Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

time.”He pulled her against him even tighter. “I love how after getting sucked intoyou so easily, then meeting the enormous backing you have from all thosewho love you, the biggest worry in those bright eyes for you is your future. Morethan anything, I love that you genuinely don’t seem to know just how lovableyou are for so many reasons. Not just because you’re beautiful beyond words,inside and out. You really don’t realize how many people out there, yourparents, uncles, me and every fucking guy that meets you from here on,would be willing to take care of you forever.”

“I don’t wanna be taken care of.” She pulled away shaking herhead, wiping away tears but he pulled her back to him and she was grateful forit. “I’ll take care of myself and I know now I’ll figure out my futureeventually. Yes, it was one of my biggest worries for a long time. But aftermeeting you a different more terrifying fear took over. My biggest worry now isgetting my heart broken.”

“I told you before, baby.” He lifted her into his arms huggingher tightly. “I’ll never hurt you.”

“God, I hope not.” She gasped wrapping her arms around his neck.“Because . . .” She hesitated for a moment, terrified about admitting it.But given everything he’d just admitted and heeding her mother’s adamantwarnings, she trounced her fear as her emotions completely gave and she felther face crumble. “I’m so in love with you too.”

For a second he froze but held her tight. “Yeah?”

She nodded, burying her head in the shaft of his neck. “Yes,” shegasped. “I don’t know how you plunged into my life out of nowhere like this andthis happened so fast, but I love, love, love you, Byron. So much!”

“Fuck!” He groaned hugging her even tighter. “I’ve been wonderingthe exact same thing almost since the night I met you.”

After making sure all the burners on the stove were off, Byronwhisked her off into the bedroom. As expected, and so very grateful for it,Vannah was completely naked and lying underneath his big hard body withinminutes. As usual, her body willingly succumbed to his every touch, taste, kissand stroke as he made love to her over and over as if they’d been doing soforever.

The initial startling call had come at three AM, wakingthem out of their spent stupors. Any call at that time of night would shakeanyone up, and Byron had jumped out of bed looking, and sounding every bit as alarmedas Vannah had felt. But the dread had been fleeting. His brother Beast had beencalling from the hospital to let Byron know his wife Ali had just given birthto a perfectly healthy baby boy. Byron all set to head straight to the hospitalon the spot, but after his brother let him know they were both exhausted andvisiting hours weren’t until later that morning anyway, Byron and Vannah hadgone back to bed. Though as usual sleep was the last thing on their mind.

Beast had asked Byron to pick up his girls at Ali’s sister’s.Ali’s sister Lila, a former women’s boxing champ herself had a previouslyplanned business trip out of town that day that she couldn’t get out of.

Lila was already gone when Beast asked him to pick them up andbring them to the hospital. The girls were in the care of Lila’s nanny in themeantime. Vannah had heard so much about Elsa and Lucy from Byron, that shefelt like she knew them already, but she hadn’t expected the overload ofcuteness. When they arrived, the girls ran straight to their squatting uncle’sopen arms. “Uncle, B!”

“We have a new baby bwuduh.” The youngest one said.

“I heard,” Byron said hugging them both, then pulling back tolook at them, still squatting before them. “Congratulations, big sisters. Youready to go meet him?”

“Yes!” they both said in unison but noticeably turned tolook at Vannah curiously.

Byron turned to Vannah as well, as he stood up and reached forher hand. “Okay, but first I’d like you to meet my girlfriend, Savannah.”

They stared at Savannah a bit timidly and she smiled at them evenif her heart had begun pounding after hearing him refer to her as hisgirlfriend for the very first time.

“Babe.” He squeezed her hand. “These are my two Littles, Elsa andLucy.”

“Hi,” she waved at them smiling big. “Very nice to meet you.”

They waved back but appeared a little stunned, then Lucy turnedto Byron. “I didn’t know you had a gilfwend.”

Byron turned to Vannah and smiled. “Yeah, I didn’t either untilvery recently.” He turned back to Lucy who leaned against his leg looking up atVannah. “But now that its official, I knew the first thing I had to do wasintroduce her to you two.”

“Are you coming to meet Lucas too?” Elsa asked Vannah.

“Is that his name?” Byron asked. “I didn’t even think to ask yourdad when he called. I was half asleep.”

“Lucas Edwuhd Ledesma,” Lucy said very proudly. “Elsa showed mehow to spell it alweady.”

“I like it,” Vannah said nodding. “That’s a very nice name andsure I’d love to meet your new baby brother.”

“Me and Lucy helped pick out his name.”

Vannah smiled big. “Well, it’s an excellent choice.”

Inez, Lila’s nanny explained that the girls had already hadbreakfast. Byron grabbed their bags and they all headed back to his car. Hehadn’t been kidding when he’d warned Vannah that the girls could be veryinquisitive. The entire ride to the hospital they grilled Vannah fromeverything about her school, about being a twin, to the color of her nailpolish. Thankfully, unlike most people who harped on about her being a twin, theirattention spans weren’t up for it. They moved on quickly from one topic toanother. Vannah kept up with all their questions, often laughing at just howunabashed their questioning could get without either batting an eye.

“Are you in love with Uncle B?” Elsa asked making Vannah nearlygasp.

Byron glanced at her arching a brow but brought his eyes back tothe road with a smirk. She turned back to the two adorable pairs of curious eyes.But addressed Elsa. “Yes,” she admitted even as her insides went wild. “Verymuch