the bed. Removing my pants in record speed, I grabbed a condom from the nightstand. The moment I entered her, my toes curled with pleasure.

"Home, you're my home." I rea.s.sured her as I pumped my hips. "I love you so much, baby."

Her eyes locked onto mine, as she held my face in her hands. "I love you too.

We were lost in the feelings of love and pleasure. This woman held my heart in her hands and had the ability to destroy me, but I just knew she wouldn't. I trusted Maria more than I had ever trusted anyone before.

Chapter Twenty-Seven.

"I've got so many things to do, Kori. I want to shampoo the carpets and paint Rhett's old room. No offense, girl, but it still looks like a nursery. Mikey is eight, so I'm pretty sure he isn't into the cute tiny tractors on the wall."

I stood just outside our bedroom listening to Maria talk to Kori on the phone. She was in a state of frenzy over the impending home visit.

The case manager a.s.signed to us would be here to do a home evaluation. Maria had been running ragged around the house, cleaning and organizing. She was a nervous wreck, and I couldn't help finding the entire thing adorable.

"I'm so worried about something not being right. What if they deny Gavin because of something I did, or didn't do? Maybe I shouldn't be living here right now. What if that messes things up for him?"

That comment made my heart feel as if it had dropped. I stepped into the bedroom and glared at her.

"Uh, Kor," she spoke more quietly the phone. "I have an unhappy cowboy giving me the stink eye. I better go offer him some sort of kinky favor to get out of this one."

She laughed at something Kori said before saying a quick goodbye.

I stood there in the doorway, crossing my arms over my chest and continuing to glare at her for even thinking she shouldn't be here.

"Stop glaring at me like that. It only makes me want to jump you," Maria said, attempting to make light of the moment.

"Your cute, smarta.s.s comments aren't working this time. What do you mean, maybe you shouldn't be living here?" I stared at her without a smile crossing my face. It bothered me that she thought she needed to leave.

"I just don't want to be the one who ruins this. I am so scared that I will hinder their choice to let you adopt Mikey. I couldn't live with that, Gavin," she explained.

I approached the bed and sat down next to her. "This is your home, our home. Baby, we've been going through all kinds of things for the last two and a half weeks. There isn't a d.a.m.n thing they've requested that you haven't pa.s.sed with flying colors."

I slipped from the bed and knelt before her. Taking her hand in mine, I lifted it to my lips and kissed each knuckle, before looking back at her. "You are my future, Maria. You, Mikey and the children we will one day have."

Her smile lit up my world-right then in that moment she held my heart.

"I don't think you understand how much you mean to me. Without you and your ability to forgive my mistakes, I'd be one miserable son of a b.i.t.c.h." Nudging myself between her thighs, I gripped her hips and slid her forward. "I love you."

"I love you too," she whispered in return.

"How did it go, the home visit and all?" Gemma asked as I climbed outta my truck. I had to take Tuesday morning off for the caseworker's visit.

She stood off to the side, holding onto Rhett as he tugged on her arm. I laughed at the fella. He was so full of energy and was on the go at all times. He kept us all on our toes.

"It went well, I think. Maria was amazing. She's got the ability to charm just about anybody, no doubt." Gemma smiled back at me.

"Looks like she has charmed you," she said.

The thing about Gemma is she kinda filled that motherly role I have missed so much. She took me in immediately, the day I arrived. She made me feel welcome, and I was grateful for her hospitality. She did remind me a lot of the woman who raised me-kind-hearted and gentle.

"Yeah, Mrs. Gemma, she sure has. I don't think I had any hope fighting that one. I tried, believe me I did, but it was kinda pointless. A waste of time, really." I chuckled at my stupidity. Maria had me hooked from the beginning. I was the fool who thought I could outrun it.

"She's a feisty one, always has been. She didn't have it easy growing up, but it never washed her spirit away. I watched that child hold her head high on some of the darkest days." Gemma looked at me with honest eyes. "I can promise you one thing, though. Maria will stand by you no matter what. She's loyal and loving. She stood by my Kori when she needed it most. She's a fighter, that dark-haired beauty. You take care of her heart; she deserves a good man."

Gemma watched me as I nodded my head and smiled. "I promise that. Don't you worry, Mrs. G, I got her and I ain't letting go."

That knowledge satisfied her. She scooped up Rhett, who was almost too big to be scooped, and carried him off toward the barn.

Walking behind her, I watched as she tossed the little tank to Reed, who was coming out of the barn as we walked in. He appeared dirty and roughed up. He had filled in for me this morning, and by the looks of it, Bud had run him ragged.

"It's about d.a.m.n time you showed up," he said as he threw Rhett over his shoulder. Looking at me, he chuckled. "Bud is a slave driver. How you handle that s.h.i.t daily is beyond me."

"What d'ya mean?" I asked. "Normally we sit around all morning drinking coffee, so he must just like me more."

Reed turned around to find Bud looking back at him, chuckling at his stunned expression. "Ah, h.e.l.l no. I've seen him put you to work."

Gravel popping against tires had me turning around toward the driveway. Kori and Maria climbing from Kori's car brought a smile to my face.

I remembered the times I had fought so hard to pretend that Maria didn't make my heart race. Now there was no holding back my attraction and love. I smiled as she walked toward me, and my stomach did a crazy a.s.s little tightening thing. She hooked her fingers through my belt buckles and rose up on her tip toes.

Kissing me softly, she smiled and said, "Hey, handsome. Where you been all my life?"

I slid my arm around her waist and smiled in return. "All the wrong places, until now. I finally found where I belong."

"Okay you two, enough of the cutesy stuff. My parents are watching." Kori poked my ribs as she walked by.

Maria giggled and buried her face in my chest. "s.h.i.t, I forgot they were right there," she whispered.

I chuckled at her embarra.s.sment and looked up to find that they all were doing their own thing. I lifted her chin up with my finger and kissed the tip of her nose, causing her eyes to close.

"What are you girls up to today?" I asked.

"Prego over there is outgrowing all her clothes. She needs some new ones. With school starting back up in a couple of weeks, she can't wear Reed's t-shirts anymore." Maria laughed when Kori narrowed her eyes at her.

"You wait until the day you feel like you're the size of a house." When Kori said that, her face fell. I could tell she wanted to immediately take it back. The topic was one everyone seemed to tiptoe around when it came to Maria. She was a h.e.l.l of lot tougher than people gave her credit for, though.

"My luck I'll have twins and be twice your size," Maria shot back, and I could see the relief wash over Kori's face.

I pulled Maria in just a little tighter and kissed the top of her head. She amazed me with her strength.

Chapter Twenty-Eight.

"I have cookies, chips and Kool-Aid. Plus I bought a few board games and some actions movies that boys like." Maria was holding up each item as she stood on the other side of the counter.

"Oh, and I thought we could have burgers and fries. Unless he wants pizza, he might not like burgers. Most people like burgers, though...right?" She suddenly looked nervous, and I was on the verge of uncontrollable laughter.

I stepped around the counter and grabbed her around the waist. "You need to breathe, relax. He will love it all." I kissed her forehead and chuckled. "It's his first sleepover with us, not the first time we have ever met him. He knows us and we know him, so let's just relax."

"I just want everything to be perfect. I want him to love it here, with us," she explained.

"He will, baby, he will," I a.s.sured her. I kissed her softly, attempting to calm her nerves. Her body settling into mine was a sure sign it was working.

Backing her up until her back b.u.mped the counter, I gripped her thighs and lifted her to settle on the top of it.

She moaned against my lips, while I traced the edge of her shorts with my finger. "You are so beautiful, so sweet," I whispered, while skimming my tongue over her collarbone. "I think we need a little distraction. What do you think?"

"Oh, I think, um," she whimpered, when I slid my hand up under her tank top. When I rubbed my thumb across her nipple, her head fell back. "Yes, distraction."

Smiling at her aroused state, I slid my fingers under the hem of her shorts and she parted them further. They gapped just enough to allow me to reach my destination, where I teasingly slid my finger over her wet panties. Her body shuddered with each movement of my hand.

The doorbell rang just as I slid my finger inside of her, and I groaned in frustration.

"Looks like we're gonna have to pick this up later, dirty boy." Maria wiggled her hips and slid from the counter, adjusting her shorts.

I smacked her a.s.s hard as she walked by, and she whelped in surprise. A deep chuckle erupted from me as I watched her hurry toward the door.

There were storms coming in, so we had plenty of time to enjoy some quality indoor fun. The teams were still a little uneven-Mikey always paired up with Maria, and in turn they would gang up on me. I quickly accepted it, just to have the chance to see the two of them together. It was truly one of the greatest things to witness. They always appeared as if they had known one another for years. Their spirits are so alike.

We laughed until we cried. The entire night felt real, whole. It was as if it were a normal day, one we had been living for years.

Mikey and Maria sat whispering quietly on the couch, as I casually observed from the recliner. Their line of vision continued to shift my way. It was pretty obvious they were developing a secret plan of attack. Maria was smiling as Mikey whispered in her ear. She would nod her head occasionally, looking over at me for any sign that I might have overheard their plan. I felt like the luckiest guy in the world, as I witnessed the closeness develop between them.

All at once, they both jumped up from the couch and began throwing popcorn at me. Moving quickly, I hid behind the chair and grabbed for the pieces that they had thrown. The moment I saw the bowl getting low on their ammunition, I lunged toward them.

Mikey's laughter made my heart feel as if it were being squeezed tightly. After everything this kid had been through, it was by far one of the most beautiful sounds.