Once Upon A Half-Time 1(78)

If I hadn’t ruined it already.

And it felt like the end was near.

I took her hand, kissing the fingers.

“And now you’re pregnant.” Heavy fucking words. “Another woman having my baby. Christ, I must have some sort of superpower.”

Elle smiled. “You do make the earth move for me.”

“At least I don’t have super speed.”

I didn’t deserve her laugh or her kiss. I took it anyway.

“Elle, I’m won’t make the same mistakes I made with Bast. I’ll be here for you. I’m not strong enough to walk away this time. I won’t survive those minutes and hours and days and years watching him grow up without me.”

“We can do it together,” she said.

“You will never be alone.” My vow to her. “I won’t fuck this up. Not while you and Mom and Bast and the baby need me. I’m going to give you the life you deserve.”

Elle folded her fingers in mine. “You’re not alone either. We’re married…we’re kinda family already.”

And it would stay that way.

“I’m gonna fix this,” I said. “Change how I’m playing and step up my game. Every fucking penny I earn will belong to you guys. It’s yours. I just need to know that I can take care of you.”

Elle edged close, and I welcomed her into my lap.

“I don’t want your money, Lachlan.” She brushed my cheek with the back of her fingers. “I want the baby to know you the way I do. I want him to see his father’s smile and hear his laugh. I want him to know how…” Her voice trembled. “How wonderful his father is.”

Her eyes watered. She blinked before a tear escaped.

No.

I wasn’t letting her get upset. She’d revealed enough to me. I wasn’t hearing another word, not even that beautiful whisper.

I was the one who needed to prove myself to her.

I buried my hands in her hair, stealing a kiss I hadn’t earned. She returned the sensual nibble. Her hips rocked, slow. Not deliberately. Instinctually.

I hated myself for hardening, but the graze of her lips was a gift. I’d be damned if I ever missed an opportunity to demonstrate how amazing she was.

How much I loved her.

This feisty, sassy, amazingly quirky woman let me into her life when I had no right to her heart. And now she carried my baby.

If she gave me the chance, I’d offer her the greatest life she could imagine. I just had to convince her that I was worth her touch, her kiss, her love.

Maybe I tripped over words when I should have been solemn, and I teased when she wanted my honesty, but I was damn good at proving my feelings when words stripped away like clothes.

I kissed her neck, the soft hollow that turned her words into mews. My cock throbbed as she breathed my name.

“I’m glad I told you about the baby,” she whispered.

The feeling was mutual. I nipped her throat, not hard, just tasting her. Holding her. Realizing how damn close I was to making her mine forever.

“I knew something was different,” I said. “You looked more beautiful than ever.”

“You’re so full of it.”

“I’m serious. You felt softer…” I kissed the sensitive little hollow between her neck and shoulders. “Your tits are…just awesome.” The shirt fell away, and I stared at her bra, overflowing with her plump curves. “You were also really sick, and I should have put two and two together.”

“I don’t feel so bad right now.”

“No?” I smirked. “Feeling good?”

“I could feel better.”

“I guarantee you will.”

Elle squealed as I stood. She wrapped her legs over my waist, and my wife knew how to drive me fucking wild. Her nails dug in, her kisses grew hot, and she giggled as I carried her to her bed.

She squirmed against the ocean-blue bedspread. The light stayed low, cast only from a second bubbling fish tank—soft and soothing. The water reflected onto the bed, and Elle stared at me, wide-eyed and waiting, like my own little ocean siren.

Would she get pissed if I tore through her jeans? I peeled the denim from her hips and kissed every inch of her revealed skin. She coo’ed as I licked a path up, over her belly, across her chest, back to her lips.

God those legs.

She wrapped me up and snuggled me in. Perfect.

Elle had no idea how much she meant to me. I hadn’t taken the time to tell her either. That changed now.

I kissed a line of promises along her hazelnut arms, to her elbow, her delicate wrist, each of her fingers. She smiled as I tugged her bra strap down with my teeth.

“Why aren’t you freaking out about this?” she asked.

I stared at my beautiful, panting woman, waiting for me to savor every inch of her. My cock strained hard against my jeans. I took her hand and placed it over the bulge.