I see it, but she doesn’t. It’s frustrating. The years we were apart have done some damage. Maybe if we’d been together the whole time, she wouldn’t feel so awkward.

She nods, taking me by the hand and leading me down a hallway until we come to a stop before Amelia’s open bedroom door.

“Look,” she says. “We made her.”

The hall light spills into the bedroom. Fast asleep, under a duvet cover covered in cartoon characters I really should look up so I know who they are, is my daughter. Our daughter.

“She’s perfect. Just like her mother.”

Delaney buries her face in my shoulder. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do.” I squeeze her hand. “Do you think she’ll be okay if I’m here in the morning?”

“She adores you. She’ll love it.”

“Are you ready for this?”

Her eyes give her away before she says the words. “I want you, too. I’ve been holding back, and …”

“I know you have.”

“You scare the shit out of me, Josh Carter.”

I stroke the back of her hand with my thumb. “We’re just Josh and Delaney. As we always should have been.”

She smiles. “I like that idea.”

“Let’s go.”

With a nod, she leads me a little farther down the hallway to another room. A large bed sits against one wall, and there are more photos around the walls of Delaney and Amelia.

She comes to a stop, but doesn’t turn.

I take the hint and step up, slowly dropping the zip on the back of her dress. She sucks in a breath. I’m so aware of her nervousness, but I know all we have to do is find our rhythm together again.

She drops her head forward when I plant kisses on her shoulders and push her dress down her arms.

“Turn around.”

Delaney hesitates.

“I want to see you.”

She looks over her shoulder at me, blinking a bunch of times as if trying not to cry. “I’m scared.”

“Of what? I’ve seen you naked before.” I stroke her cheek with my knuckle. “You were beautiful then, and you’re beautiful now. We’ve both changed, but my attraction to you hasn’t.”

“Yeah, but when you changed you became an Adonis. I’m more like Quasimodo.”

My mouth falls open. “Stop it.”

“Promise not to scream if you see something you don’t like?”

“Delaney. I like everything about you. Turn around.”

She moves slowly, but I catch my breath when she stands before me in her bra and panties. I like everything. She has nothing to be afraid of when it comes to me.

Her lush curves encased in white lace make me hard as a rock. All I want to do is touch her soft skin, and make her cry my name.