Chapter Forty-Nine
Linc
I feel like the days are passing by so quickly. Next week, Mel will be six months pregnant. I feel like we aren’t physically ready for the baby. My mom has bought Millie a couple of outfits, and Gigi brought over our first box of diapers, but the spare bedroom is still bare. We need a crib; we need clothes; we need that bathtub thing—so much stuff that we still need.
I walk down the hall and open the door of the baby’s room and stand in the doorway. Mel comes out of her room, carrying her Kindle.
“What are you looking at?” She stands beside me.
“We aren’t ready.”
“We have at least another three months. We haven’t even had the baby shower yet.”
“I know. I just want everything to be perfect for her. A bare room isn’t perfect. She needs somewhere to sleep, she needs baby toys, we need diapers.”
She pats my back. “Calm down, Daddy. We’ll get there. It will be perfect.”
“You seem pretty sure, Mama.”
“Would it make you feel better if we went shopping this weekend?”
“Maybe. And talk to Audrey about the shower. Have invitations gone out?”
“They went out this week. Shower is in a month; our registry is listed.”
“That’s good.” I blow out a breath and force a smile.
“See, all handled. It will all be okay.”
I feel her hand slide down my arm, and she links her fingers with mine. I turn my head, and she looks up at me with a smile that calms my worries. A smile that makes me want her. A smile that makes me want to beg her for more. Instead, I pull her to me, wrapping my arms around her. For the first time, when I have her in my arms, we have to make room for the baby. I love it.
She places her hands on my chest. “When do you want to go shopping?”
“We could go Saturday. I just have a work dinner Saturday night.”
“I know Audrey and Jax are getting the crib. Emma said she already bought her entire wardrobe, so we can grab diapers and smaller stuff that isn’t on the registry.”
“Okay. I think I’ll feel better when we have some stuff in this room.” I release her and put my hand to her stomach. “Thanks for talking me down.”
“You’ve done it for me. I’m here for you, too, you know.”
“I know.”
“Come on, let’s figure out dinner.”
“What does the baby want?”
“Do we still have your mom’s lasagna in the freezer?”
“We do. I’ll put it in the oven.”
I lean down, kiss her belly, and head to the kitchen to heat up the lasagna.
I wake up to a knock on my door. I squint into the darkness and hear Mel say my name from the other side, and I sit straight up. “Come in?”
The door opens, and she walks toward me. “Linc, she’s kicking.” She stops beside my bed, and she takes my hand, placing it on her lower belly.
I jolt at the first kick. As the weeks go by, I can tell she’s getting stronger. “She’s really going to town in there.”
“I know, it’s crazy.”
I feel it again as Mel sits on the edge of the bed beside me.
“I’ll never get tired of this.”
“Right? I never thought I would say this, but I love being pregnant.”
I see the contentment on her face in the dim light of the room. “I love you being pregnant, too.”
She lets out a soft laugh. We sit for a while, just feeling Millie move around. It’s so insane to wrap my brain around the fact that my child is moving inside of her. It’s amazing and weird.
A few minutes later, I hear her yawn. “You can lie down if you want to.”
“Okay. I’m so tired, but she’s still kicking.”
I stand from the bed and pull back the duvet for Mel to lie down. She’s going to lie in my bed. It’s where I want her to be, where I’ve imagined her for so long. I walk to the other side and get in. She turns to her side to face me, placing my hand back on her belly.
“This is the longest she’s kicked like this. She needs to calm down.”
“Sorry she woke you up. What time is it?”
“Twelve forty-five.”
“You should try to get some sleep.” He rubs my belly. “Millie, chill out, baby girl. Mama needs rest.”
“Is it okay if I lay here for a bit?”
“Of course.”
I kiss her hair, and as I back away, she grabs my jaw. We pause for a moment. I want to pull her mouth to meet mine, but I can’t be the one to make the first move. I’m relieved when she finally kisses me. I move my hand to the nape of her neck and pull her closer. The kiss is soft; I don’t want heated or rushed right now.
“Linc?” It’s just us, but she’s still whispering.
“Yeah?”
“Remember when you said I could ask for your help again?”
“Yeah.”
“Can you help me?”
She doesn’t give me the opportunity to answer as she places her hand on my forearm and guides my hand down to her center. My pulse quickens as I feel the heat from her core through her thin shorts. Her breath hitches at the contact, and I search to feel her clit. I find it and start moving my hand. Her hips match my rhythm, and she lifts her leg to give me better access.
“I can feel how wet you are through your shorts. Fuck.”
I keep my motions steady until she takes my hand again and guides it to the waistband of her shorts. “I want your fingers.”
I feel like my dick is going to bust through my joggers. “I’ll give you whatever you want, Mel.” My voice is strained, almost desperate.
I slip my hand down and slide a finger in. “You are absolutely soaked. You want to come that badly?”
I slide out and circle her clit, her breaths coming sharp and fast. “So bad. Fuck me with your fingers. Please.”
“So needy.” I kiss her neck, making my way to her jaw. “You have no idea how much I like it when you need me.”
She grabs my shoulder and brings her forehead to my neck. My fingers move at a steady cadence when I feel her lips right below my ear. She works her way down my neck, kissing and licking. Then I feel her sucking and nipping along my collarbone. I feel like every nerve-ending in my body is on fire.
My hips start rocking with hers, and she brings her leg between mine, moving her thigh against my dick. I reach under her ass, moving her shorts to the side and inserting two fingers.
I’m humping her thigh and she’s riding my fingers, and holy shit, I want to fuck her. It’s been so long. The feel of her wet pussy around my fingers, the scent of her arousal, the noises coming from her, my name on her lips, has me ready to explode.
“You’re so hard.”
“Keep moving your hips. Don’t stop until that pussy claims my fingers.”
Her breaths are warm against my skin, and I feel my balls tighten. “Be the good girl I know you can be and fuck my hand. Give me what I want, Melonie.”
I place my thumb on her clit, and she gasps. Her nails dig deeper into my skin. I pray she marks me. I want to see the evidence of this experience in the morning.
I feel her begin to writhe beside me, feel her tighten around my fingers. “Yes, Linc!”
Her orgasm drenches my hand, and that sends me over the edge. “Fuck, Mel.”
I fucking come in my pants.
We’re both fighting for air. I remove my fingers and bring them to my mouth. Our faces are close enough in the darkness that I see her watch my movements.
“If this is the only way I ever taste you again, I’ll fucking die a happy man.”
She stares as I remove my fingers, and she slams her mouth to mine. I feel her fingers tracing south, down my abs, but I grab her hand.
“You don’t want me to touch you?” It pains me that I hear disappointment in her voice. If this woman only knew. Why did my dick have to betray me when I finally had the opportunity to have her hands on me?
“Believe me, Mel, I want that more than you could possibly know. But I already got there.”
“You already came?”
“Yeah.”
“You came just from what we did?”
“It’s sort of been a long time for me.” I lightly chuckle, trying to cover up for my embarrassment. “You have no clue how much you turn me on, do you?”
“No. I don’t.” She says it in a doubt-filled whisper.
I run my hand down her side, lightly tracing her breast, moving over her stomach.
“Your body was amazing before, but now? You’re creating a life, Melonie, my child. I don’t know that I can properly put into words how much that turns me on. I look at you every day, see the changes, and it only makes you more beautiful.” I blow out a breath, trying to think of a way to tell her how I see her. “I guess all I can say is that your body is miraculous.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment, and I’m scared I’ve said too much. Finally, she lightly brushes her lips against mine and says, “That’s the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me.”
“You deserve all the beautiful things, Mel.”
“Thank you.”
I shift and remember I have a situation to take care of. “I need to go clean up.”
“Okay.” She yawns. “I’m going to close my eyes.”
“Go to sleep, Mama.”
I watch as her eyes shut, her head on my pillow, with the smallest grin on her face. An “I just had an orgasm” grin. I get up and head to the bathroom. I rinse off, and when I get back, I hear her soft sleeping breaths.
I grab some boxers from my dresser and cautiously crawl under the sheets. I don’t want to wake her. I want her to sleep right beside me, in my bed. I want my pillow to smell like her shampoo tomorrow.
I lay in the darkness, watching her sleep, until my eyes won’t stay open any longer.