“I know. Getting married without dating is crazy. But hell, baby, we have a kid. We’ve pretty much already done things out of order so why not marriage as well?”
“Because marriage is very permanent. It’s a serious commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
“Being parents is even more permanent. We’re already going to be doing that together for the rest of our lives.”
“People co-parent children all the time without being married.” Sure, it isn’t ideal but it works.
“But I want to marry you.” He kisses the side of my face and laces his fingers through my hair before moving his lips down my neck. “Jacob ties you to me forever. You’re never getting rid of me.”
“I don’t want to get rid of you.” Especially when you’re kissing my neck like that.
“Ashlyn, I want to share a bed with you every night. I want to wake up next to you every morning.” He pulls me against him and sucks my earlobe into his mouth.
“Would you settle for sharing a bed with me right now?”
“I don’t think I could ever call that settling.”
I take his hand and lead him down the hall to my bedroom. He stops when he sees the baby pictures of Jacob lining the wall. He reaches out to touch his newborn hospital picture. “I wish I had been with you when he was born.”
I do too. He’ll never know how badly. “I’m sorry. I wish I could give you that special moment.”
He kisses the top of my head. “It’s OK. You’ll give me special moments when you have our other ones.”
Our other ones.That should scare the hell out of me but it doesn’t. I want to give him more children. “Come on. Let’s go practice making babies.”
We stop next to the bed, him standing behind me. His free arm snakes around as he kisses the back and side of my neck. Goosebumps instantly erupt over my skin. This is what I want every day. Him. This.
I reach overhead and grasp the back of his neck as I lean into him, rubbing my ass against his cock.
“Keep doing that and I’ll be fucking you in your ass a lot sooner than originally planned.”
I’m not afraid. “My ass is yours. Every part of me belongs to you. You can touch me and fuck me any way you want.”
“Brave words for someone with so little sexual experience.” His hand roams my body until it finds its way beneath my shirt to squeeze my breast. “You don’t know how happy I am to be the only man to ever have you.”
His words ignite a streak of jealousy. “But I’m not the only woman to ever have you.” I think I’m one of many.
He stops kissing my neck and turns me so we’re facing one another. “Be clear about this one thing, if nothing else. You’re the only one to ever have my heart. That part of me has been reserved for you. You’re the only one who matters. I love you, Ashlyn.”
“I love you, too.”
He places a hand on my face and gazes into my eyes. “You are so gorgeous. I can’t believe you’re mine.”
The expression I see there tells me everything I need to know. This man, despite all the wrong I’ve done to him, forgives me. He loves me.
“You get a pass on undressing me this time.” Grabbing the hem of my T-shirt, I pull it up and over my head. I have the intentions of moving on to my shorts next but Owen stops me when he steps forward to touch my lace-covered breast.
“So damn sexy.”
He rubs his thumb over my nipple, making it protrude through the lace. “Did you nurse Jacob?”
I nod. “Until he was ten months.”
“Good. That’s what I would have wanted.”
Neither of us mention it but we know we’re limited on time. My parents and Jacob will be here soon so I work on getting my shorts and panties off while he gives special attention to my nipple.
He releases my breast and pushes on his shorts one-handed while kicking out of his shoes. “I need to catch up.”