“It’s a girl,” he heard Victoria whisper. “Melody Grace Ramsey.”
“Melody,” Ben whispered. “Hello, little Melody.”
As if she’d heard him, the baby’s glassy eyes stared immediately in his direction. “Pretty little, Melody,” he continued, warmth rising in his body.
“We’ll be going to the nursery now,” the nurse said and Ben stepped back from the basinet, his fingers tingling with the urge to scoop Melody up and cradle her in his arms.
“She’s beautiful isn’t she?” Victoria asked from behind him.
“She is,” was Ben’s reply. Then he turned to face her. “And so are you.”
He reached out touching his fingertips to the spot where Hall’s gun had touched. At that moment he’d wanted to yell with fury, to squeeze the trigger of his own gun killing the bastard where he stood. But that moment had passed. Then he’d wanted to yell at her, to vent his frustration at her leaving him at the hotel, for not trusting him enough to tell him what she was doing. Now, as she turned into his touch, closing her eyes slowly, Ben wanted something else.
He wanted to hold onto her for as long as he possibly could. Stepping closer, he eased his other hand around her waist, pulling her body up against his.
“I love you, Victoria. I’ve waited too damned long to tell you that,” he whispered, his lips brushing lightly over her forehead.
He felt her fingers tangling in his shirt as she sighed, her body leaning into his.
“We’ve both waited too long to say it. Today just proves how short life can be. We should really stop wasting time,” she told him.
“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Ben told her releasing his own heavy sigh. Then he used a finger to slip beneath her chin, tilting her face up to his. “There’s something else I’ll be glad to hear you say.”
She smiled, slow and intoxicating, fresh and gorgeous.
“I love you, too, Ben Donovan.”
Hours later, they were in the shower, letting the hot water trickle off their skin, both moaning in gratification.
She stood in front of him, her ass pressed into his groin, his dick growing hard. He’d been holding her around the waist but one of his hands slowly moved upward to grasp a plump breast. The other moved lower, until he could cup the close-cut curls at her juncture. A finger slipped between her damp folds and she groaned. He loved the feel of her, so soft and slippery, ready and waiting. For endless moments he simply caressed her there, letting her desire trickle over his fingers the same way the water sluiced over their skin. In his other hand her plump breast filled his palm, a tightened nipple rubbed over his thumb inciting a jolt of pleasure from his hardened shaft.
“I love your touch,” she murmured.
That was just grand because Ben didn’t think there was anything more he loved than touching her. His response camewith action instead of words as he pressed her against the tiled wall, dipping his body with hers so that his dick could slip right through her wetness to thrust into her.
She gasped and moaned his name.
“Yes, Victoria,” he sighed hers, his lips flush against her ear. He thrust until he was completely embedded in her warmth, then gritted his teeth at how fuckin’ delicious that felt.
Every damn time. That thought sifted through the dense fog of pleasure clouding his brain. Each and every time he was inside her he felt this way. Like he was lost in these deep emotions, but still exactly where he belonged. With her was where he belonged. And now, she belonged to him.
Her short nails dug into his back as he lifted her legs and clasped them around his waist. He pressed his forehead to hers, his eyes half closed as he pulled out of her slowly, then thrust back inside with the force of desire that threatened to choke him. “Shit, baby,” he murmured when her warm walls gripped his dick tighter. “You feel so damn good.” Those words didn’t seem accurate enough but they were all that he could mutter.
“Yes!” she screamed and nodded as he pulled out and thrust into her again. “You do too, Ben. Dammit, you feel good too!”
He couldn’t go slow, didn’t even want to attempt it. No, what he wanted more than anything in this world was to ride this wave of pleasure into the sweeping depths of total bliss. He wanted her to cum all over his dick, to grip him tighter, to press her nails into his skin and continue screaming his name. Then he wanted to empty everything he had inside of her.
And if possible, he’d love to rinse and repeat that over and over for the rest of their lives.
Round one culminated exactly as he’d planned and the water ran cold by the time they finally washed and stepped out of the shower to dry. He carried her to his bed and they slipped between the soft sheets where he had every intention of takingher again. But the events of the day coupled with the roller coaster of emotions they’d both been on for the last forty-eight hours finally caught up with them. Sleep could not be avoided and if truth be told, Ben had no complaints. Not as long as Victoria was safe and wrapped in his arms.
Chapter 21
Victoria
Two weeks later Victoria walked out of the courthouse, briefcase, purse and a small box of trial paraphernalia in hand. She’d parked in the garage across the street as she hoped today would be the last day of trial. Thankfully, she was correct. After only a day and a half of deliberation this time, the diverse group of twelve men and women unanimously found Ramone Vega guilty of capital murder.
Mayor Larry Radcliffe still hadn’t come forward to say that Alayna’s baby was his but at her grandmother’s urging Alayna filed a child support claim. Whether Radcliffe wanted it to or not, the news would be very public, very soon. As for Sal Pena, he had a business to run and so Victoria figured someone within the ranks would be promoted as Vega headed off to prison to await his sentencing, which some were hoping would be the death penalty.
