Free Loving Enough (The Enough Series Book 2) by Nikole Bloom Page B

heart. I am not sure I have ever seen someone adore me the way he does,
and he doesn't try to hide it. He wants me to know how he feels about me and,
although I have a hard time believing it, I know how he feels. I love him with
the same, all-consuming, heart-clenching passion.
    My eyes water when I remember that after this I am unlikely
to see Austin for quite some time. He leans down and places a sweet kiss on my
lips.
    “Don’t cry, baby, it will all be OK. We will find a way, I
promise. I love you too damn much to let you go.”
    “I love you, too, Austin. Even more than I knew until this moment.”
    And I do I love him, more than I ever thought it was
possible to love another human being. My heart is breaking at the thought of
being forced apart again. I can only hope our love is enough to hold us
together despite the distance we will be forced to endure.  

Chapter 13
    Rylee
    Austin and I enjoy a quiet morning in bed lounging around
and watching bad television. We laugh and talk; we are us again. I call
Bode to check on J and he informs me that J is fine and that I need to spend
quality time away from the hospital.
    Although I adore Bode, I refuse to take his word for it and
demand talk to my brother. J is very explicit in his directions.
    “Stay the fuck away from this hospital and enjoy the time
you have today. It won’t be often that no one knows where either of you are.
Enjoy it, Ry. I’m fine.”
    I agree rather easily to stay home for a while, but only
because Austin is here with me. J is right. After today it’s unlikely that we
will be able to steal many more of these moments before this is all over.
Stolen moments are so sweet when they include the man of your dreams.
     It is then I remember to ask. “Austin, J said you are going
to Houston. When are you leaving?”
    He looks down and interlocks our hands.
    “I was supposed to leave an hour ago.” I look at him in
disbelief, even though it does not surprise me that he blew it off to stay with
me. He kisses my knuckles one at a time. “Who knew you going out and getting
shitfaced with the detective would benefit me?”
    He laughs that beautiful, carefree laugh of his that makes
me smile every time.
    I know he was only joking, but I still feel a little guilty
for last night. I did not intend to drink that much, but once it started it
just got out of hand. I felt like I needed to let go and there seemed no safer
place than a cop bar with a detective by my side.
    “For what it’s worth, Aus, I’m sorry. I had no intention of
doing that last night. I really just needed to talk to Ruzek.”
    He gives me a puzzling look. “Ry, I will never care who you
hang out with so long as I know you love me. If you love me, you will always
come home to me and that is all that matters. Last night became a bonus when
Bode called me to come stay with you. He figured you would kill him if he left
J alone, so I happily obliged.”
    “Well, I am definitely glad he called you. You are a much
better sight to wake up to than he is,” I say with a wink.
    He gives me a look of mock disgust. “I hope you like waking
up to this, because one of these days you will be stuck with it forever.”
    The way he says forever implies so much and my stomach
involuntarily constricts. I love Austin, but after the debacle with Ryan the
thought of forever or marriage still scares the life out of me.
    “Aus, I - ”
    He quiets me with a kiss. “I know, Ry, and I will wait for
you forever. I just wanted you to know I am in this. I am in this as long as
you will have me. You are my one, Ry. I love you.”
    Just like that, he quiets my fears and I fall for him just a
little more. I wrap my arms around his perfect body. “I love you too, Austin. I
really do.”
    It amazes me that he knows me as well as he does without us
having shared the entirety of our histories with each other. I suspect part of
his knowledge came from my big brother, but I will never ask. If J believes
Austin and I are