The One You Fight For (The Ones Who Got Away)

by Roni Loren

  She’d been wrong.

  Sometimes love was enough.

  Shaw stood and pulled her to her feet. “Want to see inside our new family RV?”

  She squeezed his hands and rocked forward on her toes. “Of course. I think it’s proper procedure to christen a new vehicle before travel…you know, for luck.”

  “Yes. Absolutely,” he agreed, his tone serious. “Naked christening. I think that’s a requirement.”

  She nodded. “Of course. We have to do it right.”

  He grinned and bent down, sweeping her off her feet and into his arms, grocery bags forgotten. “We will. Do it right. But I don’t need the luck. I already have it.”

  She pulled at the collar of his shirt. “Because you’re about to get lucky?”

  He shook his head. “No, because I have you.”

  She put her hand over his heart, something restless settling inside her, and took a long-awaited deep breath. “You do. You had me right from the start.”

  He kissed her again and then carried her into the RV. “And I want you to the very end.”

  Chapter

  Twenty-Eight

  Shaw laid Taryn along the bed in the back of the RV, thankful that he’d taken the time to put new sheets on the mattress, and stared down at this woman in awe. No, not this woman, his woman. She smiled up at him, trusting, glowing with happiness.

  With more than that. Not just happiness, but glowing with new life and love. He still couldn’t believe it. When she’d told him she was keeping the pregnancy, every cell in his body had wanted to collapse—with relief, with love, with fear.

  So much about this scared him. He didn’t know how to be a dad. He didn’t know if some dangerous gene ran through his blood. He didn’t know how he would tell his son or daughter about their uncle Joseph and the pain he’d caused so many people. All of that flat-out terrified him. But the other picture of the future, the one where Taryn was holding a child who had her bright smile and her curly hair and maybe little pieces of him, too, one who was a blend of both of them, that image filled him with a joy he’d never experienced before. One that flooded every dark corner inside him with light. He was going to be a dad. Hopefully, a husband one day, if Taryn would have him. He would be part of a family. He would be part of love.

  He knew this probably wasn’t how Taryn had planned her future to turn out. She’d probably had a much more methodical, well-thought-out plan in mind, but right now, he chose to believe her when she said she was happy and excited. When she said she loved him. That was a miracle in and of itself. As was getting her pregnant because of a random box of condoms. He was done questioning unexpected gifts.

  He wasn’t sure if he believed in a higher power. He’d questioned the existence of any entity that would allow Long Acre to happen. But right now, gazing down at this woman he loved, for the first time, he believed the divine could exist. Somehow, the universe had brought Taryn to him. He couldn’t deny the magic in that.

  He lowered himself onto the bed, straddling her thighs and brushing the back of his hand over her cheek. “You are so epically beautiful.”

  A warm, full smile lifted her lips. “Back at ya, handsome.”

  He traced the edge of her jaw. “I’m sorry you had to give up so much to be here.”

  “Stop.” A frown wrinkled her brow. Then she reached for his shirt and pulled him down to her, brushing her lips over his. “Don’t you get it, Shaw? Letting you walk away would be giving up so much more. You are a gift. You’re worth the price of admission.”

  He closed his eyes, letting her words move through him. “I love you, Taryn Landry.”

  “I love you, Shaw Miller.”

  His real name had never sounded so sweet to his ears. He braced above her and let his gaze drift over her, wanting her so badly, he ached. “So is there anything I need to be careful about?”

  She grinned and wiggled beneath him. “Yeah, make sure it’s good.”

  He laughed, the sound loud in the small space. “You know what I mean.”

  She unfastened the buttons of his shirt. “I’ve researched.”

  “Of course you have,” he said, warmth filling him. “And what have you discovered, professor?”

  She dragged her fingernails over the exposed strip of his chest. “No special rules. Except one.”

  He tilted his head, loving the feel of her hands on him, his body growing hard and ready at the simple touch. “What’s that?”

  She let his shirt fall open and licked her lips. “I want it to be just you and me. No more condoms.” She gave him a sly look. “I mean, it’s not like you can get me pregnant.”

  “Ha.”

  She ran her fingertips over his abdomen, sending tendrils of sensation downward. “I want to feel all of you. Your skin. Your heat. No more barriers.”

  His blood went hot at the words. No more barriers. But more than that. No more walls. No more secrets. Naked in all the most important ways. “I can do that.” He tugged off his shirt and tossed it somewhere behind him. “I hope this thing has insulated walls because I plan to make this road trip of yours worth it.”

  Her expression turned wicked. “You better. Houston traffic is a nightmare.”

  He laughed.

  She dropped her hands to the waistband of his jeans. “Let’s scandalize the park.”

  He reached over and cracked the window just enough so they could hear the crashing waves out on the beach. “Let’s drown out that ocean.”

  He lay beside her and undressed her, taking his time and revealing each delectable inch of smooth, warm skin. He couldn’t believe how lucky he’d gotten, finding this woman. He was fascinated by every inch of her—how her belly fluttered as her breaths quickened, the way her nipples tightened in anticipation of his touch, the way she kept licking her lips—but most of all, he loved how she looked at him. Like he meant something to her. The love and desire were drugs he could get used to.

  He took his time stripping her bare and got rid of his own clothes. Then he pressed every part of him against her—skin to skin, heartbeat to heartbeat, soft against hard—taking her mouth in a kiss and letting all the worries and stress of the last fourteen days dissolve in the space between them. He’d made it to the other side of what he’d thought was an endless bridge. This was a new journey, and he couldn’t wait to start.

  * * *

  Taryn sighed as Shaw’s warmth and weight pressed against her, his cock hard and heavy already and his touch lighting her on fire. She could feel the difference in him. She’d thought she’d seen all of him, but this was new. There was an abandon in him, a laid-bare vulnerability. It took her a moment to realize what it was. Trust. He was trusting her to see him defenseless, his heart pinned on his proverbial sleeve, a core of sweetness and yearning he’d never let her see before.

  He loved her, and he was showing her the full depth of his feeling. He kissed her as though she was his air, and she breathed him in, letting all that this meant wash over her. He was hers. She finally got the distinction between sex and making love. She’d always thought the latter would be significantly less hot, but she’d been so very wrong. This was the sexiest she’d ever felt in her life.

  She let her hands travel down his back, feeling his muscles roll and flex with tension as he rubbed against her, lighting her nerve endings up with all the most delicious sensations. Her hands reached his backside and she gripped, loving the thick muscle and the feel of him hot in her hands. Mine.

  She’d been so afraid driving down here, not knowing what to expect, preparing herself in case he still wanted to leave, but now she could let that fear go and simply enjoy him. There were still a lot of things they’d have to deal with when they got back home. But she felt confident in her decision.

  She’d chosen the truth over living a lie. It was the right thing to do, not just for Shaw but for herself. She�
�d denied herself a lot of things in her life in the name of her research and fighting for her family. She didn’t regret giving up singing or her dreams of living somewhere else. She was proud of the things she’d accomplished. But she would’ve regretted giving up the chance to love and be loved. She deserved happiness—even if there was so much loss and sadness in her past. She would’ve said that before if someone had asked, but she’d lived her life not really believing it, never making room for it, always putting her own needs on the back burner.

  Sitting at Nia’s grave had confirmed what was the right thing to do. Her sister would want her to fight and to keep fighting. Nia would want her to take care of their parents. But ultimately, Nia wouldn’t want Taryn to give up her life to do it. Her sister would want her to be happy.

  So Taryn was here, taking that leap. She was happy. And she would not feel guilty about it.

  Shaw pulled back from the kiss and smiled. “Still with me, beautiful?”

  “Always.”

  His smile made her insides melt. “Then let’s get loud, baby.”

  “Hell yes.”

  Shaw worked his way down her body, kissing her breasts and teasing her with his tongue, marking a path down her sternum and her belly, and then he found her center, kissing her there with soft lips, a hot tongue, and the skill of a lover who’d paid attention and learned her favorite parts.

  He was her favorite part.

  His touch made everything inside her soar. She arched as he licked over her sweet spot and teased her with his fingers. Slowly, skillfully, and with the reverence of a guy who loved going down on a woman and making her moan. It hadn’t been but a few weeks since she’d last been with him, but her body felt starved for him. She rocked against his mouth, shamelessly gripping his hair and murmuring nonsense. He was in full worship mode, and her body tightened so fast that she thought she might snap into pieces. She called his name in warning, but then he sucked her clit between his lips, and colors exploded behind her eyelids. Her orgasm rushed up like a rocket, taking her breath and then making her cry out. She made needy sounds she’d probably regret later, but right now, she didn’t care who heard.

  Shaw groaned, let loose a few expletives, and then crawled up her body, kissing his way back up like a starved man gorging on a buffet. When he made it back face-to-face, he took her by the hips and rolled her atop him.

  She braced her hands on his chest, now damp with sweat, and her lips curved. “I get control tonight, huh?”

  He dragged a ravenous gaze over her body. “You can have whatever you want, baby. I just want to watch you. I want to see your face when you come like that again.”

  Heat rolled through her and she shivered. Even though she’d just had an orgasm, her body ached for more of him, all of him. She lifted herself up and took his cock in her hand, rubbing her palm along the length of him and smoothing the drop of fluid at the tip with her thumb. The smooth velvet feel of his skin made her shiver with anticipation. He would be inside her just like this. Skin to skin. He was watching her with rapt attention as she brought her thumb to her mouth and licked the taste of him from it.

  Shaw groaned, and his grip on her hips tightened. “You’re going to kill me, professor. And I’m going to die a happy man.”

  “No dying. I’ve got plans for you, Miller. Lots of dirty, dirty plans.”

  He slid his hands along her thighs. “I’m here for you, gorgeous. I’m here.”

  Yes, he was. And so was she. In this moment. And for many, many more.

  She positioned the head of his cock at her entrance, teasing him a little and loving the look of erotic pain on his face, and then she lowered herself, welcoming him inside her body and taking her sweet time doing it. He was going to regret making her do all that exercise. She could hold herself in this torturous inch-by-inch descent for as long as she wanted, but eventually, her own needs gave way and she let herself go. The slick glide of him filling her completely made her teeth bite into her lip and her breath rattle out of her. She closed her eyes as he groaned along with her, letting herself enjoy all the sensations, feeling every bit of him inside her.

  When she lifted her lids, he was giving her a look that said he was about to ruin her in the best way possible. “Remember that first night when I said I might not last long?”

  She smirked and let her fingers trail down his abdomen before running her fingertip along the spot where they joined. “Yeah.”

  His cock twitched inside her, getting even harder. “You feel so good, I think I’m going to make this one last all night.”

  He dragged her down to him for a kiss and rocked into her deep, cupping her ass and moving her just how he wanted her, angling himself in a way that made her want to thank God she was a woman.

  He’d said she had the control, but that was a lie. Because in that moment, with his body pumping into hers and his arms wrapped around her, she was lost to him. Her soul and her heart. She’d spent her whole life fighting. She would still fight.

  But when it came to love, she’d learned that she didn’t need to fight for it.

  She needed to surrender.

  Epilogue

  Three months later

  Taryn tried not to bite her nails as the screen was set up in front of the auditorium. A small crowd of people, many of whom had attended the charity event at Gym Xtreme, sat in the audience, along with other supporters of the cause. She’d also caught sight of the vice president of the school board, the one who’d been apologetic the night of her initial presentation. She’d smiled and nodded Taryn’s way when she’d come in but hadn’t approached her. Taryn didn’t want to get her hopes up that the school board members might be changing their minds, but it was nice to see someone still willing to listen.

  Kincaid stepped up beside Taryn and gave her arm a pat. “This is a great turnout, lady. Way more than showed up for that school board meeting.”

  “I know, right?” Taryn smiled. “See, I can’t take credit, though. I have this friend who’s really good at spreading the word on social media and around town. She’ll talk to anyone. I should introduce you to her. Oh wait, it’s you.”

  Kincaid curtsied. “Who said a big mouth doesn’t pay off?”

  “Thank you for all your help. Also, I have to say, the appetizers are top-notch. Those mini biscuits were to die for. You should put them on your blog.” Kincaid’s side project was a blog where she re-created restaurant recipes for the home cook, and she was always coming up with delicious home-style food.

  “Thanks. I tweaked a family recipe and added cheese, because cheese makes everything better. But I had help, too. I menu planned and provided recipes, but Wes executed it all. He’s the real chef with the skills to cook for a crowd. My limit is dinner for eight. If I’d cooked for this many people, I would have flour in my hair, half the food would be burned, and I’d be on my second bottle of wine by now.”

  Taryn leaned into her friend to bump shoulders with her. “You’re the best. I’ll never be able to repay you for all this. Your real estate job keeps you busy enough. You didn’t have to give me so much of your time on this. Neither did Liv and Rebecca.”

  “As if we’d do anything else,” Kincaid said with an eye roll. “This is an amazing thing you’re doing. We all want this to succeed. The world needs Dr. Taryn Landry’s program in their schools.” She eyed the stage. “I just hope I look cute in the video. I got all”—she waved a hand in front of her face—“tragic. My waterproof mascara barely held up.”

  “Aww, I’m sure it’s fine. Liv made sure we all had great lighting when we filmed. Plus, when do you not look cute?”

  Kincaid nodded with mock seriousness. “Valid point. Though with two pregnant ladies around me, I’m falling down the cuteness chain of command fast. I cannot compete with pregnancy glow. Maybe I should carry around a puppy or something.”

  Taryn laughed, automatically touching th
e little belly pooch that was rounding more and more every day. “You’ll be back on top when we get to the grumpy, waddling walrus phase.”

  “Nah, y’all will be adorable then, too. Oh, which reminds me. I’ve found you and Shaw the perfect two-bedroom condo. It’s right near where Shaw is now but has much more space, is on the top floor, and has a gorgeous view. Really close to a park, too. I set up a tour for tomorrow morning.”

  Taryn lit up. “Really? That’s fantastic.” She and Shaw had decided to move in together and let go of her house in Long Acre. It didn’t make sense for her to be commuting so much, and she was always staying at Shaw’s place anyway. The thought of living in the city thrilled her, even though a pang of sadness went through her that she wouldn’t be near her parents anymore.

  “Yeah, you won’t be too far from Rebecca either, so your kiddos can grow up near each other.”

  The thought warmed Taryn. She scanned the room. “Where is Bec?”

  “She’s helping Wes keep the food trays refreshed, and Liv is backstage, making sure everything is perfect with the video. She was editing until late last night.”

  Taryn huffed and put a hand on her waist. “I told that woman to go to bed. The video looked perfect in the last round she sent me.”

  “She’s a perfectionist.” Kincaid gave her a look. “Plus, I think maybe she had a little more to add.”

  “More to add?” Taryn lifted an eyebrow.

  Kincaid shrugged and had a little too innocent a look on her face. “You’ll see.”

  Taryn didn’t like the sound of that. She didn’t need any surprises tonight. This event needed to go off without a hitch, but before she could comment, two big arms wrapped around her from behind. “It’s almost time for your big show, songbird.”