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I wind my fingers through his hair. “Are you sure there’s nothing else bothering you? You can talk to me about it, you know.”
Especially since we’re trying to do things differently this time around.
I still have no idea what Carter did while he was away or what kind of demons he faced alone, but I do know that he doesn’t have to anymore. Not if I can help it.
“I want to do things differently, dove,” Carter whispers into my skin. “I’m trying, but it’s going to take some adjusting.”
I ignore the thundering of my heart as he keeps one hand on my waist, and the other strokes my back. “Does this have to do with why we’re still staying at Anita’s?”
Carter pauses for so long that I think he isn’t going to answer.
When I’m about to cut my losses, he leans back to look at me, and my heart misses a beat. “I know you want to go home, but it’s safer to stay at Anita’s and have Tristan nearby.”
I swallow and nod. “Are you sure she doesn’t mind?”
It’s been weeks since we moved in with her. While I appreciate having the Blackthorne family matriarch around for advice and support, I also don’t want her to be sick of us.
Especially when I’m going to need all the help I can get with a baby on the way.
Carter tucks my hair behind my ears. “Of course, she doesn’t mind. She loves having you around, and I’m glad the two of you had a chance to bond while I was… away.”
I press my forehead to his and blow out a breath. “Me too. Just promise you won’t ever leave like that again.”
“Dove… I thought of you every minute. Being away from you was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and I promise that as long as it’s within my fucking control, I won’t ever leave you or our daughter.”
My stomach does odd little somersaults as I draw back and press my lips to his for a kiss. “Good.”
Both of Carter’s hands are on my hips now, holding me securely against him. “What do you feel like doing tonight? We could go out for dinner.”
I raise an eyebrow. “I’ve already had a lot to eat. I feel like you’re stuffing me up.”
Carter’s smile unfurls slowly. “Why wouldn’t I? You deserve every last bit of it.”
Ernesto draws to a stop outside of Anita’s house, and Carter captures my lips with his. His kiss is searing and demanding, and I can feel every ounce of yearning and affection poured into the gesture. With a smile, I link my fingers over his neck and try to remember how to breathe.
My chest is so tight and so full of emotion that I don’t protest when Carter sweeps me into his arms and up the driveway. And I don’t say anything when he brushes past Anita and takes the stairs two at a time. In our room, he sets me down on the bed as gently as possible and pauses to give me another earth-shattering kiss.
Before I can deepen it, he pulls back and gives me a meaningful look. Then he’s racing back down the stairs, and I hear Ernesto and Anita’s voices join his.
I’ve peeled off my clothes and settled underneath the covers when he comes back in. Wordlessly, he kicks off his shoes and throws the blankets back. For a long moment, Carter doesn’t say anything as he drinks every bare inch of me in. When he’s done, he takes a few steps back and locks the door.
That single gesture sends a wave of desire straight to my stomach.
Carter’s eyes don’t leave my face as he pulls his shirt up over his head. It falls to the floor with a flutter and is soon joined by his pants and his belt. I lick my dry lips, my breath hitching in my throat as he pulls his boxers down, revealing his smooth and taut skin.
I want to run my fingers over every part of him. I want to worship him with my tongue.
Heart thudding painfully, I sit up and spread my arms open. Carter covers the distance between us and crushes me to him, the smell of sandalwood and citrus washing over me. I place my head over the steady thumping of his heart and squeeze my eyes shut. In silence, Carter strokes my back, sending goosebumps over every inch of my skin.
I’m shivering and feeling like I’m about to combust with impatience when he pulls back to look at me as if I’m the most precious thing in the world.
Then he pushes me, so I’m lying flat on my back on the mattress. Carter crawls forward and drapes himself over me. He frames my face in his hands and looks into my eyes. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be. You’re my home, dove. You and the baby are what matters.”
My heart skips a beat. “I feel the same way.”
Carter’s mouth is feather-light and soft against mine. “Good.”
He kisses me until my head spins and knots unfurl in my chest. I’m lighthearted and high on his kisses when he begins to pepper my neck with hot, open-mouthed kisses. He traces a path from my jaw, down my neck, and over the slope of my chest. His fingers come up to flick my tender nipples, sending another jolt of desire racing through me.
