Total pages in book: 18
Estimated words: 17082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 17082 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 85(@200wpm)___ 68(@250wpm)___ 57(@300wpm)
Claire bucks her hips into each one of my strokes, extracting her own pleasure from this scandalous ride. Her moans into my palm, and the sound of our flesh slapping together cascades through the room like the greatest music I’ve ever heard.
It only takes a few more thrusts to feel my muscles tighten. Threatening to cut my fun short, but there isn’t a thing I can do to stop it. While I hold her mouth shut, I need to do the same to myself as I reach my peak. A fierce war cry erupts out of me, barely stifled against my covering. But even while my body grows limp and weak from releasing everything I have, deep inside Claire, she continues to push back. Takes every thrust she can before my legs give in, and I collapse on top of her.
She twists her head out of my grip and starts to kiss me. I want to meet her with the same passion she brings to it, but my body, mind, and spirit have been fucked right out of me.
“I gave it some thought,” she says, somehow still bouncing with energy while I’m more of a husk than a man. She wriggles out from under me and hops back to her feet to fix her skirt. “I don’t think that was only a present for me.”
“Okay, then what was it?” I roll onto my back, panting for air. Claire grabs my cock and shoves it back inside my pants. She keeps her palm over it once it’s tucked away, stroking up and down, making me want to throw myself into her for round two already.
“It was a present for both of us.” She leans over me, keeping one hand over my throbbing, oversensitive manhood while the other moves to my face. “Me, for staying in place, and you.” She leans in and gives me a deep, long kiss. “For protecting your good girl.”
I throw my arms around her, finding a new sense of vigor from her words, and stand upright. Claire bursts into a laughing fit when I start carrying her, digging her legs into my sides for stability while I go in for another kiss.
“I’d do it again in a heartbeat,” I say, once our lips part, “because you’re mine. And I protect what belongs to me.”
EPILOGUE
CLAIRE
Six Months Later
“Why so glum, honey bun?” Vaughn asks. The cheery way with which he speaks isn’t evident on his face at all. He looks at me with deep concern twisting his face and extends his arms out for a hug. “We’re two days out from the biggest day of our lives. I thought you’d be over the moon.”
I flop against his body and hold back my tears from spilling all over his silky, soft white shirt.
“It doesn’t fit anymore,” I mutter against his chest.
“What doesn’t fit?” He strokes my back tenderly, speaking in the calmest voice he can muster.
“My wedding dress.” I wipe my face against his chest in frustration. It isn’t because I’m angry at anything in particular. I knew it didn’t fit this morning, and I wasn’t nearly as bothered by it. But now it seems like the whole world is about to end because I can’t close the zipper on that white dress.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Hormones are a bitch.
“Then we’ll get it resized.” He pecks a kiss against my crown and squeezes me tightly into the hug.
“There’s no time. We’re a few days out and—” I cut myself off before I get lost in a panic. “I just want it to be perfect.”
“You’re going to be there. You’re going to become my wife. And we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together as the happiest of families. How could it get any more perfect?”
“But what about everyone else? It’s a wedding. They’ll be expecting—”
“Screw everyone else.” Vaughn’s turn to still my ever-growing nerves. “They can count themselves among the lucky ones for being invited. It’s not their day, it’s ours.” His hand slides under my shirt and over my swollen tummy. “Well, ours and this little fella right here.”
“You really mean it?” I look up at him. Vaughn moves his hand out from my shirt and cups my cheek, using his thumb to wipe away a few straggler tears that managed to fall.
“More than anything in the world,” he says. “Because I love you. I want to spend the rest of my days at your side. It wouldn’t bother me if you were in a stunning dress or oversized sweatpants and one of my T-shirts. You’re perfect from head to toe, and nothing’s going to change that.”
“I love you.” I swing my arms over Vaughn’s shoulders and pull him down to me for a kiss.
I don’t know how Vaughn manages to do it every single time. Easing me out of my woes and leaving a smile where a quivering lip used to be. That’s got to be a sign of true love, right? That no matter how hard things become, your partner can show you the silver lining.