“What?” I frown.

“There’s been a terrible mistake. He turned up, alive, at a camp in Syria.”

My heart starts to race. “Wh—?”

“His dog chains were torn from him during an altercation just a few days prior. Another solider retrieved them and had them on him upon his return. That soldier was in the truck with civilians when the landmine hit it. We found the dog chains, and with so many bodies involved, it was assumed Ben was one of them.”

“He’s… he’s alive?” I whisper.

Brock’s face is disbelieving.

“He is, and he’s asked to fly straight to Australia instead of being taken to the States.”

My eyes search Brock’s. “He’s alive,” I repeat.

“Ben will be retuning on an Australian army cargo plane, and his flight should be landing at the Sydney army barracks at approximately eleven hundred hours.”

“Eleven hundred hours,” I repeat. “Sydney army barracks.”

Brock nods as he gets the instructions.

“Is he… okay?” I whisper.

“He’s fine, ma’am. He’s fine. Looking forward to getting home to his family.”

I laugh as tears fill my eyes. After a brief conversation and some goodbyes, I hang up.

“He’s alive!” I cry, and I run out into the living room. “He’s alive!” I scream to everyone.

They all look at me, deadpan, not understanding.

“It’s… it’s true,” Brock stammers. “I heard the whole conversation. Ben is alive.”

The room breaks out in jubilee, and everyone cheers and laughs. Natasha starts to cry and hugs me.

“Fucking Statham,” Joshua snaps. “I’m going to kill that cunt again tomorrow for putting us through this.”

“Joshua!” my mother gasps.

Joshua’s face falls as he realises he just used the C-word in front of his mother-in-law. “Sorry,” he murmurs shamefully.

She laughs. “Get in line, Joshua, get in line.”

I stand on the tarmac and bounce as the plane lands. We’ve been here for half an hour.

Everyone came.

Three carloads.

The hatch slowly winds down, and my heart is in my throat as I wait.

Where is he, where is he?

He comes into view, wearing his full army camouflage, walking down the ramp. I start to run towards him. Slowly at first, and then I run and run, and he laughs, catching me before I knock him off his feet. Ben holds me in his arms.

“Ben!” I cry.

He lifts me so that my legs are off the ground, and we stand in an embrace on the tarmac in the middle of a crowded airport.

“I’m here, angel. I’m here,” he whispers into my hair as he holds me tight.

He has a short beard and looks a little worse for wear, but other than that he is absolutely perfect.

I hold his face in my hands and I run my thumbs through his whiskers as I stare at his beautiful face. I pat his chest and his arms. “Are you okay?” My eyes search his.

“I am now.”

Our lips touch as he holds me tight, and our friends, who all stand behind us, cheer.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“Marry me,” he moans as he holds me off the ground.

He’s so strong and perfect.

My eyes fill with tears. “Now?” I smile. “You’re asking me now?”

“Yes, now.” He smiles.

“Yes,” I laugh, and he embraces me again. I pull back to look at him. “Ben?” I whisper up at him.

“What, angel?” He smiles down at me.

“I’m pregnant.”

His eyes search mine. “What?”

“You’re going to be a father.”

I grab his hand and place it on my stomach, and he frowns. “Are you serious?”

I nod as tears rain down my face.

He picks me up and twirls me around, causing us both to laugh out loud.

Our friends approach us from behind, and he lets me go for a moment. Mum kisses him. “Oh, Ben,” she whispers as she holds him.

He cuddles Tash and Adrian, and then he turns to the boys.

Joshua punches him hard in the arm. “That’s for fucking stressing me out, prick.”

Ben laughs, and shakes his hand, and then turns to Brock.

Brock shakes his head as he fights his tears. Ben grabs him into an embrace and they hug.

No words are needed.

Our man is home.

The steam from the shower fills the room, but we aren’t under the water.

Ben has me pinned against the basin as he kisses me, his hand holding my jaw to guide me where he wants. It’s as if his domination over my body has revved up ten levels. Maybe it’s because he knows his baby is inside of me. Maybe it’s just him, and I have a new appreciation for the power he holds.

He lifts my dress over my shoulders and tosses it aside, his lips dusting my neck.

My man is here to take care of me.

He undoes my bra and his hand cups my breast. He kneads it in his hand and frowns slightly.

“I’m swollen,” I whisper.

His eyes flicker with deep arousal as they find mine. “What else is swollen?”

I smile against his lips as he takes them aggressively. Jesus.

He slides my panties down my legs and his fingers slide between my thighs. He closes his eyes in approval. “My girl is wet,” he whispers.

My eyes close. I swear, he could just talk to me in his deep, accented voice and I would come.

His hand drops to my stomach and he splays his fingers out across my skin in wonder. “Our baby,” he mutters, almost to himself. He frowns and then looks up at me. “Can we…?”

I smile as I take his lips in mine. “Of course we can.”

“How rough?” he asks as he bites my neck with aggression.

I smile and my eyes roll back in my head. Oh, hell. Who cares? “Very rough. It needs to be rough. The doctor said very rough,” I lie, distracted.

He chuckles, and slowly takes his shirt off over his shoulders.

My face falls. He’s bruised and completely battered.

“Ben,” I whisper.

“I’m okay,” he assures me softly. “It’s just superficial, nothing like your wounds.”

My eyes fill with tears.

He dusts the backs of his fingers down my face as he studies me. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. It was unfair.”

I put my hand over my stomach. “I thought you died. I thought I was going to have to bring up our baby alone.”

He puts his hand over mine on my stomach. “I’m here now. I’m going to look after both of you now, angel.”

I slide his pants down and drop to my knees in front of him.

I need him.

I need to worship every damn part of this body I grieved for.

He inhales sharply as I take him deep into my mouth.

“Good girl,” he groans, stroking my hair. I pump him with my hand, and while I suck he watches on. The ripples in his stomach clench when he flexes.

He pulls out of my mouth and sits on the side of the bathtub on the step, lifting my legs so that I’m straddling him.

I frown.

“I can’t be trusted not to hurt you. You have to ride me,” he says carefully as he kisses my stomach. He puts some saliva into his hand and smears it though my flesh.

A frown crosses my face.

His eyes darken. “I don’t want you warmed up.”

“What?” I whimper.

“If I have to be gentle, then I want you to feel every fucking inch.”

My insides begin to melt and I straddle him.

He positions himself underneath me and pulls me down by my hipbones.

I wince. It’s tight.

“Rock,” he commands.

I rock from side to side, and he watches me struggle to take him with smug satisfaction on his face. His hands stay on my hips, but he doesn’t guide me at all.

He smiles darkly as his eyes stay focused on my sex. “Can you feel the burn, baby?”

“Yes,” I whimper.

“I want you to give it to yourself.”

I begin to get frantic as I rock down to try and get him in.

“Kiss me.” He grabs me by the hair and drags my face to his. He bites my bottom lip and stretches it out. “You open up that beautiful cunt and you take your husband’s cock.” He bites me again. “Deep.”

I moan as I rock.

Oh, God, he’s so fucking hot.

“Now, Bridget,” he growls. “Now.” He bites me harder. “Bring me home.”

I slam down onto him and he grabs my hipbones and begins to pump me, slow and deep. I try to lift and slam, but he stops me.

“Not too rough,” he growls.

Fuck it… don’t tell me he’s going to be like this for nine months.

“Ben,” I groan. “I need it harder.”

“Naughty girl,” he scolds darkly yet sweetly, and he lifts me. “My naughty girl likes to be fucked hard.” He steps into the shower and holds me up against the wall with my legs around his waist.

Then he’s riding me, deep and slow, and I’m going out of my mind here. I thrash beneath him and he smiles darkly as he watches on.

Completely in control.

I’m like a caged animal underneath him.

I can’t stand it. I can’t stand it. I convulse around him as I reach my climax, and he pumps me harder to get me through it. I whimper into his mouth.

His eyes flicker and he pulls out to sit down on the floor.

I pant as I stand above him.

He pats his lap and I squat over him before he slides back in, deep.

“I can’t be trusted not to hurt you,” he whispers.

His lips take mine.

“Fuck me,” he growls. “Fuck me now.”

Oh, God.

Back and forth, back and forth, deeper and deeper.

It goes and on and, oh God, it’s so good.

His eyes close and he temporarily loses it as he slams me onto him, then he cries out as he comes in a rush, deep inside of me.

He kisses me, smiling through it, and subtly shakes his head. “Rick was right,” he whispers.

“Huh?” I pant.

“Pregnant sex is next level.”

I giggle and drop my head to his shoulder. “You’re an idiot.”

He nips my neck. “And you’re a fucking milf.”

Ben and I sit in the doctor’s surgery, waiting to go in. We’re finding out the due date and I can’t help but think how different this appointment would have been if I were coming alone.

“Bridget Statham?” she calls.

We walk in and the doctor smiles warmly. “Hello.”

“Hello.” He and Ben shake hands.

He sits and gestures to our chairs. We sit down. He opens the file and reads the report, frowning.

“What’s wrong?” I ask.

“Nothing.” He smiles. “Definitely pregnant.”

Ben smiles at the floor.

“Let do this ultrasound. Hop up onto the table.”

I climb up onto the table and he pulls my top up as Ben watches on in silence. The doctor goes over my stomach with the ultrasound machine.

“Just as I thought.” He smiles.

Ben and I watch on, with no idea what we’re seeing.

“Are there twins in the family?” he asks.

My eyes widen. “Y-yes,” I whisper.

“There will be another set soon. Congratulations.”

My eyes find Ben’s across the room.

“There are two?” Ben gasps.

“Yes. I guessed from your hormone levels that something was going on.”

I lie on the bed, in shock.

“You can hop off now,” the doctor says before he sits down and takes a little wheel thing out and turns it. “Your babies will be with us in June.”

I glance at Ben, completely mortified, but he smiles back at me.

“Twins are harder, but not impossible, Bridget. It will all be fine. Don’t worry.”

“Tw… t-two babies,” I croak from the bed.

“Just carry on as normal. Treat it as a normal pregnancy.”

‘Two?” I hold two of my fingers up.

“Yes.” He and Ben chuckle.

“Any questions?” the doctor asks.

Ben frowns, and I know he wants to ask about sex, but won’t.

“Can we have sex?” I ask.

Ben rolls his lips to stop himself from laughing.

“Yes, of course.”

Screw you and your twin-producing semen, Statham. I’m going to embarrass you now. “Rough sex?” I ask.

Ben’s eyes widen in absolute mortification.

The doctor frowns. “Well…” He coughs to clear his throat. “Well, not crazy rough, no, but normal rough should be okay.”

I nod, and Ben shakes his head in embarrassment.

“Your appointment with the obstetrician will be brought forward by a few weeks now, so when you make the appointment, make sure you tell them it’s twins.”

Ben stands, and shakes the doctor’s hand. “Thank you.” He smiles proudly.

He takes my hand and we walk out to the parking lot in silence.

We get to the car and I freeze. “Ben. Two babies?”

I begin to freak out.

“I was scared to have one. How in the hell will I cope with two?”

Ben smiles lovingly at me. “We’ll work it out. I’ll have some time off work.” He kisses me and rubs my stomach before he bends to kiss it.

“Twins,” he whispers excitedly.

My face falls. “I don’t think I can do this.”

He smiles with a beautiful twinkle in his eye. “Remember what you told me, Didge?”

“What?”

“We can do anything as long as we have each other.”

He kisses me and he’s so hopeful and happy, and my world stops turning, because, just like that…

He was saved.