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I tunnel my fingers into her long locks and draw her face to mine, where I speak my next words against her lush lips. “Then let’s change that. Stay?”

“Yes.” She nods, and I roll my hips, showing her just how much her answer pleases me. The motion also turns heryesinto a long, low, “God, yes.” I fucking love how responsive she is, but I can’t help but wonder if she’s always this way or if it’s just with me.

I try my best to banish the unwelcome thought and to simply be in the moment with her, but like a weed—it has taken root and I have to know.

“Hey, Nat, I have a question. You may not like it.”

She moves back to sitting and looking down at me. “What’s up?”

“I, uh. I guess what I wanted to ask is, uh. How—how many other guys?—”

Her hysterical laughter cuts me off. “Alden Warner, are you trying to ask me mynumber?”

I turn my gaze away from her, embarrassed. “Yes,” I grumble.

She’s not having any of that though, and palms my cheek, turning it back. “Oh, Alden. It’s always been you. Sure, I’ve dated around, and I even tried to have a one-night stand once, but I chickened out. None of those men were you.”

My heart swells with pride as the caveman inside of me stakes his claim—my dick swells, too, at the thought of being the only man to ever have been inside of her.

“Wh-what about you?” She nibbles on her lip, and I reach up and free it.

Damn. Should have seen that coming.“Since Mia, just you.” We both cringe at the mention of the she-witch, but then the entirety of my confession hits, and she beams the most magnificent smile I’ve ever seen.

Natalie lunges at me, attacking me with her lips. I eagerly reciprocate, palming the round, firm globes of her ass, squeezing and guiding her movements as she rocks against my hard length.

“Fuck, Nat, you’re so hot. I need you.”

“Have me,” she pants out.

“In my bed. I want you in my bed.”

Wordlessly, she moves off of me and stands. Her eyes never leave mine as she strips off her shirt, followed quickly by her bra. She pivots and heads for the stairs, shedding the rest of her clothes along the way.

I jump up and follow behind her. Her head start leads me to find her naked at the foot of my bed, looking like a fucking goddess meant only for me.

I rake my gaze over her, visually devouring her. She looks good enough to eat. I’m about to tell her just that when her sudden boldness vanishes, self-doubt and insecurity taking its place.

She averts her gaze and wraps her arms around her middle. I step closer and slide my hand down her jaw before tilting her head back so that our eyes are locked. “What’s wrong? Don’t hide from me.”

“It’s…I just. All of our other times together have been in the dark, and my body…” She trails off, and I think I get where she’s going with this.

I pull her hands away and drop to my knees. Feather soft, I trail my fingertips over the fine white lines that mar her belly. “Are these what you’re worried about?”

She nods as a small sniffle escapes her.

I press my lips to her stomach, kissing a path from hip to hip. “You’re so beautiful, Natalie. And your stretch marks in no way detract from that. If anything, they add to it. They’re visible proof that together, we created life, and there’s nothing sexier than that to me.”

She smirks down at me, her confidence returning. She gestures for me to stand, and I do.

“Thank you, Alden. So much,” she murmurs, trailing the tip of index finger across her right clavicle and then down the valley between her breasts.

I just about swallow my tongue. “Just speaking the truth.”

She presses her lips to my neck and speaks against my skin. “You have on too many clothes.” She steps impossibly closer to me and slides her hands beneath the material of my shirt, sliding it up. I help and pull it over my head. We toss it to the floor together.

“Better?”

She shakes her head. “No. Still too many.” Her hand drops to my pants, reaching down to palm my erection before unbuttoning them and dragging them down. She repeats the motion with my boxers, leaving us both gloriously naked. She appraises me like a tiger does its prey, right before the kill