Chapter 12 #4
Every quiet word is a blow to my chest with a force stronger than any man’s fist. “Wife,” I growl.
“You aren’t dirty. You were used against your will.
And you can throw the idea of me having second thoughts about you right out the window.
It’s me I’ve been thinking about. Hating on myself for not being able to stop any of this from happening to you.
Hating the thought that I’d been living my life without a care, all while you were living through literal hell.
” That’s what eats at me. How could I have slept so peacefully at night while my wife was being raped and abused?
“But you couldn’t have stopped it.”
“And neither could you,” I cut in firmly.
“But by God, I swear to you that Blackwood’s a dead man walking, and he’s never going to lay a goddamn hand on either one of you.
Doesn’t matter if he had part in making Emmaline.
He’s a piece of shit living on borrowed days.
Our baby’s gonna grow up knowing she’s safe.
That I’m her papa and I love her and her momma.
” Now the truth is out. I didn’t want to tell her like this, but it’s been inevitable from the beginning.
I’m a Shay, plain and simple. Love always happens once we set our sights on our woman, and Mara’s been mine from the start.
“You’re mine, too, and our bed is the last one you’re ever gonna be in. ”
“You…you love me?” Mara swallows. “But you haven’t even touched me.”
“I do. I love you and Emmaline more than life itself. And I haven’t touched you because we both know you’re not ready.
Your body and heart need time to heal.” I give her more of my weight as I press her into the bed.
God Almighty, her quick gasp and the softness of her breasts harden my shaft to the point of steel.
Maybe I’m moving too fast, but I need her to understand this. “Mark my words, Mrs. Shay. There’ll come a time when we learn each other’s bodies. When I lay you down on this bed and finally learn what you taste like between your legs.”
“Warren,” she moans breathily, those very same legs opening up and making room for me. “What…?”
There’s nothing innocent about my movements as I tell her exactly what our future holds.
“Mhmm, you like the thought of that? Yeah, with those pretty thighs spread open and your ankles hooked over my shoulders, you’re gonna melt just like sugar in a tea cup, aren’t you?
Gonna give yourself to me as I kiss my way up your leg until I reach right…
here.” Since I can’t be inside her yet, I allow my cock to press over her center.
Bad idea. Now I just want to grind my hips into her. “Fuckkk, wife.”
Her broken whimper stutters across my chest as her hands hesitantly glide up my arms. The way she squirms and tangles her fingers tightly in my hair tells me she wants it to happen, too.
I’ve never done anything like that to a woman before, but my mouth waters at the thought of my first time with her.
With my wife.
Christ, I’m gonna blow in my trousers if I don’t put a stop to this now.
“Lots of things I’m gonna do to show you how much I love you.
But before I kiss you there, I wanna kiss these sweet little lips.
” I drop my mouth to hover over hers, and I inhale each puff of her quick breaths.
God knows I’m playing with fire right now, but being burned has never been so tempting.
“Do you want that, wife? Want me to make sweet love to your mouth to apologize for not kissing you on our wedding night?”
“Yes,” Mara breathes, lashes hiding her eyes from me. “But only you.”
“Damn right only me.” Cock throbbing with raging desire, I nuzzle into her, lightly dragging my days-old softened scruff over her lips and chin.
Both of us shiver as our mouths touch in the barest of caresses.
A hint of wetness warms my chest. Did she leak milk onto me?
Fucking hell. So close, but still so far. “But not tonight.”
“What?” Her eyes fly open. “Not tonight?”
“Nope. You need to go to sleep.” And she needs to gain more weight first so she’s healthy.
It damn near kills me, but I roll us to our sides and lock our legs together.
Doesn’t really help, though. Not with the way my shaft wants to nestle against the softness of her bottom.
I try to be a gentleman and angle the damn thing to the side, but there aren’t that many places to hide something as long and thick as me.
Well…other than the perfect place mere inches away. But it might as well be miles for as off limits as it is right now. I swallow around a rough groan. Pretty sure I’m gonna have to take myself in hand once she goes to sleep if I’m to find any rest this night.
“How am I supposed to…when you made me feel…” She’s all raspy and befuddled and cute, and I love that I affect her like this.
“When I made you feel the way a woman should in her marriage bed? Believe me, it won’t be any easier for me to sleep either.
” I run my lips over the silky softness of her hair, and damn it all if the scent of roses doesn’t send another wave of blood to my lower half.
“But tonight isn’t our time yet. Besides, you’d better get more rest before Emmaline wakes. ”
When she protests, I shush her and begin to hum.
Just like I did through her nightmares.
Just like I did in the creaky rocking chair.
Only one man, she told me.
Damn right. I’m about to court my wife, and I won’t stop until her heart is mine.