All on its own.
When he moved closer to me, I knew what was next. His large palm moved to the small of my back, and he gripped the fabric of my dress before he pulled me close to him. He lowered his face to mine for a few heartbeats as we gazed at each other. His hands slowly glided up my back until he reached my neck. Then his fingers gripped the warm skin, his thumb brushing over the pulse in my neck.
I wanted to reach for him, but I continued to restrain myself. I had to pretend to be resistant, like he was the one convincing me this should happen. But I knew it should happen…like I knew we should be together.
He brushed the hair out of my face before he leaned down to kiss me. This time, it wasn’t a heated embrace beside a dumpster outside a bar. This time, it was in our home, right next to the baby we made together. The world around us was silent, and there were no distractions to keep us apart. It was so quiet I could hear our lips move together and break apart.
When I felt that electric current down my spine, my hands moved to the crooks of his arms, and I gripped his biceps to feel those strong and sexy muscles. My fingers could feel the network of veins just underneath the skin. And he was warm, so warm that it reminded me of when he heated the sheets all night long.
I kissed him back heatedly. I moaned quietly even though it was far too soon for that. But this was what I wanted, a slow and tender kiss between two people who loved each other. The screw in the alleyway was fun, but this was what I really wanted.
I wanted to make love.
And it seemed like he wanted to make love to me.
We continued to kiss beside the crib, our eager mouths making louder noises as our speed quickened. We became braver by touching each other under our clothes, slightly yanking on the fabric if we wanted it to come loose.
Hades eventually took the lead and picked me up. His arm scooped under my ass and held me to his chest as he carried me out the door and gently closed it behind him. Then he carried me down the hallway, back into the bedroom that used to be mine. He laid me down on the bed before he grabbed the baby monitor on the nightstand and turned it on.
Instead of breaking the moment, it made me want him more. No matter what he was doing, he still put our son first. Now that I was a mother, that was the sexiest quality in a man.
He was wearing very few clothes, so all he had to do was push off his sweatpants and boxers, and he was ready to go. Tall, strong, and proud of his physique, he stood over me and gave me a fearless expression.
He grabbed my legs and pulled me to the edge of the bed so he could slide his hands up my thighs and pull my panties free. Just like in the alleyway a few weeks ago, he pushed up my dress and left it on.
I’d rather take it off, but I was too eager.
He stood at the edge of the bed and positioned me so he could take me in that position. His hands pushed my thighs open, then he gripped my hips for anchorage. With his eyes on me, he guided himself inside me and sank until he claimed me completely.
I closed my eyes and moaned.
He leaned over me so he could fist the back of my hair and take me gently. Sometimes he kissed me and sometimes he just stared at me, but it was the way he used to be. He was loving, gentle, affectionate.
He was the man I loved.
25
Hades
I had only been asleep for an hour when I woke up again.
An arm over my stomach shattered my dreams. I was used to sleeping alone, having the whole bed to myself, so a touch was jarring.
I opened my eyes and looked at Sofia beside me. I felt like I’d gone back in time to when she was beside me always. Her brown hair was stretched across the pillow, and her lips were still red from her lipstick. Her eye makeup was smudged, but of course, she still looked like a million bucks.
I was transfixed as I stared at her.
But then I was annoyed.
What the hell was I doing?
Why did this keep happening?
She wasn’t even coming on to me. I was instigating all of it, so I couldn’t even blame her. Every time I thought she would end up in another man’s bed, I did whatever I could to stop that from happening. I had no idea why.