Chapter 30 Nate
NATE
It felt incredible to wake with Ember in my bed, just days before Christmas when her family was set to arrive.
Her decision to move in with me was spontaneous, brought on by my prompting, but it made sense.
We were both committed to making this relationship work against all odds, and I didn't see why she needed to struggle to pay rent at a second home when we spent most nights together anyway.
"Good morning," I whispered as she turned over in bed and smiled at me.
Her belly was still small, but the round, firm bump under my hand fluttered with movement and she grinned and held my hand more tightly.
"Nathan Elwood says good morning too." Her smile was breathtaking, especially with hair lying disheveled across my pillows.
I leaned forward to kiss her, drawn in by how much I cared about her, and she curled against my body, tangling our legs.
"Well, tell little man that Daddy wants to talk to Mommy about grown-up things." I guided her hand to my cock which was already waking up.
Sometimes in the morning, I just needed her a little more.
"Well, Daddy," she said playfully as she stroked me, "Mommy notices how you'd like to give her an early Christmas present." My lips claimed hers again and she smiled into the kiss.
"God, Ember," I murmured against her mouth, pulling back just enough to meet her eyes. "You're the best Christmas present I could ask for."
She laughed and rolled her hips against mine, brushing my swelling dick deliberately so I would notice her. "Yeah?" she asked, arching her head back for me.
I trailed kisses down her throat, savoring the salt of her skin, the way she arched into me with a soft moan.
My hand slid from her belly to the soft curve of her thigh, parting her legs just enough to feel the heat between them.
She was already slick, warm, and I traced one lazy finger along her folds, barely brushing her clit.
Ember’s breath hitched. her grip on my cock tightened, stroking me slow and matching the rhythm of my teasing.
I kissed the hollow beneath her ear, tasting her pulse. “Tell me what you want, baby,” I whispered, circling her entrance without pushing in.
She arched, pressing into my hand, a soft whine escaping her throat.
“You,” she breathed, guiding my fingers deeper. “Slow. I want to feel every second.”
I obliged, sliding one finger inside her velvet heat, curling gently, then adding a second when she moaned my name.
Her hips rolled in tiny, needy circles, chasing the pressure.
I kept it languid—thumb grazing her clit in feather-light passes, lips trailing down her neck, over the swell of her breast.
The baby kicked again, a quiet flutter against my forearm, and we both stilled, smiling into the kiss that followed.
“Little man’s wide awake,” I murmured, pressing my forehead to hers. “Thinks he’s got front-row seats.”
Ember laughed breathlessly and pulled me closer, but her laugh melted into a moan as I curled my fingers deeper, pressing that sweet spot inside her until her thighs trembled.
“Nate… right there,” she gasped in a ragged voice.
I kept the pace unhurried, savoring every slick glide, every flutter of her walls around me.
My mouth found her nipple, tongue flicking slow circles that matched the speed of my thumb on her clit. “God, you taste perfect,” I murmured against her skin.
Ember’s head fell back against the pillow, hair fanning out under her and she moaned, “Don’t stop—please—”
She rocked into my hand with soft, pleading sounds as I shifted lower, kissing a path down her sternum, tasting the faint salt of her skin.
My fingers slipped free only long enough to spread her wider, and I settled between her legs, breath ghosting over her soaked folds.
“Tell me if it’s too much,” I said, voice low.
“Never,” she breathed.
One long, flat lick from entrance to clit made her hips jerk. “Christ—yes—”
A second had her fingers threading through my hair, holding me there.
I took my time—tongue tracing every ridge, every sensitive inch—until her thighs clamped around my ears and her moans turned breathless and broken.
“I’m—Nate, I’m coming!”
When she came, it was slow and deep, her body arching off the bed in a silent cry, pulsing against my mouth.
I stayed with her through every shudder, as her hips snapped up, thighs locking around my head.
A hot rush coated my tongue while her walls clenched in tight, rolling pulses, each one drawing a broken whimper from her throat.
I flattened my tongue, riding the spasms, feeling every tremor ripple down her belly and legs until her grip slackened and her breath hitched into soft, dazed pants.
Ember tugged my hair, pulling me up until our mouths met in a messy, breathless kiss, her taste still slick on my lips
Her tongue slid against mine, pulling a low groan from my chest.
I braced one arm beside her head and used the other to guide myself to her entrance, the head of my cock nudging through her wetness. She was still trembling, thighs quivering against my hips.
“I love you,” I whispered, lips brushing hers.
“I love you too,” she breathed, fingers curling at my nape. “All of you—slowly.”
I eased forward, parting her inch by inch.
The heat was staggering—her tight walls squeezing around me, still rippling from her release.
When I was fully seated, we both exhaled, foreheads pressed together, breath mingling, and I held still, letting her adjust, feeling every tiny pulse inside her.
“Move,” she urged, voice husky. “Please, Nate.”
I drew back until only the tip remained, then glided home in one long, smooth stroke.
The drag was exquisite. her slickness coated me, easing every motion.
I set a languid pace—deep, unhurried thrusts that had her gasping every time I bottomed out.
Her legs wrapped around my waist, heels digging into the back of my thighs, urging me closer.
“Like this?” I murmured, angling my hips to stroke that spot that made her eyes flutter shut.
“Yes—right there,” she moaned, nails scoring my skin. “Don’t stop.”
I kissed along her jaw, tasting the faint sheen of sweat at her throat. “You feel incredible,” I said against her pulse. “So tight, so warm.”
She arched beneath me, breasts pressing to my chest, and I shifted my weight to one elbow to cup one breast, thumb circling the stiff bud until she whimpered.
Ember’s breath hitched as her inner muscles twitched again, signaling another climb.
I slipped a hand between us, fingers finding her clit then rubbed in tight, gentle circles, matching the rhythm of my hips.
“Nate—” Her voice cracked. “I’m close again.”
“I’ve got you,” I whispered, increasing the pressure just enough. “Let go.”
She tensed beneath me, thighs trembling, then shattered with a soft grunt.
Her walls clamped down in rhythmic pulses, milking me as fresh wetness eased my strokes.
I kept thrusting through it, drawing out every shudder until she sagged, boneless and panting on the bed and let her knees fall apart for me.
Only then did I let myself chase release.
I buried my face in her neck, thrusts growing harder, faster.
The coil in my spine tightened unbearably as my balls drew up.
The sensation built until I felt like a pressure cooker ready to explode.
“Ember—God—” Pleasure surged, white-hot.
I thrust deep and came with a guttural groan, spilling inside her in long, pulsing waves.
Each spurt left me shaking, hips jerking until I was twitching and jolting, pumping my hips and dumping every last drop of my seed into her.
Then I collapsed to the side, spent and panting, while Ember curled against my chest.
I pressed a kiss to her damp temple and let my fingers drift through her hair.
Ember’s head rested on my shoulder while she traced a circle over my heart, twirling her finger in the light hair that grew there.
“We should probably get up soon,” she mumbled, but her tone lacked conviction. “Mom texted last night. They’ll be here the twenty-third. That’s three days. We haven't started shopping yet.”
I sighed, though I didn't mean for it to come out so dramatic. I wanted to be excited for Ember's parents' visit, but I was nervous.
“Three days to turn this place into a holiday inn and convince your parents I’m not some mid-life crisis in human form.”
Ember lifted her head, chin propped on my chest. Her eyes were bright and amused. “Mid-life crisis, Nate… We just dealt with a whole town over this. You're not too old for me."
“Tell that to the mirror when I’m trying to keep up with a toddler in a few years.” I brushed a knuckle along her cheek and chuckled. “Your dad’s what—fifty-eight? He was probably hoping you’d bring home someone who doesn't remember dial-up internet.”
She snorted and then sighed, propping herself on an elbow. “Dad remembers dial-up. He also remembers when I was twelve and swore I’d never date anyone who owned more than one tie. You own three. You’re already overachieving.”
I rolled my eyes, but the knot in my stomach stayed put. “I just… I want them to see I’m serious about you. I'm not a predator or something…"
Once the idea had lodged itself in my brain, there was no getting it out.
I felt like everything my father had said to me had merit, and now it wasn't him I had to convince.
It was Ember's parents, and I wasn't sure what sort of people they were.
Ember shifted again so she could look at me straight on. “Listen to me.” Her voice was gentle.
I got the sense she was ready to use her Mom voice. “My parents aren’t blind. All they want is for me to be happy, Nate. After everything I went through, they won't care if you're Santa Claus. They just want me safe."
I swallowed. “And the age thing?”
She shrugged, a small, unconcerned lift of one shoulder. “Mom married Dad when she was twenty-three and he was thirty-one. That's eight years.”
She paused, then repeated, softer, “They just want me safe. And happy. You make me both."
I searched her face, looking for any flicker of doubt, but there wasn’t any. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure.” She leaned in, kissed the corner of my mouth. “Besides, I'm sure my dad’s already planning to interrogate you over eggnog."
I groaned, but the knot loosened. “Great. I hate eggnog.”
“Then lie,” she said, grinning. “Tell him it’s your favorite. He’ll love the honesty of your terrible taste.”
I laughed despite myself and felt better for opening up.
There was something magical about talking to her that always helped me feel better.
“Shopping,” I said, suddenly remembering. “We still need half the list. Your mom’s gluten-free, right? And your dad wants that weird bourbon that only comes in the blue bottle?”
“Gluten-free and the blue bottle,” she confirmed. “Also, Mom says no tree is complete without tinsel, even though it gets everywhere.”
I rubbed a hand over my face. “We’re those people now, who panic-buy tinsel on December twenty-second.”
“Welcome to adulthood,” she teased.
I stole one more kiss then rolled out of bed, offering her my hand.
She took it, and I pulled her up and out of bed.
No matter what her parents thought, I knew Ember and I were good for each other.
If we could convince my father to support us, we were just a few steps away from controlling the world.