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She shook her head immediately.

“No.”

My thumb brushed along her jaw.

“This is great news.”

“Do you think we’re ready for this?” she asked.

“Yes Samantha,” I added, my voice lowering slightly, “but now you don’t do anything without telling me first. No stress, no surprises, nothing that affects you or the baby. Do you understand?”

She nodded immediately.

I held her then bent down and kissed her still flat stomach. I looked up at her and smiled.

Now there was something else layered into all of this. She was tied to me in a way that went beyond anything else.

And now, there was no version of this where she walked away.

Chapter 24

Maggie

The scent of seared steak and roasted garlic potatoes filled the air like some kind of domestic spell I was casting.

Asparagus too, steamed just right with a squeeze of lemon and a pat of butter. Rich people food I thought with a little smirk. That was what my mom would have called it back when we were scraping by on boxed mac and cheese and whatever was on sale at the corner store. Now here I was playing house in a beachfront mansion that probably cost more than I would make in three lifetimes wondering if this was enough to make Richard stay a little longer tonight.

I wanted more time with him. The thought twisted in my chest as I checked the oven one last time. I wanted to be his wife. Not just the girl waiting in his beach house. I wanted trips to places I’d only seen in magazines. Paris maybe or some private island where we could pretend the rest of the world didn’t exist. I wanted kids one day too, little ones with his sharp features and my stubborn streak running around this house and filling it with noise.

I hadn’t said any of that out loud yet. Not to him. Richard was not the type you pushed. He was the storm you let crash over you. But tonight with the candles flickering on the dining table and my heart hammering I wondered if I could find the words.

I checked the oven timer again as my nerves continued to flutter. Tonight I wanted to remind him why he kept coming back. Why this could be something real.

The low rumble of his car on the gravel pulled me out of my thoughts. My heart kicked up. I rushed to the big mirror in the hallway for one last check. My ocean blue eyes looked bright and a little hungry under the smoky shadow I had done. My lips were soft and glossy. My blonde hair was pinned up in a loose sexy twist with a few strands falling down to frame my face just the way I knew he liked.

The lingerie was white and expensive as hell, the kind that screamed unwrap me. The sheer lace bodysuit hugged every curve, and the delicate cups allowed my hard nipples to show through. Thin straps crossed my shoulders and dipped low across my back, leaving most of my skin bare. The high-cut bottoms showed off my hips and ass, while garter straps connected them to silky thigh-high stockings. A tiny satin bow sat right at the top of my pussy like a naughty little gift. I had thrown a short silk robe over it tied loose so it would slip open easily. It looked fancy. Pure temptation. I knew it would catch his eye the second he saw me.

I turned on the stereo, filling the beach house with music, then rushed to the door just as it opened. The cool evening breeze carried the faint salt tang of the ocean.

And there he was.

Richard.

His broad shoulders filled the doorway, his dark hair slightly tousled from the drive.

“Richie,” I breathed, launching myself at him before he could even step fully inside. My arms went around his neck and I pressed up on my toes to kiss him hard. His mouth was warm, demanding, tasting faintly of whatever whiskey he had on the way. Those large hands immediately slid down to grip my ass, fingers digging into the soft flesh through the thin silk. He pulled me flush against him, lifting me just enough that my feet barely touched the floor.

A sharp smack echoed as one palm came down on my ass cheek, the sting blooming into heat that shot straight between my legs. I gasped into his mouth and he chuckled low, that smirk I loved curving his lips when he pulled back.

“I missed you,” I whispered. My fingers traced his jaw, feeling the tension left by whatever had happened that day.

He smirked, his eyes raking over me like he was already imagining peeling the robe off.

“Looks like it,” his grip tightened, kneading my ass possessively.

I smiled nipping at his lower lip before stepping back just enough to take his hand. “Come on. I made dinner. Steak just how you like it, medium rare with potatoes and asparagus. Figured you would be hungry after whatever kept you.”

He let me lead him toward the dining area but not before his hand landed another light spank making the robe slip open a little. The table was set beautifully, white linens, candles casting golden shadows across the glass walls where the ocean glittered under the setting sun. I served him first plating the food with care then sat across from him in the robe that kept threatening to fall off my shoulders.