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What I would prefer, though, is to have a son and raise him myself. And for him not to inherit the position in the event of my death, but rather for me to hand it over to him when I retire.

***

It’s late when we get home.

And I’m exhausted down to my bones. It takes effort to walk upstairs to my bedroom.

Lara follows me into my room.

“That was horrible,” she sighs, dropping her purse onto the chair in the corner.

“It was. I thought it was never going to end.” I kick off my shoes and strip out of the dark layers of clothing I wore today.

Lara tilts her head to the side, watching me, then smiles softly.

“I am going to get changed and then come and sit with you for a while, if that’s okay. I don’t feel like being alone right now.”

“I would really like that,” I nod.

By the time she returns to my room, wearing cute pink shorts and a cropped T-shirt, I am already in bed, tired, but with my head too busy to even think about sleep.

When she walks in, I smile right away, feeling some of the tension lift.

“Thank you for today, it meant a lot to me to have you there,” I say quietly as she lifts the blankets and slides beneath them.

I reach out under the blankets and pull her closer, and she nuzzles against me, letting out a soft breath of air as she gets comfortable.

I can smell her body lotion. She uses a rose one. I know because I chose it for her, and it smells incredible on her skin.

I lift her wrist to my face and take a long, slow breath of her.

“I love it. It’s creamy and delicate, it makes you smell like wildflowers.”

She has her head resting on my chest, and she slowly starts to trace her finger around the edges of my tattoo. The sensation is surprisingly relaxing, and I close my eyes.

Her touch is alluring, enticing, but I’m so tired, and she brings me such deep comfort that I drift off to sleep.

***

In the morning, I wake up with Lara in my bed, and I smile broadly. She feels me moving, and in her half-asleep state, she snuggles up closer to me and wraps her arm around my chest.

I can’t remember the last time I slept that well. We were close all night; I was holding her and enjoying every moment of it, even in my sleep.

I am more rested than I ever remember being, and it feels incredible.

I’m lying on my back, and her body pressed against mine has my cock throbbing with desire.

I slip my arm beneath her back and pull her even closer, and she moans sweetly in her dreams.

I’m about to lift her onto my chest when I realize this isn’t just lust.

This is so much more.

I don’t justwanther.

I wanther.

My body is begging forher.