The alpha had then looked away almost shyly, as if he wasn’t sure what Connor would say about him suggesting names for Connor’s child.
At the time, Connor had been taken aback and a bit overwhelmed, but now…
“She looks like an Emily.” Gavin said, and Connor could see the grin on his face.
Connor, on a whim, reached up to drag Gavin into a soft kiss. Gavin was stiff at first, but then he melted into it, and pulled back to press a kiss to Connor’s forehead.
“Thank you.” Connor said. It was a loaded phrase, weighted down with Connor’s thanks for everything.
“We’ll give you some time alone.” Connor’s mother said softly.
Connor didn’t have any time to protest before she, his father, and Leon were filing quietly out of the room.
After a moment, Connor turned to Gavin. “Do you want to hold her?”
He really, really, did not want to let Emily out of his grasp, but letting Gavin hold her just felt right.
“Can I?” Gavin looked like he was in shock, and his eyes grew even wider when Connor nodded and oh-so-carefully passed Emily to him.
Gavin looked down at her like she was everything, and Connor didn’t know how to process it.
“We need to talk.” Connor said hesitantly. “But, I love you.” Connor breathed. “Both of you.”
“I love you too.” Gavin said softly. “We can figure it all out later.”
Connor let a smile spread across his face. He had his daughter, a bit earlier than expected but still healthy, and he had his boyfriend who had helped him through the most difficult time in his life.
They still had to work things out, but in that moment, Connor knew that everything was going to turn out okay.
CHAPTER 15 - GAVIN
IT HAD TAKEN a month, but they were finally able to bring Emily home.
Before Connor went into labor, they hadn’t even bought any baby furniture yet. Not discussing the status of their relationship and their lans for the future had left them woefully unprepared and it felt like they were in over their head. Not only did they have a baby but they had almost nothing prepared.
The one thing that they had done right was Connor had talked to a lawyer and talked to Theo, who had relinquished all custody. Gavin was obviously biased against the other alpha, who had left Connor high and dry, but he still could not wrap his head around the fact that anyone could not want Emily in their life.
After a week, Connor had the option to leave Emily at the hospital in the NICU and come home, but he opted to stay with her.
Gavin couldn’t blame him, he himself ended up spending the night at the hospital more often than not.
The thought of putting the nursery together all on his own had been completely overwhelming, but at the same time he just couldn’t ask Connor to leave the hospital to help him. Gavin had been in the middle of painting the wall, when Jeff had shown up with Mark and Mark’s husband, Eric, in tow. They had convinced Gavin to call Connor’s brother and parents over, and within the space of a few hours they had managed to paint the room and assemble all of the furniture.
It was nice for Connor to have his family in town, but Gavin couldn’t help but feel slightly out of place. He hadn’t even talked to them on the phone or over video chat and here he was being introduced as Connor’s serious partner.
The whole thing was a bit overwhelming, and only got more awkward when Leon had to go back to Denver after a week. Gavin felt like he didn’t know what his role was supposed to be when he was around Connor’s parents.
Luckily for Gavin, they were staying in Connor’s apartment, so Gavin was able to have a bit of breathing room.
Connor’s parents were kind but somewhat standoffish around Gavin, especially after the overenthusiastic Leon had left, and Gavin really couldn’t blame them. After everything that had happened to Connor, Gavin knew that from the outside it could look like he was trying to take advantage of Connor even though that was the furthest thing from the truth. Gavin just hoped that he would be able to convince Connor’s parents of that.
Gavin was the alpha and it was his responsibility to provide for Connor and protect him from any harm, but that also meant that he let Connor dictate the direction of the relationship. Connor was the one in a vulnerable position and Gavin didn’t want to put any pressure on him. Still, Gavin had taken that philosophy a bit too far and didn’t press enough when they really should have communicated better.
They were both to blame for this mess. Both of them should have been more clear about what they were looking for and where they thought that their relationship was heading.
He and Connor needed to talk, and soon, but at the same time while Emily was in the hospital, it didn’t seem like the right time.
The doctors were fairly certain that there wouldn’t be any long term complications, but at the same time there was still a risk and every day that she had to say in the NICU had made Gavin worry.
The day that they were finally able to bring her home was filled with relief.
Connor’s parents had come with them to take her to the apartment, but they only stayed for a little while before they left Gavin, Connor and Emily in peace.
Emily was a quiet baby, and she went right to sleep.
Connor had just sat on the couch with her, looking down at her in wonder.
Gavin sat next to him, and they just sat in silence. There were no words to describe the feeling of seeing their little girl safe and finally, finally home.
“We should talk.” Gavin’s voice broke the silence. He didn’t want to spoil the moment, but if they didn’t talk now, Gavin felt like they would live in a perpetual limbo. They had talked enough at the hospital that they were definitely something but Gavin needed to know what his place in Connor’s, and Emily’s, life was supposed to be.
They had put it off long enough, it was time.
“Let me just put Emily to bed.” Connor was gone for a few minutes before he came back to sit down beside Gavin.
“So…” Connor said softly.
“So.” Gavin repeated.
“What do you want out of this? Out of us?” Connor’s voice was timid and it made Gavin’s heart lurch.
This was all Gavin’s fault, he should have been clear with what he wanted out of this from the first place. He was the alpha, it was his responsibility to protect Connor, especially in a state as vulnerable as Connor was, and he had failed,
He hadn’t failed physically. Connor, and Emily, had a safe place to live, clothes, and food, but he had failed to provide for Connor emotional security and stability.
It wasn’t all on him, Gavin knew. Communication was a two was street and Connor was just as responsible as him, but Gavin still felt like he had failed.
“I love you.” Gavin said simply. “I love Emily, and I want to be in your life however you’ll let me. But” Gavin took a breath. “I want to date you, and eventually marry you, if that’s what you want.”
Connor just blinked up at him for moment before he took a breath. “I want that too, but I was scared. I am scared.” Connor looked away and didn’t meet Gavin’s eyes.
Gavin couldn’t blame him. After everything that had happened, he could absolutely understand why Connor would have difficulty trusting him.
“I’m worried about Emily.” Connor said softly. “I know you wouldn’t purposefully hurt her, but I don’t want to bring anyone into her life that is just going to leave again. I know she never knew Theo but…” Connor’s voice trailed off, but Gavin knew exactly what he meant.
It wouldn’t be fair to Emily to have a family and just have that family leave her.
If Gavin wanted to be in her life, he had to be in it for the long run.
Luckily, that was exactly what Gavin wanted.
He turned to Connor and grabbed his hand. “I want this, I want you, both of you. I know we’ve only been together for a few months but I can’t imagine spending my life with anyone else.” Gavin took a deep breath. “I don’t have a r
ing yet but I want to marry you one day, if that’s what you want.”
“I do.” Connor said, then looked at Gavin with wide eyes. They both cracked up.
“Hey, hey, I haven’t proposed yet.” Gavin teased, but he squeezed Connor’s hand.
“I want to take it slow.” Connor said, cautiously. “Well, as slow as we can take it.”
“I understand completely.” Gavin said. “I know after everything it’s going to be difficult to trust me, but I’m going to prove it to you. I’m in it for the long haul.”
Connor grinned up at Gavin and Gavin couldn’t help it. He leaned in to press a soft kiss on Connor’s lips. Connor immediately melted under him and reached up to wrap his arms around Gavin’s neck.
The kisses were soft and unhurried, there wasn’t any urgency behind them.
Gavin was content to just hold Connor and enjoy his company.
Eventually, he had to pull away.
“We should go to sleep.” Gavin said softly, and Connor nodded against his collarbone.
Gavin stood up, and gently helped Connor up with him.
“I want to check on Emily.” Connor said quietly.
Gavin just took his hand and led him to the guest room that they had converted into a nursery.
They stood in the doorway and looked in at Emily, who was still sleeping soundly.
“She’s perfect.” Gavin breathed and Connor squeezed his hand. “I’m so glad she’s home.”
“Me too.”
They watched her sleep for a little while longer, then in unspoken agreement they closed the door and went back to the bedroom.
Gavin stripped down to his underwear and crawled into bed, and Connor soon followed.
Connor tucked himself firmly against Gavin’s side and Gavin wrapped his arm around his omega.
This wasn’t going to be easy, but there was nowhere that he would rather be.
EPILOGUE - CONNOR
THE SUNLIGHT WAS filtering through Connor’s eyelids and Connor slowly blinked his eyes open.
Gavin was lying on his side next to him with an extremely fond expression on his face. “Good morning.” He murmured, and Connor leaned in to kiss him, morning breath be damned.
“Good morning.” Connor said sleepily against Gavin’s lips.
They just lay there, tangled together and exchanging lazy kisses.
Gavin’s hand toyed with the edge of Connor’s waist band and Connor pulled back a bit to smirk at him. “Hey now, I thought that was an after wedding activity.”
Gavin rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something, but Connor just kissed him again to keep him from talking.
The familiar, lazy, kisses from earlier were gone, replaced with a slow, burning heat.
Gavin gently pushed Connor down against the bed and straddled him. “We’re going to be too tired then so…” He leaned down to capture Connor’s mouth in another searing kiss and Connor responded the same.
Gavin smirked down at Connor and rolled his hips experimentally. The friction felt amazing and Connor could feel his already hardening dick chub up even more.
“Don’t be a tease.” Connor whined and bucked his hips up, trying to get any friction that he could.
Connor let his hands wander up onto Gavin’s waist and started to tug at the hem of his shirt. “You’re wearing too much clothes.”
“Yeah, well so are you.” Gavin shot back with a teasing grin on his face.
“Do something about it then.” Connor raised an eyebrow.
Gavin just rolled his eyes and pulled his shirt off, then got up off Connor to pull down his boxers.
Connor pulled off his own boxer-briefs. “So romantic.”
Gavin grabbed Connor’s hand and ran his thumb along Connor’s engagement ring, and Connor shivered. He and Gavin had talked about marriage for a while before Gavin had finally proposed. Connor had wanted something serious, but after the travesty that was his first engagement, Connor was not afraid to admit that he had some commitment issues.
After some back and forth Gavin had taken Connor to their favorite restaurant, gotten champaign, and then gotten down on one knee.
The ring was plain, with a few inset stones. It was perfect.
What was even better was the paperwork he had presented Connor with, an appointment with a lawyer to start the process of Gavin officially adopting Emily.
Connor couldn’t imagine anything better.
He knew that Gavin was serious, but this made everything just so much more permanent.
They had only been together for just over a year, but Connor couldn’t imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone else. Gavin had just come in and filled a void that Connor hadn’t even known existed.
Now Gavin was looking down at Connor with a cocky grin on his face, but he also looked at Connor like he couldn’t love anything more in his life.
Connor’s cock was hard and leaking against his stomach. “So, are you going to fuck me or not?”
“So needy.” Gavin teased, but rummaged around in the bedside drawer for a condom and lube.
Connor just rolled his eyes and lay splayed out on the bed until Gavin came back.
It wasn’t long before there were slick, lubed up finders nudging at his entrance, and Connor angled his hips back to give Gavin more room.
When Gavin got to three fingers, he quirked them upwards in a move that hit something inside of Connor that sent sparks racing up his spines.
“I’m ready.” Connor panted.
Sometimes Gavin was a bit of a tease, but not today. They didn’t exactly have much time for slow.
Without delay, Connor could hear the crinkle of the wrapper being torn open, then could feel the nudge of Gavin’s cock at his entrance.
Connor couldn’t help but let out a moan as Gavin’s cock slowly slid into his body. It wasn’t going to take much to send him over the edge, he was already halfway there.
Gavin rocked into him slowly, and Connor ground his hips in an attempt to get more. It just wasn’t enough.
“Come on Gavin.” Connor managed to say through grit teeth. His cock was so hard that it almost hurt.
Gavin didn’t respond, he just pushed Connor into the bed and picked up his pace.
Finally, Connor was getting what he wanted. Every thrust sent Connor closer and closer to the edge.
Just when Connor thought that he couldn’t take it any more, Gavin reached down and wrapped his hand around Connor’s cock.
“Come for me Connor.” Gavin’s voice was husky, and that, combined with the twist of his wrist, sent Connor spilling all over Gavin’s hand and Connor’s own stomach.
Gavin thrust a few more times, then collapsed to the side of Connor. Connor rolled over and buried his face against Gavin’s shoulder, completely ignoring the mess that was sticky between them.
They lay there in the quiet, and Connor let his eyes flutter closed as Gavin dragged his fingers through Connor’s hair. Connor leaned into the touch, it was familiar and relaxing.
“We need to get up.” Gavin murmured softly, but continued to stroke Connor’s hair.
“In a minute.” Connor said sleepily, and refused to open his eyes.
The rest of the day was about to be complete chaos, he wanted to enjoy the peace and quiet while he could.
Eventually, Gavin made to sit up and Connor rolled over with a groan.
Gavin tapped Connor on the ass and Connor just rolled his eyes. “Come on Con, we need a shower.”
Connor looked at the clock. Only four more hours. Gavin was right, they had to get moving.
He let Gavin pull him up and grinned as Gavin dragged him into another kiss.
Just a few more hours and they would be officially married.
—
Just before Connor stepped onto the aisle, he looked out onto the beach and just took in the scene before him.
His father looked over and a soft smile was spread across his face. “You ready?”
Connor nodded, he could
n’t bring himself to speak. He was more than ready. He had been ready for this moment from the moment that he and Gavin had made it official. Maybe he had fallen too hard and too fast, but the past three years had shown Connor that he had made the right decision.
His family was there, and so was Gavin’s. Leon grinned at him from where he stood as Connor’s best man, and from the looks of it he had been having to hold Emily back to keep her from running up the aisle.
The wedding was small this time, just their families and a few close friends.
They had Sweet Beginnings cater, and out of the corner of his eye Connor could see the owner of the shop give him a thumbs up from where he stood at the table. Jeff was beside Gavin at the altar as Gavin’s best man.
After what had happened last time, Connor probably should have been freaking out but instead he just felt an immense sense of calm. This was where he was supposed to be, Gavin was the man that he was supposed to be marrying.
Everything was so different, from the venue, to the atmosphere, to the night before.
The road to get to this point wasn’t easy, but Connor wouldn’t trade it for anything. He ended up where he was supposed to be, with an amazing daughter and the perfect alpha.
The music started playing, and Connor took a deep breath.
This was the moment, this was the moment he was committing to his alpha for the rest of his life. Gavin was standing at the altar with a goofy grin on his face. Emily was looking at him with wide eyes and looked simply perfect in her white dress.
He felt frozen, but it was now or never.
Connor stepped forward and began to walk down the aisle.
IF YOU LIKED Finding His Omega, check out the other books in the Sweet Beginnings Bakery series, His Omega All Along and His Omega to Keep
His Omega All Along
By Leanne Summers
Taylor has a problem. He has been in love with Alex, his omega best friend and roommate, for as long as he can remember.
Finding His Omega (Sweet Beginnings Bakery Book 3) Page 8
