He scooted closer to me and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. “I had you. And for a split second, it was perfect. But I was too young and too dumb to figure out how to hold on to you forever. Now, if given the chance, I promise I won’t make that mistake again.”
Maybe it was the stress of the storm or the pregnancy hormones, or maybe it was the vulnerability in his eyes. But I believed him.
And then, before I could think better of it. I was kissing him.
Chapter 26Gus
This.
This was what I’d been craving for so long. The feel of her in my arms, her soft mouth yielding to mine. Her body sagging against me, as if she needed my strength.
I picked her up, and she wrapped her legs around me. This moment was different, more significant. We hadn’t been fighting, we’d been talking. And I’d told her things I’d never said out loud before.
Subconsciously, I had been waiting for her. I probably would have waited forever, and while that realization would take a long time to unpack, right now, I was so grateful that I had waited. Because carrying her in my arms like this? It made every sleepless night and moment of aching grief worth it.
“Bedroom?” I asked between frantic kisses.
“To the left,” she said, moving down to kiss my neck and threading her hands through my hair.
I lifted my head to watch my step. With such little lighting, I had to be extra careful not to drop her.
The rain pounded against the wall of windows facing the lake as I laid her down on the bed and braced myself on top of her to capture her mouth again. I couldn’t get enough. It had been weeks since I’d had a taste, and I was desperate for more.
Her little gasps and moans sent heat straight to my groin, and the feel of her hands on me had electricity arcing beneath my skin. She bucked her hips up, reminding me that we were both fully clothed, a situation I intended to fix immediately. It would be so easy to lose myself in her, to forget about all that had come between us, forget about details we had yet to work out.
But I was working hard to do better. So, against every instinct, I pulled away.
Laid out on the bed like this, her hair wild and her lips kiss swollen, she was so beautiful it hurt. The sight of her made it so damn hard not to dive back in, but we needed to clear the air.
“What do you want, Dragonfly?” I asked, already regretting opening my damn mouth. “I need to hear you say it.”
“Can’t we just have hot, filthy sex and worry about the rest later?” she pleaded, her chest heaving.
My cock strained in my pants, clearly agreeing with her solid logic, but I sucked in a breath and garnered all the sense I had. “No. That’s not how this works,” I said. I needed more. I wasn’t in this just to scratch an itch and then remain on the outside of this pregnancy.
She propped herself up on her elbows and let out a sigh. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this.” She gritted her teeth. “But I think I need you.”
My heart soared. “One more time. I think I just audibly hallucinated.”
She sat up and crossed her arms. Shit. This was not the response I’d been hoping for. “I’ve spent my adult life alone, doing things on my own, constantly hustling and never slowing down. But I’m in over my head here. With the company and with this baby.” She dipped her chin and blew out a breath. “I want you to be a part of all of it. I’m not sure what this all will look like. But I need you.”
This conversation had gotten very heavy very quickly, but I wasn’t complaining. She needed me. She wanted me. It wasn’t a marriage proposal, but I’d work up to that eventually.
“What are you offering?” I asked, my heart thumping against my sternum.
She cupped my cheek. “I don’t know. My hormones are going crazy. I cry at least once a day and vomit even more than that. I’m a mess. And for some insane reason, I think you might be exactly what I need.”
A chuckle rumbled out of me. “That is the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m not sure what I can offer yet, but I’ll figure it out. Right now, I’m offering nudity. I’m exhausted and scared and hormonal, and my boobs are swollen, so that’s the best I’ve got.” She pressed her lips together, her eyes searching mine. “I need you, Gus. I need you to help me feel good.”
I was standing and stripping off my shirt before she could even finish that sentence. She needed me, and she wanted me to be a part of the baby’s life. That was enough. My brain couldn’t handle anything more complex at the moment.
Shoving my jeans down, I kicked them off, desperate to touch her skin, considering how best to play this. Last time had been frenzied and wild. Today, I wanted to take my time, learn what she liked, and drive her as crazy as she drove me.
“I’ll make you feel so good, Dragonfly, but first, I’m going to slowly strip you down and kiss every inch of your body.”
She rose up on her knees on the bed and peeled off her T-shirt, exposing her breasts. The way they strained against the lace cups of her bra made my mouth water.
“My body isn’t what it used to be,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s better.” I kneeled in front of her and pushed her shorts down, leaving her only in a bra and panties.
“You,” I said, looping my arms around her to unclasp her bra, “are deliciously sexy.”
“But when I was younger—”
“Shh.” I took one nipple into my mouth and sucked, pulling a loud moan from her.
“This body is carrying my child.” I kissed down her stomach to the top of her panties. “Do you know how hard that makes me? How much I want to see your belly swell?”
I pushed her panties aside and dipped a finger into her wetness.
“Soaked,” I said, bringing my fingers to my lips. “And delicious.”
“Gus.” With a moan, she grasped my throbbing erection. “Stop stalling. I want you inside me.”
