Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
Lachlan
For hours, I’ve been lying here awake, holding Maggie in my arms. The sun is finally peeking over the horizon, and I don’t think I can wait another second to give her the gift. Technically, I’m asking her for one.
I’ve gone back and forth on whether or not I should do this today, but when it comes down to it, I don’t think the day will really matter, because this isn’t her gift. It’s mine.
Needing her to wake up, I move my hand from her belly up under my T-shirt she’s sleeping in, to her breasts. I gently roll her pebbled nipple between my thumb and index finger, and she moans.
I keep massaging her breasts, teasing her nipples, giving both equal amounts of attention, and when she presses her gorgeous ass into my hard cock, I know she’s awake.
“Morning, Mags.” I kiss her neck.
She turns her head to glance at me over her shoulder. “Why are you up so early?”
“I couldn’t sleep.” That gets her attention, just as I knew it would.
She turns in my arms and rests her palm against my cheek. “Is everything okay?”
I place my hand over hers. “Everything is perfect. Too perfect.”
“That’s a bad thing?” she asks.
“No, baby, that’s a wonderful thing,” I murmur against her lips.
“Is there something on your mind?”
“You.” I kiss her again.
“Me?” She seems surprised.
“Maggie, there isn’t a single second of the day that I’m not thinking about you. I even dream about you.”
“Did you dream about me last night?” she asks, her tone teasing.
“I did.” It’s not a lie, I did, but I know it’s because of my indecision of the question I need to ask her today. Turns out, that dream, and my early morning decision are going to play well for me today.
“What did you dream about?” she asks, snuggling closer.
I tuck her head beneath my chin and hold her tightly. “You were in a white dress, walking toward me. All of our family was there, but I couldn’t tell you who for sure, because I only had eyes for you.” It’s true. I could feel their presence, but Maggie was all that I could see.
“Our wedding?”
“Yeah, baby, our wedding. We stood before everyone we love, vowing to love one another until the end of time.”
“I think I like this dream.”
“There were two people other than us that I remember clearly.”
“Yeah? Who?”
“Sean and my dad.”
“Tell me.”
“I was holding Sean in my arms as you walked toward us. My dad, he was walking you down the aisle. When you reached us, we traded. He took Sean, and I got you.” I kiss the top of her head.
“Do you think that’s something he would want to do?” she asks hesitantly.
“Without a doubt in my mind,” I assure her, knowing my dad would be honored to step up.
“Definitely a sweet dream,” she murmurs.
Here goes nothing. “What if it wasn’t just a dream?”
She pulls away so that she can look me in the eye. The early morning light is filtering through the blinds, giving us just enough light. “Not a dream?”
“It’s my dream. The one I had last night and the one that I have for our future. Maggie, I love you. With each day that I get to spend with you, that love only grows. I want you here in this bed next to me forever. I want you, me, and Sean, and our future babies to all share the same last name.”
“I like the sound of that.”
Fuck yes! I let go of her and climb out of bed.
“What are you doing?”
“I have to get something.” I move to my underwear drawer and pull out the ring box that’s been sitting there since long before she moved in with me. Grabbing it, I make my way back to the bed. She’s sitting up now, the blankets pooling at her waist.
“Lachlan?” she asks, tears evident in her voice.
“Come here, Mags.” I offer her my hand, and she takes it. I help her stand, then drop to one knee. “Maggie Ward, you’ve changed my life. You’ve opened up a whole new world of love and happiness for me.” Leaning forward, I press a kiss to her belly. “Love you, baby boy,” I whisper. Then I open the box and hold it up for her. “You are my sun, my moon, and all the stars in the sky. Maggie Ward, will you do me the incredible honor of being my wife? Will you marry me?”
Tears coat her cheeks, and I start to worry, but then she smiles, so brightly that it rivals the early morning sun, as she nods. “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.”
With trembling hands, I pluck the ring from the box and slide it onto her finger. “Perfect.” My heart gallops in my chest, and my legs are shaky as I stand, and pull her into a kiss. “Never letting you go, Mags.”
“You promise?”
“With everything that I am.” I kiss her again, and as my tongue slides against hers, I feel her hands go to the waistband of my boxer briefs and tug.
“Need these off,” she says between kisses.
Pulling back, I discard my underwear, and she lifts her arms in the air. I pull my shirt she was sleeping in over her head and toss it to the floor. She shimmies out of her panties and I’m staring down at my future wife. My chest feels tight just thinking of her as mine for a lifetime.
“I need you, Lachlan.”
I move to climb on the bed, so she can have me. Her belly is growing every day, and we have to get creative.
“No.” She stops me, moving on the bed on all fours. She looks over her shoulder at me. “You coming?”
“I will be.” I smirk and climb onto the bed after her. I press my hips and my hard cock against her ass as I grip each cheek. She moans and grinds back into me.
Pulling back, I grip my cock, ready to be inside her, when I see her hand go between her legs. She rubs at her clit, and moans, causing my cock to twitch in my palm. “Maggie,” I warn her.
“You’re taking too long. You were teasing me in bed, and then you asked me to marry you, and I’m dripping for you, Lachlan. I need relief, and if you won’t give it to me.” Her voice trails off when I push my hard cock inside her. She’s so damn tight, and wet, and the warmth, it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before, and I know it’s her. It’s the love we share between us that makes every time with her better than the last.
“Mine. You are mine. Your pleasure is mine,” I tell her.
“All yours, as long as you don’t make me wait.” She laughs and then moans when I pull out and push back in.
“I wanted to make love to you. Nice and slow.”
“And I need you to fuck me nice and hard. We have forever, remember?” she asks.
“Who are you, and what have you done with my fiancée?” I ask her.
“I’m right here.” She pants as I thrust into her.
“Am I hurting you?” I ask as I push into her again. My pace is frantic as I chase my orgasm.
“No. Oh, yes! Don’t stop, please—” she moans, and fuck me, I’m ready to blow.
“Touch yourself,” I tell her. I never come before she does, but this might be a first. I’m so close.
She slides her hand back between her legs, and within minutes, she’s calling out my name.
“Thank fuck,” I rasp as I still, releasing inside her. Not wanting to crush her or the baby, I pull out and help her lie back on the bed, taking my spot beside her.
“Merry Christmas,” she says, kissing my sweaty, bare chest.
“Merry Christmas, my fiancée.”
She wiggles around until she can lift her arm and admire her ring. “It’s beautiful.”
“Just like the woman who owns it.” I pull her hand to my lips, kissing her ring. “Come on. Let’s get a shower, so I can feed you and we can open presents.”
“You gave me mine. The nursery and this ring.”
“The nursery was more of a surprise, and the ring, that wasn’t your present. I just couldn’t wait a minute longer to ask you to be my wife. Come on.” Climbing out of bed, I help her to her feet, and we shower together.
Best Christmas morning ever.
“Breakfast was great,” I say, taking our plates to the sink.
“Thank you. It was a recipe I saw online. I was nervous last night when I was putting it together in the Crock-Pot. I wasn’t sure if it was going to turn out.”
“We should make it every year,” I suggest.
“I guess we can add this to our Noble family traditions,” Maggie tells me with a smile.
“Yep,” I say, offering her my hand. “Come on, woman. We have presents to open.” She takes my hand, and I lead her into the living room. Once there, I help her get settled on the couch with a pillow behind her back and her legs propped up with the reclining footrest.
“You first,” she tells me. “Grab the big blue one.”
Reaching under the tree, I grab the gift she pointed to, and bring it back to the couch. “What is it?” I ask her. It almost looks like a portrait of some kind with the way It’s wrapped.
“Open it and find out.”
Taking a seat opposite her on the couch, I carefully tear open the package. I turn it around so I can see and my breath stalls in my lungs. “Mags,” I croak. I’m staring at an artist-drawn rendering of Sean’s 3D ultrasound.
“You have everything, and I didn’t know what to get you, so I was looking online, and this popped up. We can hang it here, or you could take it to work if you wanted to.”
“This is incredible.”
“You’re an artist, so I was hoping you would appreciate it.”
“Babe, this is the best gift I’ve ever been given.” I lean over and press my lips to hers. “I love it. I don’t know if I want it at work or in our office here.”
“Either way.” She shrugs.
“Thank you.”
“Okay, your turn.” I stand, go back to the tree, and grab the gift that I think she’s going to love the most. I hand it to her and take a seat while she opens it.
“What? No way! A new Kindle? Mine is barely holding a charge,” she tells me.
“I know. There’s more on the back.” She flips it over and sees the gift card taped to it. “I figured you could pick out your own accessories. You hadn’t mentioned the case you wanted, so now you get to choose it on your own.”
“Thank you. I love this. The girls are going to be so jealous.” She shimmies in her seat.
“Nah, they’re all getting them too. Roman saw me buying yours, so he bought one. Then Maddox walked in, and he ordered one too. Then Forrest and Legend found out and they both bought one as well. You ladies are all going to be reading in style.” I laugh.
“You’re the best.” She tilts to the side, and I move in, kissing her softly. “I love you.”
“Love you too.”
We spend the rest of the morning opening gifts and snuggling on the couch. Maggie loved the earrings and bracelet I bought her, and I modeled the new jeans and long-sleeved button-up she got for me. By the time we’re done, there’s a pile of wrapping paper and we both have a stack of gifts.
“We went overboard,” she says, laughing before taking a sip of the hot chocolate I just handed her.
“Just wait until next year. It will be all of ours and Sean’s.”
“Emerson said that Lilly liked the boxes and the bows more her first Christmas than she did the presents.”
“Yeah, I remember that. I think this year that will change. Especially with the twins. Kane, on the other hand, he’s probably going to be all about the paper and bows.”
“I guess we’ll find out tomorrow.” She smiles.
“Yeah.” I glance at my watch. We have a couple of hours before we pick up Grandma Doris and head to my parents’. “Christmas movie?”
“Is that a real question?” she asks, laughter in her tone.
“Pick a movie, woman.” I hand her the remote.
She skims through our options and picks one, before moving to snuggle into my side. I kiss the top of her head and place my hand on her belly. My dad used to tell me that there was nothing he loved more than just spending time with Mom and me. As a kid, I thought he was just giving me a line, telling me that out of obligation, but I was wrong.
So very wrong.
This, right here, is my happy place. There is nothing I would choose over holding her, holding them in my arms. I didn’t know that being in love would make me feel so… settled. So content. I can hear my dad saying, “ I told you, son ,” in my head, and it makes me smile. I’m going to have to confess he was right all these years, and I was wrong. He’s going to love that.
Maggie places her hand over mine that’s resting on her belly. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Mags. Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas.”