I’ve come full circle.

At least, it feels like I have.

There’s one big difference.

Isabelle is with me, and the child she’s carrying—my child—makes us a family.

I unlock the front door of my grandfather’s house and stand on the threshold. This is my childhood home. My parents’ home, the one that Pops moved into after they died, solely to make my life a little easier. A little less uncomfortable.

I’ve already made up my mind since leaving the hospital earlier. Everything is set. I’m going to move in with Pops and make this house our home. This is the place where I’ll put down roots with Isabelle and our baby.

Our home.

We step inside and I close the door. I announce my plan for us, expecting some resistance because it’s not like I consulted with her or sought out her input on it.

She surprises me by resting her head on my chest, wrapping her arms around my waist, and says, “I love the idea. This house was your fortress. You were a different person between these walls. Stronger, calmer, more at peace than anywhere else. In hindsight, I should’ve known that your leaving for college would affect you. But that’s the past, like you said. What I like the most is that Mom and Dad are next door. They’ll be thrilled to know we kept their grandchild so close by.”

“Good.” I kiss her hair and tilt her head up to me, laying an explosive kiss on those sexy lips that I’ve fucking missed like crazy.

“I’m hard as fuck for you, but I won’t overdo it on your first day back.” I admit once our lips part. “I had Pops’ maid set up two of the main floor guest rooms for us. You must be tired from the flight.”

She nods and grips onto my dress shirt with both hands. “I am, but I’ve really missed you.”

“Me too. You don’t have to sleep alone. I’ll stay with you until Pops wakes up.” I quickly pull my phone out. “Hang on. I’ll send Foster a quick message.”

After sending the text, Isabelle takes the phone from my hand and hides it behind her back.

“You’re missing the gist of what I said,” she hums flirtatiously, her voice so thick with lust that it goes right to my cock. “I want you in my bed, but not to sleep.”

I don’t waste another second. Lifting her into my arms, I carry her to the first guest bedroom. I kick the door shut behind me and lower her to the bed. I’m painstakingly slow stripping off every piece of clothing on her body, taking my time to appreciate and memorize her every curve, line, and contour.

She’s got my baby growing in her belly, a small part of me. Probably the very best part, because it’s a pure, untainted extension of me, my parents, Pops and Grams, and everyone before them.

Already, I have only love for my child, a love I couldn’t experience if it weren’t for this gorgeous creature in my bed.

I smile at a thought and she asks me what I’m thinking about.

“It’s kind of funny. You’re carrying my child yet this feels like our first time.”

She grasps my forearms, pulling me to lie on top of her. “I was just thinking the same thing,” she whispers at my ear, then tugs my earlobe between her lips. “No more talking. Make love to me. Hard and rough, gentle and slow, it doesn’t matter. Just put your hands on me, your mouth, your body, and don’t let me go.”

That I can do.

And until she screams my name and tells me that she’s mine, I’m not fucking stopping.

I lower my head to her cleavage and pull her nipple between my teeth. She arches for me as I lick in a circular motion, and her fingers reach down to the bed, gripping fistfuls of the sheets into her hands. She’s so fucking responsive. So fucking ready.

I lift from her body and look down at the way she lies there on the bed, bare and open and ready, like pure temptation.

Mine.

She holds my gaze and I’m mesmerized by her stare, so intense that I’m not just aroused, I feel like she’s peeled back every layer of roughness protecting the smallest, most vulnerable part of me. This is the best friend I’ve always had. The woman who wielded so much power over me that I thought I had to run away to save myself. But the truth is exactly the opposite.

She fucking saved me.

My Belle.

She slowly licks her bottom lip and I have to swallow hard and force myself not to devour her too quickly. I want this time to be both slow and gentle, and hard and rough. Everything she asked for that I’ve been holding back. I want to kick myself for holding out on her after all this time. It’s been close to six weeks since we had that fuck session at the engagement party.

Six fucking weeks I wasted.

“Knox,” she moans my name. “I’m here now. You’re here. No more waiting. No more hoping. Please. I need you.”

“Tell me you’re all mine,” I order her.

“You know I am.”

“Say it, beautiful girl. Tell me.”

She runs her gaze down the length of my body, then back up to my eyes and nods. She spreads her legs wide enough for me to see her pink center, slick and ready for me. “I’m yours, Knox. I’ve always been yours.” She puts her palm on my chest above my heart. “Trust this. It knows I love you more than I can stand. And I always will.”

Like she said a few minutes ago, the time for words are over and the time for action is here. She wants me to fuck her and I’m going to give her what she wants. I turn off the part of my brain that overthinks, slip both hands under her ass cheeks, and lower onto her. She sucks in a shaky breath at the feel of my thick erection, hard and urgent as it jerks against her folds. With the tip pressed at her opening, I reach down between us, lifting just enough to cover her swollen clit with two fingers. I hear my name on her lips and flick her sensitive bud again and again, bringing her close. Her hips lift off the bed, rolling into my hand, inviting my cock deeper between her folds and driving me to the brink of insanity. Her hands hold me at my waist, fingernails gripping my skin, and when she parts her lips again, I cut off her words with my mouth, and bury myself deep inside of her.

We share one breath, and one fluid motion that transfers back and forth between us each time that I thrust into her, and pull back, deeper and harder each time.

“Yes,” she cries into my kiss as her core tightens like a fist around my shaft, tensing as she comes hard.

Each moan she makes calls to me, every satisfied whimper draws me closer. But I want to see more of her, and I want that the next time she comes, we’ll get there together. Holding onto her lower back, I roll and flip us so she’s on top of me, our bodies still connected.

I raise my hand to the side of her face, flush with need and arousal now. I trace a finger up her jawline, past her neck, and take a handful of hair hostage. My other hand rests at her waist for leverage.

“Ride me. Don’t hold back.”

Her eyes snap closed. Her head falls back. Her hands press down on my abs, and she begins to do exactly as I say. Rocking as I lift her body, curving her torso as I ruthlessly drag her down my cock until I’m balls deep inside of her hot, tight pussy, clenching me harder, picking up the pace each time. We’re slick with sweat, hot and rough, so close to coming that I lift and pull one breast into my mouth.

“Come for me,” I order her against her nipple.

With that demand, she obeys. Her entire body shakes, her legs tremble, knees so wide that I can feel her inner thighs on my balls as she cries out through her orgasm.

“Yes, Belle,” I growl and flip her under me again, losing no momentum as I pound deep into her. “That’s it.”

I don’t stop claiming every fucking inch of her sweetness, over and over, until one rough, heavy thrust takes me past my limit and I come hard. I let her tightness milk me. Every drop of my seed spills so deep inside of her, if she wasn’t already pregnant, I have no doubt that I’d knock her up. Lowering to her body, I cover her with my heat and hold her as we gasp for fresh air in our lungs.

“I’m just getting started,” I whisper to her. “You want this beast to be rough, and fuck, I’ll give you all of that and more.”

She pants out a laugh and holds me tight, ready and waiting for me to take her one more time.