CHAPTER 19
brIDGER
The dress she has on is a sweater material and clings to her curves, especially her baby belly. I love it when she wears things which show off her bump. Now that she’s free to embrace this pregnancy, she’s done so wholeheartedly. I love it.
Fuck, I love her.
We haven’t said the words, not yet, but they’ve almost tumbled from my mouth so many times. Like when she snuggles into my chest and lets out a sigh filled with contentment. Or when she’s dancing around the kitchen while cooking dinner and I come home from work to a house she’s made into a home.
Over the last month, she’s made some changes around here, and I’m glad. She’s made this place cozy, and it feels like we’re better prepared to welcome our little girl home when she’s done cooking.
A few nights after the drive-in movie night, we were curled up on the couch while ordering the last few items of furniture we needed for the nursery, the same nursery I was going to paint on my next day off. Her eyes kept going back to the coffee table and biting her lip.
I could tell she wanted to say something about it but was also trying to be polite. Since my arm was wrapped around her, I gave her a squeeze and murmured, “What’s on your mind, Sweetheart?”
“I think we need a new coffee table,” she blurted and then slapped her hands over her mouth like she didn’t mean to say anything.
I barked out a laugh and pulled her onto my lap. She wouldn’t look at me until I gripped her chin and turned her face toward me. “You can change whatever you want,” I told her.
She was blushing in the most adorable way as she whispered, “Are you sure?”
“Of course,” I insisted. “I want our little heart to be safe, and I don’t think a glass top coffee table is a good idea.
I was already thinking it needed to be replaced, but I figured we’d make some headway on the nursery first. She won’t be zooming around the house right away, but she’ll need a room to come home to. ”
She gave a nod as a small smile played on her lips. “I should have known you’d already thought about it. We can wait until she’s a little older; it doesn’t need to be done right now.”
“No, change it now,” I pushed and reached up to cup her cheek. “I want you to be happy. I want you to make this into your home. Change anything you want.”
“Except your paintings,” she murmured.
“You can even change those,” I offered.
Her fingers twisted in my shirt, her voice fierce, “No, I’m not changing any of your paintings. I love them and I want our peanut to grow up seeing how talented her dad is.”
Fuck, her words made me melt. As if our daughter could understand the conversation, she gave a mighty kick, and I could feel it where her belly was pressed against my torso.
Fuck, there’s nothing like feeling my baby move in Avery’s belly.
Our little girl moves more and more. She’s so active when we have our time together while I talk directly to her and tell her all about my day and everything that I can’t wait to share with her. Whenever I talk to our baby, Avery gets this soft look on her face and looks at me with such love.
And damn if it doesn’t make me feel like I can take on the world and come out on top.
As Avery leans over the counter to put on some lipstick, my attention snaps to her peach shaped ass. All thoughts of our baby flee my mind as my cock goes rock hard so fast it makes my vision go spotty. She looks so fucking good and it’s been far too long since I’ve been buried inside of her.
I close the distance between us until I can grip her hips and press the hard ridge of my cock against her perfect ass. “You look damn good, Sweetheart.”
She tries to straighten up, but I keep my grip firm and don’t let her move. Her dark blue eyes meet mine through the mirror. The smile she flashes me is big and bright. Whenever she smiles at me with her whole soul on display, it makes my heart pound in my chest.
“Are you ready to get going?”
I run my hand over the curve of her hip and grind my cock against her ass, loving the way her eyes flutter closed as she pushes back against me.
“Not quite yet,” I rasp.
My hands slide down the outside of her legs and start to gather up her skirt. Avery’s eyes snap open and I can see the conflict there.
She wants this, wants me, but she also wants to be on time for Ian’s birthday party. He’s turning 13 and it’s a big deal, but we can take a few minutes. The lust in her eyes tells me I’m right. If we don’t take the edge off before we go, my woman is liable to jump me at the party.
She’s become even more in need of my dick over the last few weeks. I’m not complaining; I’m no fool.
“We’re going to be late,” she tries to protest, but there’s no real heat behind her breathy words.
“I’ll be fast,” I promise as I lean over her and nip her earlobe.
The way she shudders and arches her back is sexy as fuck. When her dress is rucked up over her hips, I hook my thumbs into the waistband of her panties and tug them over her hips, ass, and down her legs until her pussy is exposed.
“Not too fast, I hope,” she sasses.
The chuckle that comes out of me is deep with a hint of darkness mixed in. “You know better than that, Sweetheart,” I growl. “I’ll always make sure you come all over my cock first.”
She raises her chin and loudly moans, “Bridger, please.”
As I run the tip of my finger between her pussy lips to feel how wet she is for me, I growl at what I find. “Always ready for me.”
“Always,” she echoes. She swallows hard and meets my eyes through the mirror. “I need you.”
I make a humming sound and crouch down behind her, loving the way her pussy is exposed to me. She’s glistening for me and her clit throbs like it’s begging me to suck it between my lips.
My mouth waters because I know how good she tastes. I swear she’s gotten sweeter every week.
As I swipe between her pussy lips, I groan against her flesh. Her hips jolt and I slide my hands up to her hips to hold her in place.
“Brace,” I grunt against her pussy.
It’s the only warning I give her before I suck her clit into my mouth. Her moans bounce off the walls of the bathroom, no protest in sight.
As her thighs start to shake, I pull away from her and smirk when she lets out a pitiful whimper. Our gazes lock in the mirror as I quickly undo my jeans and push them down far enough for my cock to spring free. I notch the head at her opening and plunge inside of her tight depths.
When she arches her back and throws her head back, her hair flies around and surrounds me with her vanilla and cream scent. It only spurs me on.
I fuck her hard and fast, holding her hips in place the entire time as her hands scratch against the top of the vanity like she’s trying to find a way to hold on.
“Bridger,” she pleads, “I need to come.”
“Oh, I know Sweetheart,” I grit out through my teeth, her tight channel trying to get me to come far too soon. “I can feel how much your body needs me. It was calling to me in the living room and I was powerless to resist.”
As I thrust into her harder and faster, her eyes squeeze closed, and her mouth opens as her breathing turns ragged.
“You better get there,” I growl.
My fingers tighten on her hips to make sure she’s steady as one of her hands leaves the counter and reaches between her delicious thighs.
I know the moment she touches her clit because the walls of her pussy squeeze me and she starts to chant my name. My hips punch forward faster as I push us both closer to the edge.
My hand lands on her ass, the sound of my slap loud in the smaller space. It’s all it takes to send her flying. Her pussy milks my cock and I grunt as I bury myself to the hilt and empty my balls deep inside of her.
My head falls to her shoulder, but I make sure to keep ahold of her hips to ensure there’s no pressure on her bump. It’s only after our breathing goes back to normal that I pull out of her. Still, I hold her to make sure she’s steady.
A smile stretches across her face, satisfaction written all over her face.
“You going to clean me up?” Her voice is hoarse and sexy as hell.
“I’ll always take care of you,” I murmur and plant a kiss on her neck right under her ear.
“I know,” she whispers.
It takes us a few minutes to get cleaned up and for my woman to check her makeup in the mirror. When she’s done, I pull her against my chest and plant a sweet kiss on her lips.
“As hot as that was, I missed kissing your sweet lips,” I husk.
Her plump lips curl into a smile and she wraps her arms around my neck. “Now, come on, my handsome baby daddy, we have a party to get to.”
“You got it, Sweetheart.” I rub a hand over her belly. “Let’s get you and little heart on the road.”
The silence we settle into during the drive is comfortable and filled with adoration. She watches the world go by and I keep my head on a swivel because I’ll be damned if anything happens to her. I sure as fuck don’t trust the other drivers on the road.
I calm down only after we arrive at Wyatt and Tenley’s home. After grabbing Ian’s present from the back seat, I help her inside.
The moment we walk through the door, Ian spots us and makes a beeline right for my woman with a big smile on his face. My eyes narrow because I swear this 13-year-old kid is trying to steal her from me. I’m going to need to get my ring on her finger soon. Very fucking soon.
“Hi, Avery,” Ian chirps.
She pulls him into a hug, her voice bright, “Happy Birthday, Ian. How does it feel to be a teenager now?”
He shrugs one shoulder. “It’s alright, I guess.” I swear he purposefully makes his voice drop an octave lower than normal.
Avery must notice because she bites her lip to hide her smile.
“I haven’t seen you since the Halloween party,” he complains.
His words make me think about the party the Banks family threw not long ago. They always go all out when it comes to Halloween and this year’s theme was Hocus Pocus. Thankfully, my woman didn’t make me put on some wild costume.
While I won’t admit it to many people, it was the most fun I’ve had in a long damn time, certainly the best time I’ve had at one of their Halloween parties. And it’s all because of my woman.
She makes everything better.
The only thing missing from the Halloween party was Carson. She moved home at the beginning of the month, and we miss her. Not having her at Vibrant Ink has left us a little down, but from the updates we’ve gotten, she’s right where she’s supposed to be.
Carson was even quieter right before she packed it all up and headed back to Montana, which has us worried about her. She says she was missing home and all the changes going on with her family, but I have a feeling there was more to it than that.
Maybe one day we’ll get the full story.
I focus back on Avery as Tenley walks up with Kessler balanced on her hip. She hugs me before wrapping my woman up in her arms.
“How’s the new job going?” Tenley asks, her voice curious.
“It’s amazing,” Avery gushes, “but it’s not really a job.”
Tenley arches an eyebrow and challenges her, “Are you putting in work?” When Avery nods, Tenley waves her hand, “Then it’s a job. Being paid, or not, doesn’t matter in this situation because you’re doing something so incredibly important.”
While I’m damn proud of Avery helping women who need it, it puts me on edge since she’s around women connected to men who are abusive and violent.
It would only take one of them to find out where the shelter is for everything to go wrong.
The only solace I have is knowing the Higgins Security guys have ensured the shelter is as safe as it can be.
“Speaking of the shelter,” Avery starts, “I heard someone talking about how art classes would help some of the kids there as a form of art therapy, without the pressure of the therapy part.”
Knox reaches our little group just as my woman finishes speaking. “I’d be more than willing to come down and help,” he offers.
The smile my woman gives him, big and bright, has my eyes narrowing at him. When he smirks at me, the only thing stopping me from punching him is Ian standing with us still. I’m sure Knox can read the threat written all over my face because the asshole winks at me.
“That would be amazing, Knox,” Avery praises him, and his chest puffs up like a damn peacock. “I’ll get some details and let you know.”
“Whatever you need,” he promises and kisses her cheek.
I don’t even try to stop the growl from rumbling in my chest. Avery shoots me a look. Before she can admonish me, I lean down and kiss her soundly.
By the time I pull back, she’s clinging to my shoulders and Ian is scowling at me. Job well done as far as I’m concerned.
“There are kids here,” Tenley teases me.
I make a humming sound and eye Ian. Avery giggles and kisses my cheek as if it’s enough to calm me down. Damn it if she’s not right too.
“Are you and little heart hungry, Sweetheart?”
Her eyes go soft, just like they always do when I use my nickname for our little girl. I love it when she looks at me like that. The words are on the tip of my tongue, but I hold them back.
For now.
I know I won’t be able to keep my feelings to myself for much longer. I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about me, but the fear that she doesn’t keeps me quiet.
For now.
“Then let’s get you fed,” I murmur as I lead her away from Ian and Knox while I eye them.
Neither of them look even a little bit ashamed of the way they’ve tried to steal my woman’s affection. Ian is lucky he’s a kid and Knox is lucky that he’s family.
As the party progresses, I can’t keep my eyes off my woman as she talks and laughs with our family. She deserves this and so much more. I’ll do anything to ensure she never knows loneliness again.
She’s mine.
And this family is ours.
Soon our family will grow by one little girl, and I can’t wait to meet her.