I stay there for a long time, curled against him, feeling his heartbeat under my cheek, the weight of what just happened, the truth pressing against my chest like it’s trying to escape.
His release is already slipping from me, a quiet, messy reminder of how close we just were. And somehow, it hits me deeper than I expect. My eyes sting with unshed tears.
I want to tell him about the little boy we made.
About how amazing he is.
About how much I dream of us as a family.
But not now. This moment isn’t big enough to hold something that heavy.
I gently pull away, head to the bathroom to clean up. Liam follows, turns on the shower, takes my hands, and draws me into the warm spray.
He holds me there for a while, our bodies pressed together, hearts still racing.
Then his hands start to stroke down my back, kneading out the tension I didn’t even realize I was holding. I let out a soft, unfiltered sigh.
“Feel good?” he murmurs.
“You have no idea.”
“Good.”
Liam kisses me, slow and deep, the water pouring over us like a curtain. Then he turns me gently, pressing me to the cool tile.
His hands grip my hips, firm and possessive.
“You feel too damn good,” he growls against my ear.
I gasp as he slides into me from behind—thick and brutal. The stretch steals my breath, the angle makes my legs tremble.
He moves slowly at first, savoring it. Then faster. Deeper. Relentless.
The sound of water, the slap of skin, the breathy moans—it’s all tangled in steam and sensation.
I brace against the wall, lost in the rhythm of his demanding, addictive thrusts.
Tonight is us.
I’ll figure out the rest tomorrow.
19
LIAM
It’s either very lateor very early, depending on how you look at it.
I haven’t slept, not with Emma cuddling up beside me, sound asleep in a sort of self-protective fetal position.
She’s beautiful. I can’t stop looking at her.
The curve of her hip, the graceful length of her neck. Her wild curls spilling across the pillow and nearly hiding her face. One hand tucked beneath her cheek. The slow, steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.
I gently brush her hair from her face, pressing a soft kiss to her temple.
God, she’s so precious to me.
Always has been.
