Free Jermy, Marie - Together Forever [The Andersons 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Marie Jermy

I wanted at least one more.”
    “I know. I did, too. But when you nearly died giving birth to Matt, there was no way that was going to happen. I died a thousand times that night and I wasn’t about to put you, or myself, through that nightmare again.”
    “Can we drop this depressing subject and make silly and sweaty love?”
    On hearing his father’s chuckle and his mother’s subsequent blissful moans, Ross left them to it and headed back to his bedroom, making sure he avoided all the creaking floorboards. Stripping down to his boxers, he glanced over at Matt, who was stretched out on his front, his head in the pillow.
    “Are you awake?”
    “Nope,” came the muffled response.
    Ross grinned and lay on his own bed. “I’ve just been listening to Mom and Dad.”
    “I know. You forgot about the floorboard by the attic door.” Matt rolled over onto his back and looked in Ross’s direction. “Spill.”
    “I think Sam Carrick’s finally been laid to rest.” He paused for a moment, debating why Ray Ferris was hurting over Carrick, then decided it was probably due to being concerned that his best friend’s wife still thought about a former love some thirty years after his death. “I didn’t know this until now, but Mom nearly died giving birth to you. Did you know about that?”
    “Oh, aren’t you a barrel of laughs? If that’s what falling in love does, then you can keep it. The sex I can do. Definitely do. But there’s no way you’ll catch me going all starry-eyed over a woman.”
    “Never say never, little bro. I guarantee you’ll feel the same way I do when the right woman comes your way.”
    Matt snorted as he plumped his pillow. “So not gonna happen. Just like you’ll never make it down the aisle. I mean, we are talking about the same Jessica Ferris who threw your Star Wars figures into the lake in revenge for you cutting the hair off her Barbie dolls.”
    “Um, I think we’ve both grown up since then. Older and wiser.”
    Again, Matt snorted. “All right, what about the fact that since she became a private eye, she’s never really been totally honest with you, even when she’s asked for your help. You know she’s always holding things back. A little white lie here, a little white lie there. I’m telling you, Jessica’s using you. She’ll screw you, then dump you as soon as she gets bored.”
    Okay, so Ross couldn’t argue the fact that Jessica did tell the odd lie. But it wasn’t just him she extended that courtesy to. She lied to other detectives, as well. She seemed to have quite a talent for rubbing officers of any rank up the wrong way. Probably down to some of those officers being on the other end of her hard-nosed reporter skills. He liked that trait, though. Her sassiness had stood her in good stead as a PI.
    He also couldn’t argue that Jessica held things back. She still hadn’t told him the real reason why they’d been tailing Harknett. Or told him anything about the BlackBerry he’d seen her lift from Harknett’s dead body.
    However, the one thing he would argue about was that Jessica would use him. “You’re such a cynic, Matt. She loves me. And I love her. Jess and I are…” He paused for emphasis on the declaration he was about to make. “Together forever.” The pillow sailed in his direction. He deftly caught it and slung it back at Matt.
    “Together forever.” Yeah, he definitely liked the sound of that. Growing old and gray together. Spending a lifetime getting to know each other inside out, back to front, side to side, up and down…Basically in every conceivable way. Sharing life’s ups and downs. Turning hopes and dreams into reality. Discovering every little habit, good or bad or secret. He smiled as he touched the kink in his nose. She didn’t even know how he came to break it. He was going to have to put that right. Along with a few other things.
    Like my marriage proposal for starters . As Ross drifted off to sleep, he made his mind up. He