Ashleigh’s eyes swept the room, and her heart felt like it was bursting with pride as she surveyed her handiwork. She’d been working nonstop for weeks on making this gala into the best the county had ever seen and looking around the room now, it had been worth every single minute of work she had put into it.

Her eyes glistened as she remembered reading a quote once about how it was a beautiful thing when a career and a passion came together and in that very moment, she wholeheartedly agreed. It truly was a most beautiful thing.

When she’d read the quote for the first time, she’d rolled her eyes and scoffed at the idea that she could ever be passionate about her work, without even getting started on it being beautiful. Although it wasn’t a huge surprise that she’d never believed it, given the stark lack of passion or beauty in her life then.

Now, however, her life was filled with passion and beauty and love and it made her feel like she was walking on sunshine every damn day. Sometimes she still wondered if she would blink one day and it would all be gone, but one look at Walker immediately obliterated those thoughts.

For his part, Walker was still hot as hell, but he was so much more than that. He managed to take her breath away on a daily basis some way or another, and it continued to amaze her that she woke up each morning loving him more than she had the morning before. Between her husband and her passion for the work she was doing, she felt like a different person than she had been when she’d first met him in that dark and smoky club almost two years ago.

She grinned as she spotted Annie, one of the new women at the center, shyly make her way toward her, giving her an uncertain smile as she approached. Ashleigh had been trying to get a smile out of her for days, but Annie had seemed so disconnected from the world when she’d first arrived at the center that they’d been worried that she’d never be able to even start working through the trauma she had endured.

While the smile that she wore now remained uncertain, it was the most encouraging thing Ashleigh had seen in a while and she returned it with a genuine smile of her own, gesturing for Annie to join her in her people-watching corner.

The event tonight was a fundraising gala for the group she’d found to work with that was focused on supporting women who had escaped the sex workers industry. Women like Annie and herself.

“You look beautiful, Annie,” she said warmly as Annie reached her side, her slender figure wrapped in the purple sheath dress that Rose had lent to Ashleigh for Annie to wear this evening. It was a little baggy but it fit her well enough, especially now that she’d filled out some since first arriving at the center.

“Thank you, so do you,” Annie returned the compliment, but her eyes kept darting around the room and she looked poised to run even as she flashed Ashleigh another smile.

Ashleigh remembered the feeling far too well as she reached out to give Annie’s hand a gentle squeeze. “You’re safe, now. I know exactly how hard that is to believe, but it’s true. No one here is going to hurt you.”

Annie cautiously met Ashleigh’s eyes, relief evident on her face as she nodded. “I know, it’s just going to take some getting used to, I guess.”

“I know, it’s completely natural to feel that way though. I still do, sometimes.” Ashleigh confessed, being completely honest about her feelings as the therapist at the center had advised her to be when confronted with situations like this.

Annie bit her lip and regarded Ashleigh for a moment, seemingly searching her eyes for the truth. Yet another feeling Ashleigh remembered all too well. She thought back at how Walker had simply kept repeating the words she needed to hear most and followed his example, because he had been the only person who had really made her believe it.

“I really do know and you really are safe now, I promise,” Ashleigh repeated as she spotted Remy and Rose dancing toward them, dressed to the nines and giggling amongst themselves.

A smile played on her lips as her sisters-in-law approached and she wondered what mischief they were giggling about this time, knowing they would let her in on whatever it was in no time. They’d become even closer over the last year, and Ashleigh truly felt like one of the Romans. These girls were her sisters in every way that mattered.

Annie, on the other hand, tensed as they approached and Ashleigh reached a hand out to steady her. “They’re my sisters,” she explained. “Well, sisters-in-law, but the in-law part has gotten lost somewhere.”

“There you are!” Rose exclaimed and made a sweeping motion toward the ballroom. “This place looks incredible. Hard work pays off, huh?”

“Yeah, it does look pretty damn amazing. The whole team worked their butts off, but this is beyond worth it.” She smiled. “Speaking of the team, this is Annie. Annie, this is Rose and Remy.”

Remy stepped forward first and characteristically pulled Annie into a tight hug. Rose smiled as Annie visibly stiffened, and she reached out to pat Remy’s shoulder.

“Rem, maybe a warning next time,” she teased, but Remy clearly heard the undertone in her voice.

She looked confused for a second as her eyes flitted between Ashleigh and Rose, then lit up in understanding.

“Of course, I’m sorry Annie. I’m Remy and I think what Rose is trying to say is that I have to work on my hugging problem.”

“No, no. It’s okay. It’s really not a problem, I was just surprised,” Annie stammered, a flush spreading over her cheeks.

“Nevertheless, a warning was in order.” Remy smiled, but rolled her eyes good-naturedly at Rose.

Rose stepped up to Annie, careful to keep a bit of distance between them, which admittedly wasn’t difficult given the size that her baby bump had grown to. “I’m Rose. It’s nice to meet you. That dress looks wonderful on you.”

The flush on Annie’s cheeks deepened. It was clear that she wasn’t used to compliments, much less kindness from other women. “Thank you,” she mumbled, averting her eyes.

“How far along are you?” Annie asked softly, gesturing toward Rose’s stomach before her eyes shot open in horror. “I’m so sorry. You’re not supposed to ask that, are you! I’ve never…” Her voice trailed off, but Rose fixed her with a gentle smile.

“It’s okay, really, I am very obviously very pregnant!” She giggled. “I feel about ten months pregnant, but I still have a couple to go.”

“I remember the feeling so well,” Remy sighed in solidarity with Rose, but then shot Ashleigh a smirk. “Speaking of which, happy anniversary. Shiloh and Harper would love some more cousins, you know.”

A deep flush spread across Ashleigh’s cheeks and down her neck to her chest.

“Wait a second!” Rose exclaimed as her eyes swept Ashleigh’s face, causing her heart to hammer in her chest.

Thankfully, at that moment, every hair on her body stood at attention as if a magnetic force had entered the room. And it had. Walker stood still in the doorway to the ballroom for just a second before his eyes sought her out and he strode over to her, pulling her in for a kiss that had every nerve in her body on fire.

Saved by the husband, she thought as she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Ladies,” he nodded at them, but barely looked their way as his gaze fixed on her and the flush on her cheeks and chest.

“Happy anniversary,” Rose sang out with an innocent-looking smile that didn’t fool Ashleigh about what she had just figured out.

Before she could reply though, Walker whispered in her ear, “It’s about to be even happier. We just need to get you out of that dress first.”

“Thanks,” he said to Rose, giving her another nod as he pulled on Ashleigh’s hand. “I have to borrow my beautiful wife here for a sec, though.”

“More like for sex,” Remy smirked under her breath as Walker led Ashleigh toward a door. Under normal circumstances, she would have been mortified, but her nipples were already beaded hard as rocks and her sex ached in anticipation at his simple touch.

Stupid pregnancy hormones! she cursed as she followed up the stairs of the hotel that they were hosting the fundraiser in.

She was constantly unbearably horny these days and Walker was taking full advantage of this particular side-effect of her pregnancy, claiming that he had to make up for the weeks after childbirth that he had read about where he would be unable to touch her.

They had only found out about three weeks ago that they were going to become parents, but he had already read two books about pregnancy and parenting cover to cover and was planning for the baby’s arrival with the precision of a military operation. She had heard that these things couldn’t truly ever be planned to such an extent and that children blew through even the most carefully laid plans, but she also knew that Walker couldn’t and wouldn’t be swayed. Just as she knew that she couldn’t sway him from sneaking away from the fundraiser right now, not that she planned on trying.

Her body thrummed as he swept a key card over the electronic panel on the door to a room, until she realized that they hadn’t booked a room here and weren’t planning on staying over tonight.

As if he could read her thoughts, he smirked over his shoulder and gestured her into the suite ahead of him. “I had a feeling we may need a little privacy at some point tonight so that I could give my bride what she needs.”

The spot between her legs throbbed at his words, and her breasts suddenly felt heavier in her dress.

“Come here, baby,” he said as he sat on the edge on the bed, spreading his knees slightly so she could stand between them. His eyes traveled from hers, down her body, pausing at where the neckline of her dress dipped to her cleavage and then traveled further south. His hands reached under her dress, where they started stroking her thighs, working up painstakingly slowly to her lacy panties. His eyes were dark with desire when his gaze met hers again, and the heat in his eyes seemed to shoot straight to her core.

Her lips parted in a gasp as she drank in his expression, her body wound tight with need already. He kept his eyes on her reactions as he continued his ministrations under her dress, cupping her ass, lazily stroking her thighs but deliberately staying away from where she needed him to touch her most.

“Walker,” she moaned when his hand skimmed across her panties, her clit so sensitive that she almost came undone from only that one fleeting touch and the anticipation he was building in her.

“I know, baby. Let me take care of you, okay?” His hazel eyes, seemingly a dark green with his own need, burned into her as he finally slid a finger under her panties and over her lips. She whimpered and rocked her hips but let him take control. He always seemed to know exactly what she needed, and exactly when to give it to her.

Her body screamed in protest when his hands slid from under her dress, but she relaxed when he felt them graze her sides and meet behind her back to loosen the clip at the top of her zipper. The dress fell from her body to a heap at her feet, leaving her in only her lacy panties, her suspenders, sheer stockings and heels.

He groaned as his eyes roamed her body. “Jesus, baby. Are you trying to kill me? Or did you just not want to go back downstairs?”

He grasped her ass and flipped her over on her back so fast that she doubted her heart had even finished its beat before she felt the cool material of the comforter against her. He caged her in, propping his body up over hers on his elbows and cocked an eyebrow at her.

She rocked her hips against his, but he pulled away, denying her while waiting for his answer.

“I…” she breathed, desperately trying to get at least some of her blood to her brain so she could answer his question and beg him to touch her. “Wanted to look sexy for you, I don’t know how long it’ll be before I’m all swollen and-“

He cut her off by claiming her mouth with his, stroking her tongue urgently and driving all the thoughts she had been trying to form from her mind. He groaned as he broke their kiss and rocked his hips against her, finally allowing her the friction she craved.

“You will always look sexy to me,” he breathed against her lips, punctuating each word with a thrust of his hips against hers. “And you’re going to become even sexier as your body changes to allow for my baby to grow inside you.”

He pressed his lips to hers again, this time taken by a seemingly primal need as he reached to thumb her nipple, dipping the hand down and making quick work of tearing off her panties. He slid a finger inside her and moaned as she clenched it. He stroked faster as his lips started making their way down, licking and sucking at her nipples before moving even further. Her pulse quickened and her breathing became heavier when he licked an outline of where her panties used to be as he slid another finger into her.

“So fucking wet for me, baby. I can’t wait to taste you,” he growled. And he didn’t, sucking her clit into his mouth as his fingers rubbed inside her. Almost immediately she felt the pressure starting to knot in her, winding her so tight that seconds later she cried out as she came undone under his mouth.

He licked her as she rode the wave and didn’t stop when it did. Instead, he slowed his fingers and started nuzzling against her thighs, licking along the folds of her groin and slowly turned his attention back to her dripping slit.

“Walker, please honey. I need you inside me,” she begged as she felt the pressure start to build again.

“Give me one more baby, then I'll happily be inside you,” he told her, firmly rooted between her legs. She noticed his hips twitch against the edge of the bed and knowing that he needed to be inside her as badly as she needed him there sent her unexpectedly flying off the edge she had been climbing toward as he thrust another finger inside her.

“Fuck, baby. You are the sexiest woman on the planet,” he breathed as he ripped off his suit and positioned his cock -- as hard as the wooden bed frame she was hanging onto -- over her entrance.

His face was tight with restraint as he pushed his way inside her slick wetness, groaning when he found her still clenching him. “Keep doing that, and this is going to be over way too soon.”

She was half delirious with pleasure, but somehow still insane in her need for him, for his touch. She tried to answer him, but her words became a loud moan as he started moving, thrusting into her with wild abandon.

She felt his muscles tighten under her hands as he drove deeper into her, driving her closer each time his pelvis rocked against her clit and his hard cock slid over that sensitive spot inside her.

“Come for me baby, please. Come with me,” he moaned in her just as she felt him twitch deep within her. That small movement was all it took for her to explode around him once more, her orgasm tearing through her like lightning, lights dancing behind her eyelids as he followed her release with his own.

“Fuck me,” he breathed when they finally came up for air.

“I think I just did.” She giggled as the blood returned to her brain.

He flashed her a heartstopping smile as he rolled off of her and pulled her to his side. He kissed the top of her head and chuckled softly. “Yeah you did. I love pregnancy hormones. Once this baby arrives, let’s make another one ASAP.”

“Let’s talk again once he or she is here, keeping us up all night and I become a glorified jersey cow,” she quipped, watching his eyes widen in disbelief or terror, she wasn’t sure which.

“Don’t talk about feeding my baby that way,” he growled, then smirked and tweaked a nipple. “Besides, we have enough family members to babysit so that I can get some visitation with these whenever I want.”

Even in her orgasm-induced daze, she was grateful about the fact that he was right, that she did have a big family now and that it was only growing.

The thought reminded her of the fact that they had yet to tell anyone about their little blessing, the newest addition to the family Roman. “So, when do you want to tell them? Seeing as you want them to babysit so often, we should probably tell them sooner, rather than later.”

“You know that’s months away, right?” He grinned as he stroked her hair.

“Yeah, but they’re busy people.” She shrugged. “Fair warning and all. Especially with Colt and Rose’s on the way, too.”

“Ours will be cuter,” he assured her, planting a quick kiss on her temple. “You want to go back downstairs to your party?”

“Yeah, I guess so. I could just as easily take a nap though.” She yawned.

“It’s your choice, but you’re going to be disappointed if you don’t at least watch the awards and say goodbye.”

“You’re right. I know you are. Can we tell everyone before we leave? We can gather them in the private room before we go?”

He beamed down at her, his eyes shining with pure unadulterated joy at her suggestion. It had been his idea to keep her pregnancy quiet until they could see her OB/ GYN who had been on vacation until a few days ago.

Her heart fluttered as she remembered the incredulity on his face when they had heard their baby’s heartbeat and seen the little peanut for the first time. He had wanted to tell the family immediately, but she had begged him to keep it quiet for just a little while longer until all the initial tests were done.

They had gotten the results this afternoon, and baby Roman was healthy as a horse. Then they had planned on telling everyone in the morning, wanting to get the fundraiser done with first. Now though, she felt as if her heart was bursting from her chest to tell the family immediately.

He gave her a last, lingering kiss, the press of his lips almost reverent against hers and then moved toward the edge of the bed to help her back into her dress.

Her legs still felt a bit like jelly as they descended the stairs and he swept her back into the ballroom, but the elation at seeing her family’s response to their news kept her from swaying or falling flat on her face. Nevertheless, Walker’s arm was wrapped tightly around her waist and she knew he would support her even if her legs gave out.

They spotted the Romans and Shelby at the far end of the room, talking quietly amongst themselves mercifully close to the private room.

Colt shot them his trademark smirk as they crossed the room toward where their family was gathered.

“May we have a minute in private with you all?” Walker asked as soon as they were near enough.

“Done already, bro? Where’s your anniversary spirit?” Colt joked, but led Rose toward the room that Walker had motioned toward anyway.

Sawyer sighed, but grinned at Walker as he and Remy followed the path Colt was winding through the crowd.

“You too, please, Shel,” Ashleigh said as Shelby hovered in place, seemingly unsure if the invitation extended to her as well.

She grinned and skipped after the others, winking at a handsome guy who appeared to be struggling to keep his eyes off her as she moved.

Walker shrugged when Ashleigh raised an eyebrow, asking wordlessly if he knew the guy.

“So,” Sawyer asked as he turned toward them, having settled himself and Remy in a plush loveseat in the small room. “Is this like the adult version of a girly bathroom gossip session?”

Colt hooted with laughter and he snuggled into Rose’s back and drew her against his front and leaned against the wall.

“You really should let the pregnant lady sit, Sawyer,” he teased.

Remy's eyes widened, and she immediately tried to scoot off their perch. Sawyer pulled her closer and nodded toward the other end of the room, where Colt and Rose were standing right next to an identical seat. He winked at his brother and grinned as he replied. “So should you, brother.”

Colt let out an exasperated sigh, but pulled Rose onto his lap on the seat.

“So, newest Romans, you gathered us all here today on the anniversary of your wedding to, what?” Shelby asked from the seat she had taken at the coffee corner.

Ashleigh felt suddenly shy and hid her face in Walker’s chest as he squared his shoulders and wrapped her hand around her stomach as he spoke.

“Rose isn’t the only pregnant lady who should be sitting,” he told them, a proud grin spreading across his face.

Rose leaped to her feet first, her belly bouncing from the force of it.

“I knew it,” she exclaimed, grabbing onto her own stomach to steady it before launching herself at Ashleigh. “Earlier, you went all pink when Annie was asking about my pregnancy and stuff! I knew it!”

Colt and Sawyer blinked and stared at Walker for a beat before rushing to envelop their brother in an uncharacteristic group hug.

Shelby and Remy joined Rose as she hugged Ashleigh and soon they were crying and laughing and joking at how Shiloh would now have so many younger Romans to protect, he was going to need an army.

Sawyer disappeared and reappeared a moment later carrying two buckets containing a bottle of champagne each.

“I think a toast is in order,” he proclaimed. Colt helped him fill the glasses that a waitress had carried in behind Sawyer and he took care to pour champagne of the non-alcoholic variety for Rose and Ashleigh before passing the remainder of the flutes around.

“Here’s to a new generation of Romans,” Sawyer said, his eyes flitting over to Remy. “May they be as lucky, happy and blessed as we are. And may they convince my wife that we need at least one more.”

Remy shot him a look but joined in the laughter as they clinked their glasses and Walker came over to whisper in Ashleigh’s ear. “And may my wife consider getting to work on the next one as soon as this one arrives.”

He smirked as he looked down at her and tucked her into his side, not letting her go until they were tucked in their bed much later in the evening.