“Yes!” I gasped, and my pulse was racing as I looked down at Cord, at the man who knew exactly who I was and still loved me. Despite it all. Maybe even because of it all.

His hands gripped my hips, and he lifted me so I was positioned over his hard cock. Even with my larger size, being this late in my pregnancy, my powerful alpha could position me perfectly. He guided me to exactly where I needed to be. When I felt his thick head at my slick opening, I lowered down onto it, pulling him inside me like a piece of me had been missing.

The air caught in my lungs. Everything was tighter with the growing baby taking up more space in me. My hand moved over my belly before lowering to my cock as my body consumed him, accepting his heat.

Cord was watching me with hungry eyes. In the early-morning hours, his breath came in loud, short, desperate bursts. "I can’t get enough of you either." His hips lifted off the mattress, thrusting his cock deeper into my body.

When I was fully sitting on him, he pulled me even closer and kissed me.

His words sent a thrill through me as I arched against him, impossibly full with my alpha’s enormous cock. I rode him with as much energy as I could spare, bouncing as high up and then down as I could get before we were both coming at the same time.

Even as I was shooting cream across his chest, Cord pulled out so his knot didn’t expand in me. But he still held me close as if we were connected because even though our bond wasn’t always physical, it was always there. Emotionally. Spiritually. In my heart.

I was happy. Everything I had ever wanted was right there in my grasp. "I love you."

He kissed me softly and closed his eyes again, ready to go back to sleep. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

I snuggled into his embrace. Soon we’d need to get up and clean up our mess. The sheets would certainly need to be washed, since this was our fourth coupling in the last twelve hours.

When we’d arrived home with Passion, I had taken the better part of the afternoon getting him settled into a guest room. I wanted him to be comfortable and to make sure that he felt safe. We had spent several hours just catching up. He seemed as if he wanted to be distracted, so I told him all about my T-shirt business and gave him a tour of my studio.

Finally, he had fallen asleep while the two of us caught up on the baking show we both enjoyed. I’d have to tell Cord that I watched an episode without him, but I would worry about that another time.

“I never want to leave here,” I said. My head rested on his chest now and his fingers roved over my naked back.

“Eventually we may get hungry and have to get food, love. But I am not opposed to spending as much time right here for the day.”

“No. I mean, I want to stay with you always. I don't want to go back to my apartment. I don’t want some house in the city that you pay for and only visit every so often. I want to be your partner. Like Joey is for Andro.”

Cord sat up on his elbow. His gaze met mine. “You are everything I could ever want in a partner, Avery. Velvet. I love you more than anything. If you wanted I’d leave this whole life behind for you and our child.”

I smiled. “That won’t be necessary, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I should have been more prepared. I want you to marry me, Avery. More than anything.”

“But?” Telling me he wanted to marry me and actually asking were two different things. I knew something was holding him back, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up quite yet.

His cheeks flushed a deep red as he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the backs of my fingers. “I was supposed to pick up the ring yesterday, but I got side-tracked when I went to find you.”

I slapped his chest lightly, then hit him again for good measure. “Cord, geez! You had me thinking you weren’t going to ask, butthead!”

He laughed, and I grabbed a pillow and launched it at him. Of course, he deflected it easily enough. “I wanted to do it properly, but then you got impatient.”

Well, that wasn’t untrue. I’d never done patience well. Especially not with things I really wanted. “I suppose I can wait for a proper proposal. It better be good, though.”

He leaned forward and kissed my belly before reaching up to my mouth. “It will, love. I promise you that.”

EPILOGUE

CORD

We were in the grocery store when I rounded a corner and found Avery standing in a puddle with water pooling around his feet. Shock was painted across his pale face like he'd just witnessed an unsolvable crime.

"Cord." He clutched his stomach. "It's time."

We don't need anything at the store, love

Let’s see if we can get it delivered, my sweet.