Chapter Eighteen #2
His lips brush over mine, soft and teasing at first, then deepening with intent. His hands drift down, undoing the button of my jeans and sliding the zipper. I shiver as he pushes them down along with my panties, letting them fall to the floor with a whisper of fabric.
My fingers trail along the planes of his back, muscles flexing under my touch.
I tug his shirt over his head, breaking our kiss only long enough to strip it off.
Our lips reconnect instantly—hungry now, urgent.
His body molds to mine, bare chest to bare skin, and I swear I feel the air crackle around us.
I reach for his jeans, undoing them quickly, pushing them down his hips. He steps out of them in one smooth motion, revealing, of course, no underwear.
Typical Colt.
His lips leave mine just long enough to lean into the shower alcove and twist the faucets. Steam begins to curl around us almost immediately.
“Let’s get you wet, Miss Norman,” he says, his voice all gravel and mischief.
I laugh, cheeks flushing. “You’re such a menace.”
He grins, offering his hand like a gentleman, but the way he looks at me is anything but innocent.
I take his hand and step into the shower, letting the hot water pour down my back. Colt follows, closing the glass door behind us.
And the rest of the world disappears.
The steam swirls around us, curling over our skin as the hot water cascades from above. Colt steps in behind me, his hand sliding up my spine to cup the back of my neck. I shiver, not from the water, but from his touch.
His mouth finds my shoulder, lips warm against my skin.
“You know I’ve been thinking about this all damn day,” he murmurs, voice low, rough like gravel wrapped in silk.
There’s a hunger beneath the words, tightly reined in, but I feel the edge of it pressing against his control.
It’s the kind of voice that makes my thighs clench, the kind that reminds me exactly who Colter Slade is when he’s not holding back.
I lean back into him, tilting my head to the side to give him more room. “You always think about me naked in the shower?”
“Only every time you walk away from me half-dressed.”
His hands skim down my sides, lingering at my hips before gripping them, firm and possessive. He turns me slowly, pressing me against the slick tile. His body crowds mine, not enough to hurt, but just enough to remind me who he is.
His eyes lock onto mine.
“Tell me if anything hurts,” he says, and the tension in his jaw tells me he’s still holding back. Still afraid. And, of course, those words affect me negatively, but I don’t show it.
“It won’t,” I whisper.
Colt lifts my arms and pins them gently above my head, his fingers wrapping around both wrists, anchoring them to the wall.
I inhale sharply.
God, I love this.
His other hand slides along my neck, not squeezing, just holding, reminding me of things to come. His gaze flickers with heat as he leans in and kisses me, slow and deep, his tongue claiming mine with a need that’s been building.
“Colt,” I breathe, hips arching toward him.
“I’m not gonna fuck you hard,” he growls against my lips. “But I am gonna remind you who you belong to.”
My pulse hammers. His hand tightens just slightly around my throat, not enough to restrict, just enough to thrill, while his grip on my wrists never loosens. The water flows over us, heat soaking into every inch of my skin as his lips trail from my mouth to my jaw, then down the column of my neck.
“I want you begging,” he rasps.
“I already am,” I whisper, breathless.
He releases my throat and lets his hand slide down between us, fingers grazing the soft curve of my breast, then lower, teasing, circling, never quite giving me what I need.
“Colt,” I gasp.
“Say it again.”
“Colt, please—”
The moment I say the word, his mouth crashes back to mine, and he finally gives in, just a little. His body moves against mine, slow and grinding, pressure and friction building until my knees threaten to give out.
He catches me with his thigh between mine, supporting me with ease.
Our lips part just long enough for him to smirk. “You feel that, baby? That’s all yours.”
And God, I believe him.
Because in this moment, under this water, with his hands on my body and my wrists pinned to the wall, I know he’d do anything for me.
And I’ll wait.
Because when he does fully let go…
He’s going to wreck me in the best possible way.
***
Anna and Johnny are meeting us at the clinic today for our initial counseling session. My stomach’s in knots, nerves bubbling beneath the surface.
“What if Anna freaks out and decides not to surrogate for us?” I ask softly as Colt drives us into town, my fingers tightening around the edge of my seat.
He glances over, giving me a reassuring smile.
“Then we’ll find someone else, Dee. We’ll figure it out, whatever happens.
But we don’t even have to go there, because Johnny told me Anna’s all in.
She’s set on giving us our baby. So stop panicking, beautiful.
It’s going to be okay.” He reaches across, takes my hand in his, and presses a gentle kiss to my knuckles.
The gesture alone helps my heart slow, if only just a little.
“I hope you’re right,” I murmur, looking out the window. “I just… I don’t know. What if Anna gets into that session and it all becomes too real? This is a huge thing she’s doing for us.”
“I know,” he says, voice calm. “But like I said, if not this, then something else. We will become parents. No matter what.”
I nod and exhale shakily, sinking back into the seat as we pull into the parking lot.
Right on cue, Johnny’s SUV glides in beside us. Seeing them show up gives me a flicker of hope, enough that I take a deeper breath.
Colt shifts into park and turns to me, his hand resting over mine again.
“Just remember,” he says, eyes locked on mine.
“Whatever happens in there, we’re in this together.
You and me. We’ll figure it out. Always.
” There’s a flicker of vulnerability in his expression, like he’s trying to convince himself, too.
I nod and smile gently. “We’ll find a way.”
He leans across the center console, and I meet him halfway. His lips brush mine, soft, warm, and grounding. The moment lingers, stealing some of the anxiety from my chest.
Until—
A rapid knock on my window makes me jump.
I break the kiss with a laugh and turn to see Anna beaming at me through the glass.
I open the door in time for her to squeal like a schoolgirl and wrap her arms around me with the force of a freight train.
I gasp as she nearly knocks the wind out of me, my eyes bulging while I laugh into her shoulder.
“Anna…” Colt’s amused voice comes from behind me. “You do want the future mother of our kids to survive this hug, yeah?”
Johnny chuckles. “You might wanna loosen your grip, babe.”
“What?” Anna blinks, still swinging me from side to side.
“She needs air to live,” Johnny says.
Anna finally looks down at me and loosens her hold, laughing. “Right. Sorry. I’m just so damn excited.”
“You are?” I ask, tilting my head as I study her expression.
Her eyes sparkle with joy. “Hell yes. I can’t wait to be pregnant again and give you guys a baby. I’m so honored to be part of this.”
My heart swells, the weight in my chest lifting just a little.
“C’mon,” she says, grabbing my hand. “We’re gonna be late!” She pulls me toward the clinic doors, practically skipping, and I glance back at Colt.
He dips his chin with a wink.
That’s all I need.
Anna’s excitement is contagious, and suddenly, I don’t feel so terrified anymore.
Maybe, just maybe… this dream really is about to begin.
The Next Day
The initial consultation with the counselors went better than I ever could have imagined. They focused mainly on Anna, asking her a mountain of questions, but she didn’t waver once. Over and over, she said she was ready—excited, even—to do this for us.
I sat in awe of her the whole time.
Colt never let go of my hand.
Even Johnny surprised me with how upbeat and supportive he was. I half-expected quiet discomfort or a few nervous jokes, but he looked proud. Solid. Like he really understood what this meant for all of us.
Now, it’s Friday.
Tonight’s the night.
Bachelor and bachelorette madness is incoming.
And I still haven’t told Colt about the strippers.
I meant to, honestly, but every time I thought about it, I imagined his face.
That jaw-tightening, lip-pressing look that tells me his brain’s going into primal territory.
If he knew there’d be a cop and a fireman shaking their junk around me tonight, well, I don’t think he’d take it as a ‘fun surprise.’
Still, knowing Hux and Dingo? The VIP section of whatever club they’re going to is bound to be filled with enough silicone and stilettos to even the score.
“Can’t I just stay here with you?” Colt grumbles, his voice muffled as he nuzzles into my neck while I sit in front of the vanity, curling my hair.
I smirk. “You could. But Anna and Hux would kill us. Besides, when you get back, we can have drunken sex. It could be like our first time all over again.”
Colt lets out a dark chuckle. “Wanna hop on the jet? We could literally recreate our first time.”
He kisses along my shoulder, his mouth warm against my skin, and I feel him starting to soften me. I close my eyes as his lips graze my neck, then my earlobe, sending a hot shiver down my spine. My fingers slip into his hair as I turn to kiss him.
And then I’m airborne.
He scoops me up and tosses me onto the bed, making me squeal as I bounce against the mattress. He follows, crawling up over me with a cocky grin. “Cancel tonight?” he murmurs, trailing kisses down my throat.
I smile but shake my head.
His mouth returns to mine, tongue teasing, hips grinding, and suddenly, I’m not as firm in my resolve.