Twisted Fate

“Katherine Lewis, I hope you’re ready for the most romantic Valentine’s Day of your life!”

My husband’s voice, ringing out from the front door, startled me, making me jump a little. Was it 6 o’clock already?

I quickly and gently tossed the photo album from my lap and onto the coffee table, then dashed the tears from my eyes with the back of my hand, trying not to look like I’d just been bawling my eyes out for the past hour, but I knew it was a lost cause when James’s expression softened in sympathy the moment he entered the living room.

“Oh, Poppet,” he murmured as I struggled to sit up, then rushed over to help me. He sat down beside me and wedged his hand between my back and the couch, then gently pressed me forward; breathing was a little easier then.

I couldn’t wait until this baby was out. Just a few more days.

“Got into the photo albums again, did you?” he asked gently with a tender smile as he continued to rub my back. His beautiful British accent softened the slight teasing tone to his words.

I nodded and wiped the last of the tears from my eyes as I finally got myself under control. “I was just thinking about the baby and wondering what she’ll look like, and then I thought about what Oscar and Evan looked like when they were born, and I just had to look at the pictures, and then I lost track of time...” I trailed off and looked at my husband apologetically. “Just give me, like, ten minutes, and I’ll throw something on, and then we can go. I promise we won’t be too late for our reservation.” I started to heave myself up, wincing at the discomfort in my massively swollen feet.

James chuckled though, then rested and hand on my shoulder and leaned in to kiss me, effectively halting my movement. I took a moment to return his sweet kiss before I pulled back to look at him curiously.

“Do you even actually want to go?” he asked gently with a knowing look.

I bit my lip and paused, feeling guilty. “But we always go to Hugo’s for Valentine’s Day. It’s been our thing for years.”

He continued training that look on me, and after a moment, I looked away. No, I didn’t want to go. Hugo’s was an expensive, fancy restaurant, and the food was amazing, but I had zero urge to go this year. I could barely move, my belly knocked into everything, and my feet and back were constantly killing me. Romance was the last thing on my mind. But this was our tradition. Surely, I could suck it up for a few hours to keep it alive this year?

“Ah, but it isn’t where we started, though, is it?” he asked, resting back against the couch and wrapping his arm around my shoulders.

I snuggled comfortably into him, smiling when he kissed the top of my head. “Well, no. Our first Valentine’s Day was definitely out of the ordinary though. Do we even count that one? ”

“We absolutely do! In fact, I’d go so far as to say that it was my favourite Valentine’s Day together. Don’t you think? It was kind of romantic in its own way.”

I thought about what he said and smiled to myself. He was right. What I’d thought, at one point, would be the worst Valentine’s Day of my life, had actually turned out to be pretty amazing. A totally life-changing night...

11 years ago...

“Kate. What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you these frat parties were off-limits.” Liam’s voice was flat, his face pinched into a scowl. He’d obviously been on his way out, but now he stayed put, blocking the doorway into the house.

I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest, as much to ward off the cold as to show my annoyance. Why he was here in the first place, I had no idea. “Hello to you too, big brother. I thought I told you that you don’t have that kind of authority over me anymore.”

His expression darkened further at my defiant words and my mocking tone. “Katherine Grace, don’t start with me—”

“I’m not starting anything, Liam. I’ve told you—this isn’t just your school anymore; it’s mine too. I’m nineteen, and you can’t tell me what I can and can’t do here. And if I want to go to a party now that I’m finally able to legally drink, then I’m going to. And before you ask, yes, I was invited.” I met my brother’s gaze and smirked.

Liam scoffed. “Bullshit. Everyone in this stupid house knows you’re off-limits. There’s no way any of them would be dumb enough to invite you—”

“Bro, you’re still here? I thought you’d be long gone by now, but hey, you’re more than welcome to stay. You are an honorary brother, after all, and this place will be filled with hot chicks of all shapes and sizes soon. Most of them will give you anything and everything you want. Trust me.”

The rising anger I felt for Liam was immediately replaced with excitement, and my stomach did a somersault at the sound of his voice. He slung his arm around my brother’s shoulders, and a moment later, I found myself gazing up at the most beautiful man in the world.

Roger Grenier.

When his blue gaze landed on me, his grin widened, and I couldn’t look away. “Ah, Little Sister. Glad you could make it. Welcome to the best Valentine’s Day party you’ll ever attend.”

“Hi Roger.” My words came out sounding way more breathless than I’d intended, but I couldn’t help myself. Roger Grenier was a god of a man—tall, gorgeous, with a body that made women swoon at his feet, and a confident, flirtatious attitude to back it all up. It was fair to say that I had a massive crush on him and had ever since I’d first met him years ago, when he and Liam had become best friends in their senior year of high school.

If looks could kill though, Roger would be pulverized. The glare Liam aimed at him was that deadly. “Wait a minute—you’re the one who invited her?” he asked through clenched teeth.

Roger was unfazed. He just grinned and shrugged his shoulders, as if he wasn’t aware that my brother was plotting his murder right this very moment. “Why not? She’s of age now. Besides, I believe our flier requested all the most beautiful, single ladies on campus to attend.” I blushed as his gaze traveled slowly down my body and then back up again, making me glad I’d foregone my winter coat so that he’d be able to see what I’d worn for him—a short, low-cut, little silver dress that showed off my slim body and what little cleavage I could muster. When he met my eyes once more, his own were filled with heat. “I really had no choice. You look good enough to eat, Katie Kat.”

I couldn’t help but giggle at his nickname for me. I loved it when he called me that.

“Roger, I swear to fucking God—”

“Oh, relax, big brother. It’s just a party. She’ll be fine. She can take care of herself, can’t you, Katie Kat?”

I bit my lip and nodded my head, twirling a lock of my blonde hair around my finger as I gazed up at him from beneath my lashes.

Roger moved away from Liam then and toward me, wrapping his arm around me and drawing me into the house. The warmth of his body against mine nearly had me swooning. “Come in, come in. You must have been freezing out there. How dare your grumpy old brother let you stay out in the cold like that?”

I giggled again as I moved past Liam and into the front room of the house, my stomach doing another flip flop at Roger’s concern for me. I knew he was trying to rile my brother up, but it was sweet that he was also so attentive to me.

“Kate...” The warning in Liam’s tone had me rolling my eyes again, and I glanced back at him over my shoulder.

“Go do your thing, Liam. I’m fine, I promise. I won’t drink too much or let anyone take advantage of me.” I looked up at Roger again and murmured boldly, so only he could hear. “Unless I want them to, of course.”

Roger laughed, a sound that made my whole body shiver. “See bro? She’s cool, and I’ll take care of her. Your sister’s gonna have a great time here.”

I was not, in fact, having a great time.

After Liam left, Roger had taken me into the kitchen for a drink, my first at a big frat party. I’d preened and flirted, so excited to have Roger’s attention when the place was filled with beautiful women. He’d stayed close to me, even pulling me into the living room for a dance, and let me tell you, the feel of his hands on my body, holding me to him as he ground against me, had me panting, my core alight with desire for him. He’d even leaned down at one point, and I’d raised my face to his, my heart practically beating out of my chest with the anticipation of being kissed for the first time by this gorgeous man...

And then someone, one of his brothers, I suppose, had gotten his attention, and he’d pulled away from me. He’d given me an apologetic smile, a quick kiss to the cheek, and a promise to be back soon, and then he was gone, leaving me all alone.

I knew nobody at this party, and suddenly, I wasn’t so confident about being here. I’d come specifically with the hope of catching Roger’s eye, and now that he was gone, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I suddenly wished I’d been able to convince Jocelyn, my roommate, to come with me. The most I’d been able to get her to do was drop me off here before she met up with her boyfriend.

Grabbing another drink, I wandered around the house, just taking everything in. The place was packed with students in all stages of inebriation, and I largely went unnoticed, which made me feel even more alone. Where was Roger? A glance at my watch told me it’d been a good half hour since I’d last seen him. He was a popular guy, and king of the frat, so he was probably inundated with people trying to get his attention. Maybe a giant frat party wasn’t the best place to try to get closer to him.

Still, after feeling his body against mine and his hands all over me, I felt pretty confident that he wanted me as much as I wanted him. I just needed to make the move to take it to the next level. And I’d do that as soon as I saw him...

Mind made up, I went looking for him. It was difficult, considering how crowded the house was, but after asking a few people, I was finally pointed in the direction of the stairs. I didn’t even hear anything the guy said after finding out which room was his.

It was much quieter up here, the music muted, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Only a handful of people were up here—a couple making out against one wall of the long hallway, and a group of three passing a large bottle around between them. I shook my head when one of them offered it to me.

Roger’s bedroom was at the end of the hall, and I paused for a moment as I approached it. I drank the last of the liquid from my red plastic cup for courage, then took a deep breath and knocked quickly before turning the knob and opening the door.

My breath caught in my throat at the sight in front of me: Roger on his bed with not one, but two beautiful women. All three of them were naked. The brunette was on her hands and knees, and he thrust into her from behind, one hand on her hip, his other buried between the legs of the redhead he was making out with. None of them even noticed the interruption.

Without a word, I quietly closed the door and hurried back down the stairs and outside, desperate to be away from everyone before the tears started to fall. Had I read it all wrong? I’d thought we had a connection; he’d certainly seemed to want me when we were dancing together earlier. He’d even almost kissed me! Hadn’t he?

But of course not. What a ridiculous thought. Why would Roger, God among men here at this school, even think twice about his best friend’s kid sister?

I leaned against the porch railing, wrapping my arms around myself against the bite of the winter air. I suddenly regretted my decision not to wear my coat tonight. I hadn’t wanted anything to take away from the sexy little dress I had on. God, I was an idiot. I’d practically thrown myself at him.

Well, I couldn’t stay here any longer. Thankfully, my dorm room was only a ten-minute walk away. I could handle the cold for that long. I took a deep breath and let it back out on a huge sigh, then pushed away from the railing and wiped the tears from my eyes.

“You must be freezing out here.”

The words, almost identical to the ones Roger had uttered a little over an hour ago, made my heart twinge in my chest, but the soft British accent lessened the blow a little bit. I turned around to find a man standing a few feet away from me, bundled up in a dark wool winter coat, concern in his dark eyes. That concern deepened when he clearly realized I’d been crying.

“Are you alright? Where’s your jacket?” he asked, stepping closer to me, already unbuttoning his coat.

His tone had the tears welling in my eyes again, and I quickly dashed them away, looking down so he wouldn’t see how upset I was. “I-I’m okay. Just not having a great night. I don’t have a coat here, but I was just leaving anyway. My dorm is only a few minutes’ walk from here.” My teeth chattered in the cold as I babbled like an idiot.

I moved to step past him, but he moved with me, blocking my path. He shrugged out of his coat and wrapped it around me instead. It swallowed me up, but it felt so warm, wrapped around me after the bite of the cold, that it made my head swim for a moment.

“Okay, I don’t know you, but I can’t let you walk back to your dorm, by yourself, with no coat on, especially at this hour. Let me at least walk you.”

I shook my head, still wiping away tears, still unable to look at this stranger. I noticed his fraternity pin on the lapel of his coat, so I knew he was a brother. “I can’t ask you to do that. I can’t pull you away from your party.”

He scoffed and shook his head, prompting me to look up at him. “These things are not my style. I was actually heading out too, just now. Couldn’t stand to be in there for another moment with those bloody idiots. I’m James, by the way.”

“Kate,” I murmured as I gazed shyly up at him. He was gorgeous—smooth mocha skin, a mole just above his lip on his left-hand side, and a light dusting of facial hair surrounding full, soft-looking lips. He had studs in each of his ears, and a soulful look in his chocolate eyes.

“So, what do you say? Will you let me walk you home?”

I nodded my head, offering him a small, grateful smile.

We didn’t actually go home. At least not yet. We got to talking as we walked, and by the time we got to my dorm, we both decided we didn’t want the night to end. Thankfully, there was a pizza place a short distance away, right on the edge of campus, so before long, we found ourselves in a booth there, warming ourselves and getting to know each other over slices of delicious Hawaiian pizza. We were having such a good time that Roger was almost completely forgotten.

Almost.

Every so often, when there was a lull in the conversation, my mind would replay those few seconds in that bedroom. The brunette, with her head thrown back in pleasure as he drove into her, her large breasts swinging back and forth, and Roger, with his mouth sealed to that of the redhead while he fingered her. I shook my head as the melancholy threatened to settle back in again. I needed to focus on something else.

I looked at James and found him watching me, that sympathetic expression on his face again. I hadn’t told him what had made me cry earlier, and he hadn’t asked. But he could obviously see my emotions on my face, even now, without the tears.

I cleared my throat and sat forward, determined to put Roger out of my mind for good. I’d thought he was into me, but I’d been wrong, and that was his loss.

“I have to say, you don’t seem like the fraternity type. You’re a lot less...douchy than most frat boys.” I gave him a flirtatious smile. “Of course, it could just be the accent. A sexy accent can reduce the effect of douchiness by at least 50%.”

He laughed now, a soft, warm sound. I immediately loved it.

“Fifty percent, hmm? Is that a scientific fact?” He took a bite of his pizza, and I couldn’t help but watch as he licked the grease off his lips.

My voice came out a little bit breathless when I spoke. “Ah, yep. Just did the study myself, tonight. Of course, the sample size is like, two, so I might need to conduct more research...”

He laughed again and reached across the table to touch my hand. “Please don’t. I don’t need even more competition to contend with. The one I’ve got already seems quite formidable, whoever he is.”

My heart skipped a beat at his sweet words, and I felt myself blushing. A smile spread wide across my face. “Oh, I don’t know...the longer we sit here, the easier it is to forget your competition.”

And I found, at the moment, at least, that that was true. I’d been in love with Roger for long enough to know that my feelings for him hadn’t gone away, not after only a few hours. But this sweet, beautiful man in front of me made me believe that maybe I could move on in time. And for now, why not enjoy some time with someone who did seem to want me?

James’s eyes seemed to light up at my words, and he kept them trained on me as he raised my hand to his lips and kissed my knuckles. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all night.”

We spent hours in that little pizza place, just talking and laughing together. By the time the employees kicked us out to close up, it was after two in the morning, and I felt like I’d truly made a friend.

“Tonight has been brilliant. Way better than any stupid frat party could ever be. I admit I don’t want it to end,” he told me as he walked me to my dorm room.

I turned to him when we reached my door. I felt the same way. “It doesn’t have to. Do you want to come in? My roommate is out with her boyfriend for Valentine’s Day, so I’ve got the place to myself.” I held my breath as I waited for him to answer, hope probably written all over my face.

“If you’re sure. I don’t want you to feel pressured--”

“I don’t,” I interrupted quickly, smiling excitedly. “I don’t feel pressured, don’t worry.”

He stepped in closer to me, bending his head, his face only inches from mine. A smile curled one side of his lips. “Well then, how could I say no?”

Excited, yet suddenly nervous, I ducked away from him and opened the door to my room. It was small, like most dorm rooms, but it was neat and well-decorated, thanks to Joce and her interior designer father. A single lamp on the nightstand beside my bed was on, so most of the room was shrouded in darkness. The glow from the light beckoned us forward; I shrugged out of his coat and draped it over my desk chair, then grabbed his hand and drew him to my bed before I could lose my nerve, which was slipping away far too quickly.

“It’s not much...” I trailed off anxiously, then sat down on the bed, chewing my lip. How had I ever thought I could seduce a sex God like Roger when I could suddenly barely even look this sweet man in the eye?

James sat down next to me, our hands still clasped. “Well, it’s not a house full of drunk assholes, so it seems pretty perfect to me,” he said dryly, and the little laugh he drew out of me calmed my nerves a bit. He raised his other hand, then, and caressed my cheek, his fingers feather-light on my skin. “This doesn’t need to go any further than this, Kate. If you’ve never...or if you’re not ready, that’s alright. There’s no pressure here for more.”

His gentle words brushed the rest of my nerves away, and I responded by leaning in and pressing my lips to his. He stilled for a moment, seemingly surprised by my action, but didn’t move away. I took that as a good sign and pushed forward, cupping the back of his neck with my hand and slowly sliding my tongue along his bottom lip. Satisfaction flowed through me at the sound of his low groan, and then he was kissing me back, his tongue sliding slowly against mine, my face held tenderly in his hand.

His lips were as soft as they looked, and he kissed me with a reverence I knew I’d never have gotten from Roger. He was unhurried, giving me ample time to change my mind and stop what we were doing, but the more he kissed me, the more I wanted.

I may have begun the night hoping to be completely ravaged by Roger—I knew, from what I’d heard from other women, that he was an animal in bed, and that his tastes veered to the freakier side—but this, what was happening right now, between James and me, was already more satisfying. Definitely more my speed. I wasn’t a virgin, but compared to Roger, I might as well have been. I now knew that being with him would have ended in heartbreak, but with James, there was possibility. I felt the last of my nerves fall away.

Vowing to put the other man from my mind, I moved to my knees on the bed, reaching down to the hem of my little dress and starting to shimmy it up my body. I looked at him curiously, though, when he pulled away from me and stopped my movements.

“You’re sure?” he asked quietly. The heat in his eyes was unmistakable; he wanted me, but he was holding himself back, for my sake. He really was different from all those frat boys he shared a house with.

“I’m sure,” I told him and kissed him again firmly, my fingers pulling at the dress again. “I want you, so could you kindly do me a favour and rip my clothes off, already?”

He laughed against my lips, then brushed my hands away, gripping the hem of my dress and pulling it up over my head before tossing it to the floor. I wore only a tiny white thong underneath, and no bra, and I smiled, pleased, when his eyes zeroed in on my small, bare breasts.

“Fuck, Kate. You’re so sexy,” he murmured as he cupped both breasts in his hands, squeezing them and grazing his thumbs over my taut nipples.

“And you’re wearing too many clothes,” I countered on a breathless moan as I scrabbled for the hem of his navy blue, cable knit sweater, yanking it up over his head. My eyes widened as I took him in; good lord, he was stunning. He had a lean body with tightly muscled shoulders and arms, perfect pecs, and abs that had me salivating with the need to taste. And don’t get me started on that delicious-looking vee and the treasure trail that disappeared into his jeans.

And speaking of...once I locked eyes on the bulge that strained against the denim, I couldn’t look away. My brain short-circuited a little.

“The way you’re staring is going to have me cumming in my trousers if you don’t do something about it quickly, Poppet,” he warned breathlessly as his hands traveled down my sides to my hips.

“Oh!” The odd but sweet pet name brought me back to myself. I bent over him a little as my fingers fumbled with his fly in this slightly awkward position, the task made even more difficult when I felt his hand glide over my ass, giving it a squeeze before his fingers followed the string of my thong down along my crevice and between my legs. I spread them wider as I finally unlocked my prize.

“Jesus...” My mouth went dry at the sight of his cock when I pulled it free of the confines of his boxers, all the moisture in my body flowing down between my legs. He was huge—thick and long and impossibly hard, veins pulsing along his length. Precum pooled at the tip, and I couldn’t stop myself from bending down and scooping it up with my tongue. I moaned at the taste, immediately wanting more. I could very easily see myself becoming addicted to him.

“Bloody hell,” he groaned when I took his cock into my mouth, slowly, an inch at a time, swiping my tongue back and forth to wet him as I went. Satisfaction flowed through me, knowing I had this effect on him, and I redoubled my efforts, taking him in as far as I could go and holding there a moment before pulling off and starting a slow rhythm, my hand stroking him where my mouth couldn’t reach.

My movements faltered, though, when I felt his fingers slip beneath my thong and slide back and forth along my seam. They flicked lightly over my clit, then glided through my soaked folds to my entrance and back again, maddeningly slowly. I moaned around his cock as my body shuddered in pleasure at his teasing touch, then started up my own rhythm again, determined to give him as much pleasure as he was giving me.

“Fuck, that feels so good…”

His voice was rough with need as I sucked him down. I hollowed my cheeks with each pull, focusing on keeping my rhythm steady, which grew increasingly more difficult the more he touched me. When he finally slipped two fingers inside me, I almost came on the spot, crying out with his cock deep in my mouth. I almost choked on it as I gasped in air that wasn’t there, my body shaking with pleasure as he thrust those long fingers into me over and over again.

It was so difficult to keep my steady pace with him fucking me with his fingers like that. I moaned continuously around his cock as I neared orgasm, the sounds turning hungry, almost animalistic, as I devoured him. When I felt his hand on the back of my head, gently pressing me down so that his cock wedged into my throat, I came hard, my body shuddering, the sensation made even more intense by the lack of air in my lungs. Tears streamed from my closed eyes and fireworks exploded behind them as I rode out the most intense orgasm I’d ever had from just being fingered. It was mind-blowing.

When he finally released the pressure on my head, I pulled off, sucking in huge gulps of air as I raised my eyes to his. “Condom?” was all I was able to get out between panting breaths.

Fingers still deep inside me, he reached into his pocket with his other hand, pulling out his wallet and handing it to me. My hands trembled as I pulled the condom out and unwrapped it, my body still wracked with shudders as he continued to thrust his fingers into me. The condom was tight—not surprising, since he was so big—but as soon as it was on, he pulled his fingers out of me, wrenching another moan from my lips, as he gripped my hips and lifted me over him to straddle him.

He pulled my thong to the side with one hand and rubbed his cock back and forth along my slit with the other, soaking himself as much as he could before he finally lined himself up at my entrance. I wrapped my arms around his neck and took a deep breath, then lowered myself slowly onto him, hissing at the way he stretched me. He was almost too much to take, but I was determined.

“Are you okay?” he asked, concern written all over his face.

“Mmhmm,” was all I was able to get out as I concentrated on working him deeper inside me. He gripped my hips but let me take the lead, giving me the power to set the pace. I rocked my hips and moaned at the feel of him slowly filling me up, inch by inch.

“You’re so beautiful, Kate.” My blue eyes locked with soulful chocolate ones, and the feeling there nearly knocked me over. I leaned in and kissed him as I moved, and we both let out moans of relief as he finally seated himself fully inside of me. It was beyond me how anyone could be this close to someone, share this kind of intimacy, and not fall in love just a little.

His hands tightened a little on my hips as I began to move again, short little movements as I grew accustomed to his size. I sighed against his lips, tightening my arms around him when moving became a little easier, and before long, the discomfort melted away, making the pleasure left in its wake even more profound.

“God, James...” I moaned when I pulled away from him. I threw my head back as I bounced on his cock, pulling almost all the way off him and then slamming myself back down onto him again. The sound of our bodies slapping together as I increased my pace was so hot, I was pretty sure I could cum just from that, and when I felt his mouth on my breast, his tongue flicking my nipple, it hit me hard, ripping cries from my throat as pleasure tore me apart.

Without missing a beat, James pulled me off him and stood, his jeans and boxers falling to the floor as he lay me down on my bed and moved over top of me, bracing himself on one hand beside my head as he used his other to position his cock. I immediately wrapped my legs around his waist, and he thrust inside me at the same moment, drawing more moans from both of us.

His pace was brutal as he drove his cock into me over and over again like a mad man, his control clearly snapped. Each thrust had me crying out, just as desperate for another release as he was for his first one.

“Yes! Please, James, please!” I was practically delirious as I held on for dear life, my body shivering as my third orgasm closed in. Riding the edge of it, I could tell that it would be even more intense than the first two.

He reached between us and thumbed my clit, and that was all it took. I screamed out in pleasure, my nails digging into his shoulders, my body clinging to his as my walls clamped down around his cock. With a roar, he buried himself inside me and pressed his face into my neck as he came too, his body shaking violently above me.

I had no idea how long it took to come back down from that high. It could have been seconds, minutes, or even hours before I finally had enough breath to even utter one word. “Wow,” was all I was able to get out, and he chuckled against my neck, sounding just as satisfied as I felt. He raised his head slowly and gazed into my eyes for a moment before he kissed me tenderly.

“Better than a frat party?” I asked lightly when he pulled away, and he laughed softly again, that beautiful sound that I already loved.

“Definitely.”

I snuggled against James on the couch, my belly full of delicious Hawaiian pizza and a smile on my face. He held me close and rubbed my tummy reverently.

“That was how we got Oscar,” I murmured contentedly. Our ten-year-old had definitely been a surprise.

He kissed my temple. “Who knew that a broken condom on Valentine’s Day would lead to a decade of happiness and two kids with a third on the way?”

I placed my hand over his with a smile. “She’s certainly going to come into this world, surrounded by a ton of love.” I paused for a moment, then continued. “So, you’re happy then? You’re okay with not going out for dinner this year?”

He urged me to move so I could look at him, and I did, gazing into those chocolate eyes I loved so much.

“I love you, Poppet. I wouldn’t change anything for the world. And I’ll look forward to every single Valentine’s Day for the rest of our lives, even if we’re just lounging on the couch eating pizza in our comfy clothes. Especially if we’re just lounging on the couch eating pizza. I think this could become our new tradition. Who needs fancy restaurants when I have everything I want right here?”

I smiled widely, tears springing to my eyes again. Damn hormones. “I love you, James. Happy Valentine’s Day.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day, my love.” He leaned in and kissed me softly, and I melted into him, knowing that I, too, would cherish every Valentine’s Day for the rest of our lives. After all, it was a very special day.