23. Chapter 23
Chapter twenty-three
Liria
H ow much longer would I keep this secret? It had only been a week, but it felt like I was going to explode. I had tried to tell him, but I could never find the right words. Even though two would get the message across. I’m pregnant.
It was getting increasingly harder to hide. So many smells made me nauseous, and there were a couple times I had to strategically vomit so he wouldn’t hear.
And it was probably important to go to the doctor when pregnant. So I needed to tell him soon, because there was no way I could hide visits to an OBGYN.
I sighed and leaned my head against the passenger seat window. Rain spattered against the glass, rivulets streaking down as if reflecting my own inner turmoil. I watched as each drop collided with another, merging and trailing down in a seamless, sorrowful dance. It was poetic in its own way, the fluidity of it all.
“Rain got you down?” Ettore asked, glancing over at me as he navigated the wet road. His voice was smooth and comforting, like the hum of a cello. It made everything seem manageable for a moment.
I gave him a half smile. “Just thinking.”
He reached over, his large hand gently encompassing mine, which was fidgeting in my lap. His warmth seeped into me, a soothing balm against my growing anxiety. “You’ve been doing a lot of that lately. Let me in, cara mia.” His Italian heritage colored his words, the endearment slipping off his tongue effortlessly.
Tears welled in my eyes, and as hard as I tried, I couldn’t hold them back. They poured down my face harder than the rain outside. Ettore watched me, a mask of concern etching across his handsome features.
“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” he asked, parking the car on the side of the road.
I blinked back more tears, trying to steady my breathing. I shook my head, my voice barely above a whisper when I finally spoke. “I’m...I’m so sorry, Ettore.”
His eyebrows knitted together in confusion and worry. “Sorry? For what?” He brushed a strand of hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear.
“For this,” I choked out, tears streaming down my face. “I should have told you sooner, but I didn’t know how.”
He gazed at me intently, his eyes filled with concern. He waited patiently for me to continue, not interrupting, not pushing.
Taking a deep breath, feeling the drumroll of my heartbeat echo in my ears, I mustered up the courage to speak. “Ettore, I’m pregnant.”
There was a shocked pause. He blinked at me, taken aback as he processed my words. I couldn’t read his reaction, his handsome face stoic in the moment. The silence was deafening, stretching out between us like an endless chasm. I could feel my heart pounding against my ribs, each beat echoing the ticking seconds.
Then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, his face softened. A small, incredulous smirk emerged on his lips. He sat back in his seat, running a hand through his dark hair as he looked at me with a newfound wonder.
“Veramente?” he murmured, his voice a soft whisper against the drumming rain on the car roof. “Really?”
I nodded silently, fresh tears welling up again. This time, however, they were tears of relief. His reaction, his soft smile and that wonder in his eyes. It was more than I could have ever hoped for.
“Yes,” I confirmed, my voice vibrating with the emotions threatening to spill over.
He reached over and cradled my face in his hands, his thumbs brushing away my tears. His eyes, warm and tender, searched mine for a long moment before he finally broke the silence.
“I’m going to be a father,” he whispered, the words heavy with disbelief and overwhelming emotion. “We’re going to be parents.”
“Yeah,” I laughed through my tears, feeling a sparkling joy bubbling up inside of me. “We are.”
A mischievous smile crept over his face as he looked at me. “Of course I got you pregnant your first time. I’m just that potent,” he boasted with a playful wink.
I swatted his shoulder playfully at his jest, tears of mirth mixing with my previous ones. The tension from before had been replaced with an elation so strong it felt as if it would lift us up and out of the car.
As we drove home, hand-in-hand, with the rain tapping softly on the roof of the car, the world outside seemed to have blurred into a beautiful haze. The cityscape looked different, like it was painted in brighter hues just for us. Even the rain seemed to celebrate our joy, falling in rhythm with our beating hearts.
“Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?” he asked, his gaze pouring over the road ahead but his mind clearly lost in a world of imagined diaper changes and night-time lullabies.
“I haven’t thought about it,” I said with a shrug. My mind had been so clouded with thoughts about telling him that I hadn’t had the time to think about the child itself.
As we reached the apartment building, our fingers intertwined and our palms pressed together in a comforting embrace. Our footsteps echoed in the parking garage, the sound of our shoes creating a soothing rhythm. Together, we ascended the elevator and made our way into the apartment.
There was a change in atmosphere as the door shut behind us, an almost palpable shift that settled over us. I looked into Ettore’s eyes, which were filled with hunger. He moved closer to me, his hands sliding down my arms before he entwined his fingers with mine. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, a stark contrast to the chilly outside air that still clung to our clothes.
“I think I should make sure it stuck,” he murmured roguishly, the corners of his lips twitching upwards in a knowing smirk.
I snorted, even as my heart fluttered at his words. There was a newfound tenderness in our banter, coupled with the promise of a future we were both eager to explore.
“Is that so?” I teased, arching a brow and looking at him sideways. “And how would you do that?”
His arms encircled me, pulling me closer against his warm chest. The delicious scent of him filled my senses - the fresh soil after a storm, the warm spice of autumn, and the undercurrent of raw masculinity that was uniquely his. “I have a few methods in mind,” he murmured, kissing down the nape of my neck. His soft breath tickled my skin, causing a shudder to wrack through me.
I laughed softly, wrapping my arms around him in response. “I’m all ears.”
Ettore’s gaze turned intense, his hands tracing patterns on my back as he leaned into my ear. “First, we can try skin to skin contact,” he started, his voice a low murmur that sent a shiver down my spine. “Studies say physical contact releases oxytocin, which is good for both the mother and the baby in the early stages of pregnancy,” he continued, his fingers drifting upwards along my spine, tracing over each vertebrae with an intimate familiarity.
“Oh, really?”
“Yes,” he said, his breath ghosting over my skin and making me shiver. “So we better get those clothes off of you.”
Immediately, Ettore’s hands began to wander. His warm fingers danced up my side, tracing the curve of my waist before they reached the hem of my sweater. He paused, his eyes meeting mine in a question. I nodded, giving him silent permission.
With a devilish smirk that was enough to have my heart racing again, he lifted the fabric, his touch setting off sparks wherever it landed. He moved with the graceful efficiency of a predator, only this time, his prey was more than willing.
Soon enough, my clothes lay discarded on the floor and I was pressed against him, feeling every line and curve of his toned body. His skin was hot against mine, the contact sparking a rush of warmth that spread through me like wildfire.
His touch was electric, gently moving over my exposed skin and igniting sensations that left me breathless. I dug my fingers into the muscles of his back, pulling him closer until there was no space left between us. A low growl rumbled from his chest, vibrating against me as he bent his head to capture my lips in a searing kiss. His lips were warm, moving with a slow passion that twisted my insides with need. I moaned softly into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, pulling me further into the whirlpool of intense desire he stirred within me.
“Bedroom,” he muttered against my lips, his voice a low growl that sent a fresh wave of shivers through me.
Nodding mutely, I let him guide me backward, trusting him to navigate the familiar space. He moved with the deftness of a panther stalking its prey, never breaking the fiery kiss that had now consumed both of us. I found myself back against the cool sheets, with him towering above me. His eyes were dark and hungry as they roamed over my body.
Ettore’s fingers danced along the curve of my hip, their warmth seeping into me. “Beautiful,” he muttered, his gaze locked with mine as his hand traced over my stomach, up to the valley between my breasts and skimming lightly over my collarbone. His touch was like a brand, searing through me and leaving me trembling beneath him. It was as though he knew exactly how to touch me, how to make me fall apart with just a mere brush of his fingers against my skin.
His movements were unhurried, as if he was savoring every second of our intimate encounter. His lips met mine again in a sensual dance, his hand still exploring the contours of my body. Every touch, every caress, seemed to stoke the fire within me, making me want more of him.
“Ettore,” I gasped, tangling my fingers in his tousled hair as the intensity of his passion left me breathless.
His answering groan was deep and primal, causing an answering tremor to run through me. He drew back slightly, his dark eyes burning into mine, a raw hunger clearly etched on his chiseled face.
“Please fuck me,” I whined in a voice I barely recognized as my own. The heated need coursing through me had stripped away any inhibition, leaving raw, unadulterated desire in its place.
“Hm, I never thought I’d hear you say something so lewd,” he said, a wicked grin playing on his lips. His warm brown eyes were lit with a feral gleam, like a wolf who’d just cornered a doe in the wilderness. “I can certainly accommodate that request.”
Without another word, he pressed his lips against mine, kissing me with a fervor that left me reeling. I could feel the hard lines of his body pressed against mine, a tantalizing hint of what was to come.
His fingers danced along the curves of my body as he kicked off his own clothes, taking a moment to admire me fully before moving in again.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured against my neck, his hot breath raising goosebumps on my skin. His lips trailed down my body, each kiss sending a jolt of anticipation through me.
His mouth found one of my breasts and he gently took the peak into his mouth, his tongue swirling around it in a tantalizing rhythm that had me writhing beneath him. The sensation was intense, almost too much, but I craved more. A soft moan escaped from my lips as he switched to the other, lavishing it with the same attention that left me panting in want.
His hand drifted down my body, tracing along the curve of my hip and then lower. I gasped as he touched my slit, a jolt of pleasure shooting through me at the intimate contact. He smirked against my skin at my reaction, continuing his sensual torment. His fingers traced the length of my folds, his touch feather-light and tantalizingly slow. I bucked under his touch, desperation for more contact making me bold.
Ettore’s low chuckle was drowned by my soft gasp as he sank a finger into me, slowly drawing it out, only to push it back in again. The rhythm was maddening, slowly building me up towards an edge I was desperately eager to go over. His thumb found my clit, painting slow circles around the sensitive nub and sending shockwaves of pleasure through my body.
“You’re so wet for me,” he murmured in my ear, his hot breath sending shivers down my spine.
I whimpered in response, my body growing impatient with each passing second. I needed him. Now. The anticipation was too much, the building pressure inside me begging for release.
“Inside,” I begged, my voice strained with uncontrolled need.
“You’ve grown increasingly bold over these past few months,” he said, kissing up my slit to my belly button. “I love it.”
His lips found mine in a searing kiss as his hand left my core to line himself up to my entrance. With a swift motion, he pushed inside me; the intrusion making me gasp as I adjusted to his size. He was large and stretched me deliciously, causing a sensation of fullness that made me whimper.
Ettore’s grunt of satisfaction met my ear as he remained still for a moment, waiting for me to adjust before beginning a steady rhythm. Each stroke was slow and deliberate, tormenting me with a pleasure that was just shy of my breaking point.
The way he moved, the way he touched, the way he looked at me; it was all too much. It was overwhelming in the most exquisite way possible. With every thrust and every grind, he claimed me as his own, marking me in ways that words could never explain.
Ettore’s fingers found their way back to my clit, circling it with a ruthless precision that sent waves of pleasure coursing through my veins. His other hand slipped under my lower back, pulling me closer into him for an even deeper connection.
His name slipped from my lips in a breathless whisper as our bodies moved in sync, lost in the throes of passion. Each thrust brought me closer to the edge, his name becoming a mantra on my lips as I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, pulling him even deeper into me.
His teeth sank gently into my shoulder, the mix of pain and pleasure making me cry out in delight. A soft growl escaped his throat as his pace increased, his body tensed and I knew then that he was close.
Closer and closer we danced on the precipice, the coil within us winding tighter and tighter until it became unbearable. His thrusts were unrelenting, pushing both of us towards a climax that was rapidly approaching.
“Liria,” he groaned, the sound filled with raw desire. His fingers tightened on my hips as he kept driving into me, each thrust more powerful than the last.
“I’m... I’m...” I couldn’t finish my sentence as pleasure washed over me in waves.
“Come for me,” he commanded.
His words tipped me over the edge and I screamed in pleasure as my orgasm tore through me. I felt every inch of him as he continued to move within me, riding out my climax and pulling gasping breaths from my lips until he followed me over the precipice. His body tensed, and with a final thrust, he was spilling himself inside me, my name a feral growl that reverberated around the room.
Our bodies remained intertwined, pulsating from the aftershocks of our shared climax. He held me against his chest, our bodies slicked with sweat and the remnants of our coupling. The smell of sex and Ettore’s cologne hung heavy in the air, a heady scent that was intoxicating in its own right.
With a contented sigh, Ettore rolled over, pulling me along with him so that I was sprawled across his chest. His heartbeat thrummed against my cheek, a rhythmic lullaby that threatened to lull me into sleep. His fingers gently traced patterns on my back, a comforting act that further solidified my relaxation.
Three words hung heavy on my heart and tongue, but I couldn’t seem to speak them. What if Ettore didn’t feel the same way?
I was happy like this. And maybe one day he’d have those feelings for me, too.