Chapter 2
Waking as a married man for the first time, Owen Lawry experienced a feeling of pure contentment and relief. The contentment came from having his new wife sleeping naked in his arms. The relief was because he could now finally admit he’d been waiting for something to go wrong.
He’d worried about his father’s trial somehow derailing their plans.
He’d worried Laura would wise up and realize she could do better.
He’d worried about… well, everything. But none of the things he’d worried about had come to fruition, and now he was married to the only woman he’d ever loved, with twins on the way and her son, Holden, in Owen’s life to stay.
Speaking of Holden, they needed to get up and get going to relieve Uncle Shane, who’d been good enough to spend the night with the baby so they could have their wedding night to themselves.
Owen began kissing Laura’s back, starting at her shoulder and working his way down.
“Mmm, is that my husband trying to wake me up?”
“Who else would it be?”
Her soft, sleepy laughter was an immediate turn-on, although everything about her turned him on, from her blonde hair to her blue eyes to her gorgeous breasts and the belly that was just starting to protrude with pregnancy. He adored every perfect inch of her.
“What time is it?”
“Just after nine.”
She jolted. “Holden.”
“Is with Shane, who would’ve called if he couldn’t handle the morning routine.”
Laura relaxed, but only slightly. “We should get going.”
“We have an hour until brunch.”
“A whole hour?”
“Sixty minutes to do whatever we want before we have to rejoin our lives already in progress.”
“Whatever shall we do?”
He nudged at her from behind. “I have a few ideas.”
Laughing, she said, “You always have that idea.”
“Never more so than right now. I’m so happy you’re finally my wife, and I get to keep you forever.”
She curled her hand around his, which was nestled right beneath her breast. “You got to keep me forever before vows were spoken. Yesterday was just a formality.”
“Still…”
Laura turned onto her back and looked up at him, propped on his hand as he gazed down at her. “Were you worried something would go wrong?”
He thought about dodging the question, but there was no dodging the honesty or the love he felt coming from her every time she looked at him. “A little.”
“Why?”
Owen felt stupid for letting his insecurities invade their first morning as a married couple. “Doesn’t matter now.”
“Yes, it does. Tell me.”
He blew out a deep breath and looked down at her, so perfectly beautiful and all his for the rest of his life. “I guess I still wonder how I got so lucky to find you, first of all, and then… That you fell in love with me. Still boggles my mind, Princess, even after all this time.”
She reached for him, and he went willingly into her loving embrace. “You know when I fell in love with you?”
“When?” He already knew, of course, but he loved to hear her tell him anyway.
“The first time you picked me up off the bathroom floor when I was so sick with Holden. There I was, pregnant with another man’s child, and you took care of me like the baby was yours, like I was yours.”
“You were already mine. Both of you were. You just didn’t know it yet.”
“And you were already mine. I love you as much as you love me, and I want you to have faith in that—always.”
“I do.”
“So you said yesterday.”
He laughed at the witty comment that was so in keeping with who she was. She made him laugh every day. She made him think. She made him want like he’d never wanted anything or anyone.
“Please don’t worry about something going wrong between us. You’re stuck with me forever.”
“Never been happier to be stuck with anyone.”
Her lips lifted into the sexy, sultry smile he loved so much. “Is that right?”
“You know it.”
“How about you prove it.”
“Haven’t I already proven it multiple times?”
“I’m not yet fully convinced.”
“In that case…” He began at her neck, kissing her until she squirmed under him, aroused as always by any attention he paid to that area.
Moving down, he focused next on her breasts with gentle strokes of his tongue to her nipples that had her moaning and arching her hips.
“So sensitive when you’re pregnant. I love it. ”
“I honestly think I could come from that alone.”
“Want to try?”
“Not this time, but maybe next time.”
“Ah, something to look forward to.”
Her fingers combed through his hair, always trying to bring order to shaggy locks that refused to be tamed.
Owen kissed the small bump protruding from her belly.
Their babies were in there, getting bigger and stronger every day, and he was counting down the days until they got to meet them.
He settled between her legs, propping them on his shoulders and ensuring her comfort before he opened her to his tongue.
Her sharp gasp of pleasure was nearly his undoing.
She was always so responsive to him, so willing, so loving.
And she wondered why he felt incredibly lucky to have earned her love.
How could he not feel lucky to be married to such an amazing woman who was beautiful inside and out, not to mention strong, resilient and incredibly joyful?
Her infectious joy had filled his life with the kind of happiness that had eluded him before her.
He stroked her with his tongue and slid his fingers into her, aided by the flood of moisture between her legs.
“Owen,” she said, panting, “come up here. I want you.”
“Not yet.” He redoubled his efforts, not letting up until she came with the sharp cry of pleasure he lived for. Then he moved up, kissing her as he went.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him into a deep, passionate kiss.
He never broke the kiss when he took himself in hand and began to push into her, moving slowly to give her time to accommodate him.
Going slow when she was hot and wet and tight around him was the purest, sweetest form of torture he’d ever experienced.
Laura broke the kiss and drew in a deep breath. “So much more than your share.”
“There it is! Every time.”
She smiled up at him. “It’s tradition now.”
Owen hooked his arm under her leg and bent it toward her chest, mindful of the babies who rested between them. The new position opened her and eased his entry. “Ah, God, Laura… So good. Always so good.”
“Owen…”
“What, honey?”
“I need you to move.”
“Are you sure? Are you sore from last night?”
“A little. Doesn’t hurt, though.” She cupped his ass and pulled him deeper into her, a move that made him see stars.
“Christ,” he whispered. “You almost finished me off with that maneuver.”
She giggled softly, and he melted on the inside. He loved the way they laughed all the time, even when making love. “Give me what I want. I’m your wife, and you have to obey me.”
“Oh damn, what’ve I signed on for?”
“A lifetime as my on-demand lover.”
“I can live with that.” He picked up the pace but kept a tight rein on the desire pounding through him as he lived in mortal fear of ever hurting her. He’d rather die than do anything to cause her pain of any kind.
“Yes.” She moaned and arched into him. “Like that.”
She brought him right to the brink with the way she moved and the way she sighed and moaned and gripped him from the inside.
This was going to be fast, and he wanted to make sure she was with him, so he reached down to where they were joined, pressed his fingers to her clit and watched her ignite under him.
That was all it took to finish him off, too.
Because he was so much bigger than she was, he didn’t dare flop down on top of her.
Rather, he used the last of his strength to turn them so she was sprawled on top of him, still impaled on him, still quivering from the force of her orgasm.
Her hair was all over him, her hand resting on his heart and her legs tangled with his.
This, right here, was all he needed to be happy for the rest of his life. As long as he had her, he could get through anything that came his way. “I love you more than life itself, Laura Lawry.”
“Love you just as much, Owen. I always will.”
Sarah came awake slowly, uncertain at first where she was or why she was naked.
And then the memories of the night before came flooding back to remind her that she was in Charlie’s bed, where they’d made love for the first time.
And the second time… Which was why her body ached in a few places where it hadn’t ached in longer than she cared to remember.
Her skin flushed and tingled with heat as she recalled the passion she’d experienced in Charlie’s arms. Sarah’s quiet, sweet fiancé had shown her a side of himself she hadn’t known existed until he got her in his bed.
Thinking about the discoveries she’d made not only about him but also about herself had her blushing from head to toe, her eyes squeezed tightly closed in embarrassment. How would she ever face him in the bright light of day after the way she’d behaved?
The brush of his lips over her forehead let her know she was no longer alone with her salacious thoughts.
“Good morning.”
“Mmm, morning.” She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, so she kept her eyes tightly closed.
“I come bearing gifts.”
“Is that coffee I smell?”
“It is indeed, but you have to actually look at me before you can have it.”
“I can’t look at you. I might never be able to look at you again.”
His bark of laughter rang through the room.
Sarah raised the covers up and over her head.
“Now you’re just begging me to come in there to find you.” His hand sneaked under the covers, and naturally, the first thing he encountered was her bare breast.
Sarah gasped from the painful pleasure when he rolled her sore nipple between his fingers, sparking a throb between her legs. How was it possible that she could want more already? “Charlie…”
“Hmm?”
“I can’t…”
“Yes, you can.”
“No, I really can’t.”
“Have I ever told you how much I love a challenge?”