Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 157175 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 786(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)
Beautiful. Every inch of her is beautiful.
Falling forward, she encases my head with her arms, her face a fraction from mine. Her pace never falters. My pleasure never dips, remaining consistent, taking more of my breath with each grind.
‘You want some truths, Jesse Ward?’ she murmurs, weaving her fingers through my hair.
I just nod, ignoring the ache developing in my arms and focusing on easing the ache in my cock that’s being stroked by her warm walls.
‘I do love you.’ She kisses me and alters the swing of her hips, turning it into more of a soft rock. That move, those words. It’s my undoing, and it’s Ava’s, too. ‘Together,’ she orders softly around our busy mouths, and with that word, I tip the edge and tumble with her, maintaining our kiss the whole time we’re riding the waves of pleasure together until our kiss slows to a stop, as well as our moving bodies. Though her constricting walls and my pulsing cock go on for far longer. I feel the release of her muscles when she sighs, her body melting over mine. ‘Marry me,’ she breathes, turning her lips onto my cheek.
If there was ever a moment in my life that I could bottle and store away for ever, this would be it. Because she’s just told me she’s all in.
‘You can’t ask me that when I’m handcuffed to the bed,’ I whisper, feeling her immediately move and release me. The second my hands are my own again, I flip her to her back and crowd her.
‘Marry me?’ she repeats.
‘Stupid fucking question.’
And I kiss her.
Chapter 41
It feels like D-day. The kids will be home later, we meet Sam and Kate’s baby girl for the first time, and Ava has her follow-up appointment with her doctor. Two of the things on our list I’m elated about. The last not so much.
I’m dreading hearing Dr Peters tell us that he’s happy with her progress, because I definitely wouldn’t say I’m happy. With the progress we’ve had in terms of our relationship, yes, I’m delighted. But in terms of her memory, I’m disappointed. I might sound ungrateful. I probably am. Like my mother said to me earlier this morning, I should be thankful that I still have her at all. The thought alone makes my blood run cold each time it enters my head.
As we wander down the corridor towards the maternity unit to see Kate before heading to Dr Peters’s office, I can feel Ava’s nerves spiking. I wonder if she can feel mine? I sway between asking her if she’s all right or not saying anything at all.
‘I’m fine,’ she says, peeking up at me. ‘At least some things are coming back to me. Wouldn’t you be more concerned if I had nothing? An empty head?’
‘I just wish you would remem—’ I stop myself in the nick of time, mentally thumping myself. Why would I even dream of saying that?
I’m walking one second, and standing still the next, Ava having pulled me to a stop. Turning into me, she finishes for me. ‘The kids?’
Damn, she’s good. But after Kate’s labour Saturday night, it’s not surprising her mind is on her own children. Ava had relayed every pain her friend should expect. Like a pro. And I think the notion comforted her. Made her feel even more maternal.
Stepping into me, she lifts on her tippy-toes and kisses my stubbled cheek, and I push my face into it, throwing my arms around her and squeezing her to me. ‘I can’t wait to see the kids,’ she mumbles into my shoulder, probably struggling for breath. ‘We need to get on with things, and we can’t do that while we’re incomplete.’
She’s putting me to shame, but one thing I know is that the time away from the twins, the most painful time in my life for more than that reason, wasn’t entirely wasted. I made my wife fall in love with me again. Mission accomplished.
‘I love you.’ I refuse to let her go, people having to sidestep us in the middle of the corridor to get past. I don’t care. Wherever, whenever. Always.
‘I know,’ she answers, fussing over me with kisses like I need to be fussed. ‘Come on. We have a baby to meet.’ At that moment, the doors to the maternity unit open, and Sam appears with a bundle of blankets in his arms. And beneath the piles of soft cotton, his baby girl.
Christ, my eyes begin to well, my throat clogging up on me. I cough to clear it, and Ava gives me a knowing look. I scowl out of principle before my wife thinks I’ve transformed into a complete sappy twat.
Sam grins, so wide. ‘Guys, meet Betty.’
‘Oh my God.’ Ava melts at his feet, going totally goo-goo over the baby. I’m alarmed, stepping forward to take a peek. Yeah, she’s cute all right. My wife swoons all over Sam’s arms, cooing and oohing, clucking and smiling.