Embracing Us

Embracing Us VR Tennent No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in book reviews. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Embracing Us Copyright © 2023 VR Tennent Cover art by Easypeasey Creative Editing by Finishing by Fraser Published by Frosty Enterprises Ltd All rights reserved. Contents Blurb Author Note 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 Loving Dr Jones About the Author Also By VR Tennent Blurb Finding out I was pregnant at the age of forty-five after a holiday fling with a man twelve years my junior came as a bit of a shock. What was even more surprising was that this man was also my soul mate. He stepped up and put our relationship first. Max and I are everything that shouldn’t work. With his boyish charm, positive attitude and loyal determination, he is a lot of what I felt I didn’t deserve. Now, here we are navigating a new life together. Within twelve months we have met, broken up, found out we were pregnant and reconciled. Our life is filled with both highs and lows, our challenges coming from the outside rather than each other. A change in the health of his aunt causes us to divert our course. At a time when external pressures become more difficult, we pack up to return to the Spanish sunshine where our love story began. But this year, we have our baby boy in tow. Jackson is the apple of his daddy’s eye. My little prince that I never knew I wanted. But with our vast difference in age and polarised life experiences, will we be able to ride the waves and create a happy family that will survive the storm? Author Note: This book is intended for readers aged eighteen years and over. Embracing Us is the second book in the Under The Sun Duet. Discovering Me, book one, needs to be read first and can be found here to buy or read on Kindle Unlimited: https://mybook.to/discoveringme Chapter one M ax “You’re sure it’s all right that I go out tonight?” I ask Linda again and she waves me away. “I don’t want to go. Please tell me I can’t.” “I’m not your mother. I don’t control you,” she scolds then laughs, causing her breasts to rise and fall. I harden. We’ve not been intimate since Jackson’s birth, but I can tell the time is getting closer. In the past few days, she’s been touchier in bed. I’m waiting for the sign from her that we can resume our sexual relationship. Though, she tells me I need to wear protection, which is unwelcome but necessary news. I love the natural feeling I’ve been spoiled with, of being inside her. I’ll miss it. There’s a packet of condoms waiting patiently in my bedside drawer for the day to arrive. “Go and socialise with Jace,” she replies. “He’s been wanting to celebrate with you for weeks. You can’t keep avoiding him.” I groan. She’s right. Jackson turned eight weeks old today, and Jace has been nipping my head about marking his birth with tequila since the day after he was born. I’ve run out of excuses, but I hate the thought of being away from my new family. We are in the kitchen; our son is lying in his bouncer watching us prepare dinner. His bright green eyes move from his mother to me then back to the most important person in his world. I’m chopping vegetables as Linda grates cheese. We move around each other, working in unison but separately. We’ve only known each other for a year, but it’s as if we’ve always been together. Things just work between us, most of the time. Since we met, she’s felt like part of me. All I’ve wanted to do is be with her and make her happy. “I won’t be late,” I tell her, and she frowns. “Max, go out and enjoy yourself. If you want to stay at Jace’s house that’s fine. You’ve not left our side except for going to work or the supermarket. I’m capable of looking after Jackson for one night, and I’m feeling much better.” She puts the block of cheese down and turns to face me, then slides her arms around my neck. “No arguments. I don’t want to see you until tomorrow. Marina is out as well and staying at the apartment, so I’ll have peace and quiet. I plan to read and go to bed early. The last thing I need is you bouncing in the door half-cut, waking me, or worse, Jackson, up.” “Orders understood,” I mutter, and she chuckles, before pecking my lips. “Good, now, let’s get some food into you to soak up the alcohol you’ll consume,” she says with a smile. “I want you to have a great night with your friend.” *** Linda I hope my words and expressions convince him to go. Deep down, I’m terrified. Deep down, I want to beg him to stay here with us. But his friend is important to him, and he deserves to celebrate becoming a father. This is