Covered in a thick white alpaca blanket, Everly nestled inbetween Zane’s legs on the couch. Facing the large window in the living room,Everly laid comfortably reclined onto Zane’s chest as they faced the fallingsnow over the lake.
With both of his arms wrapped around her Zane slowly spreadhis fingers over the soft curvature of her stomach. Even though his hands werecovered by the blanket, he could sense every detail of her luscious body.Feathery black eyelashes rested on top of the apple of her cheeks as she sleptsoundly against his chest. With one cheek pressed into his chest, her face wasstill turned to the scene of the falling snow outside the window. The hypnoticrise and fall of her breasts from beneath the exposing dip of her dress’sneckline beckoned to him.
Earlier that morning they spent hours working on herstretching and breathing techniques, as her unofficial Lamaze instructor Zanetook the new job very seriously—by the time they were finished she could barelykeep her eyes open. Zane was just happy Reid wasn’t here to see it, Reidspecifically warned him to take it easy on her when he left for his overnightbusiness trip. Naturally, they both were thinking sex, but Zane was positivethe grim-faced bastard would have something to say about this too. Zane wantedher to be prepared though. Honestly, the idea of her going through labor scaredthe hell out of him. What if fate decided his mother wasn’t enough and he lostEverly too? No, he couldn’t let his thoughts go down that chaotic dark path.
Burying his face into her soft black curls, he inhaleddeeply, he used her fresh sent to cleanse his mind.
It was quiet in the house, no talking, no noise just thesound of the fire crackling in the fireplace behind him and the gentlebreathing from on top of him. This quiet was a good quiet though, it wasnothing like the desolate quiet of an empty, lifeless house like it was before.Once she stepped foot in the house, it transformed under her tiny weight. Thecabin filled with the sounds of her evolving voice. Sounds that once began as shoutsof her vehement protest, the discord of her tears, the echoes of her screams asher body succumbed to pleasure, and now the whisper of her content sighs. Everysound she made, Zane internalized and remembered, carving every delicate noteinto his soul. Even in his sleep, Zane’s subconscious listened for her voice.
Last night, they had only been asleep a few hours when heheard the slight whimper. Awakening immediately, Zane watched her under the aidof moonlight reflecting off the outside snow through the windows. Again, shelet out a whimper this time jerking a little. The wrinkles above her browworried him, he wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he also didn’t want toscare her anymore in this tentative sleeping state. Shifting again restlessly,her eyes suddenly popped opened. Turning to his side, Zane leaned forwardslowly and stroked some hair from her face. Blinking she stared at him insilence for a moment, as if assessing if he was a dream or reality.
“I had a dream,” she finally whispered. “I dreamt…” Herwords paused as she stared at the mattress beneath them lost in the turbulenceof her emotions. “I dreamt Peter took away my baby, I dreamt he said I was anunfit mother.” Tears shined in her eyes. Scooting closer in the bed, Zanecupped her cheek and let his thumb rub gently back and forth. He wanted her toknow he was right here for her every need, he wanted her to feel the absoluteviolence that ran through him at the thought of that asshole coming anywherenear her or their baby.
“Sweetheart, you have to believe me when I say that I willnever let that happen,” brushing a fallen tear from her cheek Zane kissed the spotinstead. “He will never come near you or our baby.”
Our baby, God he liked the sound of that.
“But what if he…”
“Everly my love,” he leaned in, whispering against her lipsas his free hand caressed her round stomach. “Reid and I already thought ofthat, trust us, that asshole will never set foot into your life ever again.”
Wordlessly she stared at him, the indecision in her eyesplain to see. Staring back at her Zane resisted grinning back, oh how he lovedwatching her mind work. The quizzical furrow of her brows and the subconsciousballing of her fist against his bare chest, God he loved it all.
“Okay,” she tiredly relented. “But you will tell me all the detailstomorrow, right?”
Tell her how they had an ex-military grade hacker in SanDiego ready to place underage pornography on Peter’s home and work computer.Tell her that they would merrily call the authorities under an anonymous tipand watch the destruction of that man’s life if he so much as googled Everly’sname…
Leaning forward, Zane covered her lips with his as heflicked Reid’s sleeping form a cursory glance. Of course, Reid was awake. Darkblue eyes met his, as Zane delved his tongue into her moaning mouth. Reidsimply shook his head to Zane’s silent request for confirmation before turninghis head back to sleep.
Of course, they would not tell her the exact gritty details.Both he and Reid decided long before, that they would introduce her slowly tothe savage capabilities of their nature. They didn’t want to scare her, they justwanted her to truly understand that there was nothing they would not do toprotect their family.
Everly stirred on his lap, taking him out of his thoughts.
“Zane?” She looked up to him sleepily.
“Mmmm,” he answered lifting one eyebrow.
“How long have I been asleep?”
Lifting his arm that he had rested over her stomach, theyboth looked at the black sports watch.
“About an hour and ten minutes my darling.”
“Oh wow,” shocked she began to sit up. “I’m sorry, that hadto be uncomfortable.”
Folding his arms back over her, Zane kept her locked downagainst him. “Don’t worry about it, though my dick may have fallen asleep.”
Just as expected, her skin heated and her eyelashes loweredin embarrassment.
Running the pad of his thumb against her bottom lip, he mether gaze with a heated look. “But I’m sure we can think of a few ways on howyou can bring it back to life.”
A few seconds of silence ticked by as they both stared ateach other.
Not able to hold it in any longer, her grin broke throughfirst, followed by laughter. God, he loved seeing her smile. The first time hesaw her at the bank, his heart felt like it had stopped as he watched her smilepolitely with her coworkers. When they first brought her here to the cabin,Zane feared he might never see her smile again, every tear, every unhappy lookkilled him a little. But now, here she was sitting in his lap laughing at hiscorny come-ons, her cheerful disposition wasn’t just back, it was flourishinglike nothing he’d ever seen before. Never during those months while theywatched her from afar, did she smile so much. Now, her step seemed lighter, hersmile seemed brighter, and she seemed happier.
As her laughter died down, he spoke. “Tell me you're happyhere.”
Deep brown eyes stared at him, and a pause of silence thatmade his heart ache. “Yes, Zane, I’m happy.”
