I pout. “I guess.” The truth is sex doesn’t really sound all that pleasant at the moment, but the connection, the intimacy … that’s what I need. What I want.
He tugs on a loose curl that’s fallen across my forehead, watching with fondness as it springs stubbornly back against my face. I roll my eyes and brush it to the side, tucking it uselessly behind my ear where it’s unlikely to remain. I managed a shower this morning at the hospital, but my unruly mane has had little attention the last few days and I shudder to think about how it looks right now. He doesn’t seem to care. When I meet his eyes again, they’re warm, soft pools of chocolate that watch me with open affection.
“What are you still doing kneeling on the floor?” I ask. “Is this the proposal you alluded to back at the hospital?” I’m only half joking as I ask it, and my heart skips a beat in my chest at the thought. Is it fear? Mostly I think it’s excitement, but …
Noah takes my hands in his again, his expression growing serious once more. He studies me for a long moment before responding. “I told you earlier that I will–Iwillask you to marry me, Lucy, but … I didn’t get you a ring yet. And, judging by your face, I think that was the right call–”
I open my mouth to say … something. I’m not quite sure what, but I don’t want him to think that it’s not something I want.I do.
God, do I ever.
Just …
He squeezes my hands and tilts his head, shooting me a warning look not to interrupt. So I give a small nod and he continues. “You don’t have to reassure me. I figured you’d tell me it’s still too soon, and that’s okay. We’ve been through a lot lately and we have a new little adorable life-changing bundle over there that’s going to require our full attention for the foreseeable future.” He glances over at our daughter, still sleeping soundly, before turning back to me. “But let there be no doubt, kitten, that Idowant it. The wedding, marriage, commitment. I want it all with you and I want the world to know you’re mine. I want to claim you in front of our friends and the whole damn town, okay? I’ll shout it from the rooftops, whatever I have to do to make you understand. I don’t want you to ever doubt my commitment to you or ever wonder again if I’m ashamed of you– because it couldn’t be further from the truth.”
He reaches up and cups my cheek in his palm, smoothing his thumb over my skin tenderly. “So just know, when you’re ready? I’m ready. All you have to do is say the word.”
I smile at him, nodding again.
“So … I didn’t get you a ring,buuuutI thought, maybe, a house would do. For now.”
“You thought right. It’s the most perfect thing you could have done. I’m just … still completely blown away by this, Noah. Thank you.”
I lean in and give him a lingering peck on the lips. Oh, those lips … but he pulls away from me again and I grunt in frustration. We have lots of kissing to make up for, and he’s so damn good at it.
“And there’s no pressure with the house either,” he adds, waving a hand vaguely around the room. “I know we already have the nursery and everything set up at your place. We can take our time, decorate it how you like; settle into parenthood and get the hang of things, then move over here whenever you’re ready.”
But I can barely contain my excitement at the thought of living here with him.
“I’m ready now,” I exclaim, and hebeams, dimples popping deliciously. It’s such a welcome sight after all that we’ve been through, the distance of the last few months and the trauma of the birth. Granted, the arrival of our daughter has elicited plenty of soft smiles from him, but this one–this one is radiant. So much so that I actually feel faint and breathless, as though all the air has been sucked from the room.
“That,” I breathe, pointing at his face.
“What?”
“That smile.” I shake my head. “Dammit, Noah Gardner, that’s a panty-dropper right there. Thank God you don’t do it too often or I’ll never survive the next six weeks,” I tease, but I’m only half joking. It’s going to be torture not being able to have him the way I want for that length of time.
“The doctor saidmaybesix weeks,” he reminds me and I frown. “And I actually think Idodo it pretty often these days.”
“Yeah,” I admit with a soft smile. “I guess you do. If you don’t count the last couple months.”
“We definitely don’t count those, Luce.”
I nod in agreement.
“It’s because of you, you know? You and that little lady right there,” he says. “You’re the reason I smile now.”
And with that he slides his hands up into my hair. A sound rumbles from somewhere deep in his chest as he claims my mouth again in a kiss that starts out soft but builds swiftly. My lips part and his tongue sweeps in, swirling against mine. I slide to the edge of my chair and weave my arms around his neck in an attempt to pull him closer. I need him closer. There’s a slight twinge at the movement where my clothing rubs against my bandage, but I ignore it, clawing desperately at his nape and whimpering. He swallows my noises, pulling back slightly to suck on my bottom lip, then tilting my head to give him better access as he moves to kiss along my jaw, pausing to nip playfully at my earlobe.
With the chaos of the last few days, Noah’s been looking more disheveled than ever–in an utterly sexy and rakish way, of course–and his dark scruff chafes delectably against my skin. He moves down my neck, licking and sucking against my rapidly fluttering pulse point. Goosebumps rise along my skin and every single one of my nerve endings tingles with electricity. All at once the air in the room feels heavy–thick with our need. I’m dizzy with want, head spinning …
We’re definitely getting too carried away, but–
A loud squawk breaks through the fog, cutting the tension like a knife and causing Noah to pull away. It’s a struggle to come back to myself as I work to wind my soul back into my body. We blink at each other, chests rising and falling rapidly while we attempt to regain control of our breathing.
Then a full-on wail breaks the silence.
Aaaandmy nipples start leaking. Holy shit, that’s wild!
