Chapter 27

Gage

It had been the first time I’d admitted to her that I loved her, and the kiss she gave me was sweet, but I wanted to hear the words in return.

She met my eyes. “We’re going to really be a family, aren’t we?”

“Yeah, we are.” I slipped my hand down to her little tummy which had gotten so round in such a short time. “You’re beautiful. I like you round with my baby. When do we get to find out what it is?”

“I have two weeks until my next appointment. That’s when they’ll schedule me an ultrasound.” I reached up and stroked his hair, brushing it away from his face. “What do you want? Another girl, or a son?”

“I want a healthy baby, but I’d love a little boy, just to see what it’s like. Ollie is so cute, and there’s only one other person who has me wrapped around her finger as tightly.” I wasn’t sure if I should admit that to her or not, so I kept talking. “But I’d like a son to take to the cabin. Maybe I could teach him how to swing a hammer.”

“You could teach a daughter the same thing. I always wanted to learn things that my brothers did, but my dad always said no because I’d get hurt.”

“I’m not sure I’d trust Ollie with a hammer.” Her eyes widened, and I laughed. “I don’t mean to scare you; she’s really a little angel. So sweet. She tested the waters a bit when she first came home, but now that she’s been there full time, she’s doing great, and she’s looking forward to meeting you and starting school next year.”

“One in school and a newborn. We’ve got our work cut out for us.”

She wasn’t kidding. Life was going to be different, but the changes were all for the best. “I don’t want to go home without you. When I leave tomorrow, I want you to come with me.”

Her eyes closed, and she let out a long breath. “I have my doctor here. I have my job, my apartment.”

“And my baby inside you. I know this is your whole life, but dammit, Lauren, you and the baby are mine. Come home with me. You don’t have to work, so you can leave your job.”

“I don’t know, Gage. I was lucky that I had a place to go after the affair, and I don’t want to leave them hanging.”

“I saw the way those assholes treated you at the party; you don’t need it. I have more than enough money to take care of us both, and besides, I don’t want you to be stressed out over cases. Stress isn’t good for you or the baby.”

“I’m not you, Gage. I don’t want the early retirement life. I want to work.” She rolled over, and I cuddled up behind her, kissing her shoulder.

“You can. Give me this time, please. Humor me now, and when the baby is two, you can go back to work if you still want to. Or maybe you and I will find something we want to invest in and do together.”

“Fine, I’ll humor you. But we need to try and see Noah before he goes back home. I know he’s going to hate us both for a while, but I’m hoping he’ll be so excited about the baby that it will make it all better.”

“He’ll come around. We had a good talk, and I came clean with him. I’m surprised he hasn’t called you.”

“He’s mad.” She let out a long breath, and I could tell by her tone that she hated the way things were between them. I hated it, too. We all loved each other, and we were going to be family. Life was too short for all of the bickering.

I needed to put her at ease. “All he cares about is that I do right by you.” I slipped my hand down to cradle her tummy.

“Really?”

“He told me to tell you that he loves you.”

“He’s a good brother.”

“He is.”

She turned to lay on her back, and I leaned over to kiss her as I propped up on my elbow. “Are you going to go home with me?”

“Yes, I will.” She laughed and covered her face. “What am I doing? I hope you realize I’m quitting a good job.”

“It feels good, doesn’t it? Since I’ve been spending more time at home, I love it. You will, too.”

Her hand slipped down and rested on my cock, which was already semi-hard with all of the excitement. It hardened instantly, growing in her hand as she gripped it. “I know other things that feel good, since we’re at it.” She turned and raised her leg up over my hips and continued to stroke me slowly and steadily.

“It does feel good.”

“I want to make you feel really good.” She kissed my mouth and then worked her way down my body, only stopping once she got to my hips where she dragged her lips and tongue along my shaft, down to my sac. I had a nice load brewing, and my eyes rolled back in my head as she rose up and took my head into her mouth, giving it a hard suck as if she wanted to drink it down.

“Fuck, that’s so good.” I hissed through my teeth as she took me down to the back of her throat and moaned. I could feel her throat vibrating on me, and I splashed her tongue with a taste of salt. She moaned louder, and I felt her throat contract as she swallowed it around my cock.

“Come here, baby.” I coaxed her back up, and she straddled my hips, sitting on my balls and rubbing her slit against my shaft. She stroked me like that for a while and then reached down to grip me, standing my cock up so she could inch her way onto it.

She slid down on my cock inch by inch, and I reached up and played with her tits, which had seemed to have grown as a result of the pregnancy.

“They’re so sensitive, and it’s like they are connected to all of the good places.”

I gave her nipples a kiss and then pulled one into my mouth, teasing and sucking as I kneaded her tits and rolled my hips. She moaned and started bouncing, riding me nice and steady.

She held me captive with her eyes, which were so fixed on mine that she didn’t blink. I couldn’t look away, either, and when I considered what we’d been through, the weeks and months wasted that we could have been together, I leaned up and kissed her deeply.

I wanted to give this woman the world and knew that nothing I did would compare to the gift she was giving me by carrying our child.

She pulled away and threw her head back as she came hard and soaked my cock as she made the hottest moaning sound ever. I felt my cock swell even bigger inside of her as my release built. I wasn’t nearly done, though. Especially when she climbed off my cock and spun around, sitting to ride me in reverse. I watched her ass as she bounced up and down, and I reached down, pressing my thumb against her tight little star.

“Yes,” she cried out and wiggled her ass on me. “It feels so good.”

I pushed my thumb inside just a little, and she rose up, riding me in long, hard strokes. Then, I moved from beneath her, rising up to take her from behind as I kept my thumb just inside her.

She went crazy on my cock, wiggling and moaning as I fucked her holes and stroked every curve.

I gathered her damp hair and held it behind her, pulling her head closer until her ass was tilted and she moaned even louder. “Yes, that’s my spot, baby. Please don’t stop. Harder.” I continued to fuck her harder as she begged, and once I had her whimpering through her next orgasm, my cock poured, soaking her center until it dripped down her thighs.

I grabbed the towel her hair had been in and wiped her up, and then we both settled in her bed, staring out at the night through her big windows. “Are you going to miss the city?”

“I’m going to miss Chloe, but not the city.”

“She can come down and visit anytime you want. I’ll pay for her to fly, drive, bus, whatever she wants.”

“She’d love that.” She was still trying to catch her breath as she panted hard, and then, she let out a big yawn.

“Come here, baby. We’ll get things sorted after you’ve had a good night’s sleep.”

“I need my crackers and water for the bedside if I want to have a good morning.” She batted her lashes at me, and I smiled as I got up from the bed. “They are out on the counter already.”

“I’ll get them, baby. I’ve got to get used to helping you out. I want you and the baby comfortable.”

She gave a sweet laugh as I headed to the door. “I can handle being spoiled a little.”

“I’ll love spoiling you. And just so you know, daddies need spoiling, too, but don’t worry. You’re off to a good start.”

I went to get her crackers, and when I came back into the room, she was looking at her phone with a sad expression. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s Noah. He sent an apology. I think I need a minute to call him. I need to tell him I’m sorry, too, and I don’t think a text will do.”

I walked in and placed the crackers on the nightstand. “Do you want me to go?”

“No, please don’t. Hold me.”

She didn’t have to ask me twice. I climbed into the bed and snuggled up with her. I was glad she hadn’t wanted me to leave. It was a huge step in us facing things together, which was important since we’d made such a huge mess of things in the past.

I held her there for another hour while she talked to her brother, and by the end of it, things were okay between the two of them. And even though he hadn’t wanted to talk to me, I knew it would take time to mend.