Total pages in book: 26
Estimated words: 24251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 24251 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 121(@200wpm)___ 97(@250wpm)___ 81(@300wpm)
That’s when his blue eyes fill with adoration, and he steps close to me. I shudder at the nearness of his big body, but it’s a tremble of need and longing. Then, I feel his tender lips brush mine, softly at first and then pressing against my pout with such intensity and passion that I nearly forget my name. I smell his cologne, so clean and fresh and masculine at once. I feel his touch, rough yet gentle at the same time, taking control of me and overpowering me with desire and need. I feel the happiness that permeated my essence while I was with him, the utter sense of being complete and whole while entangled in his arms.
I need that again.
I need him.
Tears flow down my face freely now, and he gently wipes my cheek with a gentle thumb.
“I am so sorry, Olivia,” he whispers, resting his forehead against mine. “I want you to know that there was no one else while I was away. It was only you that I dreamed and thought about while I was in Italy. You never left my mind. I need you, Olivia. Please, give me another chance, and please, let me be a part of Dorothy’s life too. I’m begging you, Olivia.”
I bite my lip and close my eyes, listening to his words and letting them run over me. Then, I re-open them and gaze at his handsome features with adoration.
“Didn’t you hear me?” I whisper. “I said yes. I love you Randall, and Dottie loves you too. We’re here for you,” I say.
With that, he relaxes for the first time and gathers me into those strong arms. His breath stirs my hair, and I sink into his warm embrace. I’ve never felt so safe nor cared for before, and I know it’s not going away this time. But then Randall startles me.
“I want us to be a family, sweetheart. Will you promise me to think about that?” he whispers into my ear. “Please.”
I merely lift my chin to him, allowing him to kiss me deeply before smiling through tears again.
“Yes, Randall. That’s what I want too.”
With that, our lives hit a re-set button. Suddenly, the passion between us flares to life, and his hands immediately travel to my waist as he tugs me into his lap. I straddle him on the couch as his palms roam my back and grip my hips, his mouth hungrily devouring mine. My lips tingle as they tangle with his, our tongues dancing together with renewed fervor. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to me, to my body, and to my heart.
“So,” he says, his fingers gently stroking my waist and hips. “Can we start over then, sweetheart?”
I nod my head, arching my back against his chest and planting a tiny kiss on his lips. “Yes. We can.”
And with that, our second chance begins.
Epilogue
Olivia
Two years later.
“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”
Friends and family sing in unison as Dorothy sits in a dining chair in Randall’s apartment, her hands clasped together in excitement. A wide, toothy smile is plastered on her chubby face and her blue eyes are glued to mine as I walk toward her with a birthday cake in my hands. She claps her hands frantically and looks to her left at Randall, who sings along with everyone and steals glances at our happy daughter. This is utter bliss.
But then he comes to rescue me.
“I got it,” Randall assures me before reaching for the cake, placing it gently down on the table in front of Dorothy.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “I was afraid I was going to drop it, it’s so heavy!”
After all, the cake is huge enough to feed a football team, and bigger even than our daughter. I can’t stop myself from smiling from ear to ear because this is the epitome of my dreams. Randall and I have been doing extremely well since we got back together two years ago. Dottie and I immediately moved into his apartment, and our lives blended seamlessly. My boyfriend never shied away from changing dirty diapers, and helps out in the kitchen whenever he’s asked. Even now, as I watch the alpha male sing, I’m filled with adoration. He dotes on our daughter and is good to me too. I’ve since forgiven him for his absence because in hindsight, the pandemic made everyone behave oddly.
After all, it wasn’t an easy time for the human race, and only now, do I have a deep appreciation for the stress he must have been under. To this day, Randall gets cards from Italians he treated during those months abroad thanking him for his dedication to their health. My respect for him as a doctor and professional has grown in leaps and bounds, and I know that my man is a good one.