Chapter 34
Ian
Igrab my tail with my free hand, forcing it to still. “Sorry about that. Can’t help it.”
“Don’t apologize for being happy.” She squeezes my thigh. “I like making you happy.”
The simple statement makes my cock twitch. Down, boy. We’re not assuming anything tonight. If all my mate wants is dinner and sleep tonight, that’s what she’ll get. But my tail will be wagging if she wants more than that.
The cabin glows warm and welcoming when we pull up, the porch light illuminating the front door. I hurry around to help Julia out of the Jeep, noting how she moves more carefully now. Her belly has grown significantly in the past week. The pups are getting big, preparing for their arrival.
“I like it out here in the woods,” she says, looking at the cabin and the trees that surround it. “It feels peaceful here.”
“Wait ‘til the pups are born. There will be no peace with three little wulvers tearing through the forest, their mam bawling after them.”
She grins at the mental image as we head inside, where I take her coat and untie her shoes, since I know she can’t reach them herself. She settles onto the sofa with a contented sigh to watch me light the fire.
“What sounds good for dinner?” I ask over my shoulder. “I’ve got some steelhead salmon I caught this morning in the fridge. Could do it with rice and vegetables.”
“That sounds perfect. Can I help?”
“You can supervise.”
She laughs and pushes herself up from the sofa. “I’m pregnant, not helpless. Put me to work, chef.”
We end up side by side at the kitchen island, Julia chopping vegetables while I prep the fish. Our elbows bump occasionally. She feeds me slices of raw bell pepper. I catch her sneaking glances at me when she thinks I’m not looking.
“Do I have food on my muzzle or something?” I ask, amused.
She giggles. “No. I was just thinking that you have a very noble profile.”
“Is that so?”
“Mmhm. You look like a redheaded version of that Egyptian god. What’s his name? Anubis.”
“I look like a god?” I twist to look at her. “Are trying to seduce me, Julia Norman?”
“Maybe. Is it working?” She pretends to focus on her work, her cheeks flushed that pretty pink I love, and her lower lip catches in her teeth.
I step behind her, palming her hips so I can pull us close and let her feel what her proximity does to me. “You tell me.”
She abandons her cutting board and leans back against me, tilting her face up toward mine. I curve over to brush a kiss on her forehead and reach around to cradle her belly and the family she’s growing for us there.
“Dinner first,” I murmur, even as I rub against her, teasing us both. “I’m not having you pass out from low blood sugar in the middle of anything important.”
She laughs and returns to her chopping, but the air between us has changed. There’s no question about what’s happening tonight, and I can’t wait to have her all to myself instead of just in stolen moments.
We eat at the kitchen island, legs tangled together on the barstools, conversation flowing easily between bites.
She tells me about her meeting with Mako Brinely scheduled for Monday, the full extent Ashleigh’s unexpected kindness, about the text her mother sent with photos of the girls looking happy and healthy in Busan.
“They’re okay,” she says, relief evident in her voice. “My mom said they understand why I can’t talk to them right now. They’re not happy about it, but they understand.”
“Of course they do. They love you.”
“Richard’s been calling them. Trying to turn them against me.”
My grip tightens on my fork. “And?”
“And apparently Samantha told him to stop being dramatic and Molly hung up on him.” Julia’s smile is watery but genuine. “My girls are tougher than I gave them credit for.”
“I’m not surprised that they take after you.”
After dinner, I insist on cleaning up the dinner dishes while Julia stays off her feet. But when I finish, she hops off her bar stool, grabs my hand, and looks at me with an intensity that makes the fur on the back of my neck prickle.
“Ian.” She sounds so serious that I start to worry about what’s going to come out of her mouth next.
“Yeah?”
“I love you.”
My heart slams against my ribs. “I love you, too.”
“Are you surprised? You look surprised.”
I shake my head. Deep down, I know she loves me. “I didn’t realize you were quite ready to say it, though.”
“I’ve been wanting to for a while, but I also didn’t want it to be mixed up with everything else.
” She meets my eyes, her gaze steady and sure.
“I don’t love you because I’m carrying your pups or because you’re better than Richard or because you helped me when I was in a tough spot.
It’s not that complicated. I just love you because you’re you.
I’d want to be with you even if circumstances were different.
I wanted to wait until it was just me and you, no complications, and tonight is as close as it gets. Am I making sense?”
She is making a lot of sense. And I don’t need to be told twice.
I scoop her up, one arm under her knees and one around her back, and carry her down the hall toward the bedroom. She laughs and squeals, arms looped around my shoulders.
“I’m not going to drop you,” I assure her.
“I’m heavier than last time,” she giggles. I scoff at her and she laughs again. “It’s true! Ask Dr. MacDougal at our next appointment.”
“You feel the same to me.” I nudge the bedroom door open with my shoulder and set her down gently on the edge of the bed.
“It looks different in here.” She takes in the room, her eyes widening when she notices the empty closet, door open. “Where’s all your stuff?”
“I moved it to the other bedroom so this one can be yours until you’re ready to share. No pressure, though.”
Her eyes are shiny when she turns back to me. “You gave up your room for me?”
I shrug, trying play it cool even though my tail is wagging again. “It’s not a big deal. I just want you to feel like this is your house.”
“That’s very thoughtful.” She cups my face in her hands. “You’re incredible, you know that?”
Then she kisses me, and all my considerate restraint evaporates.
My hands find her hips, pulling her closer even as her belly creates space between us. She’s rounder than she was the last time we did this, fuller everywhere. I trace the new curves with reverent fingers while she works the buttons of my shirt.
“You’re gorgeous,” I breathe against her mouth. “Every time I see you, you’re more beautiful than the last time.”
“Pregnancy glow?”
“I think it’s just you.” I palm one of her breasts through her shirt, marveling at the weight of it. They’ve grown along with her belly. “These are pretty magnificent, though, and we can definitely thank pregnancy for them.”
She laughs, breathless. “They’re sore.”
“I’ll be gentle.”
I take off her glasses and set them on the nightstand so they don’t get broken or lost. Then I peel off her cardigan, shirt, and bra with careful hands, revealing the changes the pregnancy has wrought.
Her nipples are darker and larger now. Her belly is taut and round, the skin stretched over our growing pups.
A dark line has appeared on her lower belly, and red streaks radiate out from her navel, marking the rapid growth.
I drop to my knees and press my lips to that belly, feeling movement beneath the surface.
“Hi, pups,” I murmur against her skin as her fingers card through my mane. “Your mama and I can’t wait to meet you. We love you so much already.”
I hook my fingers into her waistband and tug.
Her skirt lands in a pile on the floor with her other clothes, and so do her lacy, purple panties.
I stand and guide Julia back toward the bed, helping her sit and then lie back against the pillows.
She’s so beautiful spread out before me, a fantasy of soft curves and flushed skin.
I strip off my own clothes quickly, too eager to take my time.
Her eyes drop to my cock, already hard and leaking. I expect her to be shy like last time, to need coaxing and reassurance. But she surprises me by reaching for me boldly, wrapping her fingers around my shaft and stroking with confident pressure.
“Julia,” I groan.
“I’ve been thinking about this,” she admits, her voice husky. “Every night on that pull-out sofa. Thinking about how you taste. Wanting you inside me.”
“Then let’s not waste any more time.”
I climb onto the bed and position myself beside her, mindful of her belly. Missionary won’t work well at this stage, so I guide her onto her side, spooning behind her while she uses my arm as a pillow. My cock nestles against the curve of her ass, and she pushes back against me with a needy sound.
“Like this?” she asks.
“If it’s comfortable for you.”
“It’s perfect.”
I reach around to stroke between her thighs, finding her already wet and swollen. She gasps when my fingers circle her clit, hips rocking into my touch.
“So greedy,” I murmur against her ear. “So ready for me.”
“Please, Ian. I need you.”
I line myself up and push inside her slowly, savoring every inch. She’s tight and hot and absolutely perfect, her body’s embrace like coming home. I bottom out with a groan, holding still to let her adjust to my size.
When she squirms and whines for more, I know she’s ready.
I set a steady rhythm while I continue working her clit. She matches my movements, pushing back to meet each thrust. The sounds she makes are incredible. Little moans and gasps and sighs that go straight to my knot, but in this position, it’s hard to get deep enough for it to inflate inside her.
“Want to try something else?” I ask after a while. “Maybe you on top?”
She nods eagerly, and we rearrange ourselves. She straddles my hips, belly resting against my abs, and sinks down onto my cock with a satisfied moan. From this angle, I can watch her face, see every flicker of pleasure that crosses her features, enjoy her tits bouncing when I thrust up into her.
“You fill me up like this,” she breathes, rocking back and forth.
“Feel good?”