Page 107 of Aftershock
Unlike the ruthless man I was a second ago, I kiss her temple, then gently move her farther up on the bed.
After kicking off my shoes, socks, and jeans, I just stand there, admiring her.
Her eyes are hooded, her hair a dark halo against the pillow. Her lips are swollen from how hard I kissed her.
An angel.
“Come to bed,” she whispers, and there’s only one thing I can do.
Join her.
The mattress dips under my weight. As if we’ve been doing it for years, Lilith turns right when I prop myself on my elbow.
Comfortable silence settles between us as I run my fingertips over her cheek. The sound of her purr reaches into my soul.
But the warmth only lasts for so long.
Because when I dip my hand lower, curl it around her neck, and revel in the feel of her pulse beneath my fingers, I remember that I can’t take it for granted.
I tighten my hold just enough to feel her, to ground myself in the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.
And then I make these vows to myself. To her.
As long as I live, I’ll protect her. I’ll take care of her.
I’ll work hard to build a future where both of us get our happily ever after.
Starting now.
“This.” Determined to possess every bit of her, I flip her onto her back. She moans when I shove my cum that’s dripping down her thighs back into her pussy. “Goes here. Where it’s meant to be,” I growl between one kiss and another. “You feel it too, don’t you? How right this is?”
“Yes.” She nods, even though she has no idea what she’s saying yes to. Or, more like,who.
I swallow around the knot in my throat, murmuring, “Good girl.”
“Alaric.” Only when she places a hand on my cheek do I stop, turn us onto our sides, and pull the covers over us. “Are you okay?”
“Never been better.” I bring my still-wet fingers to my lips and suck them clean, then drag them over her cheek in slow, deliberate strokes. Marking her. Claiming her. “I’m with you.”
“But when we’re not together, you work long hours. At the hospital,” she adds, softer now. “And at home, on your days off, you barely sleep. That’s a lot. If you want to talk about it, I’m here for you.”
I’ve never needed help. Never asked for it. But when she says those words, something in me shifts. I finally realize how lonely I’ve been. How long I’ve been waiting for Lilith to fill the hollow space inside me.
“Thank you, and you’re right. It has been a long day.” I brush a strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers linger there, where I can feel her. “There’s not much to say, though, other than I’m tired.” My thumb grazes her cheek,memorizing every inch of her skin. “And that having you, like this, is everything I’ve ever wanted.”
She beams at me, the expression thawing my cold heart.
I need more of that. Slowly, I flip her, hook a hand around her middle, and drag her back to my front. And though my body wraps around her protectively, Lilith is restless.
Her breathing quickens, and I swear I can hear her brain working.
“Hey.” It’s not just worry stirring in me now. With my hand spread over her stomach, I picture what it would be like to feel our baby kick. To caress her swelling stomach, to palm her fuller tits. I need it. But she needs me more right now, so I push those thoughts aside. Temporarily. “Talk to me.”
“Umm.”
The hesitance in that oneummputs me on edge.
“What is it?”
