Chapter 45
Forty-Five
MALAKI
Every time she lets me have her like this, it’s like holding a ticking time bomb in my hands. I don’t want to come on too strong and fuck everything up. What started out as a minor infatuation fueled by attraction has turned into something so much bigger than I ever expected.
Half the time, I chalk my behavior up to playing the part of her fiancé, but the truth is, I’m not just fooling Benedict and everyone else around us. I’m fooling myself too.
“I want you,” I say, the words burning my throat as they come out.
“I want your body.” The way she shivers beneath my palms as I graze her curves ignites a fire inside of me.
“I want your mind, just like you have mine.” I lay her back on my bed with my legs between hers. “You’re all I think about, Reese.”
I grab both of her wrists in my hand and push them up above her head. Her back arches, her breasts on full display for me.
Fuck.
Her nipple tightens in my mouth, and she spreads her legs wider. I’m right at the center, but I don’t give in yet. I rub against her, her whimpers fucking music to my ears. After spending enough time on one breast, I move to the other.
They’re full and perky. I could spend the rest of my life touching them and watching her eyes haze over with lust.
“Malaki.”
My fingers clamp around her wrists as I haul myself up. I hover above her, my dick inching closer to the heat between her legs. I stare down at her, and the look of need on her face tethers me right to her.
“Do you wanna know what else I want?” I ask.
Her chest rises and falls swiftly. “What?”
I grip her chin and push inside of her. A hot gasp flies from her mouth, but we stay locked on each other’s eyes, waiting for her to adjust. “I want you to want me just as badly as I want you.”
Reese arches her body, seemingly pulling me closer to her.
The space separating us is gone, our bodies pressed together as I move above her.
With each thrust, I fall a little deeper.
I touch every inch of her body, memorizing every single dip and valley.
Her fingernails dig into the back of my neck as she pushes my face toward her to deepen our kiss, her cunt tightening as I move quickly.
“Tell me you believe me,” I force between tight teeth. “Tell me you know that this thing between us isn’t just because of that pretend ring I put on your finger.”
She nods fast, her forehead moving against mine.
Thank fuck.
I kiss her again, this time so forcefully our teeth clank.
My thighs ache, pins and needles prickle all the way down to my toes, and we’re suddenly both coming. Her cry of pleasure is muffled by my mouth, and I collapse with her in my arms. My legs give out, and she lies on top of me with her forehead resting on my shoulder.
It takes us so long to catch our breath that the sweat dries on our flushed skin.
She sighs wistfully as I pull out of her.
We lie there for a while until she pops up and makes eye contact with me. She smiles shyly, her dimples rooting me in my spot, and then she climbs off me.
I prop myself up on my forearms and watch her get dressed. She tosses my clothes at me and then steals her pillow off the bed.
“What are you doing?” I ask, pulling my boxers and pants on.
She shrugs sheepishly. “If you’re sleeping in Charleigh’s room, so am I.”
My lip hitches.
“Plus…” She walks over to the door and glances at me over her shoulder. “I sleep better next to you anyway.”
“Da!”
I peel one eye open and immediately lock onto Charleigh. With her wild hair, she grips the edge of her crib and smiles at me. I grin and sit up slowly.
“How are you feeling, Charleigh-girl?” My voice is hoarse from lack of sleep, but I don’t regret last night's escapade at all.
The spot next to me on the floor is now empty, nothing but Reese’s pillow there. I climb to my feet and pull Charleigh out of her crib. I gently brush her hair out of her face and survey her stitches.
She remains still and lets me look. After I’m convinced they look okay, I let her hair go. Her soft hand touches the side of my face, the rough stubble scratching her palm.
“Ma?” she asks, pulling her hand away.
“Should we go find her?” I ask.
She bucks in my arms, and I chuckle. “Looks like we both look forward to seeing your mommy in the morning, huh?”
After checking our bedroom and finding it empty, we head for the stairs.
I lecture Charleigh the entire way down, forbidding her to ever climb them again unless I’m there to catch her. I also inform her that I’m installing a baby gate.
“No ifs, ands, or buts,” I say. “No more stairs for you.”
The scent of something sweet fills the air the closer we get to the kitchen.
At first, I wonder if Reese has broken into another pack of Skittles, but instead, there’s an entire buffet of breakfast food waiting on the island.
French toast sprinkled with powdered sugar, bacon, sausage, fruit, and of course, a jug of apple juice sits in the middle, next to a stack of plates.
Reese is bent over at the waist, wearing my shirt from the night before. It rides up, revealing her ass, and I have to forcefully pull my gaze away.
I clear my throat. “Good morning.”
She jumps up and spins. Powdered sugar is sprinkled across her cheek, and it immediately makes me grin.
“Good morning.” She smiles at me and then to Charleigh.
Her gaze moves to Charleigh’s stitches.
“They look great,” I say, moving her hair out of her face again to show Reese.
She comes over, a spatula in her hand that Charleigh steals right away.
God, I could really get used to this. Charleigh in my arms, her mom standing in the kitchen with my shirt on, making breakfast.
Reese angles her face up to Charleigh and nods. “You’re right. They aren’t even red.”
I stare at the stripe of sugar on her cheek and reach up to swipe it away. My thumb rubs against her skin, and she blushes.
I show her the sugar on the pad of my finger. “Powdered sugar.”
“Oh,” she laughs, and then I do something I shouldn’t.
I look at her mouth and push my thumb past her lips to lick the sugar off. Her eyes widen, but her pupils suddenly dilate. Surprise takes me under when her fingers wrap around my wrist. She sucks the sugar off, her tongue swirling around and around.
Holy shit, I shouldn't have done that. Charleigh is distracted by the spatula, but still.
“Do I smell bacon?”
I quickly pull my hand back at the sound of Zoe.
Zoe staggers down the hallway, hardly awake.
“Me first!” I blurt.
I move toward the island but not without winking at Reese.
A flush works over her face, and I fucking love it.