my knuckles, she lays my palm over her stomach and keeps her hand against mine. “This is your daughter, Ryder. Please believe me when I tell you that I could never be with anyone else after knowing what it was like to be loved by you. When my heart still belongs to you.”
Fuck!
As my vision blurs, I bury my face in Dahlia’s neck. I never once thought that I was the father of her child. Why the fuck didn’t that ever enter my head? Because you’re a bastard and thought you deserved to be punished.
Holding on to her tightly, I inhale and exhale, hoping to get myself under control. We still need to talk about her moving back here and our future, but right now, I just want to hold her.
I’m going to be a daddy.
And, yeah, the tears are flowing now. Through my own stupidity, I nearly lost my woman and daughter.
There’s still a very small part of me that blames Dahlia for running, instead of calling me on what she heard, but I know I’m going to be able to let that go because she’s back in my arms.
Dahlia
Feeling Ryder’s body shaking as he sobs into my neck, brings my tears back. So I do the most natural thing in the world and turn more into him with one hand caressing the nape of his neck to try and soothe him.
“We’re having a daughter,” he whispers against me now that his tears have started to slow.
“Mmm.” I kiss his forehead.
As I make to move out of his arms, they contract around my stomach, keeping me against him.
“I’m coming straight back. I just want to go and get us some tissue.”
He releases me.
With a hand full of tissue, I pass some to Ryder and, while he’s wiping his face, I do the same.
He drops the tissue beside the chair. “I’ll tidy up later.”
I drop mine on top of his and climb back on his lap, my forehead rests against his, and his arm goes around my back with his hand on my stomach, where his other one is caressing my bump.
“I’m sorry. So very sorry I wasn’t here for you. I know I should have stayed and confronted you about what I heard. My brain shut down, and I felt like my heart was breaking. I ran because I was afraid. If you’ll have me back, I promise never to just up and leave again.”
“I’ve no intention of letting you go anywhere again. You’re mine, babe. And you always have been from the moment we met . . . I love you.”
I smile and cup his face in my hands hearing the words I prayed he’d say.
Leaning in, I whisper, “I love you, too,” just as our lips meet, the blood thrums through my body knowing I’m home. Ryder increases the pressure and slips his tongue into my mouth.
“Mmm,” I moan against him, not wanting to stop.
This is what I’ve needed, to be back with Ryder.
“I’ve missed your taste, your smile, your sexy ass,” he murmurs.
His hand slips to my butt in a caress as I moan into his mouth.
“Hold on babe,” he whispers, and stands with me in his arms.
“Now, don’t get too excited. We’re just going to cuddle and sleep. I want you in my arms all night.”
In his bedroom, he lays me down, and proceeds to remove my thigh highs as his breathing becomes uneven.
He might want to cuddle all night but his body is begging for mine while I have an ache that only Ryder can make better.
“Sit up a minute, babe.”