Chapter 23 - Mav
TWENTY-THREE
MAV
The first Sunday after learning that Bran is behind bars is one of the best mornings of my life.
I breathe easier knowing that Mckenna has peace of mind.
A contentment I haven’t felt in so damn long blankets the bedroom as I wake, folding an arm behind my head and dragging my fingertips up and down Mckenna’s arm.
She sleeps soundly, her head on my chest, her body curled into my side like a cat.
It’s insane to think that she moved into the brownstone about a year ago. In one year, every aspect of my life has changed for the better. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it.
I breathe in the scent of my beauty, allow my eyes to close, and savor the moment for the simplicity it offers.
This, right here, is what people should mean when they talk about wealth.
Waking up with a clear mind, with sunlight streaming through the window, the sound of birds chirping outside, and the love of their life in their arms.
I didn’t think life could be this good.
Mckenna stirs beside me. “Hi.”
“Morning, beauty. How’d you sleep?”
“Good.” She yawns. “I feel like I could sleep for eternity.”
“You’re growing a life,” I remind her.
“Yeah, well, lots of women do that and still have to get up and go to work in the morning.”
“True. Fortunately, it’s Sunday.”
Mckenna grins. “That is good. I feel like being lazy.”
“I feel like staying in this bed all morning,” I agree, leaning over her.
Her smile widens as she reaches for me. Her palm slides along my cheek before hooking around the back of my neck. She guides my face to hers and I go willingly, kissing her.
As I hover over her frame, careful to keep my weight off her, I deepen our connection.
It’s different today. Lighter, more playful.
As my hand skirts up Mckenna’s rib cage, I settle onto my side and my beauty turns into me, slipping one leg in between mine.
She clasps my cheek as I run my hand over her belly, still amazed that she’s growing our baby inside.
Our kissing is languid. There’s no rush. No urgency. No sense of trepidation hanging over us. There’s just this moment. Just us.
When my hand caresses Mckenna’s breast, she gasps.
“What’s wrong?” I whisper.
“Nothing,” she assures me. “It’s just, they’re more sensitive.”
“Ah,” I murmur. I did read that somewhere. I gentle my touch, pushing her shirt up so I can dip my head and replace my fingers with my mouth. Soft and easy, I run my tongue over her nipple and she shivers. “A lot more sensitive,” I comment.
Mckenna laughs but lies back and lets me love on her. I take my time, enjoying how responsive she is to the slightest pressure. I move my hand lower, dipping it in between her thighs. She moans and it’s the sweetest sound I’ve ever heard.
“I love seeing you come apart for me,” I tell her, drawing her nipple into my mouth. Pushing her panties to one side, I dip two fingers inside and groan at the moisture that coats them. “You’re already so wet for me.”
“Need you, Maverick.”
“You have me, beauty. Always,” I remind her, dragging her want up to her clit. I massage her slowly, continuing to lap at her breasts, to kiss up the column of her neck, to find her delectable mouth.
She reaches for me, but I dodge her, pressing my hard length into the side of her body as I continue to stroke her sweetness. “There’s no rush, sweetheart. We have the whole day.”
Mckenna moans. I capture the sound with my mouth and push two fingers inside her, curling them. She grips my shoulders.
“Maverick,” she pants.
“Hmm?” I remove my fingers, circle her clit, and enter her channel again.
I keep the pace slow, keep her body hovering in the space between desire and pleasure.
Expectation and satisfaction. I draw it out, savoring the feel of her silky folds, getting drunk on her sweet scent, and loving the way she kisses me with an edge of recklessness.
“Please.”
“I’m here, beauty. Right here.” I shimmy down her body and this time, replace my hand with my mouth at her most sensitive place.
“Ohh,” she moans out, widening her legs to give me more access.
I drag my tongue over her pussy before focusing my attention on her clit. As I suck and lick at the bundle of nerves, I push my fingers inside of her, pumping slowly.
“Mav! I’m—” Mckenna breaks off as she crests the wave of her orgasm. Her body shudders as it breaks apart and I love watching her entire being vibrate with pleasure.
“God, you’re fucking beautiful.”
“Come here.” She reaches for me.
I move up her body and she tucks her hands into the waistband of my boxers. With one sharp tug, my cock springs free. She fists it expertly and I swear.
“It’s my turn,” Mckenna huffs, pushing my shoulder until I roll onto the bed. She hovers over me, tossing one leg over my legs until she’s straddling me.
And then, she sinks onto me, inch by glorious inch, and I see stars.
There’s something undeniably sexy about a woman taking control of the moment.
But when the woman is my wife, the mother of my baby, the love I never thought I deserved, a wave of emotion builds with the physical desire pumping through my blood.
I want her, need her, crave her, fucking love her with an intensity I’ve never experienced before.
My hands find her hips as she continues to bounce on top of me, holding for a beat at the bottom to grind against me. I cry out, gripping her harder as I rock upwards, needing more friction, needing everything she’s giving me.
“That’s it. Ride me, beauty. Ride my cock.”
“So good,” she sighs. “It’s so good.”
I slide my hand from her hip to her lower abdomen, holding the slightest swell that’s forming there. She covers my hand with hers, lacing our fingers together, as she increases the pace.
Forcing myself to lean upwards, I band my other arm around her back. Digging deep for some fucking core strength, I balance until I’m able to latch onto one large breast. I suckle on her pretty titty as she cries out, grasping the back of my head with her other hand.
She moves faster. “Maverick, oh God, please, Mav.”
“Ride me, beauty. Fuck me hard,” I growl, pressing my lips into the soft mound of her breast.
She comes for me again, her body shattering on my cock. I hold her tighter, pistoning my hips up for three more thrusts until I fucking unravel. I spill inside my beauty and drop back, taking her with me until she’s splayed across my chest. We’re both panting, our skin sticky and sweet.
“Fuck, Mckenna. You make me lose my damn mind,” I say, pushing her hair out of her face.
“That was so good, Maverick. So good. It felt…different.”
I arch an eyebrow. “Different how?”
“More intense. Everything feels more sensitive,” she explains as I drag my fingertips across her nipple. “Like that.”
“Yeah,” I say, turning so we’re facing each other. I kiss her, long and deep. “I like watching you come apart for me.”
“I like feeling it,” she admits, blushing.
“We’ll have to do this more often.”
“Every morning.”
I laugh. “Every morning, sweetheart. And every night.” I kiss her again. “You ready to move into your new home?”
She nods, lifting her chin to kiss me softly. “I’m ready to move into our new home, Mav. I’m ready to start our life together.”
“Good.” I palm her hip, loving how smooth her skin is. “I can’t wait, either.”
She pushes her body against mine and I wrap her in my arms. Our mouths find each other and we spend minutes, or hours, wrapped in our little world. Sweet kisses, slow caresses, and deep touches.
It’s the best Sunday I’ve ever spent.
And on Monday morning, I move Mckenna into the new brownstone. Our home.
The remainder of summer passes in a beautiful rhythm. Slow mornings, productive afternoons, and quiet evenings. Mckenna and I spend our days with friends and family and our nights wrapped in each other.
She decorates the brownstone, adding artwork, photo frames, and candlesticks. It transforms from a beautiful house to a cozy, loving home. Every time I return from the studio, a new item welcomes me.
Linen sheets, soft bath towels, gardening tools.
A console dish for our keys, baby books for the nursery, a front porch swing.
I love the daily surprises, a series of small delights that assure me that this is my life. That everything is just as it should be.
At the start of autumn, we take a weekend trip to Knoxville to cheer on West Crawford as he storms the field alongside his football team, the Knoxville Coyotes. It’s a great opportunity for Mckenna to see her friends as Allegra and Derek join us on the trip and Ivy meets us in Tennessee.
As much as I love catching up with the crew, I really enjoy watching Mckenna with Stella. Seeing her read bedtime stories or paint butterflies with Stella offers a glimpse at the amazing mom she’s going to be.
And after that weekend, I can’t wait to find out the sex of our baby either. Not because I have a preference but because I’m too excited about everything that’s in store for us. I want to savor every moment; dive in and hold on to it with both hands.