Page 168 of Bleeding Hearts Duet

It sounded like a genuine question, but I didn’t have time to analyze. My baser desires were taking over, and he was still entirely too gentle with me. I sank my nails into his back, and he made a noise of approval.

“I want you to mark me,” I declared.

He gripped my chin between his fingers and glared. “Remember who you’re talking to.”

His eyes had that look in them. The one that told me Ryland was about to take charge and totally rock my world. Or so I thought.

He started to move, in much too gentlemanly of a fashion, and it frustrated the hell out of me. The further along I got, the more he restrained himself. I understood his fears, but my doctor assured me it was fine.

“You aren’t going to hurt me,” I coaxed.

“Brighton.” His voice was thick with warning.

I smiled and pulled his mouth to mine, whispering against his lips. “Please, Ryland. I need you. This is what we do- what we’ve always done.”

My words seemed to melt some of his resolve, and I was glad for it. He kissed his way down my jaw and into the valley between my throat and collar bone. And then he sank his teeth into me with a groan.

He’d missed it too.

I tugged on his hair and panted against him, urging my hips upward to meet his thrusts. They were getting faster, harder, and I was so fucking happy I could scream. When my orgasm swept through me, I did.

My contractions set Ryland off inside of me, and soon he was collapsing beside me with a groan. He pulled me into his arms and spread my hair across his chest before he started stroking my back. His heart stuttered beneath my cheek, and I smiled up at him when mine followed suit. We were in sync again, and I felt like nothing could tear us apart.

***

I fluttered my eyes open and let the sun wash over me as the hammock swayed gently in the breeze. This truly was paradise. Ryland lay beside me, reading from one of the baby books he’d brought with him. I thought it was adorable how much he was studying up on this. At least one of us would be prepared.

“We’ll have to start thinking of some names soon,” I told him.

He blinked up at me, and there was something weird in his expression that told me he’d already been thinking about this. But I wanted to run my idea by him first. The problem was, it could either go very well or very badly.

“I have one in mind,” I volunteered. “If you’d like to hear it.”

He shut the book and gave me his full attention. “You do?”

“Yeah.” I shrugged and started drawing circles on his chest with my finger. He looked like he belonged on this island year round with his skin. I was jealous.

“Well?” he grabbed my fingers and pulled them to his lips, kissing them one by one. “What is it?”

He was being so sweet. I really didn’t want to ruin this moment. But I also really wanted to have this name on the table. I closed my eyes when I said it so I didn’t have to see his reaction. I couldn’t bear it if I hurt him.

“I was thinking maybe Jacob Jackson Lockhart.”

I felt him tense against me, and there was a long pause of silence. I still couldn’t open my eyes. I was too chicken.

“Brighton,” he spoke gently. “Look at me.”

I did. And I was relieved to find his eyes weren’t nearly as cloudy as I expected them to be. In fact, there was something else there. Something that looked kind of like a small glimmer of hope.

“I like it,” he said.

“You do?”

“Yes.” He kissed me on the temple. “It’s just like you to think of something like that.”

I curled against him and smiled. That went way easier than I expected. Things really were different between us.

“I just have one concession,” he added.

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