His breath was hot in my ear as he kissed and bit at my neck. “You’re beautiful.”
We built and built, his dick moving in and out and his ragged breath dampening my ear. Our bodies were sticky. His hands caressed my breasts.
I released my muscles, then I was swept away in a hot wave that turned into a tsunami, tossing me under. The more muscles I released, the crazier it got. I’m not sure how long I was gone, but it was so intense, I screamed.
When my breath returned, I turned to him. “We can’t do this again.”
“Why?” He looked confounded, like I’d knocked back entry into a world where only bliss existed.
Our world. Up to now. Babyless.
“Because I don’t want to be with you like this.”
“But that was hot.”
“I know—it’s hot for me too.” I huffed.
He played with my fingers. “It’s more than that for me.”
My heart filled with sunshine, just hearing him admit to that, but yet, that independent me wanted to see this through alone.
“When the baby’s born, we’ll see how things are. By then, you might have met someone anyway.”
He rose and got dressed. “You won’t let me be there for you? Even holding your hand?”
I shook my head. “It’s too complicated, Ethan. We’re too complicated.”
“Bullshit. That’s just you overthinking things. I’m fine with all of this. I’ve had time to think about it. I prefer to be in your life than out of it.”
How could I not smile at that heart-swelling admission?
I walked him to the door. “Ethan, let’s just see what happens. Give me some space because I’m going to look awfully big any minute. And then after the baby’s born, let’s see.”
He ran his fingers through his thick hair. “You know where I am.”
I watched him walk off, and my heart reverted to barely beating.
Chapter 24
Ethan
ItwasWill’sbirthday,and to celebrate, my mother threw a dinner party. It was my first day back at Merivale after a week at the hotel in discussion with a renewable energy expert about lowering the hotel’s carbon footprint.
I liked being back at home. I always would. And having dropped into the spa, I was buoyed by how popular it had become. Andrew, my partner, had taken over its running, and he squeezed the life out of me when we hugged.
“You came alone?” Savanah asked me as I sat.
“Yep.” I unbuttoned my jacket. Thanks to my working out, my shoulders and arms had expanded. It was time to visit my favourite Italian tailor for some new clothes.
“What happened to Kiera?” she asked as the waiter poured wine into her glass.
“It was just once. I wasn’t into it, really.” I nodded as the waiter offered to fill my glass.
What Savvie didn’t know was that I’d visited Mirabel more than just once. She’d made me promise not to tell anyone, which was weird, but I accepted that—for now. I didn’t want to stress Mirabel in her condition.
I understood that she didn’t want me offering a relationship as a good-guy act. It wasn’t that for me, though. I just plain missed her. And when we were together, my body went into overdrive. I’d never craved a woman the way I did Mirabel. I also just liked being around her.
I couldn’t get enough of her. But that was a few weeks ago. And despite my begging her to let me be there at the birth, she’d refused.