This time, it feels like peace. Like everything in my life just found its place.
I kiss her, slow at first, then pick her up and carry her to her bedroom, laying her gently on the bed.
The bed is soft under my knees as I kneel over her, my hands already tangled in her hair, her lips warm and yielding against mine.
She kisses me back, her fingers clutching the front of my shirt, pulling me closer.
I slow the kiss, my tongue sliding against hers, deepening it until her breath hitches. My hands drift down to her hips. She’s so small under my hands, but there’s nothing fragile about the way she kisses me. Still, I pull back just enough to breathe against her lips, my voice low.
“You sure about this?”
Her eyes lock onto mine. There’s something raw in them, something that makes my chest tighten.
“Yes,” she whispers, her breath warm against my mouth.
I don’t need to be told twice.
I kiss her again, slower this time, savoring the way her lips part for me, the way her body melts into mine. My hands slide under her shirt, my fingers skimming up her ribs, feeling the softness of her skin, her warmth.
She’s carrying my child.
The thought steadies something deep in me, like my whole life just found a center.
She shivers, her nails digging into my shoulders, her blonde hair fanning out against the pillow. I pull back just enough to pull her shirt off, revealing the pale curve of her breasts.
My hands tremble as I unclasp her bra, letting it fall to the side. I press kisses along her collarbone, down the slope of her chest. She arches into me with a soft, needy sound, her fingers tangling in my hair.
“Declan—”
My name on her lips is a plea, and I answer it by cupping her breasts, my thumbs brushing over her nipples until they harden under my touch. She gasps, her back lifting off the bed, her body already so responsive, so ready.
I kiss lower, my mouth trailing down her sternum and gently over her belly. My stubble scrapes her skin, and she squirms, her legs parting just a little.
I hook my fingers into the top of her leggings and pause, looking at her.
“You’re so beautiful,” I murmur, my voice rough.
And she is. Spread out beneath me, flushed and breathing hard, her lips swollen from my kisses. She bites her bottom lip, a smile tugging at her mouth, but her eyes are dark with desire.
I pull her leggings and underwear down in one swoop, revealing her completely. Just her, bare and glistening, her thighs trembling as I kiss the inside of one, then the other.
The first taste of her is intoxicating, her arousal already slick on my tongue. She moans, her hands fisting in the sheets as I settle between her legs, my mouth working her slow and deep. Her hips lift, chasing my tongue, but I gently pin her down, holding her still as I lick and suck, savoring every gasp, every broken whisper of my name.
Her thighs shake around my head, her breath coming in short, desperate bursts.
“Oh god, Declan—please—”
I don’t let up, my fingers digging into her thighs as she comes with a cry, her body trembling.
I don’t stop until she’s boneless, her chest heaving, her hands limp at her sides. Only then do I crawl back up her body, bracing myself over her. She’s still catching her breath, but her hands are already at my belt, fumbling with the buckle.
“I need you,” she murmurs, her voice raw.
The demand in her tone sends a jolt straight to my cock, already hard and aching behind my jeans.
I kick off my pants and boxers. Charlotte’s eyes darken as she takes me in, her tongue wetting her lips. I don’t make her wait. I line myself up, pressing into her in one slow, deep thrust. Her walls clench around me, so hot and wet it makes my vision blur.
“Charlie—” I moan, my forehead pressing to hers.
