Page 62 of Broken

“You’re not really talking me out of ignoring your command, King,” I murmur, not really lying because with just his words, the insides of my thighs grow damp.

“Gabriella,” he murmurs, his voice dark and thready. That’s new. I love when he uses my full name. No one ever has and I love King does. Hearing it now, with his voice filled with demand and hunger, makes it even better. I go there immediately, my heart rate kicking into overdrive. He wraps an arm around me, pulls me into his side and takes my mouth in a possessive kiss that makes my toes curl. “Morning, sweetheart,” he purrs.

“I like when you use my full name. No one ever has. You make it sound beautiful.”

“That’s because you are my Gabriella, and you are beautiful.” I roll my eyes and he smiles. “I wanted to fix you breakfast while I waited for Pez to come over.”

“Pez? Why is Pez coming over?”

“I need a man on you while I’m gone to Kentucky. I’ll be back this evening, but I don’t want to leave you alone. Pez volunteered, and I know you’re comfortable with him. I’d rather send one of the married members over, but it’s pretty hectic right now with the rebuild. So, you get Pez.”

“That’s crazy, King. I don’t need a babysitter. I’m not under threat,” I point out, trying not to blow my top.

“I know that, but you might go into labor, and if that happens, I don’t want you to be here alone. I know you didn’t want to go back to the hotel where Dani and Rory are today. So, this was the best I could come up with,” he explains.

“You’re being insane,” I grumble.

“I know,” he says, shocking me he would admit it. “I need this, though. Can you let me have it? The last thing I want to do today is leave you—especially after last night. I’m still thinking about canceling.”

“Don’t do that. You might as well face them head on.”

“I’m going to tell them you’re mine. I’m not letting you go, Sunshine.”

I study his face, feeling fear, but trying not to let it show. I reach out to hold the side of his face, letting the tip of my thumb brush against the corner of his lips. “It would probably be better for you if you did. Being with me might make any reunion with your dad and brothers impossible. You shouldn’t have to suffer for my mistakes, King.”

“You going to tell me that bullshit after what happened last night?”

“King.”

“Lie to yourself if you want, but we both know exactly what last night was, woman.”

“We do?” I ask, wondering why my heart is pounding so hard.

“We claimed each other. There’s not another man on this earth you would give yourself to but me, and baby, there’s not another woman I want claiming me. Last night, made that clear and when I came inside of you, that baby inside you became mine, too.”

I stare at him in complete shock. “What?”

“This child is ours, Gabriella. I want you to put me on the birth certificate. I want my last name attached to yours and the baby’s. I don’t want our little jellybean to ever worry about who his or her father is. They’ll always know.”

“Are you even real?”

He frowns, his forehead crinkling in distaste. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“You want to tie yourself to a woman you haven’t spent a lot of time with that has fucked up her life and several others? She’s emotionally damaged and now you want to claim her unborn child?”

“I’m claiming a woman who I’ve been drawn to for a fuck of a long time. A woman who is rebuilding her life and doing a damn good job of it. She’s also a woman I love.”

“What?” I squeak, not quite believing what he’s saying.

“I love you, Gabby. You don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to. It’s true just the same and I’ll prove that to you over the years. I know it seems like this started fast, but there’s no way you can deny the connection has been there since the moment we began spending time together.”

“You mean, since the moment you saved me?”

“It was intense, but it bonded us together in a way other couples can probably never understand.”

“I love you, too, King. I won’t lie about that. I’ll never lie to you. Lying isn’t the person and the mom I want to be for jellybean.”

“I know you do, Sunshine. You never would have given yourself to me if you didn’t.”

---