19. Nyah #3
I knew that. Logically, I did. But it didn’t help when you suddenly felt like a beached whale who couldn’t get off the sand.
And more than that, it felt like the body that had been so familiar to me had been replaced by this new one I didn’t know at all.
It did weird things, like fart when I didn’t expect it. And cry when I didn’t want it to.
Like right now.
I pushed him away. “Just go. This is mortifying, and I don’t even know why I’m crying. Though maybe I’ll cry some more because apparently you think I have diarrhea!”
He cringed. “Actually, it was Luca who suggested that.”
I glared at him. “Of course it was. I’m actually going to kill him.”
Dax just stifled a laugh and tugged me in close again. “Don’t worry about him. You’re beautiful.”
I stared up at him. “Then how come all we do lately is cuddle?”
His gaze met mine. “You don’t like that?”
“No! I mean, yes, I do. I love everything about you. I just know this isn’t what you signed up for.”
He stared at me like I’d grown a second head.
And then he cupped my face with both hands, tilted my head back, and kissed me so thoroughly the room spun.
His tongue slid past my lips, and he kissed me hard, insistently, but slowly, not letting me pull away, his mouth moving against mine while my stomach did flip-flops.
One hand dropped to my throat, and he walked me back to the wall, pressing his body on mine, his fingers splayed out possessively, his thumb stroking my pulse.
Every hormone in my body went wild, my need and that feral attraction to him I’d felt from the moment we’d met all rising inside me to remind me nothing had changed between us.
His lips trailed off mine, kissing a hot path up my neck, until he could whisper in my ear, “Just put anything on and come out there.”
I pulled back and frowned at him. “I just want to look nice—”
He shut me up with another insistent kiss and then said, “It doesn’t matter what you wear. I’m going to take it off you.”
Attraction pulsed between my thighs, and suddenly, I felt like no time had passed since the night I’d met him. Where we’d been so hot for each other that he’d taken me in the middle of a sex club with hundreds of strangers watching us.
We’d both gotten off on it.
And now he was promising to do it again.
But this would be different. “Luca and Lynx are out there. Other people we know.”
He wrapped his fingers around my throat again and squeezed it lightly. “I don’t care. I want you. I want every other man out there to know you’re mine.”
“They know.” I dragged his hand to my belly. “I think this makes it pretty obvious.”
But his eyes burned hot. “I want you to know too. I want you to remember that even if you were a hundred years pregnant, I would still think you are the most beautiful woman in every room.” He ran his nose up the side of my neck.
“You’re it for me, Nyah. There is nobody else.
Ever. I don’t need to have sex with you every night to know you’re mine.
You were mine even when you said you weren’t.
” He groaned, inhaling my scent. “But fuck me, if you feel up for sex every night, even when you’re this pregnant, then hell, I’m your guy. ”
I giggled, and his chuckles joined mine.
He kissed my lips softly. “I just didn’t want to pressure you.”
“I’m sorry. I should have said something. I let all this stupid stuff build up in my head and convinced myself everything was different.”
He breathed out slowly, pressing his forehead to mine. “It is different. We aren’t the same people we were six months ago. But that doesn’t mean the way I want you has changed. That’s never going to change, you hear me?”
I smiled up at him through watery eyes, reminded of how good and sweet and decent he was. Of why it was so damn easy to fall in love with him and why I had so hard and fast. “You’re still going to want me when my body is covered in stretchmarks? Because that’s already happening.”
“I really like zebras.”
I laughed out loud and slapped his chest. “Stop. Not funny.”
He laughed too, and rubbed the angry red lines that had cropped up on the lower half of my belly. “They’re fucking sexy, Nyah. Everything about you is. Hell, I came in here ready to take care of you when I thought you had explosive diarrhea.”
I gaped at him. “Explosive? Like, you thought I’d sprayed the bathroom?”
He made a face. “Again. Blame Luca. But I still would have thought you were hot.”
I squinted at him. “I appreciate the pep talk, but I think we’ve taken this too far.”
He nodded, his laughter on his lips. “Agreed. But the point still stands. Stretchmarks, cellulite, weight gain or loss, it’s all irrelevant. Because it’s you.” He grasped my chin and tilted my face up. “All I care about is you, Nyah.”
I kissed him again, believing every word because Dax didn’t lie. He was everything that was good in this world, and I was sure I’d just fallen in love with him all over again.
“Dax,” I whispered between kisses.
“Mmm?” he replied against my mouth.
“I really want to show that entire room how badly I want you right now.”
He grinned and twisted his fingers through mine. “Then let’s go show them.”