Chapter 10
Silas
Five Years Later
There’s syrup in Ava’s hair. Again.
I can’t help but laugh quietly to myself as I watch her argue with Caleb over the last pancake. She’s got my stubborn streak—Eden swears it’s mine, but I know better. Caleb’s quieter, more patient, but the kid knows how to strike when the time’s right. He’s biding his time, waiting for Ava to get distracted before swooping in for the win.
Eden’s at the stove, flipping another batch. She hums softly, barefoot, hair tied in a loose knot that’s falling apart at the edges. Her tank top clings to her, and the soft curve of her hips peeks out from the hem of her shorts.
I swear to God, five years and two kids later, she’s still the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.
I lean against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching her like I haven’t seen her a thousand times before. And yet, every time feels like the first. That tight pull in my chest, the raw ache of wanting her—none of its gone away. If anything, it’s worse.
“Stop staring, Silas.” Her voice is teasing, but she doesn’t look back. “You’re distracting me.”
I push off the frame, walking up behind her, hands sliding around her waist as I press a kiss to the back of her neck. “Can’t help it,” I murmur against her skin. “You’re too damn tempting.”
She laughs, soft and breathy. “There are children here.”
“They’re busy,” I growl, trailing my lips along her shoulder, pulling her tighter against me. “And I’m making up for lost time.”
“You made up for lost time last night.”
“Not enough.” My fingers graze the sliver of skin where her shorts ride low, and I feel her shiver.
“Silas,” she warns, but her voice wavers just enough to keep me going.
Before I can slip my hand lower, Ava shrieks. Caleb, sneaky little thing, snatched the pancake right off her plate.
Eden twists in my arms, stifling a laugh as Ava chases him around the table. “You going to help or just stand there groping me while they burn the place down?”
I sigh dramatically, pressing one last kiss to her lips. “I guess I’ll parent today.”
I catch Caleb mid-run, tossing him over my shoulder while he laughs uncontrollably. Ava jumps at my side, trying to wrestle the pancake out of his grip. “Alright, alright,” I say, setting Caleb down and ruffling his hair. “There’s more where that came from. Your mom’s a pancake machine.”
“I heard that,” Eden calls from the stove. I wink at her and settle the kids at the table, watching as she plates the fresh batch.
Once they’re busy, I sidle back up to her, leaning against the counter. “I meant what I said, you know.”
“About the pancakes?” she teases, passing me a plate.
“No,” I reply, voice low. “About you. About this.” I gesture toward the kids, the cabin, the life we’ve built. “It’s everything. You’re everything.”
She pauses, looking up at me, eyes soft but intense. “You still get all sentimental on me, huh?”
“Only when it comes to you.”
She sets the plate down, curling her arms around my neck, pressing her body to mine. “You’re everything to me too,” she whispers.
I hold her there, right in the middle of our messy kitchen, ignoring the syrup and the chaos. I don’t need much—just this. Her, our kids, this life we built out of nothing but pure love.
Later, when the kids are down for a nap, I press her up against the wall of our bedroom, hands roaming as her soft moans fill the space between us. Her legs wrap around my waist like she’s been waiting for this moment all day.
“You know,” I murmur against her lips, dragging my teeth down the curve of her neck, “I think we have just enough time.”
She arches into me, breathless. “Time for what?”
I slide her shorts down, fingers tracing her thighs, feeling the heat pooling between us. “To remind you exactly how crazy you make me.”
Her head falls back as I press kisses down her collarbone, tugging at the fabric until it’s gone, and she’s bare beneath me. My mouth trails lower, and I don’t stop until she’s trembling, fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer.
Five years. Two kids. And I’m still desperate for her like it’s the first night she moved in.
And when we finally collapse onto the bed, bodies tangled, hearts racing, I know I’ll never stop wanting her.
Not now. Not ever.
I stroke her hair as she lays against my chest, her breathing slowing, eyes fluttering shut. “You know,” I murmur, brushing a kiss against her forehead, “I’m going to keep you like this forever.”
She smiles sleepily, running her hand down my stomach, letting it rest low on my hips. “You say that like I’d ever leave.”
“I wouldn’t let you,” I growl, flipping us over, pinning her beneath me once again. Her soft laughter fills the room, and as the sun dips lower outside the window, I know there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.