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“I don’t care, just, please, fuck me. I need to feel all of you.”

He stopped, cupping my face with both hands as we panted at each other. “Say you’ll marry me.”

Not again. “Reiss—”

He shook his head before placing his thumb on my lips, shushing me. “Marry me, and I’m all yours.”

What did he mean byall yours? Like he’d grant me my wish by shagging me senseless until I’d satisfied my urges … or he was all mine forever, as my husband, my partner for life? Somehow, I had a feeling that he meant the first one, although hearing him say those words had made me feel dizzy.

“Ava?”

“For how long?” I heard myself say. “For how long do you want us married?”

“Until you decide to divorce me.” There was a new determination on his face, making me even more drawn to him.

Could I do it—marry him and pretended that I didn’t love him to distraction? Could I turn a blind eye to his sex life and focus on him wanting to be a good father? Maybe … for however long I could endure it.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Say it louder, Ava. I can’t hear you,” he teased just as I felt his hand reach for my left hand then onto my ring finger, making sure the ring was still there.

“I said I’ll marry you.” Smiling though my heartbreak, I let his touch cure a little of the pain that wracked my body. “I’ll marry you.”

“Christ, stop gripping my cock like that,” he protested with a little thrust of his hips. “Don’t stop telling me, love. I want to keep hearing you say it. I want to hear it until I’m deaf from you screaming into my ears.”

And so I did. I chanted my promise to him as he took my body to new heights, riding along the waves of my ecstasy as he spilled his seed into my womb. Hissing my name out, he took a bite of my shoulder right where it connected to the base of my neck, making me scream into oblivion as I came again on his raging cock that still kept spilling semen into my depths.

I love you, I thought painfully as he hungrily kissed me, almost making me believe he, too, felt the same, that he was just as in love with me as I was with him.

“How long before my divorce from Ashton takes place once everything is signed and submitted?” Glancing at Reiss as he tapped on his phone, I was hoping he’d know more because I had no idea what to do from here. Earlier on, he had mentioned that my father had everything handled, but since I wasn’t speaking to my father just yet, Reiss would have to be the one I bothered with all these divorce-related questions.

“Hmm?” he responded, clearly distracted by whatever it was he was doing.

I sighed, feeling as though I was an absolute nuisance. “Never mind. Well, actually, I was wondering if you wanted to go somewhere to have dinner.” We’d been staying in all day, and I felt the need for fresh air.

“Sorry, but I can’t. I promised my mother I’d take her somewhere tonight. Besides, I have to give her the update that she’ll soon be a grandmother.” He smiled, reaching out to touch the loose hair on the side of my face.

His mother … damn.

“How are Marie and your father? I hope all is well.” I hadn’t really spent much time with them when I had been seeing Reiss back in the day. I supposed we had been so bent on keeping our relationship a secret I didn’t really bother with any relationship to either of them.

“They’re both well and retired. My father developed a severe back problem after he fell off the ladder whilst trimming bushes that were ten feet high. I was in university at the time, so I couldn’t possibly support them then. He had kept on working, enduring his pain to support mum and him. But the second I graduated, I gave them my first paycheck. And, from then on, I started giving them about half of it since I really didn’t need much to survive. They were old and I was young; I could make that small sacrifice just so they could stop working. It was my turn to take care of them, and I haven’t backed down from that promise.

“At first, my mother wasn’t quite keen on taking my money since I had barely started working and was only getting paid at the minimum, but I convinced her otherwise. They’ve done enough for me. Besides, my parents were my purpose behind all the hard work, all the late nights, and lack of sleep. I did it to ensure their retirement as much as my future.

“I see mum at least once a week and my father, as well, on the occasion that he’s willing to drive to London. But we do get together as a family once or twice a month.”

My heart swelled at his speech, imagining him working rigorously in hopes that he would soon support his aging parents. He was a good man, and our child was blessed to have him as a father.

“Your parents are quite lucky to have you as their son. You love them with all your heart, uncaring about the sacrifices you’ve made for them. Others your age would have splurged their first pay on partying or shopping. You’re a brilliant man. I’m sure most people tell you that, but I want you to hear it from me. You are…” I whispered before getting up from the couch to reach across the opposing seat and giving him a grand hug. “You’re going to be a brilliant father, Reiss. I just know it.”

“You think so?” He gave me a doubtful look. “It’s daunting to think about it. The world is such a bitter place to be in. One mistake could finish a man. I hope I will guide my child to make better decisions in life. The thought of failing at being a parent makes me tremendously nervous.”

“I have those fears, too. I’m sure it won’t be a walk in the park; I can guarantee you that. If it’s a girl, we’d better brace ourselves for the adolescent stage where everything she’s feeling will be much more intense because her hormones will be going haywire, and she’ll most likely be confused for a while, searching for her ‘identity’—for what truly defines her. Not to mention the fact that we might have to sit her down for the birds and the bees kind of talk, which would truly be a hardship. And, if it’s a boy, the endless college parties and the throng of women, the influence of peer pressure, being inebriated along with drug use.” I let out a frustrated sigh, frowning as I looked at him. “The list could go on. You’re right, this bloody thing is really daunting.”

“Cheers, love. Glad you’re seeing the big picture.” Placing an arm around me, he pulled me closer to his body. I then rested my head against his shoulder, imagining the future. “I must tell you, though, if it’s a girl, I’ll make sure no boy will come snooping when she’s of age. I’ll hound them until they’ve buried themselves inside their closets. No boy would make my baby their practice meat, not a bloody chance in Hell.”

Slapping his chest, I applied pressure to push myself to see his face. “I was practice meat?”