Lark soaked in the claw foot tub with the dogs sleeping nearby. I knew she was tired and pretending otherwise. Eventually, the day would come when she would look at me and admit the pregnancy hormones were a pain in the ass. When she did so, I would baby the hell out of her and make her feel like a princess. Until then, she wanted to put on a brave face without admitting she took mini-naps through out the day.

Despite her love of pineapple on pizza, Lark was perfection. I felt like a love starved moth drawn to the light of her smile.

From the day I met her at the wedding rehearsal, I couldn’t stop thinking of her beautiful face. I was forever drawing her, sketching her, and even tattooing her. How many people in Ellsberg were walking around with tattoos of Lark’s face? Whenever a client didn’t bring a specific image in and a woman’s face was involved, I used Lark’s. Hell, I hadn’t even noticed this fact until two happy clients showed off their tattoos and I realized the pinup girl and fairy princess had the same face.

Everything about you makes me crazy,” he said, thrusting harder. “I can’t think of anything without you at the edges. Everything I see is a reminder of you. My life was empty, yet sufficient a month ago. Now, it’s pointless without you.

Judd kissed me gently, comforting me with his touch. “I would die without you, angel. I would fucking lose the will to live. My old life wouldn’t be worth shit. Not now that I’ve seen what it could be.

When you smile, it’s like the world is perfect. But when you say that ugly shit about yourself, I can barely keep from tearing this world apart for hurting you the way it has.

I just kept eating my hot dogs and bowling by myself. Bailey sometimes rolled a ball into a gutter. When I had them put up the bumpers for her, she managed to roll the ball into another alley and land in that gutter. The girl had a talent.

Hell yeah. I’m great with kids. I have this talent where I listen to them babble, but not too closely so I don’t lose my mind.

It’s me,” he said, lifting my chin so I would look at him. “It’ll never be anyone else. With me, you’ll always be safe.

You aren’t average. You’re special because you’re the only girl who’s ever made my heart hurt.