JAMES
“Everything hurts,” Maura moans the second she walks in from the elevator.
I look up from my tablet. “What hurts?”
“My ankles. My hands. My shoulders. And my brain will, too, if you make me look at your damn schedule.” She glares resentfully at the tablet.
I chuckle and set the tablet down on the coffee table. “You're in luck. I was just clearing my schedule for the rest of the afternoon.”
Her hand goes to her heart as she dramatically feigns shock. “Youwhat? I’m sorry, what alien infiltrated your brain and took over my husband?”
“An alien determined to spoil his wife, apparently. Come here.”
Standing, I cradle her face in my hands and gently drag my lips against her. Just a taste to satisfy me after a long day without her.
“Are you hungry?” I murmur.
She shakes her head. “They had so many macarons at the bridal shop, I don’t think I could eat another bite.”
“Good. Then let me take you upstairs.”
Her lips curve up into a flirtatious smile. “What for, husband?”
“I think you have some idea.”
Taking her hand, I lead her to the stairs. She moves a little slower these days, always tired from the pregnancy or the late nights painting, but I take the opportunity to watch her hips sway as she walks into the bedroom. Are they wider? I swear they look a little wider this week than they did last week.Damn. So perfect.
While my bedside table is still tidy and spare, Maura’s holds a giant pile of colorful paperbacks, a turquoise-colored vase she got in Greece filled with fresh yellow flowers, and a sketchbook, in case she gets any ideas at night. My eyes no longer twitch when I see the chaotic mess. Instead, it feels welcoming—a constant reminder of her.
She lets me unzip her maxi dress and slide it off her body. My hands skim the sides of her breasts as I remove her bra, and I relish the way she shivers at my touch. She slides her underwear over the swell of her hips, and I hold her hand to help her balance as she steps out of it. I circle her, my cock growing even harder as I take in her gorgeous body, noting any tiny micro changes and finding a few more to memorize before they change again.
“I can’t get enough of you pregnant,” I murmur, dragging my hand over her bump. “You’re fucking stunning. It’s almost impossible to keep my hands off you.”
“You barely try anyway.” She laughs as I kiss up her neck. She’s right—every day that Maura has the energy, I drag her to bed, mostly without complaints.
Our lips and tongues meet in a warm, slow kiss that sends waves of want through me.
I drag my mouth away from hers to help her up on the bed. I tear off my suit while she finds a comfortable position back against the pillows. Once I’m bare, I crawl up her body and stare down into her eyes.
“Let me spoil you, wife.”
“If you insist,” she says, smiling sweetly. “But careful or I’m going to get used to being your pillow princess and I’m going to expect this sort of treatment even after the pregnancy.”
“Good. Because I don’t plan on stopping, Maura.”
My lips meet hers again, softly this time. My tongue slides against hers in patient caresses. When she’s lying boneless against the bed, I drag my mouth from her lips down her throat. Her skin feels softer than silk, and a blush crawls up her neck as I adore her with my mouth. My hands drift down over her sides, sending a shiver through her.
I kiss down over the thin line of her scar. She hid it from me for so long, but now, she trusts me completely with it. It’s an honor, being allowed to kiss and touch it.
My hands span her belly as I kiss down the center of it. Her body feels like home, and the rest of the world disappears as my lips move reverently over her skin. The wordminepumps through my blood, until it’s the only thing I can think.
Maura’s body trembles under my touch, her hips arching up toward nothing.
“You want me to touch you, baby?” I gaze up at her lust-darkened eyes, and she nods.
“Please, James. I need your fingers there.”
One hand teases her inner thigh while the other drags through the slickness at her entrance. She whimpers deliciously at my touch. I nip and suck at her breasts while I stroke her clit. Her chest heaves with shallow breaths, pushing her peaked nipples even further into my mouth. Fuck, I could spend forever worshiping her perfect body.
