With her heart pounding so damn fast she had a hard time catching her breath, Mae straightened and kicked her shorts aside to stand completely naked before Merit. She’d told him earlier the baby was only the size of a lime, but she could already see changes in her body and wondered if he did, too. Did he even remember enough from their one night to notice the differences?
Merit slowly lifted his gaze, all the gold in his irises eclipsed by the intense desire dilating his pupils. As if coming out of a daze, he blinked, ditched his shirt, and stepped forward to cup her face with both hands. He tipped her chin up while lowering his head to slant his mouth over hers and plunge his tongue deep.
Hungry, sensual strokes turned rising desire into primal need. She skimmed her hands over the hard muscles of his back, down to his jeans again. They were still wet, and she discovered it was still impossible to push the stubborn, clingy denim past his hips and down his thighs.
“Need help with these,” she muttered.
His hands found hers and guided them up around his neck. “Patience.”
Then he dipped at the knees and reached to grip her thighs while hoisting her into his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her out of the bathroom.
“Which bedroom?”
“The one on the left.”
He strode to the open door and crossed the room to lay her on the bed with the freshly changed sheets. Mae braced herself up on her elbows to watch him wrestle with his pants. When he lost his balance and barely caught himself from falling over by grabbing for the edge of the bed, she bit her lip to hold back a laugh.
“It’s not funny,” he groused with a sheepish grin. He flipped around to sit on the bed while shoving to get them past his muscled thighs. “Wet jeans are the worst.”
Rising up on her knees behind him, she pressed her face into the crook of his neck while skimming her hands around to the front of his ridged stomach. He’d mentioned working out, and judging by his washboard abs, he exercised a lot. And holy hell, he smelled frickin’ amazing. He always did.
She’d battled nerves earlier, now she was back to wanting him inside her so bad she ached.
“You want help?” she whispered against the side of his neck as she moved her hands lower.
“Didn’t think I had to ask.” His voice came out all rough, his breath shallow.
She sucked on his neck while sidling around him until she stood between his legs with the chill of his wet jeans against her outer thighs. His hands skimmed up to cup her breasts at the same time she pressed her lips to his. A soft gasp escaped when he tweaked her nipples, and fresh arousal spiked straight to her core.
“Jeans,” she reminded.
They both lowered their hands and worked together to get the wet material down to his knees, mouths still melded together. Then she backed up and knelt down to tug first one leg off, then the other. When she flattened her palms on his thighs and looked up, the sight of his erection jutting up tall and thick made her whole body prickle in breathless anticipation.
He drew her to her feet, and his large hands spanned her waist as he tugged her forward between his legs again. With her standing and him still sitting, he slid his hands up to cup her breasts, lifting them in his palms, squeezing in a gentle massage as he brushed his thumbs back and forth across her tight, tingling nipples.
“They seem bigger,” he murmured, almost to himself.
She swallowed hard. He had noticed. And if he noticed that, what about the slight swell to her belly?
“It’s the pregnancy.”
“Hmm.” The sound was full of approval, and he bent his head to swirl his tongue around one aching tip.
Her breath hitched as she raked her nails through his hair while he licked and sucked first one side, then the other. But much as she loved the foreplay, she needed more. The night of the wedding, champagne eased anxiety after seven years of celibacy. Right now, she channeled those memories as she pushed him down onto the bed and held his gaze while she climbed up to straddle him. The hard jerk of his Adam’s apple revealed her affect on him, giving her a heady dose of courage.
Merit’s hands gripped her hips, and she leaned forward to kiss him as the tip of his erection nudged her entrance. She rocked her hips to take him in bit by bit.
A low, guttural groan vibrated his chest, and his fingers dug into her flesh with each move she made to take him deeper inside. He only allowed a few more teasing strokes before his grip tightened, and he pulled her down while thrusting up until he was buried to the hilt.
An involuntary whimper escaped her lips at the feeling of him filling her with nothing between them to minimize the sensation. Not only that, but the fit was so tight it was almost painful, and yet that’s what made it so amazing.
“Holy fuck, Mae,” he breathed. “You feel so fucking good.”
She wasn’t much for swearing, but his raw, rough words were a surprising turn on. It had been the same the night of the wedding. Just from that one night together, she knew by the desperate need in his voice he was fighting to hold onto his control. She’d thoroughly enjoyed pushing him to the edge that night and intended to do it again right now.
“You, too.”
She began to move, lifting up and then sliding down in a steady, slow rhythm. As his breathing labored in time with hers, she increased her pace and shifted position so his tip hit right where she needed to start the full body buzz that would set her off. He thrust up in perfect cadence with her, his grip almost punishing.
Mae was getting close when he reached in between their bodies and found her sensitive nerve center. It only took a few strokes before she cried out his name as her body clenched around his. Head thrown back, eyes closed, color burst like fireworks with each wave of pleasure rippling through her.
Merit drew her down and flipped their positions without breaking their connection. He urged her knees high and wide, driving into her with wild abandon until she felt the build of another orgasm. His rhythm broke, and he gave a hoarse shout with his final thrust as they both went over the edge together.
When he collapsed on top of her, she held on to him, relishing the weight of his body over hers.
As reality slowly returned, he turned his head to press his lips to her neck. “That was the best ever,” he breathed.
“Hmm.”
All of a sudden he stiffened and lurched off her. “Oh, my God.”
The horrified fear in his voice spiked her alarm and jammed her heart into her throat. “What?”
“What about the baby?”
“What do you mean?”
On his side next to her, his hand hovered over her belly, as if he was afraid to touch. “Did that…did I…should we have done that?”
Relief washed over her, and she sagged back against the mattress. “Geez, yes. It’s fine, Merit.”
His guilt-filled gaze rose. “Are you sure?”
She nodded and reached up to lay a hand on his cheek as her chest tightened at his concern. “Yes, I’m sure. I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the baby.”
Tension slowly seeped from his body. He lowered his palm to cover her navel. She shifted his hand a couple inches lower to where the baby actually was.
“People have sex up until birth. It’s perfectly normal and fine.”
He blew out a breath, his smile shaky as he lifted his gaze. “I wasn’t sure if it could hurt the baby. A little late, I know, but…”
Witnessing firsthand how much he seemed to care already, she felt that familiar prick of tears. “It will not hurt the baby,” she reassured him.
“Thank God.” He nuzzled in at the base of her throat, the scruff of his stubble scraping sensually against her skin. “Not only because the baby’s okay, but I swear to God, I don’t know if I could handle not doing that again for seven more months.”
Her pulse skipped at the assumption he’d made. Not because she disagreed, but it was equally heartwarming to know he was thinking of them being together up until and after the baby was born.
Careful. One day doesn’t change who he is.
Or was?
She wanted to trust what he’d said earlier, that the coffee store chick had been a mistake, that he would’ve sent her away even if Mae hadn’t shown up. In the heat of the moment, she had trusted him, but what if she’d just been so crazy with need she’d have believed anything that fell from his gorgeous, talented lips?
Stop.
Stop thinking and just enjoy the moment.
“Six and a half months,” she corrected.
“Six and a half,” he murmured. He looked at her belly again, then shifted down to place his lips where his hand had been. His warm breath tickled her skin as he whispered, “Stay safe in there. Love you, Baby.”
Suddenly, Mae couldn’t breathe. Talk about instant tears. And for all her self-incrimination about being careful and protecting her heart and not trusting him too easily, the possibilities of all they might have together opened up wide before her.
Merit shot her a sheepish glance. “I heard they can hear people talk to them, and music, and stuff. Is that true, or do I just sound like an idiot?”
The baby was too small to hear anything for a few weeks, but she kept that to herself. “You don’t sound like an idiot at all.”
He moved back up beside her to swipe his thumb under the tear trembling at the edge of her lashes. “Is this something I said, or the pregnancy stuff again?”
“Both.”
He dipped down, and she closed her eyes as his warm lips moved over hers, gentle and languid. Yet another thread of warmth wove into the fabric of her tangled emotions. The guy was making serious headway.
When he bit and sucked her bottom lip, the slow build of heat rose from simmer to slow boil. But seeing as she was running on low sleep and getting hungry, she needed to eat before she became faint.
Mae rose up and pushed Merit onto his back, absently registering the storm had faded off into the distance. Her breasts crushed against his chest as she leaned over him, and she reached to brush his hair off his forehead as his hands splayed over her back.
“I’m going to take a quick shower and then figure out something for dinner. You want to stay?”
“Hell yes.” When she arched her brows with a slight tilt of her head, he amended, “Heck yes?”
She grinned and smothered his cute, sexy smirk with a kiss before scooting off the bed to duck into the closet for her barely used robe. Usually, she slept in a tank top and fitted cotton shorts, but she’d tossed them in the laundry with her dirty sheets.
“I’m not sure what I have in the fridge, but we can always order out, too.”
“I’m good with whatever.”
“Okay. Grab your jeans for the dryer, too.”
As she crossed from the closet to the hall, the bed creaked behind her when he moved to get dressed. Two steps into the bathroom, she reached out to shut the door, but Merit’s hand grabbed the edge a split second before hers.
She whirled around with a startled gasp. “Oh.” She saw he hadn’t gotten dressed at all. He stood there in his naked glory, hard and ready again. Her pulse raced as she jerked her gaze back up. “I didn’t hear you behind me.”
“Sorry.” His eyebrows rose. “Did your offer to stay not include joining you in the shower?”
Her cheeks burned as she realized how it had sounded to him. “Um…no?” When he took a step back, she reached out her hand. “But this is new for me. Do you want to?”
A corner of his mouth crooked up while he threaded his fingers with hers. “Do you really need me to answer that?”
She glanced down again and smiled as her nerves gave way for desire. “No. But I meant it when I said quick. I need to eat something for the baby.”
“In that case, let’s eat first. I want to take my time with dessert.”