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“Rafe, you’re trying to kill me.”
I grinned. “Only with pleasure.”
Carefully I eased inside, gritting my teeth at the tight fit. She was so hot and tight that I doubted I’d last long, but I wanted to. There was nothing I wanted more in that moment than to stay clenched inside her, smelling her scent, and watching as she lost herself to pleasure all over again.
But all too soon, I felt the coil of pleasure at the base of my spine. When I finally let go, I held her gaze the whole time, hoping she’d see my heart in my eyes.
* * *
Diana
I rested in Rafe’s arms, listening to the soft cadence of his breath. After making love several times, we’d collapsed in each other’s arms exhausted. He’d finally fallen asleep a little while ago. Sleep didn’t come easily to him, and I understood why. For years he’d been the one looking after everyone else.
It gave me immense satisfaction that he trusted me enough to let his guard down.
I traced a finger over his face. His reaction to my pregnancy hadn’t been what I’d expected. It wasn’t that I’d thought he’d be angry. It wasn’t as though I’d gotten pregnant on my own, after all. I’d expected him to step up and take responsibility because that was who he was. But his reaction had gone beyond taking responsibility. He’d been… happy. The joy on his face had touched me deeply, and even now I couldn’t quite believe it had happened. We were a family, and Rafe was thrilled about it. It felt like a dream.
I chuckled and only quieted when Rafe stirred. So much had changed in my life so quickly. It was enough to give a girl whiplash. But as tempting as it was to pretend I was in the middle of some fairy tale, I knew that my time to enjoy this was limited. Who only knew what would come out of our meeting with the FBI? I prayed they would finally realize I didn’t have anything to do with my family.
I could only hope that they would be able to find my brothers and prosecute them. After all the horrible things I’d seen in Rafe’s files, I wanted that more than anything. My hand went to my neck. Even though the bruises were no longer visible, I knew that I would always feel the phantom weight of Hans’s hands around my throat. It was a stark reminder of what was at stake here.
My brothers were dangerous men. They needed to be stopped. And I had a bad feeling that they were just getting started.
The nausea rose quickly, and I sucked in several quick breaths. The air only made it worse, and I tried to back away from Rafe slowly. As it was, I barely made it out of the room before I felt it coming. I clapped a hand over my mouth as I stumbled to the hall bathroom. Tears burned my eyes as I threw up the remains of my dinner. The morning sickness had been a little better lately, and I’d gotten complacent, assuming I was past the worst of it. But apparently, it had just been a temporary reprieve.
Damn it. It was supposed to bemorningsickness. I wasn’t sure how long it went on before I felt cool hands pulling my hair back.
“It’s okay, baby. Here.” He wiped my face gently with a warm cloth.
Mortified but too exhausted to put up a fight, I relaxed into his arms and allowed him to take care of me. Rafe was so gentle, cleaning my face quickly and efficiently before flushing the toilet. He put toothpaste on my brush and then handed it to me. I brushed my teeth, grateful to get the sour taste out of my mouth. Once I was finished, I wiped my mouth on the towel Rafe held out. Then he leaned down and scooped me into his arms.
“Wait! Rafe, you don’t have to carry me. I can walk.” There was no one in the hallway at this time of night, but I still looked around worriedly.
“I’m sure you can. But I like carrying you.”
I didn’t have any rebuttal for that, so I rested my head on his shoulder as he carried me down the hall and into our room. After being so violently sick, it was a relief to allow someone else to care for me. Being taken care of by someone who loved you was a privilege that I hadn’t experienced in a long time. Not that I’d ever been neglected.
On the contrary, my father, and then later my brothers, had paid quite a bit of money to make sure that my every whim had been catered to. But it wasn’t the same being attended by paid staff. They’d taken care of me because it was their job, whereas, Rafe had come to me just because he wanted to.
Rafe set me gently on the bed and pulled back the covers so I could slide under. I moved over so he had room to get in behind me. When he cuddled close to me, molding himself to me from chest to thigh, I sigh contentedly.
“Does that happen a lot?” Rafe finally asked.
I nodded. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
His arm tightened around my midsection. “Don’t be sorry. I don’t want you dealing with that alone.”
Even though it was a little silly that he was worried about my morning sickness, it gave me a warm feeling that he was concerned about my welfare.
“I’m fine, Rafe. It’s just part of the process. Although I can’t deny I’ll be happy when this part is over.”
“Me too. I hate seeing you so sick. I just want to take care of you.”
We rested together for a long time, just breathing in sync before I felt Rafe fall asleep again. I knew the minute he was out because his arm around my waist slackened slightly and his breathing became slower and deeper. Even after being so horribly sick, I was truly happy. This right here was everything I’d always wanted. Our little family may have been unexpected, but it was the deepest wish of my heart.
My earlier worries about my brothers came back to my mind. I cuddled deeper into Rafe’s embrace, and even in his sleep, he tightened his arms around me protectively. It wouldn’t do to get myself all worked up again thinking about what could have happened, but it was impossible to purge it from my mind. I was tired of running and waiting on others to take care of things.
I wanted to take some of the control back.
