Heaven. He fucking loved her taste. He also loved feeling her clench in satisfaction against his face. He lived for this, feeling the evidence of her pleasure. It jacked him up like a drug. Soon her cries got louder until she slapped a hand over her mouth to muffle the sound. He smiled against her, then sucked her clit gently until she broke beneath him.
He wiped his mouth on the sheet and then moved carefully up her body. Her eyes were wild as he kissed her gently and arranged her legs around his waist. When his thumb brushed her clit, her eyes flew wide open and she moaned again.
“Rafe, you’re trying to kill me.”
He grinned. “Only with pleasure.”
Carefully he eased inside, gritting his teeth at the tight fit. She was so hot and tight that he doubted he’d last long, but he wanted to. There was nothing he wanted more in that moment than to stay clenched inside her, smelling her scent, and watching as she lost herself to pleasure all over again.
But all too soon, he felt the coil of pleasure at the base of his spine. When he finally let go, he held her gaze the whole time, hoping she’d see his heart in his eyes.
Diana rested in Rafe’s arms, listening to the soft cadence of his breath. After making love several times, they’d collapsed in each other’s arms exhausted. He’d finally fallen asleep a little while ago. Sleep didn’t come easily to him, and she understood why. For years he’d been the one looking after everyone else.
It gave Diana immense satisfaction that he trusted her enough to let his guard down.
She traced a finger over his face. His reaction to her pregnancy hadn’t been what she’d expected. It wasn’t that she’d thought he’d be angry. It wasn’t as though she’d gotten pregnant on her own, after all. She’d expected him to step up and take responsibility because that was who he was. But his reaction had gone beyond taking responsibility. He’d been… happy. The joy on his face had touched her deeply, and even now she couldn’t quite believe it had happened. They were a family, and Rafe was thrilled about it. It felt like a dream.
She chuckled and only quieted when Rafe stirred. So much had changed in her life so quickly. It was enough to give a girl whiplash. But as tempting as it was to pretend she was in the middle of some fairy tale, Diana knew that her time to enjoy this was limited. Who only knew what would come out of their meeting with the FBI? She prayed they would finally realize she didn’t have anything to do with her family.
She could only hope that they would be able to find her brothers and prosecute them. After all the horrible things she’d seen in Rafe’s files, she wanted that more than anything. Her hand went to her neck. Even though the bruises were no longer visible, Diana knew that she would always feel the phantom weight of Hans’s hands around her throat. It was a stark reminder of what was at stake here.
Her brothers were dangerous men. They needed to be stopped. And she had a bad feeling that they were just getting started.
The nausea rose quickly, and Diana sucked in several quick breaths. The air only made it worse, and she tried to back away from Rafe slowly. As it was, she barely made it out of the room before she felt it coming. She clapped a hand over her mouth as she stumbled to the hall bathroom. Tears burned her eyes as she threw up the remains of her dinner. The morning sickness had been a little better lately, and she’d gotten complacent, assuming she was past the worst of it. But apparently, it had just been a temporary reprieve.
Damn it. It was supposed to be morning sickness. She wasn’t sure how long it went on before she felt cool hands pulling her hair back.
“It’s okay, baby. Here.” He wiped her face gently with a warm cloth.
Mortified but too exhausted to put up a fight, Diana relaxed into his arms and allowed him to take care of her. Rafe was so gentle, cleaning her face quickly and efficiently before flushing the toilet. He put toothpaste on her brush and then handed it to her. Diana brushed her teeth, grateful to get the sour taste out of her mouth. Once she was finished, she wiped her mouth on the towel Rafe held out. Then he leaned down and scooped her into his arms.
“Wait! Rafe, you don’t have to carry me. I can walk.” There was no one in the hallway at this time of night, but Diana still looked around worriedly.
“I’m sure you can. But I like carrying you.”
She didn’t have any rebuttal for that, so she rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her down the hall and into their room. After being so violently sick, it was a relief to allow someone else to care for her. Being taken care of by someone who loved you was a privilege that she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Not that she’d ever been neglected.
On the contrary, her father, and then later her brothers, had paid quite a bit of money to make sure that her every whim had been catered to. But it wasn’t the same being attended by paid staff. They’d taken care of her because it was their job, whereas, Rafe had come to her just because he wanted to.
Rafe set her gently on the bed and pulled back the covers so she could slide under. Diana moved over so he had room to get in behind her. When he cuddled close to her, molding himself to her from chest to thigh, Diana sigh contentedly.
“Does that happen a lot?” Rafe finally asked.
Diana nodded. “I’m sorry I woke you.”
His arm tightened around her midsection. “Don’t be sorry. I don’t want you dealing with that alone.”
Even though it was a little silly that he was worried about her morning sickness, it gave Diana a warm feeling that he was concerned about her welfare.
“I’m fine, Rafe. It’s just part of the process. Although I can’t deny I’ll be happy when this part is over.”
“Me too. I hate seeing you so sick. I just want to take care of you.”
They rested together for a long time, just breathing in sync before Diana felt Rafe fall asleep again. She knew the minute he was out because his arm around her waist slackened slightly and his breathing became slower and deeper. Even after being so horribly sick, Diana was truly happy. This right here was everything she’d always wanted. Their little family may have been unexpected, but it was the deepest wish of her heart.
Her earlier worries about her brothers came back to her mind. She cuddled deeper into Rafe’s embrace, and even in his sleep, he tightened his arms around her protectively. It wouldn’t do to get herself all worked up again thinking about what could have happened, but it was impossible to purge it from her mind. She was tired of running and waiting on others to take care of things.
She wanted to take some of the control back.