I stare outside the sliding glass door, watching her get lost in the maze of the gardens in the back. She is running because she is afraid of my reaction to what Ella said, but when I heard my daughter call her mom, my entire being stopped. My lungs froze. My heart stumbled. My tongue tied. I couldn’t remember how to walk or move.
I was stunned.
And so fucking happy.
I’ve dreamed of this moment. I thought it would take longer. I thought Ella would need more time, and if I’m honest, I thought Sophie would too. Sophie is beautiful, smart, brave, and very independent. She’s so used to being on her own that she gets scared any time we grow close.
She keeps herself far enough away from me, so she doesn’t have to get too close. All of that is about to change. That is about to come to an end. Everything I want is at the tip of my fingers. It’s right within reach. I won’t let her run from me. I won’t let her be afraid of the future. I won’t let her distance herself from me any longer.
“I’ll make sure Ella is okay. You go get Sophie,” Gianni nudges me to go.
I run to the door, sliding it open quickly, and I don’t bother shutting it behind me. I jump down the staircase, my feet landing on the soft grass of the lawn. The air is cool, and the sun is bright, still warm against my skin as I sprint down the path to the garden. The grass tickles the bottoms of my feet and the thick bushes of the garden come into view. Most of the flowers that bloomed over the summer are wilting, the petals drifting to the ground as fall creeps around the corner.
My arms lock in front of me, blocking the whipping of the thin branches that need to be trimmed. A sting is left behind, but I barely feel it as the adrenaline pumps through my heart. I’m hunting her, it seems; chasing a scared little doe until she’s backed into a corner.
“Sophie?” I shout for her, looking into the nook on the left that’s usually overrun with roses.
She isn’t there.
“Sophie?” I growl. “I won’t leave until I find you. You can hide, but I will find you. I’ll search every inch of these gardens.”
Yet, she doesn’t make a sound.
I love her, I do, but damn it, she is infuriating when she’s stubborn.
Now that I’ve introduced her as my fiancé to others, I want more. I’ve given Sophie too much space for her to accept that this thing between us is fake. It’s very real. The moment she walked in the door, I knew she was meant to be mine.
I hear small sobs coming from up ahead, so I slow my pace. My heart aches when I hear her sadness. Lifting my hand, I pull down another wayward branch, reminding myself to tell the gardener to trim the dead weight.
This path leads to a circular dead end, surrounded by weeping willow trees. In the middle of the stone pathway is a weeping angel fountain, the water trickling from the angel’s eyes. Such a perfect place to be when sadness overcomes the soul.
“Sophie?” I whisper her name, wanting to ease her out of the wreckage consuming her soul.
She sniffles. “Matias, I need a minute. I need… I need some space. Please, leave me alone.”
“No.” I state simply.
“No?” she whips around, stunning me to stillness with her bright blue eyes dripping with tears.
I nod, then shrug, tucking my hands in my pocket. “No,” I confirm with the same tone. “I won’t leave you alone. I’m done leaving you alone. I’m done giving you what you want. I’m done with you pushing me away. I’m done with you finding excuses to hide from us. I’m done with you not accepting the reality of what is right in front of you. I’m here.” I hit my chest with the palm of my hand. “I am not going anywhere. I am your family. You are mine. You are not alone anymore, so stop acting like you are. My daughter loves you. She called you mom—”
“—And I’m so sorry. I know we haven’t talked about what would happen if she said that. If you’re upset—”
“—Good god, Sophie. Have you heard anything I said? You’re driving me insane.” I step in front of her, cupping her face as I stare into her eyes. “Listen to me, you maddening woman.” I wipe her tears with my thumb, but she continues to cry. “I am not upset. Hearing Ella call you her mom was a dream come true. It is a fantasy I have longed for since the day you walked through my doors. I always want her to call you mom. I always want you as mine. You are my family too, Sophie. You and I both know you were never a nanny to Ella. You were always so much more.”
She leans into my touch, closing her eyes, and the sunlight gleams against the thick, wet lashes shadowing her cheeks.
“But what if it doesn’t last? What if we do not work? Ella will be devastated.”
“I would never bring you into my life as my own if I didn’t think this would work. You are mine, Sophie. When shit gets hard, you can’t run. You won’t be able to. I won’t allow it. You will be my wife. You’ll wear my ring. I’ll draw up a new contract, one that you won’t be able to refuse. I’ll make sure you’re protected because I know you,” I whisper. “You’ll need to feel safe, and you’ll need to be reassured that you could leave on your own pretenses, but I’ll make damn sure you won’t ever want to leave. I’ll give you everything, Sophie. Everything.” I press my forehead against hers, our hands locked and pressed to our chests. “I’ll protect you in all the ways. I’ll ease your mind and your pain. I’ll always avenge you. I’ll always kill for you. And I’ll always love you.”
She inhales, breaking the connection between us by leaning back. Her sharp blue eyes meet mine, and a happy smile graces her face. “You love me?”
“Is that not obvious? Have I not shown you how enthralled I am with you? If I haven’t, I need to love you better.”
She chuckles, wrapping a hand around the back of my neck. “I love you, too,” she whispers, pulling me in to kiss, but then, just as quick, she stops and pulls away.
She loves me.
That’s all that matters. I heard her say it. She can’t take it back now.
My heart bumps against my chest with happiness. There’s nothing she could say that would ruin it.
Silence passes. Seconds turn to minutes and curiosity gnaws at my stomach. “Did something happen between you and another man when you went out?” Asking the question has jumpstarted the urge to find the man who touched what was mine and kill him. Jealousy and possession take over, and I pull her closer. “Who was he?” I growl, my fingers gripping her shirt while I try to take calming breaths.
“What?” she rears back, looking at me incredulously. “No, Matias. Nothing like that. I would never,” she shakes her head, brows dipping. “I would never do that to you. I went out to make you jealous, but I wouldn’t have ever danced with another or went home with another man or slept with someone else—”
I press my finger against her lips to stop her rambling. I can’t help but laugh in relief. “You just saved a man’s life. I was ready to burn the city down.”
“You’d do that over a little touch?” she quips, a teasing pinch to her lips.
I grip her chin and stare into her eyes. “I’d do it over a simple look. Don’t underestimate how deep my feelings go for you.”
Her throat bobs as she swallows with nerves. She glances away, not wanting to look at me.
“What is it, Sophie? You can tell me. I won’t be upset.” As long as no one else touched her, everything will be fine.
“I’m nervous. Just give a minute,” she chuckles, but it sounds slightly hysterical as well.
Now, she’s making me worry. I brush my thumb across her damp cheek, the fallen water from the fountain trickling behind her.
My weeping angel.
“You deserve to know something before you are all in,” her voice trembles with uncertainty. “I just found out this morning and I was going to tell you today, but now seems like a great time.” She presses the heel of her hand against her forehead before dropping it. “I’m pregnant, Matias. I don’t know how far along I am, but I’m pregnant.”
I let her words settle inside my mind. Did I hear her correctly? Is she really pregnant?
“You’re pregnant?” I ask to double-check. I want to hear her say it again.
“Yes. I’m pregnant. It’s yours. Obviously.”
With a growl, I smash my lips against hers, grabbing her face to control the kiss. Suddenly, I lose control, needing her to feel how happy I am about this news. It’s all I’ve wanted, since the first time I slid inside her. I’ve wanted nothing more than to claim her as mine, to bind her to me, to have her anchored in my life in some way so she would always be considered mine.
And I’ve succeeded.
I press us against the statue, letting her feel the hard ridge of my cock.
“Does that make you happy?” she whispers against my lips.
“Can’t you feel how happy it makes me?” I rumble, frantically pulling her shirt off and tossing it to the side. It lands on the bushes to the left. “I need to feel you.” I don’t bother taking her bra off. I tug the cups down, freeing her heavy tits, then palm them with a groan. “You’re so goddamn perfect. I can’t wait until you’re swollen with my child and your tits leak milk.” I kiss the middle of her chest, dragging my tongue across until I suck a nipple into my mouth.
She moans, arching her back to give me better access.
“I can’t wait to clean up the mess you’ll make. Your body is growing, my child. Do you know how fucking sexy that is, Sophie? It has me losing control.” I tug her leggings down and rip them off, throwing them in the direction of the shirt.
I flip her around, and she braces herself on the statue. Yanking her panties down her thighs, I spread her legs, then fumble with my belt. Gripping her by her hair, I snarl into her ear. “This will not be gentle, Sophie. This will be me taking what is mine.” I guide my cock to her entrance, and already, her heat warms the tip.
She’s soaked.
She whimpers when I slide in. I watch her cunt take every inch of me. Grabbing her hip with one hand, I thrust.
“Matias. Oh god, this position. It’s… It’s intense.”
Those words only cause me to pick up my speed and fuck her harder. I can’t be close enough to her. I push against her, lifting her leg so I can be buried even further. She groans, tilting her head back until it is on my shoulder.
“Never will I go another day without being inside you.” My hand flattens against her stomach. “I’m going to fuck you every day and remind you who you belong to. I am meant to be inside this tight cunt, Sophie. This pussy is mine. This body is mine. You’re mine. Your fucking womb is mine. I’ve claimed it,” I chuckle darkly into her ear. “And I’ll always claim it. The moment you’re not pregnant, the moment your body is free, I’m going to pour my come into you all over again. You’ll give me all the children I want, won’t you? Your body will bend to me.”
“Yes, yes! Whatever you want, I want. Matias. I’m already so close. Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop.”
“I’m close, too. It’s been too long since we’ve had each other, that’s why. Never again.”
“Never,” she cries, her pussy clamping down on my cock.
With three more hard thrusts, I shout her name. Every jet that escapes me, I bury myself further, nearly climbing her body to push my come as deep as possible even though she’s already pregnant. Something about the motion, something about claiming her depths with my seed has a primal urge unraveling inside me.
“Fuck. Fuck,” I nearly whimper, pressing my forehead against the middle of her back. I tremble from how intense the orgasm was, even though it was so quick.
I don’t move my hand from her stomach. We stay just like this, my cock lodged inside her, come dripping down her thighs, and the breeze causing us to shiver.
I’m not ready to let her go yet.
Not when I finally have everything I’ve always wanted.
