The cry from down the hall had Seth scrambling back so fast that I nearly fell off the bed. I grabbed hold of the bedding and tried to haul myself up, but all the build-up without a finish for a second time was giving me one hell of a head rush.

Almost in slow-motion, the doorknob started to turn. Seth flung himself at it while I scrambled for my dress, for a corner of the comforter, hell, even for a damn shoe to cover my nakedness. I settled for Seth’s T-shirt where he’d tossed it on the footboard and yanked it over my head just as Seth blocked Laurie’s flight into the bedroom.

“What’s the matter, sweetheart? Come here.” He scooped her up in his arms and cupped her head, holding it to his shoulder while he pivoted and ascertained I wasn’t flashing any T and A at his young daughter.

I was already rueing not making a grab for my dress, because what was I supposed to do to cover my lower half? Lace panties were not adequate. But without any alternatives, I tugged the comforter halfway over me and tried to unobtrusively tug them on.

And Laurie was crying, and it just did not matter. Nothing did but making her feel better.

As soon as I’d yanked them up my ass, I flung off the comforter and scrambled to them. “What’s wrong, honey?”

She cried harder and clung to her father, and for the first time in a long time, I felt as if I didn’t belong. As if I didn’t have a right to intrude. This was a private moment between them and I wasn’t her mother.

I stepped back, pushing my messy hair away from my face, and would’ve aimed for the bathroom—possibly to have a good cry, though I was even sure why—if Seth’s voice hadn’t stopped me.

“Ally, c’mere.”

Frowning, I looked back to see Laurie knuckling her red eyes with one fist and reaching for me with the other.

I moved toward them and took her chubby hand. Seth shifted to slide his free arm around my waist. “Let’s go back to your room.” His voice was low and soothing. “We’ll read you the rest of the story from earlier.”

Laurie curled into his chest while I rubbed my thumb over her soft skin. “Spend the night?” she asked me, peering out from underneath her father’s chin. Her lashes were starred with tears.

Seth answered before I had a chance to think of an answer. “Yes, Ally’s spending the night. She’s going to be spending the night a lot more from now on. Okay?”

Laurie nodded and stretched out her other arm to me so I could take her. I glanced at Seth, and he held her out to me as if she was mine too.

Eyes scratchy all over again, I pulled her into my arms and buried my face in her still damp hair.

“Story time,” Seth murmured, and I nodded.

Together, we walked down the hall to Laurie’s bedroom. Gently, I unwrapped her from her ferocious hold on me and set her back on her bed, taking my spot again on the side as if I belonged there. Seth sat on the opposite one. We took turns reading the story, with Seth playing the part of Mr. Peppermint while I played Mr. Peppermint’s nosy neighbor. By the end, Laurie was laughing at our exaggerated play-acting, but her eyes were heavy with fatigue.

“We’ll stay until you sleep,” I said, fussing with her sheet.

Seth nodded.

It didn’t take long, maybe ten minutes. We waited another fifteen beyond that, sneaking glances at each other to make sure she was out. Then we tiptoed back down the hall to his room and carefully closed the door behind us.

“I like this on you,” he said, fingering the hem of the shirt that brushed my thighs. I still hadn’t felt comfortable wearing it without pants in front of Laurie, but at least it had covered everything. Mostly.

I started to shrug off the compliment. My emotions were raw and jagged and all over the place. I was still horny yet I wanted to sniffle. So much was changing, and even trying to hold on to what I knew was impossible. Nothing was the same. Not Seth.

Not even me.

“I like wearing it,” I said instead, turning my cheek against the worn cotton and taking a nice big sniff of Seth’s sugar sex cologne.

“So don’t take it off.” He gripped my hips and pulled me close. “I can do what I need to do over, under and through it.”

“That sounds promising. And filthy.”

“Filthy promises are the best, baby.”

The affectionate term made me cock my head at him. I was still Ally, he was still Seth. We fucked, but baby was new.

He took that moment to grip my chin and haul my mouth to his. And like always, his lips were tender when everything else about him was hard.

Especially the stiff cock trapped in his jeans between us.

“I want you so much,” he said between kisses, and I nodded, because I got it. Every part of me was trembling to be with him again. Craving that instant when he’d slide inside of me and fill me up.

“But Laurie—”

“Might wake up,” I finished.

“Come to bed.” He gave me a quick smack on the ass, making me laugh.

I skirted around the bed and got in while he quickly shed his jeans, boxers and sneakers and followed suit.

Now what? Move toward him? Cuddle with my pillow? Wait for him to be bowled over by the sight of my collarbone revealed by the collar of his T-shirt?

He didn’t suffer from such indecision, however. He just hooked his arm around my waist and dragged me closer, covering my mouth with his before I could so much as sigh.

“I need you,” he said, and I couldn’t argue. I needed him too. So much.

“Will do better later, promise,” he said, anchoring my leg over his hips. I wasn’t fully sure what he was apologizing for until the damp head of his cock rubbed against my slit. I bit my lip as he slid all the way in, relishing that stretch even as I winced.

“All right?” He frowned.

“You’re big.”

“God, I love virgins.”

“Not a virgin anymore, wise ass.” Slugging him in the chest while his cock was inside me was a new thing, but it fit us somehow.

As did him gripping my thigh and shifting me slightly on my back so he could thrust in and out, over and over, until I couldn’t do anything but dig my nails into his shoulders and try to hold on.

“Damn straight you aren’t a virgin.” He cupped my breast through his T-shirt, rolling the nipple through thumb and forefinger. “Goddamn, woman, I love fucking you. If only I’d known.”

So many things nearly sprung from my tongue.

I knew. I always knew. At least I wished it could be like this with us.

But I didn’t say anything, just savored the way he was moving inside me. The rhythm he was building, stroke by stroke.

“Now this pussy is mine. This too.” His hand spanned over my belly and shock and pleasure and fear twined inside me, each fighting for dominance. “All fucking mine,” he said, staring straight into my eyes as he pulled back and sank home, deeper than before. He braced on one hand, rising above me, his muscled, tattooed chest glistening with sweat in the faint moonlight. “I’m gonna come inside you. So fucking deep.”

Part of me, the side that stayed safe behind a wall of sarcasm, shouted out a mental insult.

Yeah, yeah, so do it already so I can finally come too.

But the me who yearned to belong to him only nodded and moaned, scraping his back, jerking her hips to prod him to go harder, faster.

“God, Ally.” Desperately, he sucked on my breast through his T-shirt, getting the material all wet. My pussy throbbed in tandem with the nipple between his teeth. “You feel so damn amazing. Wanna fuck you over and over, fill you up with my kid. God, I want that.”

I tried to swallow over the dust in my throat, to blink away the haze in my eyes. I was so twisted up, so hot and achy all over. All I needed was to come. Then I could think again.

The friction of his movements ground against my clit with every pass, and I’d been so long denied now that probably a strong breeze could’ve set me off. I cried out, turning my head to bite the pillow.

“Yeah, yeah, that’s it.” He leaned over me, speeding up until his sweat dripped on my lips. And God, even that was hot. The salt burned where he’d bitten me through our crazy kisses. “Fucking come on me. Now.”

It wasn’t instantaneous. Maybe later I could take pride in that. But straining toward that peak and not getting there made me frustrated enough to drag my nails down his arm, ripping a groan from him that sure as hell didn’t sound like pain. Especially since his cock started to jerk and spurt inside me.

And that was what did it. Not his breathless demands. Just feeling him let go so far inside me, that sticky warmth making me feel so full. It didn’t matter if I was imagining I could feel it or not. Just knowing he was coming inside me bare was enough to make me give in too, my hips rising and falling against the mattress as moans I couldn’t stop tumbled from my lips. Ones he didn’t try to cover up. Ones that made him groan and keep pounding into me with his half-hard dick until we were broken and sweaty and panting.

He dropped his head to my breast. I stroked his hair, the words on my lips.

Finally, the truth would be out there between us.

No more secrets.

I love you.

But in the end, I couldn’t ruin the perfection of this moment. I couldn’t ask for more when he’d already given me so much. More than I’d ever thought could be possible between us.

Maybe we’d even have a baby together. Our own kind of family.

Our own kind of miracle.