“It must have been all the noise and people tonight that tired her out.” A blessing in disguise. Now that our breathing has returned to normal, my lashes steadily grow heavier. I pull him closer and seek his lips, the gesture one of affection rather than desire, and his hips begin to lazily move. “How long are you going to stay inside me?”
“Mhmm…” A smile just as languid as his thrusts forms. “Thank you for reminding me.”
In this sleepy haze, it takes me a moment to register his words. “Reminding you?”
“That I need to clean you up.” He slowly drags his softening, but still obscenely large, cock from me, hissing when I may or may not accidentally clench around the blunt tip again. Fluid—both his and mine—leaks in the wake of his exit, and I shift uncomfortably. I never did care for the sticky mess men left behind. Mostly because I never wanted the man it came from in the first place. I don’t mind Warren’s so much, but I would most definitely appreciate it being wiped away now.
But if I expected a towel or a shirt, I would be sorelymistaken. Instead, he moves down on the bed and hooks my thighs around his shoulders. I drag up the energy to lift to my elbows. “What on earth are you doing?”
Warren thumbs my entrance, playing with the liquid and sensitive skin as if mesmerized. “Goddamn, wife. Your little quim looks so pretty all covered in me.”
No one has ever been this…this captivated with this part of me beyond how it could be used for their own needs, and for Warren to be so intensely focused on it makes me flustered. Being seen is so very different than merely being looked at, and this man sees me like no other. My knees knock together to block him, but they fall right back open when his mouth nuzzles my inner thigh. “You didn’t answer me,” I finally get out.
“I told you before, wife. If I make the mess, I clean it up.”
“You mean you intend to lick up your…your seed?” My mouth is agape. Never on earth have I heard such a thing! “You could just wipe it away.”
He winks roguishly. “Oh, I will. With my tongue. Because why would I use anything else when I could have a taste of us together? Now keep those pretty legs wrapped around my head and let me get to cleaning.”
Stunned, I fall back to the bed, all traces of sleepiness vanishing. I should know by now that my husband is absolutely nothing like any man who has been before him, and by the time he and his tongue are done, I can say beyond all shadow of a doubt that I’ve never been cleaned so thoroughly.
Or loved.
We manageto get about an hour’s sleep before Emmaline wakes up, and even though I’m sore and exhausted, happiness radiates from my very bones. Oh, it had awkward moments, of course, but it was altogether beautiful and healing. Having him wrapped around me and moving inside me as he told me and showed me how much he loved me…
Warren drags his lips in a soft kiss to my temple as I lean back on his chest to nurse Emmaline. Being held in this moment by such a good man is healing, too.
“Look at her go. She’s dang near ‘bout to choke if she doesn’t calm down.” From behind me, Warren comments the obvious with no small amount of concern at Emmaline’s almost frantic gulps.
“She’ll settle soon enough.” I run my fingers through the softness of Emmaline’s hair and receive a happy, milky grin from her in return. “See? Poor baby’s belly was empty, wasn’t it, my darling? You need to have more patience.”
“Oh yeah?” The smile in his voice is obvious even without looking at him. “You mean like the patience I had in making you mine? Guess that makes me the patient parent and you the stubborn one. That about the right of it?”
I scowl simply from habit, but it’s not heartfelt. “That’s not exactly what I meant. Just because you might have more patience than me doesn’t automatically cast me as being stubborn.”
“Hmm.” His toes nudge playfully at mine. “Considering how long it took to convince you to marry me, I’d say I’m a patient man.”
“One could also raise the argument that you’re a stubborn one since you didn’t give up until you got your way.”
“Well, damn,” he muses with a huff. “Guess I can’t argue that one away.”
I rest my head on him, eyes closing as my soft laughter dies off. “I’m glad I went last night.” Never would I have dreamed that the night would end up as it did, but it was absolutely perfect.
“So’m I.” His arms wrap around Emmaline and me as he kisses my cheek. “Because now everyone in town knows how beautiful my wife and baby are.”
“Stop it,” I protest halfheartedly, but I can’t stop the rush of heat blazing into my cheeks nor the fluttering of my heart.
“What? A man can’t be proud to show off his family?”
Proud, he says. Months ago, I would have thought it a lie. A well-meaning one to spare my feelings, perhaps, but a lie nonetheless. After last night, though…after the way he forced his way into my life and claimed both me and Emmaline…I know he speaks truth.
This is where I belong.
CHAPTER 22
MARA
The next morning,Warren lugs a basin in front of the fireplace and we manage to give the dog a bath. Our fingers brush together at times, and my heart jumps with each occurrence. I love his long fingers and the way they touch me. The way they played with mine when he washed them, and—Christ, I need to stop before my face gives me away. There will be plenty of time tonight to play with fingers and…other things.
