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“Presumptuous, Seb?”

“I—” He stopped and tried again. “There hasn’t been anyone else, Wren. I bought them because I hoped you might want me again. Sparrow’s the best surprise of my life, but I wasn’t going to assume you wanted another baby. A brother or sister for her, I mean. Someday. If you wanted. Fuck, I’m not asking you now.”

I laughed and kissed him. “Relax. I’ve always liked that you plan ahead.” I found one, tore the packet open and rolled it onto him. His eyes stayed on my face the whole time.

I took his cock in my hand, held his gaze and sank onto him an inch at a time. I went slowly because that was what I wanted. His hands rested on my hips without pushing while I took him at my own pace.

The first stretch stole my breath.

“All right?”

“Yes. Don’t move.”

“Wasn’t planning to.”

I took the rest of him slowly. When my hips finally met his, I stayed there and let myself feel it. Sixteen months without him, and my body still knew exactly what it was like to have him inside me.

“Fuck, Wren.”

“Quiet.”

“No.” He kept his voice low. “Look at you, songbird. Taking me like that.”

I stopped moving. “Say that again.”

He said it again, slower. “Look at you taking me, songbird.”

I moved, and he caught his breath. I liked the sound of it. I gave him another slow roll of my hips.

“That’s it,” he said. “That’s my good girl.” His whole body went rigid beneath me. “Wren—”

“Don’t.” I got a hand on his chest and held him where he was.

He hadn’t called me that in sixteen months. I saw how worried he was that he’d hurt me by saying it.

“Say it again,” I said.

“Wren, I didn’t—”

“I know you didn’t.” I rolled my hips. “Say it again.”

He looked up at me for a long second. “Good girl,” he said.

I kissed him before he could take it back. Then I buried my face against his neck as I came, trying not to wake Sparrow. He held me close, then his breath caught and he said my name into my skin.

We stayed together until our breathing slowed. Then he dealt with the condom and pulled me back into his arms.

We lay facing each other beneath the window. His hand moved slowly over my back and hip. I touched the silver at his temple, and he turned his face into my palm. For a while neither of us spoke.

Sparrow made a sleepy little noise down the hall. I got up to check on her. She’d rolled onto her side and tucked her fist against her cheek.

When I came back, he’d turned on the lamp. He lifted the sheet for me.

“I enjoyed that,” I said as I got in beside him. “Really enjoyed it.”

He smiled at me. “Me too, sweetheart.”

I kissed him again, then settled against his chest. He reached across me to turn off the lamp.