The sun is rising, filling the penthouse with a soft orange glow, as I climb down the stairs and find the girls in the kitchen.
Aspen is seated at the island next to Savannah while Payton fiddles with the coffee maker.
“Morning.” I greet them as I pull out a stool next to Aspen.
“Can’t sleep either?” she asks me.
I shake my head. “I know they do stuff like this all the time, but I don’t know how you get used to it.”
“You don’t. Not really,” Payton answers, having been married longer than any of us. “Want coffee?”
I shake my head. “No, thanks.” I can hear the disappointment in my voice.
“You sure?” Payton asks, probably having heard the same thing.
“I’m sure,” I sigh.
“Oh, that’s right, you can’t,” Savannah says casually, but my eyes still widen.
Aspen slowly turns to face me. “What does she mean you can’t?”
I lean over the counter to look past Aspen at Savannah, who has slapped a hand over her mouth.
“Sorry,” she says, her apology muffled by her palm.
“Are you pregnant?” Aspen looks so shocked it almost makes me laugh.
It’s too early to really be telling people, but since the cat seems to be out of the bag, I shrug. “Yeah.”
Aspen shoves at my shoulder. “And you told Savannah but not me?”
“I didn’t mean to!” I defend. “She was with me when the doctor was checking me over. And when he asked if there was a chance I was… I had to tell him the truth.”
Savannah grins. “Does this mean I can finally tell King? The secret has been killing me.”
I shrug. “Might as well.”
“How did this even happen?” Aspen asks.
Savannah snorts. “Well, when a man puts his penis inside you…”
Aspen spins around to shove at Savannah. “Clearly I’m not the one who needs the birds and the bees talk.”
Savannah lets out a snicker. “Fair point.”
“For the record, I don’t need the talk either,” I tell them, then decide that if I want this group to be my family, I want to be open with them. “Right before the guys left yesterday, I told Dominic I’m pregnant.”
Savannah gasps, leaning against the counter to see me. “What did he say?”
“He told me he was happy.” I bite my lip. “And he told me he changed out my birth control pills with fakes a few weeks ago.”
Aspen shoves my shoulder again. “What?! Why?!”
I try not to smile at her outraged reaction. “Because he wanted to keep me.”
Aspen’s jaw drops just as Payton lets out an aww from the other side of the counter.
Aspen swings her head around to face Payton. “You think that’s sweet?”
Payton doesn’t look at all embarrassed when she nods her head. “It is.”
Aspen guffaws. “It’s psychotic.”
I huff out a laugh. “You think that’s psychotic,” I mumble before I can think better of it.
Everyone turns to face me, so I hold up my ring finger, the black ink on display. “After I threw my ring out the car window, Dominic drugged me and tattooed his name on me. One time for every man I’ve been with.”
“I knew you wouldn’t have done that on your own.” Savannah slaps her hand down on the counter. “I’ve heard finger tattoos fucking hurt.”
Instead of the anger I expect to see on Aspen’s face, she looks impressed. “Okay, that’s kinda hot.”
I laugh. “You’re just as crazy as the rest of us.”
Aspen shrugs and picks up her coffee.
“Wait.” Payton tilts her head. “Why did you throw your ring out the window?”
I purse my lips. “Oh, right.” This one I don’t think I should tell them. “Well…”
Before I’m forced to think of a lie, I hear the front door unlock, and I’m off the stool, hurrying across the floor before the door opens.
“Dominic!” His name comes out as a cry, and my vision is blurring. Because he’s here. He’s here, and I’m so relieved.
Dominic doesn’t even hold the door open for anyone else, just strides through, crashing his body against mine.
“My Angel,” he murmurs against my hair as I bury my face in his chest. “My love.” His hand strokes down my loose hair. “My Valentine.”
“I was so worried.” I hug him tighter.
“I’m fine.” He kisses the top of my head. “We’re all fine.” He kisses my forehead. “But I’m tired, Angel. Take me to bed.”
Remembering that he’s still injured, I pull away.
But Dom doesn’t let me get far as he twines his fingers with mine.
As he leads me toward the stairs, I glance around, seeing King and Savannah embraced in the kitchen and Payton sitting on Nero’s lap in the living room. As we take the first step up, I see Aspen walking out the front door. With Rob.
But I put them out of my mind because we’re at the top of the stairs.
And then we’re at the bedroom. And Dominic pushes me through the door and slams it shut behind us.
“Clothes off,” he demands as he starts to undress himself.
I do as he says, dropping my shirt on the floor next to his.
I have a flicker of a moment to realize he’s in different clothes than he was when he left yesterday and that he must’ve found a place to shower and change. But then he’s shoving his pants down his hips, and I no longer care what he was wearing.
Because he’s naked. And he’s mine.
The bright white bandage on his chest reminds me how close I came to losing him. And when he turns to climb onto the bed, the white bandage on his back reminds me that he took those bullets to save me.
He risked his life to protect mine.
And that’s what matters.
Not how we started.
Not his motivations.
Not any of what happened before.
What matters is what happens now.
What happens next.
Dom settles onto his back. “Climb on top of me, Mama.”
I drag my panties off, then move to the foot of the bed to comply.
Except I don’t crawl all the way over him. I stop, kneeling between his thighs.
My hand grips the base of his already hard cock. “I know I should be mad at you. About the pills.” I drag my hand up his length, then back down. “But I’m not.”
His gaze is hooded as he looks down at me. “Why’s that?”
I lower my mouth until it’s right over his swollen head. “Because I want to keep you, too, Big Guy. And I’ve decided to lean in.” Then I close my lips around him, taking him as deep as I can.
Dominic arches his back with a groan.
I slide back up, licking along the underside of his length. “But if you ever scare me like that again, I’m not having sex with you for a month.” I threaten him, then suck him back into my mouth.
He reaches down and gathers my hair away from my face so he can watch me work his length in and out of my mouth.
“Never, Angel. Never again,” he promises.
I take him even deeper, and my throat constricts at the intrusion.
He tugs gently on my hair. “Jesus, that’s enough. Get the fuck up here so I can fill that sweet pussy.”
I let him pop free from my mouth, but before I move, I lower my head and lick across the words inked right above his dick.
“That’s right, Mama. Til fucking Death.” He drags me up his body. “Now sit on my dick and show me how wet sucking my cock made you.”
His hands are still in my hair, and he pulls my mouth down to his, pushing his tongue into my mouth as I lower onto his length, the whole of him sliding into me smoothly, because he’s right. I’m so fucking wet.
“God damn,” he groans against my lips. “God fucking damn.” His hips thrust up to meet mine.
I clench around him.
“Talk to me, Angel. Tell me how you feel,” he commands.
“Full,” I tell him. Then I push back so I’m sitting up, bracing my hands on his flexing abdomen. I widen my legs, taking him a little deeper. “So full.”
He grips my hips, rocking me over him. “That’s right, my love. I’m gonna fill you up every fucking day.”
He slides one of his hands over my belly. It’s already soft. Already round. But he’s looking at me like it’s perfect. Like I’m all he’s ever wanted.
“We’re gonna do it like this.” His hand makes a gentle circle as his other hand grips my hip tight. “You’re gonna bounce on top of me once a week so I can watch this amazing body change. Watch you grow.” He slides his hand up to pluck at a nipple. “Gonna watch these glorious tits get even bigger. And you’re gonna give me a taste. Aren’t you?”
A shudder rolls through my body at the thought of him doing that. At the thought of him sucking on my breasts.
“Jesus.” He thrusts his hips. “You like that, don’t you? We’re gonna have to go back to that little room at the airport. Do it right this time.”
“Dominic,” I groan. That shouldn’t turn me on. But I squeeze around him.
“Fucking perfect.” He slides the hand on my hip to the spot between us. The spot I need him most.
As he rubs his fingers across my slippery clit, I groan.
He slides his other hand up to my neck. “Open your mouth, Angel. Stick that pretty tongue out.”
I do as he says.
“I won’t choke you again. Not until you bring our beautiful baby into the world.” His hand flexes, then he slides it higher, sliding his thumb into my mouth. “But I’ll fuck you any way you want. I’ll fill this sweet mouth. I’ll fill every inch of you.”
He works his thumb between my legs faster. Harder.
I’m so close. So close to combustion.
My hips rock in an uneven motion. His cock hits me so deep, his fingers rubbing just right.
“Come for me, Valentine. Show me who this body belongs to.”
I hollow my cheeks around his finger, sucking him into my mouth as I tip over the edge.
My pussy convulses around his length, and Dom pulls his thumb free so he can grip my hips with both hands and hold me down against him as he explodes inside me.
Every muscle in his body tenses as his cock pulses, filling me with his release.
When I can’t take any more, I collapse forward onto him.
Dominic’s arms wrap around me. “I don’t even remember who I was before I loved you, Mrs. Gonzalez.”
I rub my palm over the top of his head. “I don’t remember either. I don’t want to.”
“It doesn’t matter.” His hold tightens. “Nothing before us matters.”
The warmth of happiness and family settles around me.
“My forever,” I tell him.
“My always,” he agrees.
