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Natalie

N atalie had been pacing since Sven told her he landed. She was so anxious to see him. This was new to her. She wasn’t sure she had ever felt like this about anyone. It was like she was in high school again, but instead of curfews and stolen kisses, she had mind-blowing sex and orgasms. It was new, and it was everything.

There was a part of her that thought about putting Winnie down for her nap so she could have Sven to herself when he got home, but she knew he would want to see her. And that was part of it. She maybe could have fought these feelings if he wasn’t an incredible father, but he was. And he was hot. And he was so fucking cocky—which she thought she hated—but not anymore.

The garage door opened, and her heart skipped a beat.

“Looks like Daddy’s home,” she said to Winnie as she finished washing up the dishes from her lunch.

The kitchen door opened, and she couldn’t help her grin.

“Daddy’s home,” Sven announced with that goddamn cocky smirk she had missed.

He walked in and went over and gave Winnie a kiss. “Daddy missed you, sweet girl.”

Then he walked over to the sink and slid his arm around Natalie. “Daddy missed you, too,” he said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

She scowled at him and batted at his chest. “No. We are not doing Daddy.”

He gave her a playful, pleading look. “Really? I was hoping you’d do Daddy later.”

She rolled her eyes and pretended not to love every minute of it.

“It’s just about your nap time,” he said, crossing his way over to Winnie.

“I thought about putting her down, but I thought you might like to see her.”

“Thanks. I do,” he said as he leaned over, pretending to gobble her little cheek.

He moved to get her out of the high chair.

“Sasha sent me the article.”

“Oh, really?” Natalie said as she dried her hands. “How is it?”

“I’m afraid you were right. It does show me in rosy hues, but I think it will be okay. I’m going to spend some time with Winnie, but I’ll send you the article.”

He had Winnie in his arms and walked over to her. “Then, maybe we can spend some time together.”

Then he bent his head and kissed her.

“I think that can be arranged,” she said, smiling up at him.

He disappeared up the stairs with Winnie. She pushed the button on the dishwasher as her phone dinged on the counter. Sven had sent her a link to the article that was being posted.

She read the article. She would be lying if she said she hadn’t been nervous, but it was glowing. Sharing the story of a single dad raising a little girl on his own. It was a little surreal to think about the real story of how Winnie had come to be with him, but this was good for him and Winnie.

The oven dinged, and she went and got the sweet potatoes she’d been roasting out of the oven and put them on the stove top to peel them after they cooled. She would make Winnie some baby food. Then she washed Winnie’s high chair tray, and as she was drying off her hands, she heard Sven come down the stairs.

She turned to talk to him about the article, but the look in his eyes told her there might not be any talking for a moment—that, and he was shirtless... because of course he was.

He stalked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. Her heart started pounding. The look on his face undid her.

“Is this house a shirt repellent for you?” she asked, trying to not melt into a puddle right there on the floor.

“You are a shirt repellent to me,” he said as he bent down and picked her up and put her on the counter.

Natalie took in a sharp breath as Sven’s cocky smirk never left his face.

“I’ve missed you,” he said as he leaned in.

She closed her eyes and waited for the kiss, but it didn’t come. She opened her eyes, and he was still consuming her space with hungry eyes.

“I missed you, too,” she said as she trailed a finger down his chest.

“Did you? What did you miss?”

She leaned in to kiss him, but he pulled away.

“Sven,” she whined.

She could be embarrassed by the needy whine, but she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“Tell me.”

“I mean, I’ve missed this,” she said as she ran her hands down his chest. “But mostly, I’ve just missed you.”

His cocky smirk faltered before returning, but this time, there was a softness behind it she could get lost in. But before she could think too much about it, his mouth was on her in a kiss that almost broke her heart. Then his hands for the hem of her shirt, and he started to pull it off her. She raised her arms, and all that was there once her shirt was off was heat, and, damn, she wanted that heat.

His hand found her breast and squeezed it while his tongue swept into her mouth. She gave a contented sigh as she sank into the feel of him around her. Then he pinched that nipple and bit her bottom lip, and the sigh gave way to a moan.

He kissed down her neck and her chest until his mouth was on her nipple, and he was pulling at the waist of her yoga pants. She shifted her waist as he pulled them out.

He fell to his knees before her and pushed her legs wide. He licked his lips and looked up at her with his smirk she fucking loved, and he was done. Then he traced a finger along her seam, and she was on fire for this man on his knees before her.

Then he held her open as his tongue lightly flicked her clit. The sensation shot sparks through her body.

She hissed and slid her hand into his hair. “Oh my god.”

He slowly licked her with the flat of his tongue from her entrance up to her clit, and she was already about to lose it for this man. She’d never been this turned on.

Then he started slow circles around her clit as his hand that had been pinching her nipple. The feel of his finger in her and his tongue on her clit had the release building and winding deep inside of her. Then the addition of another finger while he lightly sucked her clit into his mouth had her moaning.

“Sven, that feels so good.”

He sucked harder and worked his fingers deeper. Her hips started grinding as her hand fisted in his hair. Her release coiled and just about ready to break, but then he stopped. His fingers pulled out of her, and he stood.

She gave a gasp of protest, but he pulled down his pants and lined his hard cock up with her center and pushed in. His mouth took hers in a deep kiss, and he started fucking her right there on the kitchen counter.

“Fuck,” Sven said as he grabbed her hips and bucked into her.

She was lost and on the edge, but it was perfect. Sven’s hand fisted in her hair, tipping her head back as he kissed her neck. That was it. She was overcome and cried out as her orgasm ripped through her.

“Sven,” she cried out.

He shifted his hips, changing the angle slightly. After a few more powerful thrusts, he groaned his release. His head dropped to her shoulder as he panted, and her hands ran up and down his back, and she wasn’t sure if a more perfect moment had ever existed.

He pulled back and cupped her face. His expression held a mix between adoration and reverence. It stirred up a feeling in her she hadn’t felt in years. Was she falling in love with him?

“Natalie,” he said with an expression that pulled her heart to her throat. “Fuck. You are everything.”

At those words, her heart was his. That heart she’d been trying to protect now belonged to him.

She cupped his face and leaned in for another sweet kiss. “I really like you, Sven,” she said with her forehead leaned against his.

She pulled back and expected to see his cocky smirk, but what she found undid her and put her back together in the same breath.

“You are my world. You and Winnie are truly everything. I hope you know that.”

A genuine smile covered her face as she nodded. “That’s how you make me feel.”

“Good . . .”

His gaze held her in place with unsaid words.

As the heat of the moment died down, she realized she was naked, sitting on his cold marble counters.

“Umm, can I have my clothes back?” she said, trying to push him away.

He bit his lip and looked at her as if mulling it over. “I’m not sure if that’s such a great idea?”

“What? Why?”

“’Cause . . . then you wouldn’t be naked anymore.”

“Ummm, yeah, Sven, that’s kind of the point.”

“I don’t know... I kind of feel like you should just always be naked.”

She couldn’t stop the laugh that bubbled up inside of her as she pushed him away. She hopped down off the counter and gathered her clothes. When she bent to get her pants, Sven spanked her ass. Looking over her shoulder, she scowled at him, and there was the return of that cocky smirk she liked all too much.

Later that night, they were in bed after a wonderful night of dinner and playing with Winnie.

“Are you ready for the article?”

Sven nodded as he set his phone on the side table.

“What do you think your dad will say?”

“For once in my life, I can honestly say, I don’t give a fuck.”

She looked at him, taking him in. “Really?”

His brow furrowed while he nodded. “Yeah, I’ve tried my whole life to please that man, but I was never enough. I can see now that I never will be enough, but that’s on him.” Sven took a deep breath. “When he tried to make me get rid of Winnie without even showing the slightest interest in knowing his granddaughter, I could see it differently.”

“I’m sorry,” Natalie said as she rested her head on his chest.

“Don’t be,” he said as he ran his hand through her hair. “I’m at peace with it. Being able to see it for what it is hurts a lot less than trying to please him.”

Her fingers traced his chest as his hands brushed her hair. This moment felt perfect. This moment felt like they’d been together for years instead of months. She didn’t know it could be this easy. Part of her knew she was still hiding away from her problems, but when she had such a handsome distraction, it really didn’t seem to matter to her.

Sven bent his head and kissed the top of hers. She gazed into his eyes before kissing him. He cupped her chin and deepened the kiss. And just like that, she forgot about everything and got lost in this kiss. And she was ready for more. She was ready for more in more than one way.