Sawyer

I’m confused.

I’m mad at Giselle.

I’m hurt and anxious by the looks David was giving and the things he was saying as Mia, and I hurried from the restaurant.

But all of those feelings are secondary to the other things I’m experiencing. Like the absolute certainty that I’m in love with Mia and want to keep her in my life. Like the fact that I’m going to make things right between us, and with David.

Like the fact that I’m going to be a father.

In spite of everything else that has happened tonight, I’m grinning at the thought as we pull up in front of my apartment. Mia still has her eyes closed, like she’s had for the entire car ride here, but I’m pretty sure she’s not actually sleeping.

I have so many questions, but I don’t want to rush her. I want her to feel completely comfortable, completely at ease. I want her to feel at home and relaxed.

I want her to feel loved.

“Mia, baby,” I reach out and stroke her cheek as her eyes flutter open. “We’re here. Just a second and I’ll help you out.”

She reaches for the car door, stubborn as always, and it only makes me smile even wider. I’m used to being in charge all the time, but I kind of love it that she insists on doing things her way.

“I’m fine,” she mumbles, but she’s still moving slowly, and she’s barely swung a leg out of the open car door by the time I’ve hurried around to the passenger side to give her a hand.

Thankfully, she doesn’t argue this time—she doesn’t say anything else, in fact, until we’re inside the apartment and I’ve helped her ease down onto the sofa.

“You didn’t have to do all of this,” she says, her voice sounding tired and weak. “But thank you… for everything.”

I sit down and take her hand, rubbing my thumb in small circles against the soft skin of her wrist. “I just want you to be comfortable. You don’t need to thank me.”

We sit in silence for a few minutes, but I don’t feel anxious. I know we’ve got a lot to talk about, but I’m not in a hurry. We’ve got all night, and all day tomorrow—as long as it takes.

“I’m sorry,” she says, finally, pulling me from my thoughts. “I was going to tell you, but… not like that. I wanted to wait until we could be alone, but the timing never seemed to be right, and—”

Her eyes start to well up again with tears, and I shake my head as I lean in and kiss her on the cheek. “Don’t apologize,” I whisper, my face so close to her neck that I can’t resist the urge to kiss her there, too. “We don’t have to talk about this right now if you’re not ready, babe. I’m not angry, and you can stay here for as long as you want, okay?”

She cocks her head to the side and her perfectly arched brows knit together. “You’re… not angry?”

“Nope.” I shake my head and smile. “Of course not. Don’t get me wrong—we need to talk about all of this at some point. But my main concern is that you’re okay. You and the baby, I mean. That’s all I care about. We’ll work everything else out, Mia, I promise.”

She leans over and buries her head against my shoulder. I put my arms around her as her whole body is wracked by sobs. It breaks my heart that she’s been carrying around all of this stress and uncertainty by herself. She hadn’t told her dad for obvious reasons, but I’m blaming myself now for not seeing the signs earlier and for selfishly trying to keep some kind of distance between the two of us—even if I did have good reasons at the time.

But everything is different now. Knowing she’s pregnant has changed my entire outlook on life, on relationships, on the lack of balance I have with work and my commitments outside of work.

I should be thanking her for opening my eyes to everything I’d be missing if I had let her walk out of my life when her internship ended.

It takes a few minutes, or maybe longer than that, but she goes still and stops crying. Her breathing is deep and even, and for a moment I wonder if she’s fallen asleep against me.

Her head rolls to the side and rests against my neck as I lean back a little. Yeah, she’s asleep. I smile, wishing I could fully see the beautiful, calm expression that I already know has fallen across her face.

For now, though, I just need to get her to bed.

Doing my best not to jostle her too much, I scoop her into my arms and carry her back toward my bedroom. She’s as light as a feather, and I’ve just about made it to the doorway to my room when her eyes open, and she looks up at me.

“Don’t leave me,” she says, sounding like she’s still half-asleep.

I don’t know if she means for me not to leave her alone in the room or if she means it more generally, but it doesn’t matter. Either way, my answer would be the same.

“I won’t leave,” I say. “Not even for a minute. I love you, Mia.”

She blinks and then her eyes open wide. I know it’s the first time I’ve said those words to her, but I only regret that I haven’t said them sooner.

“I love you, too,” she whispers, smiling up at me as I gently ease her down onto the bed. “Please stay in here with me for a while,” she says again. “I need to feel you next to me. I want you to make love to me.”

All the thoughts and worries that have been filling my head are pushed aside as I hear her words. My cock twitches as she reaches for me, but I don’t want to move too quickly. I want to savor this quiet, perfect time together.

I move quickly to get undressed, then more slowly as I help Mia remove her clothes. When she’s naked in front of me, I join her on the bed. She lets out a contented little sigh as I plant a row of kisses along her collarbone, up the line of her neck and across her cheek until I can capture her mouth with mine.

She tastes so sweet as she hungrily kisses me back, her tongue entwining with mine as our bodies move against each other.

Fuck, I need to be inside her, but I’m doing my best to be gentle.

Then she moans, and I can feel my cock throb in response. There’s no way I can wait for much longer.

“Please, Sawyer,” she says, reaching between our bodies to stroke me. “I need this—need you.”

I position myself over her and rub my cock along her folds. Jesus, she’s already so wet. She really does need it. Just knowing that her body is ready for me makes me smile, and I pause, taking a moment to look down at her.

She’s beautiful, as always, but something more, too. Something extra that makes her skin extra soft and silky smooth. I run a hand down her body, past her breasts and down to her belly, where I rest it softly.

Looking up at me, her eyes are bright with emotion. “Our baby,” she whispers.

I nod and lean in for a quick kiss. “Our beautiful, perfect baby.”

They’re words I never thought I’d say, but it feels so damn right with Mia that I don’t have any hesitations.

Kissing her again, I slide inside her, loving the way her body responds to me and opens itself to me as if we were two halves of a whole—made for each other.

I can’t stop kissing her, even as my body rocks against hers. She doesn’t seem to mind, though. She’s pulling me tighter, closer, deeper, running her nails up and down my back as I thrust into her and explore her mouth with my tongue.

It’s sensory overload, and I love every second of it.

“Please, Sawyer,” she murmurs again, and it’s all I need to hear.

I slide inside her, loving the way she feels as she tightens around me, warm and velvety and just so fucking good that all I can do is moan her name.

“Fuck, Mia,” I press my body against her, suddenly needing to feel as much of her as I possibly can, inside and out. “You’re so sexy, babe… so good to me.”

“Sawyer… faster… I need… please.” She pulls me against her again, and even though she’s not making sense, not even forming sentences, I feel like I know exactly what she means.

She’s moving in perfect rhythm with me, and we don’t need words because we have each other—her amazing body that’s been made to fit perfectly against mine.

And it does.

The sounds of our moaning and thrusting and our bodies joining together fill the room until she pants my name in that fucking sexy, breathless way that drives me over the edge.

“Sawyer, yes, please… now.”

I bury myself deep inside her as I bury my face in her hair, filling her with my release as I fill my senses with her smell, her touch, her taste.

She’s exactly what I need. She’s perfect for me.

She’s everything to me.

And as I roll to the side and look into her eyes, our bodies still joined, I know that she feels the same way.

“I love you,” I say. And then, just because I can, I repeat it. “I love you so much.”

Her smile lights up the entire room and makes my heart do a slow roll in my chest. “I love you, too. Always.”

This night has been crazy. Everything feels a little crazy. But right now?

Looking into her eyes and hearing her say she loves me?

That makes it all worthwhile. Everything else can wait because her love is all I need.