Chapter 46
46
AMELIA
H is admission that he loved me—really loved me—wasn’t entirely unexpected, but hearing him say it so plainly, so honestly, made something inside me settle.
It was as if a quiet reassurance had taken root, one that I hadn’t realized I’d been searching for.
The last couple of weeks had been comfortable.
We spent time together and I felt like we had grown close, but to know he loved me was like the icing on the cake.
Jared helped me up the stairs from the beach.
He opened the door for me, his hand resting gently on the small of my back as I stepped inside.
“What do you want to eat?” Jared asked, heading toward the kitchen.
“I can make something quick.”
“Are you cooking?” I raised an eyebrow skeptically.
“Should I be worried?”
Maybe it was the hormones or maybe it was a need to consummate the next phase in our relationship.
Or maybe I was just horny.
He had not touched me since he brought me home from the hospital.
I understood it. He was worried it was going to hurt me or the baby.
But dammit, I had needs.
He was rummaging around in the fridge and all I could think about was getting him naked.
“We’ve got some leftover lasagna,” he said.
“No.”
“Okay, how about I make some noodles. You like pasta.”
“I don’t want pasta,” I said.
He glanced over his shoulder, frowning at first. He must have noticed the look in my eyes.
He stood up straight and closed the fridge.
“Feeling okay?” he asked in a husky voice.
“I’m feeling…hungry.”
He grinned and stepped toward me.
“Hungry? Or hungry ?”
“I want you.”
His nostrils flared.
“What about the baby?”
“The baby is fine,” I said.
“The doctor said I’m fine. We’ll take it easy.”
“You’re sure?”
“Very. I’m going to need you upstairs and naked.”
He grinned.
“Shit, an actual bed. What will we do.”
“I think we’ll figure it out.”
Jared reached for my hand and led me to the stairs.
We walked to his bedroom.
He cupped my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing lightly over my cheeks.
“You’re sure?” he asked again, his voice low.
“I don’t need this from you. I of course want it, but I don’t want you to think that’s what this. I’ll love you without sex.”
“I’m sure,” I whispered, my breath catching as he leaned in, his lips hovering just above mine.
And then he kissed me.
Slowly, deeply, with a tenderness that made my heart ache.
His hands slid down to my waist, pulling me closer.
I melted into him, my fingers tangling in his hair.
We moved toward the bed.
When we reached the edge of the bed, Jared paused, his eyes searching mine.
“Tell me if anything feels off,” he murmured, his voice barely audible.
“I will be gentle.”
I nodded, unable to form words as he gently lowered me onto the mattress.
He followed me down, his body hovering over mine as he kissed me again, his lips trailing along my jawline and down my neck.
His hands were everywhere.
He took his time, his touch achingly slow and soft, as though we had all the time in the world.
And maybe we did. Maybe this was what we needed—this quiet, intimate moment where nothing else mattered but the two of us.
My body trembled under his touch, a familiar ache beginning to bloom between my legs.
I moaned softly as his hand brushed lightly over my stomach, tracing the outline of our son.
He smiled against my skin.
“I love you,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.
“I love you too,” I breathed.
He slid his hand beneath my shirt and bra, his fingers finding my nipple, teasing it lightly through the fabric.
I arched into his touch, the sensation shooting straight to my core.
“Jared,” I gasped as he finally pulled back to gaze down at me.
“Yes?”
I bit my lip.
“Kiss me.”
He grinned wickedly before claiming my mouth once more.
Our tongues danced together as he slid a hand under the elastic of my pants and into my wetness.
I felt him slipping off his belt and pants; then he was on top of me again, hard against my stomach.
He lifted himself up slightly and pulled my pants down as well, leaving us both bare from the waist down.
He kissed his way up my body again, stopping midway to trail kisses along my sides and bump.
It was surreal but also intensely intimate.
Jared’s free hand found mine as he guided it to stroke him slowly.
He watched me as my hand wrapped around his thick cock, slowly stroking up and down his length.
“Damn,” he groaned. “You make me feel so good.”
He pulled back and quickly pushed my shirt up and over my head.
Within minutes, we were both naked.
He kissed a path down my body, trailing kisses along my collarbone and down my breasts before capturing one of my nipples in his mouth.
He sucked gently, sending shivers through me.
“Yes,” I whispered, arching into him.
“Jared.”
He slipped two fingers inside me.
He watched me as he began to thrust his fingers in and out of me.
His other hand squeezed one of my nipples, pulling gently.
I gasped, my body trembling as he worked me closer to the edge.
There was a tenderness to his touch.
He knew me, knew exactly how to make me come undone, and yet there was something different this time—something slower, more reverent, as if he was memorizing every sound, every shiver, every breath.
“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against my skin, his lips brushing over the curve of my breast. “I can’t believe you’re mine.”
I opened my eyes to find him watching me.
The look in his eyes was one of adoration.
“I’m yours,” I whispered, my voice trembling as much as my body.
“Always.”
He groaned softly, his fingers still moving inside me, drawing out moans I couldn’t suppress.
My hips lifted off the bed, chasing the pleasure he was giving me.
My hand tightened around him, stroking him in time with his movements until he finally pulled back, his breath coming in ragged bursts.
“Amelia,” he said, his voice rough as he positioned himself between my legs.
“Tell me if?—”
“I’m fine,” I interrupted, reaching up to cup his face.
“I need you.”
He hesitated for just a moment before nodding and lowering himself onto me.
The feel of him pressing into me was electric.
I gasped, my nails digging into his shoulders.
He moved slowly, carefully, his eyes never leaving mine as he filled me completely.
“God,” he breathed, his forehead resting against mine.
“You feel incredible.”
He kissed me again, as he began to move in a slow, steady rhythm.
My hands roamed over his back, feeling the muscles ripple beneath his skin as he held himself above me, careful not to put too much weight on me.
It was different than before—slower, more intimate—and yet it was everything I needed.
The tension coiled tighter and tighter inside me until I couldn’t hold back anymore.
My body arched against his as I came apart, a soft cry escaping my lips.
Jared followed soon after.
He buried his face in the crook of my neck as he let out a low groan.
He shifted to lie beside me, pulling me into his arms and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
“You okay?” he asked softly, his hand resting protectively on my stomach.
I nodded, snuggling closer to him as a contented sigh escaped my lips.
“More than okay.”
“Let’s get you under the blankets,” he said.
He helped me get settled in his bed, propping up pillows and tucking the blanket over my naked body.
“Comfortable?” he asked.
I nodded, smiling up at him.
“Perfect.”
He leaned down to press a kiss to my forehead, lingering for a moment before straightening.
“I’m going to grab us something to eat. Leftovers sound good?”
“Yes,” I said, my stomach growling faintly at the thought.
“But only if you come back quick.”
He smirked, that cocky glint in his eye I loved so much.
“Demanding, aren’t we?”
“Always,” I teased back.
He pulled on his underwear.
“Be right back.”
I watched him leave the room and couldn’t stop smiling.
I nestled deeper into the pillows, savoring the warmth of the blankets and the lingering satisfaction humming through my body.
It wasn’t long before Jared returned, carrying a tray with two plates piled high with leftovers—roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed vegetables from dinner the night before.
He set the tray down on the bed beside me before climbing in next to me, careful not to jostle anything.
“Here,” he said, handing me a fork and nudging one of the plates toward me.
“Eat.”
“Thank you,” I murmured.
“For what?”
“For everything,” I said softly.
“For being here. For taking care of me.”
Jared’s hand stilled on mine for a moment before he squeezed gently.
“You don’t have to thank me for that.”
“I know,” I said.
“But I want to.”
He pressed another kiss to the top of my head.
We finished eating before he cleared away the dishes.
When he returned to bed, I was exhausted.
I lay still beside Jared, his breathing steady and deep, the warmth of his body radiating against mine.
But sleep wouldn’t come.
My back ached, my mind buzzed with restless energy, and the weight of the baby pressed uncomfortably against my ribs.
I shifted carefully, trying not to wake him, but no position felt right.
Finally, I gave up. Slipping out of bed, I grabbed his shirt and pulled it on.
I padded downstairs to the nursery.
The soft glow of the moon spilled through the windows.
It was almost finished.
The crib was assembled along with a changing table and a dresser.
A stack of tiny clothes waiting to be folded after I had washed them with the special laundry detergent.
I sat cross-legged on the floor, pulling a pile of onesies into my lap.
I folded them neatly and set them aside in a neat stack.
My mind wandered as I worked, imagining what it would be like to hold our son in my arms, to see Jared rocking him to sleep in this very room.
The thought made me smile.
Jared and I had both been on shopping sprees without the other knowing it, which resulted in a pile of clothes that would probably only be worn once.
I unfolded a tiny striped shirt and smoothed it out on my lap, running my fingers over the seams. Would he have Jared’s gray eyes?
His stubbornness? Or would he inherit my wild curls and restless energy?
“Amelia?”
I looked up to see him leaning against the doorway, his hair messy from sleep and concern etched into his features.
He was wearing just a pair of sweatpants slung low on his hips, his bare chest reminding me of why I was so attracted to him.
“Hey,” I said softly, setting the shirt aside.
“Did I wake you?”
He shook his head and stepped into the room, crouching down beside me.
“I woke up and you weren’t there. You okay?”
“Yes. Just couldn’t sleep.”
Jared sat down next to me.
He picked up a pair of tiny socks from the pile and turned them over in his hands.
“I’ll help,” he said.
I smiled and picked up another onesie.
“I think we might have gone overboard with the newborn stuff.”
He grinned.
“We’ll donate what we don’t need.”