Page 33

The wolf dog stares at me; the damn thing hasn’t shut its eyes all night, and I’m starting to wonder if dogs sleep with their eyes open. Is that a thing?

Rolling over, I wince at the sharp pain of the couch spring sticking in my back. My chiropractor will have a field day with me next week. That’s if I can walk or even leave this house in one piece, given the way the fucking wolf stares at me like I’m his next meal. “Jesus, this is ridiculous.”

A loud bark shocks the shit out of me, and I turn to face it.

“You want to eat me, don’t you?”

It continues to glare at me.

“Well, I’m not your dinner, fuckwit.”

It moves toward me, and like my ass is on fire, I spring up from the couch. Like hell, I’m staying down here a minute longer with that thing.

As I leave the living room, the dog climbs onto the couch, circles it, then settles down on the pillow.

Slowly, I tiptoe up the stairs and turn right at the top. I’d watched Gia’s ass head in that direction when she announced she was going to bed before shoving sheets in my hand like I wasn’t welcome.

Well, screw that. If I want to be a part of her life, I intend to make sure she’s aware.

Slowly, I push open her bedroom door and step inside. The bathroom light filters through from beneath the door, allowing me to witness the most gorgeous sight of her lying on her side, one leg thrown over the comforter and the other tucked beneath it. Her soft snores have me smiling, and I inch my way closer to her.

Glancing around the room, I take in the furnishings; it’s neat, tidy, and has a homely feel that I’m missing in mine. My gaze latches onto the photo beside her bed, the same as the one on the sideboard downstairs, and my gut knots at seeing them together, happy and smiling, and here I am, the intruder.

When she moves, it draws my attention away from the bedside table. She wears a camisole top that has ridden up to expose her stomach, a stomach I’m desperate to touch and mark as mine. Small, silvery purple lines show the stretch of her skin, and I’ve never seen anything so incredible before. My mouth waters to trace the path of the lines covering our baby. Her heavy tits look like they’re attempting to fight their way free from the camisole, and I lick my lips as I imagine how big her soft nipples have grown.

“What are you doing in here?”

I hadn’t realized her eyes had fluttered open during my perusal, and suddenly, I want to show her everything I’ve been imagining. I want to touch her exactly how I crave and mark her precisely how I envisage.

So instead of using my words, I kneel on the bed beside her and slip the strap down on her top. Goosebumps spread out down her arm, and our eyes remain locked on one another’s, the room filling with desire as she sucks in a sharp breath.

As my fingers brush against her skin, my cock jumps at the contact. I lean into her and press a soft kiss on the swell of her tit. Fuck, I wonder if she leaks milk yet?

My tongue darts out without thought, desperate to get in on the action, and she moans as I suck tenderly against her flesh.

“Oh god, Reed.” Her fingers find my hair, and she tugs on the strands, pinching my scalp, and I suck harder to leave my mark.

I give her a gentle push, and she rolls onto her back, allowing me the space to settle beside her, and the movement exposes her full breast to me.

As my eyes roam over her delectable body, my heart hammers in my chest. I’ve never seen anything so magnificent in my entire life. This moment is profound, filled with awe, tenderness, and longing.

It’s filled with everything I’ve never had or wished for, but I know deep inside I won’t ever want anyone else.

She’s it for me.

They’re it for me.

They’re my everything.

Her areola is swollen and dark, and the tip of her nipple is pebbled, begging me to suck on it. The bump protecting our baby is settled between us, and as the heat of her gaze soaks into my skin, I move my hand to caress our baby.

“Reed?” Her eyes are filled with unshed tears, uncertainty swimming in them.

“I won’t let you down. I’m not going anywhere.”

She nods, and my hand settles on her stomach. It’s solid, and that thought makes me proud. A barrier of protection on the outside and our love on the inside means nothing can harm our little one.

I’ve got a lot to learn, but I’m determined to do it.