He sat back on his heels, pulling me up to straddle his thighs. “Take me, Kate.”
I settled over him, sliding down. We both sighed as pleasure washed through us. Sam’s arm banded around me, holding me in place, his body pulsing with life inside mine. He kissed me again and then trailed his lips along my jaw to my ear.
“Ride me. Take me to heaven,” he whispered.
With my hands on his shoulders, I rocked over him, slowly moving while our gazes held. We were joined in every possible way, our bodies, our hearts, our souls.
Soon, the need to come clawed at me. My head fell back as I sought release. Sam’s lips wrapped around my nipple and sucked, sending me to the edge and over.
“Yes, Sam!” Pleasure whipped through me, fast and fierce and oh, so delicious.
He pushed me back, hooking my legs around his hips, and took his pleasure too. He pumped in and out, drawing out my pleasure as he bucked and emptied inside me.
“You’re mine.” He rolled off me, tugging me close.
“And you’re mine.” I rested my head on his chest.
“It’s about fucking time, isn’t it?”
He wasn’t wrong.
CHAPTERTHIRTY-ONE
Sam
I had been precariously close to letting my hurt and pride cost me the most important thing in my life. Thank fuck I wizened up, or Kate wouldn't be here with me now.
Three weeks after we finally talked and confessed our truths, she was truly mine. There was no more second-guessing or hoping. Okay, so maybe every now and then, I worried I was pushing too hard, too fast.
A week after she showed up at my house, I asked her to move in with me. For an instant, I saw that quick Pavlovian response of her guard going up, but just as quickly, a smile spread on her face and she said yes. Someday, hopefully not very long from now, that trigger response will be gone.
Today’s Christmas Eve, and I couldn't be any more thankful for the life I was given. It was like Santa had shown up early.
Kate and I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. Today, we were going to hear the baby's heartbeat. I couldn't fucking believe it. Her doctor had tried to push the appointment till after Christmas, but Kate had been able to finagle an appointment this morning because what better Christmas present than to hear the heartbeat of your child?
Afterward, we would go shopping and then we were having dinner at Dane and Bridget’s who once again were hosting a holiday party.
But Christmas morning would just be the two of us. Later, we’d go over to Ethan and Lucy's for dinner. It would be my first Christmas without my parents, but they understood, and I'd made arrangements for us to go visit them in the new year.
"Come on, baby, we need to go. We're going to be late."
Kate glanced at me through the bathroom mirror. She was tugging her long blonde hair up into a ponytail. "Beauty cannot be rushed."
I grinned as I stepped behind her, sliding my hands over her belly and kissing her neck. "You're beautiful all the time, even when you're puking over the toilet."
She gave me a soft jab in the belly with her elbow.
"Come on. Let's go meet our baby."
She twirled in my arms, wrapping her arms around me and holding me tight. These unexpected displays of affection still took me off guard. I knew that she loved me, but I had a sense that these moments were about reminding herself of what she had and what she’d almost lost. At least that's how I felt when they happened. So I wrapped my arms around her, holding her tight, letting her know I wouldn't ever let her go again.
Forty-five minutes later, Kate was lying on an examination table as the obstetrician pushed up her shirt and tugged the waistband of her pants lower and squirted a gel on her belly. Kate's abdomen was still flat, so it was hard to believe that life was growing in there. Today, we were going to see it and hear it.
The obstetrician looked up at each of us. "Are you ready, Mom and Dad?"
Kate reached out and took my hand, and I squeezed it. "Ready."
She put a wand over Kate's belly and began moving around. After a moment, she stopped and poked some buttons on the screen. She moved a little bit more and then stopped.