Page 110 of The Hotel Room

“You’re beautiful,” he said, his gaze intense. “You’ve always been beautiful. But seeing you like this—knowing our baby is growing inside you—” He stopped, his voice catching slightly before he continued. “It’s...it’s incredible. It’s everything.”

Kate stared at him, her heart thudding heavily in her chest. She wanted to argue, to deflect, but his words left no room for doubt.

“James—”

“No,” he interrupted softly, shaking his head. “You don’t get to argue with me on this. You’re beautiful, Kate. Sexy as hell. And if you think for one second that I don’t want you because you’re pregnant, you’re dead wrong.”

Her cheeks flushed, the sincerity in his voice making her throat tighten.

“I don’t feel sexy,” she admitted quietly, her fingers curling around the edge of the sheet.

He smiled faintly, his hand sliding down to rest over hers. “You don’t have to feel it,” he said. “But it doesn’t make it any less true.”

She turned back onto her side, feeling his warmth envelop her once more as he settled behind her. His hand found its place on her belly again, protective and gentle.

“Go to sleep,” he murmured softly.

Kate shifted slightly, adjusting her position, but in doing so, her hips pressed back against him. James’s sharp intake of breath was unmistakable, and a low groan escaped him, warm against the back of her neck.

“Kate,” he murmured, his voice rough and half a warning. “Do youhaveto tease me like this?”

A small smile played on her lips, even as her cheeks flushed. “Yes,” she said simply, pushing back again with just enough pressure to make him groan louder.

He buried his face against her neck, his breath hot and uneven. “You’re cruel,” he muttered, though the faint laugh in his voice betrayed him.

They both knew it wasn’t leading to anything—not tonight, not when she was so obviously tired—but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the moment. The physical proof that her husband still found her sexy, even when she didn’t feel it herself.

James’s hand tightened gently on her belly, his thumb brushing against her skin as if to anchor himself. “You’re going to drive me insane,” he murmured, his lips brushing lightly against her shoulder.

Kate smiled, a flicker of mischief sparking through her exhaustion. “Good,” she replied softly.

James exhaled a laugh, low and breathless. “I might not be too tired, butyouneed the rest,” he said firmly, though his voice had softened.

She hummed, a hint of teasing in her tone. “You’re so noble,” she whispered.

He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck, lingering there for a moment before speaking again. “When you want me,” he said quietly, his voice low and full of promise, “I’ll be right here. I’ll give you all the pleasure you want.”

His words sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt the flush creep higher into her cheeks.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured. She leaned into his warmth as her body relaxed further against his tense one.

James sighed, the sound more content than frustrated now. He pressed one last kiss to her shoulder. “Goodnight, Kate,” he whispered, his voice filled with love.

And this time, when Kate drifted off to sleep, it was with the comfort of knowing she was desired by her husband.

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The soft hum of the waiting room was broken only by the occasional rustle of magazines and the murmur of nurses calling names. Kate shifted slightly in her chair, the pressure in her lower back nagging as the pregnancy continued to make its presence known.

Beside her, James sat with his hands resting on his knees, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp, constantly flicking toward her. She could feel his attentiveness like a steady warmth, a presence that had grown over the past months as he tried—really tried—to show up for her and their family.

“You okay?” he asked softly, his voice low enough not to disturb the quiet around them.

She nodded, offering a faint smile. “Just the usual—back pain, restless legs. The glamorous stuff.”

James chuckled lightly, the sound genuine, and it softened something inside her. “You’re handling it better than I would,” he said.

She laughed. That was true. “You’d be complaining constantly if it were you.”

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