“See ya, wouldn’t want to be ya!” Ruby couldn’t get out of Tate’s truck fast enough when he pulled up in front of Heather’s house.
She was already in her pajamas, having changed directly into the flannel lounge pants and T-shirt once we got back to the apartment. She had a change of clothes for school the next day and all of her books. Her skateboard was tucked into the pack and sticking up as she ran up the driveway.
I had also changed out my wet things, but I wasn’t in pajamas, at least not yet. I did have a small overnight bag packed, and I planned on wearing the same outfit the next day. It’s not like anyone except for Tate would see, and I didn’t think he would care.
“Are you ready to go home?” he asked.
I liked the sound of that. Home, with him.
“Yeah. I’m tired. Bed sounds good right now.”
“Bed sounds great, but I wasn’t thinking about sleep,” Tate said. His focus was on his driving.
I might have blushed.
“You’re cute when you blush,” he said.
“You can’t see me. You’re driving,” I complained.
“I can tell by the tone of your voice.”
“Hey, I wasn’t saying anything.”
“No, but you are now. And you have totally proven that I was right, and you are blushing.” He laughed at my indignation.
He pulled up the drive and stopped the truck along the side of the house. Getting out of the truck, I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off the house. It looked different, somehow.
“What are you thinking?” Tate grabbed my bag from the backseat and wrapped his arm around my shoulder.
“This house needs a family again, doesn’t it?” I said, thinking out loud. “With kids and noise and memories.”
“I didn’t realize how big and empty it was until everyone left. It had a family. It had you and Ruby, and Allan. And then it was just me. I don’t really have the words to express what it feels like to know you’re going to be here and that we’re going to make this our home for our children.”
I shifted my gaze from the house to his face. He had been looking at me the whole time.
“I love you, Tate.”
He dipped his face to mine. His lips were so warm and soft. I turned so I could hold him and not have my neck twisted. His arms held me close, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. We both deepened the kiss at the same time with parting lips and sliding tongues.
I was lost to him, and it had never felt more exhilarating. He was mine, really and truly mine. I didn’t feel like I had to hide what I felt for him from anyone. Not even myself.
He shifted. I noticed, but didn’t care. My lips were against his. That’s what I was focused on. And then he scooped me up. I didn’t protest this time. I kept kissing him.
He broke the kiss, I guess to focus on carrying me up the stairs to the front porch. He struggled to hold me and open the front door.
“You need to put me down? I do have legs,” I pointed out.
The door swung open. “Ha, I got it.”
He did deposit me onto the first step of the staircase.
“Not going to carry me all the way up?” I asked as I looked up the sweeping curve of the stairs.
Tate shook his head. “I need my stamina for better things tonight.”
Before I could sass off and say something sarcastic, he grabbed my hand and practically dashed up the stairs. He threw open his bedroom door and tossed my bag onto the side chair.
“Come here,” he said as he dragged me against his chest. “I’ve missed you so much. I can’t apologize enough for—”
I put my fingers over his mouth. “A miscommunication that got out of hand. We won’t let that happen again. And that goes for me, too.”
“I love you, Kenzie.”
This time, when he kissed me, the world completely went away. All that existed were passion and Tate. All that I needed was him. His tongue slid across my lower lip, and I moaned. To have him touch my body again was pure magic.
I pushed on his still-damp clothes, getting his jacket off his shoulders, pulling his shirt out of his waistband. He broke the kiss long enough to kick off his shoes and take off his jeans. He backed me against the bed until my back was against the mattress.
I twined my legs around his as I skimmed my hands over all of his exposed skin. I reveled in the joy and knowledge that I was allowed to touch him, that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
He eased up on one elbow and placed his hand on my belly.
“Do you know when this happened?”
I shook my head. “I don’t. But I can guess. I’m only about six or eight weeks along.”
“You think we had an oops on Valentine’s Day? I certainly wasn’t trying to get you pregnant.” His hand caressed over my shirt, and then he lifted the shirt out of the way so he could touch skin.
“I like to think it was Valentine’s Day. A little reminder of something wonderful that started that day.”
He leaned over and kissed my belly. It was so sweet, and somehow, so extremely sexy.
“Our little Valentine’s miracle.”
The love I saw in his face filled my heart. It was overwhelming. And it quickly evolved into a deep need to have him touch me, love me, be inside me. I tore at my shirt until it was off.
Tate reached behind me and unfastened my bra. His mouth was wet and warm as he claimed a nipple. His tongue circled it, drawing it to a firm peak of pleasure. His hands held me, massaged me. His grip was firm, and I would probably be covered in little dotted bruises in the morning. Tiny little reminders of his loving.
I cried out as my nerves burst into flames at his touch. His hands were everywhere, kneading, grabbing, touching. He cupped my sex over my pants, and I couldn’t stand that there was fabric between his fingers and my pussy.
I squirmed and kicked until he pulled away and grabbed my pants and panties and slid them down my legs and off my body. He kicked off his boxer briefs at that point, and I moaned in gratuitous joy as I could feel all of him.
He returned to loving my breasts with his lips and his tongue, and he stroked me. My hips bucked, demanding more touch. He slid his fingers where I wanted, where I desperately needed him. He stroked and toyed with my folds, circling my clit, dipping into my depths.
And then he nudged my legs farther apart with his knees and adjusted his hips to cradle against me. His cock bumped and teased my clit as he rocked his hips.
“Oh, Tate!” It felt like heaven to have his love and seek his pleasure with my body.
I gripped his shoulders and dragged my fingers down the thick muscles of his arms, my nails leaving red marks.
He pushed up, holding himself above me. He grabbed my leg and hiked it up over his hip, hooking my knee around him. He grabbed a handful of my hip and held me there. His eyes locked with mine.
It was as if I could see into him. I saw his passion and need for me. Or maybe it was my need reflected in his eyes.
I cupped his face and held his gaze as he slid into me. This was perfection, this was home. This was where we belonged, together. I held him like that until he stroked, pulling his cock back and gently easing it in deeper. I dragged his face to mine, claimed his mouth, and fought to capture his tongue.
As Tate thrust deeper and faster, I sucked on his tongue, desperate to pull all of him into me. I whimpered as I tried to gather him closer, not that there was any way for us to be physically closer, but I needed him more.
I gasped for breath, uncertain how to accomplish my goal, uncertain what that goal was. My body was lava, pulsing, throbbing, molten nerves. I wanted to kiss Tate, to bite his shoulder, to scream. I wanted it all and I couldn’t have it. I groaned in frustration as I bucked my hips against his.
Tate drove me with a steady rhythm toward the very edge of my desire. And then with hard strokes and determination, he pushed me over the edge. I was simultaneously crashing and flying as wave after wave of glorious orgasm rolled through my body.
I shouted with the joy of it. I wanted this to last forever. I tried to push back, to demand more, but as the orgasm increased, it drained me of my ability to do much at all. And then Tate joined me as he filled me with his heat.
“Oh, damn, that feels so hot,” I panted.
Tate grunted but kept thrusting, his beat irregular and jerky, and then he held himself to me and let out a deep, satisfied sigh.
“I’m going to enjoy no condoms for a while.” He chuckled.
For a split second, I panicked. “Oh, right. I’m already pregnant. Can’t get more pregnant.”
He rolled, pulling me against his chest. “We are going to have to make sure when the renovators work on this house, they add some soundproofing. And we’ll take the big bedroom at the end of the hall.”
“Why?” I didn’t see anything wrong with this room.
“Because, Kenzie, my dear, you are loud when you let go. And we’re going to have other people living in this house with us.”
“Other people?”
“You’ve forgotten your sister already?”
I groaned. “Oh, right. I see what you mean. Yeah, it wouldn’t be cool to torture her with sounds of us ‘doing it’.” It would be funny if she got so mortified, but that would just be mean. I thought this was the biggest bedroom, and that’s why you moved into it.”
“It was the easiest room to clean up. There is a larger master bedroom at the end of the hall. It even has a dressing room. I think that will make a great walk-in closet.”
Tate continued to tell me his plans for the house. His voice was soothing, and his arms around me were secure and warm. I drifted to sleep wrapped in his love.
