“Please, Ethan. I’m already so close again.”
I thrust my tongue into her, scraping my teeth against her clit, and she came undone, her body arching as she screamed my name a second time. Hearing her break for me again lit a fire under my skin, desperation clawing at me to claim her fully before doubt could steal this fragile chance. I didn’t give her a moment to recover, rising up, whipping open my pants, and positioning my cock at her entrance.
Then I waited until her lids lifted, her hazy brown eyes meeting mine. “Ready for me, sweetheart?”
She reached out and wrapped her fingers around my forearm, urging me on. “Uh huh.”
That was all the encouragement I needed. I pushed into her, going deep in one rough thrust, her pussy gripping me tightly. She wrapped her legs around my waist, and I moved faster, my muscles straining as I poured my apology and love into every thrust.
With her eyes locked on mine, I fucked her hard, her body jerking with each movement. I felt her tightening, a third orgasm building. Every thrust was a vow, my body speaking what my words had failed to prove.
Desperate to feel her surrender, I rasped, “Come for me. Squeeze me tight while you come over my cock.”
She obeyed, crying out as her pussy clenched around my dick, milking me with her release. “Yes, oh yes! Ethan!”
“That’s just what I needed, my Callie,” I groaned, feeling her pull me closer to the edge. “Your sweet pussy milking my cock while I scream my name.”
Her inner walls tightened even more, and I had to punch my hips forward to push through them on my next thrust. “You want my come now, don’t you?”
“More than anything.”
There was an added weight to her words that didn’t just come from our desire to have a baby. My wife was just as desperate as I was for me to prove myself to her.
“I’m going to fill you up, mark you as mine from the inside out.”
With one final thrust, I planted myself deep, my fingers digging into her hips as I came, filling her completely without anything between us. The rush of release wasn’t just lust—it was relief, a frantic promise that I’d never let her feel alone again.
Keeping us connected, I stayed inside her, my heart racing.
When I finally caught my breath, I gently lifted her, moving us to the center of the bed before I pulled out and brushed my lips across her forehead. “Back in a second, sweetheart.”
Rolling off the mattress, I strode to the bathroom for a warm washcloth. Then I cleaned her carefully, dropping a kiss on her navel, my mind locked on the future we could have.
Her eyes widened slightly when I tossed the washcloth aside—something I’d never done before. Smiling, I slid back into bed, pulling my wife into my arms with her head resting on my chest.
The silence stretched, and I felt her tense slightly.
“Say something,” she whispered, her voice soft with vulnerability.
I tilted her chin until our eyes met, letting her see the determination in mine. “Thank you, Callie. I’m so sorry, and I love you more than words can say.”
What I left unsaid was my desperate hope—that today would be the start of the family she longed for. And the chance to prove I’d never let her face it alone again.
5
CALLIE
The faint scent of peonies greeted me the moment I stepped into our bedroom, and my gaze turned toward the bouquet on my bedside table. Ethan had surprised me with them two nights ago, a peace offering in the form of pale pink petals and green stems wrapped in florist’s paper. An expensive one since they were a month out of season, so he’d had to find a florist who carried them all the way from Ecuador. They were gorgeous, but what I appreciated most had been Ethan’s reason for choosing them—because they were meant to express regret, particularly in romantic relationships.
I couldn’t stop staring at them, even as the petals started to wilt at the edges.
A week ago, the sight of fresh flowers in our home might have filled me with hope. Tonight, all I could think about was whether they would last longer than the promises he’d been making.
But that was a concern for a different time. Right now, I needed to focus on the night ahead so I didn’t make my nerves any worse.
I smoothed the skirt of my dress over my hips and slipped into my heels, nerves buzzing in my chest. These faculty dinnersstill made me feel like an imposter, no matter how many times my supervisor told me I’d earned my place at the table. At events with the professors who’d once taught me, I often felt like a substitute playing dress-up.
It wasn’t quite so bad with Ethan at my side because he fit in so effortlessly where we went. His presence anchored me and gave me the strength to smile through the awkward greetings and subtle questions that always felt like tests.
