Page 77 of Claimed By the Boss
I kiss her slowly, reverently, as my hand slides down her side, cupping the curve of her hip, the softness of her thigh. She parts her legs for me, welcoming me closer, and the heat of her body nearly drives me mad. I stroke her gently, learning the pace her body wants tonight, not demanding, not rushing. Her eyes flutter closed, her lips part, and she lets out a sound so sweet I feel it in my bones.
I keep my pace tender, coaxing her higher, until she is trembling beneath me, her hands gripping my shoulders. I lower my mouth to her chest, worshiping her with my lips and tongue, whispering against her skin how beautiful she is, how strong, how brave. She writhes beneath me, soft cries spilling from herthroat, and I don’t stop until she shatters in my arms, her body clenching, her breath catching on my name.
Only then do I move over her, guiding myself to her warmth. I enter her slowly, carefully, savoring the moment her body opens to mine. Her nails dig into my back and her eyes lock on mine, wide and shining. I sink into her fully, burying myself in her, and the sensation is almost too much. I press my forehead to hers, groaning against her lips. “God, Lyra. You’re everything to me.”
We move together in a rhythm that feels less like sex and more like prayer. I hold her face in my hands as I thrust slowly, deeply, each motion a vow. She clings to me, her legs wrapped around my waist, her body arching to meet mine. Our mouths never stop meeting, kissing again and again, as if we need the reassurance of constant connection.
Her soft cries fill the room, each one pushing me closer to the edge. I fight to hold back, to give her everything first, to let her feel the depth of what she means to me. I angle my hips, pressing deeper, and she gasps, her whole body tightening around me. She breaks apart again, moaning my name, and the sound drags me with her.
I let go, thrusting harder, faster, until I’m spilling into her with a groan that shakes my chest. I bury my face in her neck, breathing her in, letting the heat of release wash through me. My body shudders, and she holds me through it, stroking my back, whispering words of love into my ear.
I collapse beside her, pulling her into my arms immediately, refusing to let her go. We lie tangled in the sheets, our skin damp, our breaths unsteady. I press soft kisses to her hair, her temple, her shoulder, anywhere my lips can reach. She nestles against me with a sigh, her hand resting over my heart.
EPILOGUE
LYRA
Six Months Later
By the time we finish dinner, my back aches and my ankles are swollen again. I can’t help shifting in my chair as I rub my belly.
“I’m so tired of waddling around,” I mutter to Damien. “I just want to meet him already.”
Damien looks up from his plate with that small smile he saves only for me.
I think about the day we found out we were having a boy. Damien held my hand through the ultrasound and nodded along to every word of advice the technician offered. Then, when the doctor came in and told us it was a boy, he actually cried. He recovered quickly, probably not wanting me to see it, but it’s an image I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
“He’ll be here soon enough,” Damien answers fondly. “And when he is, you’ll forget about every ache.”
I snort softly.
“You think so? Because right now, I feel like a whale who can barely breathe, let alone walk across the room.”
His eyes warm as he studies me. “You’re absolutely stunning.”
I want to roll my eyes, but the way he says it makes my throat tighten instead. He means it. He has always meant it, even when I don’t believe it myself.
It’s strange, thinking about how far we’ve come. There are nights I still wake in a sweat, remembering the warehouse, the sound of gunfire. But then I turn and see him lying beside me, steady and protective even in sleep, and the fear eases. Life since that night has been different in every way.
I moved in with him not long after. Now, the penthouse feels more like my space than his. The office holds both our computers side by side, wires tangled like our lives. I’ve even claimed one of the guest rooms and started turning it into a nursery. There are days when he leaves for meetings and I sit by the tall windows, writing code, watching the city glow beneath me, and I think about how much my life has changed.
He still shadows me everywhere I go, of course. There are always men nearby, discreet but present. At first, I hated it, but then I remembered the night we were ambushed, and I’m grateful for it. That’s not an experience I ever want to relive, and I know he feels exactly the same.
I glance across the table at him and suddenly remember the first time we met. I was so tired and so annoyed with that man who wouldn’t respect my boundaries, and he swooped in like a white knight or a superhero. He saved me that night, and he’s been saving me ever since.
He sets his fork down, leans back slightly, and says, “I’m turning over the family business to Alek.”
The words jar me. I blink at him, stunned. “You’re what?”
He holds my gaze. “I’ve been thinking about this for a long time. I’ll keep Integrated Systems since it’s mostly legit, but the rest of it belongs to Alek now. It was my father’s world, not mine. I want to build a better world for our son.”
I search his face, looking for hesitation, but I find none. “You’ve lived that life for so long. Are you really ready to let it go?”
“I’ve been ready since the moment I thought I’d lost you.” His tone is quiet, steady. “That night in the warehouse, everything became clear. Revenge was never the point. You are. Our son is. That’s all that matters to me now. Alek can handle the rest.”
I swallow hard, my hand sliding instinctively over my belly. “So what does this mean for us?”
He smiles faintly. “It means I can build a future with you without endangering your life. It means I can sit here at this table, or hold our son, without wondering whose blood is on my hands that day.” He reaches across and covers my hand with his. “And it means you can have any role at Integrated you want. Or none at all. It’s your choice.”