Chapter 50
Laiken
My gaze stays fastened to Kia. She’s barefoot and relaxed, humming as she rinses a mug out at the kitchen sink. Elody has been asleep for over an hour. We put her to bed together, moving through the routine without speaking much, as if we’d done it a hundred times before.
There’s comfort in not having to do it alone. I didn’t realize how much I’d been holding myself together, how determined I was not to need anyone, until the right person came along. And now, I can’t imagine it any other way.
I sit on the edge of the couch and soak it all in.
This is the part no one prepares you for—the quiet after the storm, when you’re no longer bracing for the worst or waiting for something else to go wrong. The tension doesn’t snap all at once. It loosens gradually, like a fist finally unclenching.
Kia turns, as if she can feel my gaze, before leaning back against the counter and studying me. “Are you okay?”
I nod. “Yup. Just taking it all in.”
Her mouth curves into a smile as she sets the mug aside and crosses the room before perching in my lap. My hands lock around her hips, my thumbs brushing over her curves as her arms slide around my neck.
“You’ve been carrying around so much,” she says, melting against me.
“I have,” I admit. “And it feels damn good not to anymore.”
She searches my face for a second before resting her forehead against mine.
“I like you this way,” she murmurs.
“What way is that?”
“Like you can finally breathe again.”
I huff out a laugh. “That’s exactly how it feels. Like my lungs can finally expand.”
The truth of it settles between us. It’s not heavy, just real. I pull her closer, drawing in her delectable scent.
Home.
That’s the only word that comes to mind. Not because everything is perfect, but because the foundation is solid. Even with all our differences, somehow, we fit together.
My mouth drifts over hers. There’s no urgency to the kiss, just the certainty we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be. And there’s no better feeling than that. Her fingers thread through my hair, and the world narrows to the warmth of her body and the trust we’re building.
With our lips melded together, Kia shifts until she’s able to straddle my thighs, pressing close enough for my erection to nestle against her core.
The whimper she releases tells me she feels exactly how much I want her.
No other woman has ever turned me on like this.
Our connection isn’t just physical, it’s emotional as well.
It doesn’t take long for our kiss to deepen, turning hungry. Our tongues tangle until I have no idea where I end and she begins.
When she moves against me, slow at first, searching for friction, it sends a rush of heat through my veins. My woman is no longer shy about what she wants. Every movement is deliberate, her desperation growing with each one.
What we’re doing isn’t nearly enough to satisfy either of us.
The line between want and need disappears, replaced by the kind of urgency that makes restraint impossible.
My hands slide from her hips to her ass as I rise, lifting her into my arms. She gasps at the sudden movement, her legs locking around my waist as her body molds to mine, leaving no space for doubt.
Her mouth grows more insistent as I carry her down the hall. Each step toward our bedroom feels inevitable, charged with the promise of what comes next. When she clings, fingers digging into my shoulders, I tighten my grip, holding her as if I have no intention of ever letting go.
I love how effortless this feels with Kia. The way our lives have seamlessly come together. There’s nothing about it that feels temporary. It’s solid in a way I can’t explain.
By the time we reach the space that has become ours, she’s breathless and needy, her body pliant beneath my hands.
After setting her down, I draw her shirt over her head.
Only then do I drop to my knees and flick open the button at her waistband, lowering the zipper with unhurried movements.
Her hands rest on my shoulders as I drag the denim down her hips and thighs, peeling it away until she can step free of the material.
When I glance up, I find her watching me.
The softness in her eyes tells me everything I need to know.
I press my lips to her baby bump before rising to my feet.
With careful hands, I turn her around and flick the clasp of her bra.
The straps shimmy down her arms before the fabric falls to the carpet at our feet.
I press a kiss to her bare shoulder and then bury my face in the silky strands of her hair, inhaling the citrusy scent.
“Look in the mirror,” I murmur. “And tell me what you see.”
Her gaze lifts to our reflection a few feet away. For a long moment, she remains silent, studying us.
“I see what it looks like when two people finally find their home,” she replies quietly.
She’s right about that.
My hands slide to her abdomen. “Know what I see?” I pause for just a beat. “My wife. My entire world. And the life we’re building.”
She turns her head just enough to meet my gaze, and the emotion shimmering in her eyes has my chest tightening. “You really feel all that?”
I brush my lips over hers. “I do.”
“I feel it too,” she admits.
“Good,” I murmur, resting my forehead against hers. “I don’t know what I’d do if you didn’t.”
After I lead her to our bed, she sinks into the sheets, her hair spilling around her like ribbons of golden sunlight. Her body is open and unguarded in a way that quiets the restlessness inside me.
My wife.
Those words don’t rush in or demand attention.
They simply settle inside me like a deeply held belief.
An undeniable truth. In this moment, I don’t need to plan out the future, prove anything, or promise more than what already exists between us.
I just need this woman, this life, exactly as it is right now.
Once her panties have been removed, I strip away my sweats and boxers, and follow her down to the mattress.
I lie beside her, carefully mapping her curves with my hands.
She responds to every touch with a sigh or an arch of her body, and each one pulls me deeper into the moment, anchoring me to her.
This isn’t about need. It’s about care, and showing her exactly how much she means to me in ways words aren’t able to convey.
I kiss her leisurely, letting the caress linger, letting it say everything I don’t have the language for. Her fingers thread through my hair, tugging me closer, as if she trusts me completely. The simplicity of that movement, the quiet certainty in it, means more than she’ll ever know.
With one last kiss, I slide farther down her body, intent on adoring every inch of her along the way.
She bares her throat, offering herself up as I trail kisses along the slender column until reaching her collarbone.
I linger before lowering my mouth to the soft curve of her breast and drawing the sensitive peak between my lips.
She holds me in place as her body bows beneath mine.
I take my time, savoring the way she responds before releasing her, giving the other nipple the same devoted attention.
It’s only when she grows restless beneath me that I continue my descent, kissing my way down her rib cage and over the gentle curve of her belly, making sure she feels seen and cherished every single second.
When I finally reach the vee between her thighs, her body is already shifting, searching for more. I widen her legs before settling there, taking in every delicate pink inch. Even with the dim lighting, it’s impossible not to admire just how gorgeous she is.
I want to learn what makes her breath hitch and her body respond without thinking.
I want to know what makes her unravel, forgetting about everything except the way she feels.
More than that, I want to earn every single reaction, every sound she gives me, knowing I’m the reason she lets go.
Only then will I be able to do the same.
“Laiken, please.”
My grip tightens around the supple skin of her thighs before I glance up and meet her heavy-lidded gaze.
The need in her eyes is unmistakable, and the fact that I’m the man who stoked it to life makes me hard as a rock.
I have no intention of rushing a single moment of this.
I want to draw out her pleasure until she can’t take another second of it.
“We both know I’m going to give you everything you need,” I tell her. “Just let me play with you a little longer.”
She’s glossy perfection.
I lower my mouth to the top of her mound and press a kiss against her slit.
The moment I do, she arches, and a whimper escapes her.
This woman is so damn responsive it almost messes with my head.
The sounds she makes, the way her body clenches around me as she comes apart…
it’s hard to believe I’m the one who gets to experience all of it.
I hold her in place, zeroing in on her clit before circling it with my tongue and then drawing it into my mouth. When her fingers tighten in my hair, I continue licking her from the top of her pussy to the bottom and then up again before dipping inside her.
Her body tenses as her whimpers grow frantic. “That feels amazing.”
“I know it does, Kitten,” I murmur. “I want to be the one who gives you all the pleasure you can handle and then I’m going to give you even more until you’re drowning in it.”
It doesn’t take long before she’s dancing on the precipice. The sound of her orgasm crashing over her is sweet music to my ears. Knowing I get to hear it for the rest of my life soothes me in a way nothing else ever has.
It’s like the tumblers on a safe finally falling into place.
When her body turns pliant, melting into the mattress, I press one last kiss against her pussy before making my way up her body. My mouth brushes against hers, sealing the moment with a kiss that communicates everything we don’t need to speak out loud.
Her eyes are heavy-lidded and her expression is blissed out. The sight of her contentment makes my heart swell.
“Feel good?”
“Incredible.” She smirks. “Although, I’m pretty sure you know that.”
“Maybe I just like hearing you say it,” I murmur, brushing my thumb along her cheek. “I always want to make you feel loved. Cherished.”
“You do, Laiken. More than I ever thought possible.”
When I roll onto my back, she lets out a small squeak as I carefully pull her on top of me until she can straddle my hips. Even though her pregnancy is still in the early stages, I keep every movement slow and controlled.
The last thing I want to do is hurt her.
Not now or ever.
I cradle her sides, keeping her steady beneath my hands. “Are you ready to feel me deep inside you?” I ask. “Filling you all the way up?”
Instead of responding, she shifts, maneuvering herself until her pussy slides over my hard length. The pleasure is so intense, I bite down on my lower lip to keep from groaning.
“I’m starting to think you enjoy teasing me.”
A knowing smile curves her lips. “Maybe.”
“Just remember,” I say, tightening my grip, “that I’m going to return the favor.”
She rolls her body again, sliding against me before leaning forward to brush her mouth across mine. “Did you ever consider,” she whispers, lips hovering long enough to make it torture, “that it’s exactly what I’m hoping for?”
The challenge in her tone only makes the heat coil tighter in my chest.
Just when I can’t take another moment, she angles her hips over my cock before sinking onto it. We both sigh as I slide into her.
It doesn’t take long for us to fall into an easy rhythm that feels instinctive, our bodies aligning without effort.
Arousal builds all over again as I reach up, cupping her breasts, playing with her pretty little nipples.
Even though it feels like I’m precariously close to tumbling off the edge, I hold back, needing to give her one more orgasm.
Within minutes, she’s rocking her hips faster and throwing her head back.
As soon as my name tears from her lips, I let go so we can come together.
There’s nothing better than the feel of her cream coating my cock as my seed paints her womb.
Her lips curve into a satisfied smile as she collapses against me, molding herself to my body. She fits so naturally, it feels like she was made for me. Or maybe I’m the one who was made for her. After a moment, she moves closer, nestling her face into the crook of my neck.
I breathe her in, that familiar sweet scent wrapping around me. Her chest rises and falls steadily against mine, the rhythm soothing, lulling me into contentment. I hold her close, letting the quiet settle over us.
Kia traces idle patterns along my chest, her touch unhurried in a way that speaks to true comfort. The kind that comes from knowing you’re exactly where you’re meant to be. I press a kiss to her temple and then her hair before resting my cheek against the crown of her head.
I think about my little girl sleeping down the hall, and for the first time, my thoughts aren’t knotted with worry about what comes next. There’s only a calm certainty that Elody is safe. That she’s loved and surrounded by people who’ll continue showing up for her every single day.
This closeness and sense of belonging is exactly what was missing from my life.
Home.
Family.
A love I never thought could be mine.
I have no idea what the future will bring. Only that this woman will be by my side no matter how it unfolds.