His eyes light up as they take me in, first my face and then the bump that started to pop over the last few weeks. Most of the exhaustion has passed now, and I’m thankful my experience has been relatively easy. There’s not a moment of this pregnancy that I want to take for granted, and certainly not the man I’m navigating it with.
Gage steps into me, hands cupping my cheeks to pull my lips to his in a deep, searing kiss. It makes my toes curl, and my belly kick, although that could be our littleBaby Buttercup.A week ago, I felt their first movement. It was like your heart skipping a beat, or butterflies in your stomach. All those wonderful little signs that life gives you that say,Hey, this is one of the moments you want to remember.
“Hi, Buttercup.” Gage presses another kiss to my lips before he drops down to his knees, rubbing his large palms over the swell of my stomach. “Hi, my little BB.”
He looks up at me from his spot. “Size of a pomegranate today.”
I nod, and he leaves a kiss on my stomach, then another before he stands upright again.
“Dinner is ready whenever you want it, but I have something for you first.”
He takes my hand and leads me to our bedroom while I follow behind him, laughing.
“You already do so much for me.”
He looks over his shoulder with a smirk. “Not possible.”
We reach the door, and Gage stops, turning around to reach for both my hands. “Close your eyes.”
I purse my lips, raising an eyebrow as I look him up and down with suspicion. The tender look on his face forces me to give in, the ease with which I can trust him turning my muscles pliant.
He slowly pulls me with him, my shuffling steps dragging against the carpet, scared I might trip, but I know he’d always catch me.
“Can I open them?”
“No. Not yet.” Even though Gage has billions, it’s the little things he does that have the most value. He’s always making sure I’m fed, whether it’s cooking for me, sending food to the office or bringing it himself. It’s nice to be taken care of, and I like knowing that I’m the only one who gets this side of him.
We stop, and there’s the groaning of door hinges, then the feeling of Gage moving around me. His spicy scent surrounds me, as does the warmth of his mere presence.
His stubble brushes against my neck as he whispers in my ear. “Now.”
I open my eyes, finding myself standing in the middle of the bathroom. The giant tub is full of purple-tinged water, wisps of steam unfurling as they rise to join the flicker of hundreds of candles that are scattered around the room. Short, tall, skinny, and thick candles are lined up along the windowsill, filling the benchtop and clustered around the floor. The whole room smells like lavender and bergamot.
I turn around, laying my palms on Gage’s chest. “What’s all this?”
He shrugs. “Just thought you might like to unwind after work. I have to be at the bar in a few hours.” He picks up a loose curl, twirling it around his finger before laying it over my shoulder, then leaves his hand against my bicep, running his thumb over my arm. “Wanted you to know that I think of you, even when you’re not here.”
I grab onto his forearm as I balance on one foot tugging off a boot, then switch to the other side. One at a time, I pull the straps of my dress off my shoulders and let it fall to the ground, leaving me in tights and a T-shirt. Gage’s eyes roam over my body as I remove the rest of my clothes. My yellow cotton underwear is trimmed in lace, and my breasts feel full and heavy where they sit in a matching bralette.
Eighteen weeks in, and I’m already all about comfort over sexiness, but with the way Gage looks at me, I may as well be standing here naked. His jaw clenches as his eyes slowly move from my face to my shoulders. My breasts, my bump, and all the way to my toes.
“Do you have time to join me?” Seduction lies thick in my words as I pull the bralette over my head.
I hear Gage’s gulp as my breasts spill free, and I slowly step backward towards the bath.
He clears his throat. “It was more for you to relax in.”
“Oh, but I would be so much more relaxed if you joined me.” I hook my fingers into the waistband of my underwear and guide them down my legs. Stepping out of them, I turn to the bath, then look over my shoulder. “Please, Grim.”
His hands fly to his belt, and he starts to undress. I step into the water, at a perfectly warm temperature, and lower down as I watch him finish. Within seconds, he’s walking toward me, his dick already half hard, and it has me biting my lip with pride that I have that effect on him.
“Move up, baby.” Gage points his chin to the other end of the bath, and I scoot forward so he can step in behind me.
Once he’s seated, I push back, settling against his chest. Gage’s hands wind around me as his head rests against the sideof mine. He gently rubs up and down my legs and over my belly. His touch and the warm water would have me ready to sleep if it weren’t for the thick, hard length pressing into my back, which makes me feel quite the opposite.
“What else did you get up to today, apart from cooking dinner, running me a bath, and making me feel like the luckiest girl in the world?”
He chuckles and presses a kiss to my temple. “Met with Lee Connors this morning and saw the progress at Smoke and Barrel.”
