I lean in, brushing my lips against her ear, my voice dropping to a gravelly whisper. “You know better than to lie to me, sweetheart.”
She shivers, her hands clutching the edges of my flannel. “Okay, fine,” she blurts, her voice shaky. “But you have to promise not to freak out.”
“Freak out?” I pull back just enough to see her face, my brow furrowing. “Now you’ve got me curious.”
She exhales sharply, her eyes locking with mine. For a second, she looks almost scared, which sends a jolt of protectiveness straight through me. “Indie, what’s going on?”
“I’m pregnant,” she says, the words rushing out in a single breath.
I stare at her, the firelight catching the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes. Pregnant. The word echoes in my head, and for a second, I wonder if I heard her wrong. But the nervous look on her face tells me I didn’t.
“You’re…” I trail off, my voice hoarse.
“Pregnant,” she repeats, her voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t think I could have babies, that’s what they told me when I was diagnosed with endometriosis last year. I thought my eyes were seeing things when I took the pregnancy test, I thought I misheard the doctor when he confirmed it yesterday… I know it doesn’t make sense, but it’s real. I’m pregnant, King.”
I sit back on my heels, the weight of her words sinking in. My chest feels tight, like it’s too full, too much to hold. Slowly, a grin spreads across my face, and I reach for her, my hands cupping her cheeks.
“You’re serious?” My voice is rough, disbelieving.
She nods, a tear slipping down her cheek. “I am.”
“Jesus, Indie,” I murmur, pulling her into my arms. My lips press against her temple, her hair, her cheek. “That’s… that’s the best damn news I’ve ever heard.”
She laughs, a little choked, her arms wrapping around my neck. “You’re not mad?”
“Mad?” I pull back just enough to look at her, my hands sliding to her waist. “How the hell could I be mad? You just told me we’re having a baby, Indie. That’s a goddamn miracle.”
Her laugh softens, and she touches my cheek, her fingers gentle against my scruff. “Aunt Betty said love could move mountains. Guess she wasn’t wrong.”
I grin, leaning in to kiss her. It’s slow, deliberate, a kiss that says everything I can’t put into words. When I finally pull back, I slide my hand to her belly, pressing my palm against the softfabric of the flannel. “A miracle,” I repeat, my voice thick. “Our miracle.”
She covers my hand with hers, her smile so full of love it knocks the wind out of me.
“Guess it’s a good thing I swerved for that grizzly bear,” she says, her voice teasing. “I wouldn’t have found a grizzly, grumbly mountain man of my own if I hadn’t.”
I laugh, shaking my head. “I should go looking for that bear just to thank it.”
Her laugh echoes through the clearing, and I pull her onto my lap, my hands cradling her hips. “I mean it,” I murmur, my lips grazing her jaw. “That bear gave me you. Gave me this. A family.”
Her breath hitches, and she tilts her head, giving me more access. “King…”
“I love you,” I whisper against her skin, my hands sliding under the flannel to find the warm curve of her waist. “And I’m going to love the hell out of this baby.”
She threads her fingers through my hair, tugging lightly, her voice breathless. “You better.”
I chuckle, capturing her lips again, this time with more heat, more intent. The world falls away as I lose myself in her, the fire crackling beside us, the stars watching overhead.
When I lay her down near the fire, the soft ground cradling her, she looks up at me, her eyes shining. “Guess you’re stuck with me now,” she teases, her voice soft but playful.
I grin, brushing her hair back from her face. “Damn right I am. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
I unbutton her flannel slowly, then push the cups of her bra down, revealing her dark, enticing nipples. My tongue flicks at one as she arches, my teeth grazing against the hardened flesh. I slip my hand down her waist and remove her leggings, cupping her wet pussy and sliding my fingers along her slick lips.
"I can't wait to fill you up with my seed and make more beautiful babies," I whisper breathlessly. She looks at me with dark eyes, her fingers stilling in my hair. I can feel the heat radiating from between her legs as she nods eagerly.
"I've been dreaming about you inside me all day," she confesses, her fingers digging into my shoulders as she locks her legs around my waist. I groan and press myself against her, the intensity of her desire like a blazing fire.
I’m so hopelessly in love with this woman.
