This time I don’t have to wash her cum off. I pull my fingers out of her and lick her juices off. Her eyes are dark and wild with passion.

  “Oliver,” she whimpers.

  “Sorry. Couldn’t wait,” I say in a tone that’s anything but sorry. While the clinic processed my card, I looked up the closest hotel and booked a room. My hard-on hasn’t left since I first touched Maddie in the exam room. I actually cannot wait another second to have her.

  When the doors slide open, I dig into my pocket and hand her the key.

  “What’s this for?”

  “You’re going to have to operate the lock. My hands are going to be occupied.” And I swing her into my arms.

  “I’m too heavy for this,” she yelps.

  “In what universe?” She doesn’t even feel pregnant. What’s urgent is my need to be inside of her. My cock’s so hard it might break off. “Get the door,” I order.

  Her eyes widen at the terseness in my words.

  “Baby,” I say by way of apology, “it’s been five months since my cock has had any attention from anything but my hand.”

  “Really?”

  “Fuck yeah.” I’m almost offended. “I’ve been looking for you for the last five months.“

  “Oh.”

  I shoulder the door open and set her feet on the floor.

  “I thought we were going to—“

  “I’ve got to drink from the source first.” I drop to my knees, drag her leggings down, shove her legs apart and seal my mouth against her.

  Her knees collapse and I shove my hand underneath her ass to hold her up. Her honey fills my mouth and coats my throat. I tongue her hard until she screams out my name. Only then do I rise, pull my aching cock out and thrust inside of her. Her pussy spasms around me, wet and scorching hot.

  “I’ve waited so long for this,” I rasp. “Every night I’d think about being inside of you. I’d close my eyes and you’d be there. Your hot pussy clenching around me. Your heels digging into my ass. Your fingernails scraping down my back. Then I’d wake up hard and sweating and alone.”

  She’s here now. She’s clinging to me, panting in my ear and I still feel like if I move the wrong way she’s going to disappear. I fuck her with an edge of desperation, as if this is the last time I can have her.

  I drag my mouth along her jaw. There’s violence running through me. I want her to know in her bones that she can’t ever leave me again. “You’re mine now.” I vow this with every thrust. “That child inside of you is mine. Your body is mine. Your soul belongs to me. You better give me your heart, too, because I won’t let you go. “

  Traces of her orgasm flutter against my cock as her body reacts to my possession.

  “And you,” she gasps. “Where’s your heart?”

  “It’s yours,” I growl. “It’s always been yours. I love you, Madeleine. I fucking love you, so come for me right now. Tell me you’re mine. Come on my dick and promise me you will not leave me.”

  It’s an order; it’s a plea. It’s a promise. She goes over the cliff, crying out. I follow her. My cum explodes out of me, drenching her tight cunt. I come and come, spending five months’ worth of built-up spunk but I’m still not depleted. I lift her body into my arms and carry her over to the bed, still connected, always connected.

  “I do love you,” I say, stroking a hand down her damp face.

  She cries a little. From the passion? From the need? From the release? Maybe all of it. My own throat feels tight.

  “I love you, too.”

  “Then say it.” I need to hear it.

  “I’ll never leave you, Oliver. Never.”

  Who knew a word could make me come?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Madeleine

  He takes my hand, leading me out of the hotel. The air smells different. The sun on my skin somehow feels nicer. Everything about today seems sweeter actually. A weight has been lifted off my shoulders and even though I’m carrying this little human inside me, I feel lighter today. The worry and sadness that has lingered with me the last five months isn’t as prevalent today. I snuggle into Oliver’s side, knowing everything is going to be okay. Our car pulls up but he doesn't wait for the driver to open the door. He does it himself, ushering me in before sliding in behind me.

  “Do you want to go back to the condo or can we make a stop?” he asks me. I rest my head on his chest, loving that I now can do that.

  “I don’t care where we go as long as I’m with you.” I’ve spent five months without him. I have plans to make up for lost time. He kisses the top of my head before rambling off an address to the driver. My eyes grow heavy as I relax into him more. I had no idea how much worry I’d been carrying around until Oliver picked it up and threw it out the window. His words of love and the knowledge that he’s been looking for me told me everything I needed to know.

  “I’m sorry,” I say. “I never should have run that night.” I peek up at him. “We lost months together because of me.”

  “I should have told you we were more than one night for me.” He drops his head, his mouth brushing against mine. I lean up to close the space between us, kissing him. “I should have cuffed you.” That causes me to smile against his lips.

  “You should have.” I nip at his bottom lip. He groans. “Nothing’s stopping you from doing it later when we get home.”

  “Be good, Maddie. We have an audience.” His eyes flick to the driver. I fake a pout and rest my head back down onto his chest. This feels right to me, as though it’s where I was always meant to be. I think that’s a big reason I ran, because I felt the same way that first night together but I wasn’t ready to accept it. Now, after having him again, there is no way that I could imagine my life without him.

  “From now on, if one of us is feeling something we have to say it. I think we’ve had one too many misunderstandings that hurt us both in the end.”

  “Deal,” he says immediately.

  “I mean it.”

  “Soon you’ll learn that I never go back on my word. I told you I am going to spoil you and that’s exactly what I plan to do. That didn't mean only in possessions. It meant in all ways. Anything I can give you, I will. That includes whatever is inside of my head.”

  “Hmm.” I look back up at him, pretending to be thinking his words over. “What are you thinking about right this second?”

  “I was thinking that your pussy tastes sweeter than I remember. I didn't know that was even possible.”

  The driver starts coughing from the front seat. I bury my face back in Oliver's chest. I know my face is turning all different hues of red. I can feel the warmth climbing up my cheeks as I shake with silent laughter.

  “I’ll make sure to ask those questions when we’re alone next time,” I mumble into his chest.

  “You can do anything you want.” I go back to snuggling into him, making up for lost time. He wraps me in his arms. I think I doze off for a second. I’m woken with a soft kiss to my lips.

  “We’re here.” My eyes flutter open to lock on his face. I wipe the sleep from my eyes, making sure that this is all real.

  “You know how many times I dreamed of falling asleep and waking up to see your face?”

  “Dream no more, love.” He gives me another kiss. This one is too quick. I wish we were in bed. I pull back to see exactly where he has taken me.

  “Maddie. This place is still a little bare bones, but that’s good because we can make it what we want. I want you to keep that in mind.” The car door opens. Oliver steps out, offering me his hand. I take it, slipping from the back of the car onto a stone driveway. The smell of saltwater is fresh in the air and I can hear the sound of water in the distance.

  “Where are we?”

  Oliver stops, turning toward me. His hand reaches up to tuck a stray piece of hair that’s escaped due to the light breeze.

  “Remember, this is only an idea. If you don’t like it, there are plenty of other places we can look.” I smile up at him, loving the fact that he sounds a little nervous but also excited. “It’s called the Hamptons. It’s a bit outside of the city but I thought it’d be a nice place to raise a family.” I want to melt into a puddle at his words. “If you don’t like it—”

  I kiss him, cutting his words off. Knowing that I’m probably going to love it. “You’re rambling. Let’s go see what you’ve found.”

  He guides me toward the house, which has sweeping views of the ocean. “I wanted to find something that incorporated everything I thought you might like. The ocean, land for our children to play on and privacy. I know it’s not California but I’m hoping that we can build a life together here. You can still keep your place in LA if you’d like and we can spend the colder months in the penthouse in the city.” I know without even seeing inside the house that I’m going to love it.

  “We could buy a beachfront property in LA if you don’t want to keep your condo. Maybe your sister can stay there and we can go as often as you want, or we can live there permanently. Whatever you want, I'll make it happen. Just—“

  I reach up covering his mouth with my hand. “I want to be here. I don’t live in LA because I love it. It’s where I work. I don’t care where I am as long as I’m with you.” I slowly drop my hand from his mouth. “I’m not going back to modeling. It was an accident I even became one to begin with and I stuck with it because I was good at it. It paid not only my bills but I could help my sister, who played a big role in raising me. I don’t love it.” I wrap my arms around him, pressing my belly into him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He drops his mouth to mine, kissing me deeply. One of his hands comes to rest on my belly.

  “Show me the house.”

  He steps back, revealing a house that looks like it’s been plucked out of the set of a movie. It’s big but homey. He takes my hand, leading me inside. There is nothing to it, but my mind starts putting it together in my head. I begin to point out where things can go and what could be done. All the other houses we’ve seen haven’t caused me to feel anything. I don’t know if it’s the house or if I can finally see Oliver and me having a family together. Making a real home together.

  “What do you think?” he asks me.

  I look up at him. “It’s perfect. We can make it our own. The groundwork is already laid. Kind of like us. Now we get to finish the story.”

  I knew without a doubt Oliver would stop at nothing to make sure it was a happily ever after.

  Epilogue

  Madeleine

  Months later

  Life has been busy these past couple of months since Oliver and I professed our love to one another. There’s been a lot that has happened in a short amount of time. The house was getting done in record time. I was married in a whirlwind event. Everyone I cared about was there. More importantly, I’ve gotten close to Oliver’s family. Mainly his sister, Blossom. They tease that she can be a little ditzy at times, but I think she has the biggest heart out of all the Gentrys. I love Oliver’s parents, but his sister has made me feel so welcome into their lives without it feeling forced. I’m glad that Blossom was around when Oliver introduced me to everyone. It made my introduction into the family a little more seamless than it would have been if it had only been Oliver and me. Not that any of it was really that bad, but I had been worried about them liking me. Sometimes people have preconceived notions of who I am because of what they have read in tabloids or because they’ve seen my face plastered everywhere.

  His mom surprised me by raining kisses all over my face when she learned both my sister, Cora, and I were alone in the world. Oliver even had a guest house built in the back of our land for whenever my sister or Danielle wanted to come and stay for long periods of time. I couldn't wait for the house to be done and to get settled in. It is going to be close but if I know Oliver, he’ll make it happen. Just like he made our wedding happen in the back yard. He had said that he wanted to see the place that I swore in front of everyone to be his every day. Who knew strolling into a bar one night would change my whole life? I’ve gone from going through the motions to actually living.

  “I’m starving. Can we get food before we stop at the house?” I ask, rubbing my ever growing belly. Two more weeks and our little girl is going to be here. Oliver has been attached to my side since we both finally admitted our love to each other. He doesn’t want to miss a second of anything our little girl might do, even if she is still inside my stomach. My stomach that wouldn't stop growing. Not that I cared that my modeling days are over. My agent tried to talk me into a pregnancy ad campaign but I turned it down. I am leaving that life behind. The only spotlight I want to be in is my husband’s. I am starting a new life. One that I want more than anything.

  “We can get something after.” I jerk my head over to look at my husband. The man who is always trying to feed me. He must have heard me wrong, because he never denies me food. This is coming from the same man that went out at midnight the other night to get me a chocolate dipped cone. Something isn’t adding up here. The Oliver I know would be offering me some sort of snack that he had hidden away in case I got hungry. I look at him suspiciously, trying to figure out what’s going on.

  “You hear that, Riley?” I look down, rubbing my hand over my belly. A little growl comes from my stomach in perfect timing. “You’ll have to wait to have something to eat until after we get to the house.” I watch as Oliver’s eyebrows furrow. I continue down this path, now on a mission to see why Oliver is acting weird. “Don’t kick me because your daddy won’t stop and get you a snack. Take it up with him when you come out.” Oliver’s hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Everything okay?” I fight a smile. He simply nods his head, his jaw tight.

  “I promise I’ll feed you soon.” His voice sounds distressed now. I reach out, putting my hand on his thigh.

  “I’m teasing you, babe.” I give his thigh a squeeze. “I mean, I am hungry, but I can wait a little bit longer but—” My words trail off as we drive up the long driveway to our house. It’s not only all the cars lining it that surprise me, but the house looks done. The flowers and landscaping are complete and exactly how I wanted them. I bet anything most of the house is already filled with all of our things. It’s all starting to make sense as to why Oliver kept me out of the penthouse all day. He was having us moved and a freaking party planned. That is my husband, though. Always trying to make my life easier. The man will do anything for me. I was silly to run from him that night. Not that it matters. My Oliver will always find me.

  “Oliver.” I look over at him. I already know everyone I love is inside the house ready to celebrate our first baby. I’m sure Blossom, Danielle and my sister, Cora, have had a field day planning this baby shower so it will be the most over the top event.

  “It’s done. Your housewarming and baby shower all in one. Surprise to you, my wife.” He leans over, kissing me. “I can have surprises too.”

  He always does. But the best surprise of my life was walking into the bar and finding him there waiting for me. It was the best birthday gift a girl could ever ask for. No wish needed. He was it.

  Epilogue

  Oliver

  Years later

  “Two egg whites,” Nat recites off the side of the box.

  “You sure about that?”

  “It says it right here,” my seven-year-old insists, tapping her tiny finger against the cardboard. I nudge the finger aside, wipe off the chocolate smear and read the recipe myself.

  “Two egg whites,” I repeat.

  “See?”

  “You’re right, Button.”

  “I told you so.”

  “So you did.” I separate the eggs, dump the whites into the bowl and then lower the whisks. “Hit the power,” I tell my girl.

  She punches the on switch of the mixer and then we both lean over to watch the metal whisks stir up the cookie mixture.

  “Do we have to bake it, Daddy?” my girl whispers.

  “Yeah, unfortunately,” I say. “Your momma would kill me if I let you eat raw eggs.”

  Nat wrinkles her small baby nose. “I won’t tell if you won’t tell.”

  “Don’t you dare,” a honeyed voice says from over our shoulders.

  At the sound of reinforcements, I breathe out a sigh of relief. Nat can get me to do almost anything.

  “I can’t leave you alone with the girls for more than a second, can I?” Maddie says with a sweet smile. She shifts baby June from one hip to the other and leans over to give me a kiss.

  “What can I say?” I murmur against her lips. “I’m a sucker for you girls.”

  “Gross.” Nat makes a gagging sound. “Why are you guys always kissing? It’s gross.”

  “It is gross,” declares a new voice.

  I draw away reluctantly to see my oldest, Riley, reach over and sweep her finger into the cookie dough bowl. Nat yelps. “Mommy said that we can’t eat raw eggs.”

  “I’m older. It cooks in my stomach,” Riley lies.

  Nat’s not sure about this and casts a suspicious look at her sister. Before the two can come to blows, I grab the bowl and start scooping out the dough onto the cookie sheet. “They taste just as good baked.” I shove a tray into the oven and set the timer on my watch. “How many of these do we have to make?”

  “You only have time for one batch before you have to drive me to practice,” Riley reminds me.

  “Can I come? Can I come?” Nat jumps up and down.

  “Sure.”

  “Can we get ice cream on the way home?”

  “Not before dinner,” Maddie says.

  Nat collapses on the center island in dismay while Riley chortles at her sister’s loss.

 

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