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“Nice and slow, princess,” he murmured, pulling slightly away from her mouth. “Let’s make this first one last.”
17
TIAGO
Tiago cradled his tiny Terran to his chest, touched that she had fallen blissfully to sleep in his arms even outdoors in the middle of a hot spring.
She trusted him so completely that it almost hurt.
After taking the edge off with one lovemaking session, they had relaxed in the hot water and then ended up all over each other two more times.
Hope flickered in his heart that she might soon be carrying his child.
She murmured something senseless and then snuggled back into him as he lifted her from the water and carried her up the stone steps toward the cabin.
The cool breeze was bracing against his bare, wet skin. He knew she was more susceptible to the elements than he was, so he hurried for the cabin.
His heart throbbed strangely in his chest, and he knew this emotion was not about some unknown child.
It was Alexis he cared for, Alexis he longed to protect. It was Alexis he could not imagine living without.
But how could he love a woman who was willing to have a baby and walk away?
Her intentions in being here at the Center were everything he hated, everything he mistrusted.
She might seem kindhearted and fun-loving. But at the end of the day, she was willing to trade her own baby for a chance at having another on her terms, with another man.
It was exactly what his birth mother had done, and look what kind of person she had turned out to be. She and her new kids were the reason he had felt rushed to take this step in the first place, instead of spending a few more years seeking his true mate.
And now he was tempted to commit himself to someone just like her?
She’s not just like her.
But the differences weren’t what mattered. What mattered was what a person would do when faced with the most important things in life - their children and family.
He let himself take just a sip of her scent. The fruity, floral sweetness of her hair sank into his senses, half-hypnotizing him.
Enjoy it now. When your time here is over, this is over too.
He opened the door to the cabin. The inside was pleasantly warm from a crackling fire.
The whole space was one big room, with a bathroom walled off in the corner. Colorful curtains and throw rugs in muted tones set a playful mood. A small stove and ice box and a single plank of wood across a metal rack made up the kitchen.
Dried flowers and vegetables hung from the ceiling at intervals. The chairs held stacks of quilts and pillows, as if the whole place were meant to be fragrant and restful.
Large windows would reveal the meadow, woods, and creek tomorrow. For now, it was full darkness outside, and the interior of the little cabin was all he could see.
A huge mattress had been made up on the floor in front of the fire and he carried her to it, wrapping a sheet around their wet, naked bodies as he lowered them down.
She stirred in his arms, her hands sliding over him, a tiny, needy sound coming from her lips.
She was still asleep, but she wanted him, even as she dreamed.
He felt a tug on his heart that he knew he had to ignore. But her pull on his body was easier to surrender to.
Their time together felt shorter now, so he nuzzled her back, ready to take her again if she woke up wanting him.
He drifted off, thinking about the irony of his situation.
