He nodded, squeezing her tighter for a moment. The next question was delicate, the kind of thing he knew he needed to ask, but with an answer that could devastate him to his core. “And how do you feel about that? Being pregnant, I mean.”
He damn near held his breath and braced for any number of responses.
Persephone’s hand curled against his stomach, gathering his shirt in her fist, then relaxed and smoothed over the fabric. Her voice came out very small, uncertain. “It’s overwhelming. I didn’t expect it to happen for years, if ever. And I didn’t expect... expect to be a single mother.”
He moved back so he could see her face. “What the hell do you mean, a single mother?”
“After everything that happened... You were shot because of me. They said you went crazy and could have been lost forever in your own head. I drive you crazy. A baby would just make that worse.”
Dodge caught her face in his hands and shook his head. “I thought we cleared this up already. You drive me crazy, yes, but in a whole other way. Persephone Lawson, I love you. I don’t care what happened. Even ifyouhad shot me, I would assume you had a very good reason. But none of that was your fault.”
She frowned at him, apparently not convinced, and Dodge swallowed a laugh of sheer exasperation. “Persephone, didn’t you just say you wanted to stay with me? To be with me forever? Isn’t that what you said downstairs?”
Her cheeks reddened. “Yes.”
“Then why the hell would you think you’d ever be a single mother?”
“I didn’t know if...” She trailed off, then gestured down at her stomach. “It’s not like we planned it. I don’t want you to think I’m trying to trap you, if you don’t want to be with me.”
He groaned and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her. God help him, what did he need to do to convince her? Get her name tattooed across his forehead? His chest or arm for sure, the second he could find a good artist, but he’d brand every inch of his skin if that convinced her. Dodge dragged her mouth to his for a fierce kiss, wanting to mark her with his love. When he broke away, they both breathed a little raggedly. He rested his forehead against hers once more. “Listen to me, you maniac. I love you. I want to be with you always. I do not feel trapped. You couldn’t make me feel trapped if you tried.”
Persephone watched him, apparently still not convinced.
Dodge grumbled his irritation and kissed her throat, then planted another kiss at the hollow of her throat. “I love this part of you.” He moved down a little so he didn’t get a crick in his neck as he kissed down to her shoulder, then down her arm. “And this part.”
A hint of a smile curled her lips as she leaned back against the pillows. “Are you sure?”
He cocked an eyebrow and grumbled, catching the hem of her shirt and dragging it up so he could kiss her stomach. “I do enjoy everything about you, Persephone. Except...”
He trailed off and did his best to look pensive, and was rewarded with a sudden tension all through her. Persephone started to sit up. “What? Except what?”
He took the opportunity to remove her shirt. “Except your clothes. You wear far too many clothes.”
She made an indignant sound and smacked his shoulder, and he couldn’t help laughing. Dodge shook with it, with the release of so many days of misery and fear, and fell at her side. He threw his arm around her hips and dragged her closer, halfway underneath him, and just lay there enjoying the sensation of her body close to his. Persephone might have laughed a little as she lay quietly with him and Dodge’s laughter wheezed to a halt. His breath caught unexpectedly. He’d never expected his life to turn out like that: a mate and a baby. A tiny miracle. He closed his eyes and pressed his face against her side, breathing her in.
“Persephone,” he whispered. His large hand palmed her ass over her jeans. “I love all of you. Every inch.”
Her fingers worked into his hair and stroked the back of his neck until he wanted to stretch and arch like a cat. She leaned down and murmured, “But you’re still an ass man, obviously.”
Dodge chuckled and patted her butt, thinking of how much he wanted to give it a good smack. There was time for that. She wanted to stay with him forever, she wanted a pack, she wanted a family. All of that they could have together. He kissed her side and reveled in the way she squirmed. He’d spent the previous six weeks dreaming of her. Now it was time for that dream to become a reality.
Chapter 54
Percy
Some of my nerves settled when Dodge took me upstairs to the privacy of his room, and when he held me close and murmured that he loved me. I still didn’t feel all the way normal, but I tried to give myself some leniency. After all, I’d gone from alone in the morning to suddenly being pregnant and having someone who wanted to be with me forever by early afternoon.
And then we were tangled up in his bed. He held me close, breathing against my side as his hand roamed freely over my hip and what he could grab of my ass. My fingers found their way into his hair and I slid slowly down the pillows until we were lying face to face. Dodge’s eyes burned a brilliant gold, though they were nothing compared to the fire of his touch.
I closed my eyes as he nudged me to my back and leaned over me, his palm resting low on my stomach. His breath made my breasts tighten in anticipation, then his mouth closed over the soft flesh and I sighed, holding him close. Dodge leisurely worshiped my breasts, all while his hand stroked my stomach and then down to my inner thigh. His fingers wandered close to where I wanted to feel him, but not close enough.
My thighs parted slightly to encourage him to dip lower, and Dodge lifted his head to give me a knowing look. I flushed but tried to play it off, lacing my hands behind my head and trying to look completely unaffected by his ministrations. “Oh, go ahead. Take your time.”
He snorted and took my nipple in his teeth, the pinch just hard enough to justify a sharp inhale and the spike of pure need that raced from his mouth straight to my core. Dodge slid his hand up the inside of my thigh, his knuckles grazing the outer lips of my sex. He went back to the heated pressure on my breasts, alternating the wet heaven of his mouth with the sharper pressure of his teeth. It wasn’t long until I tossed my head and reached for him, aching to feel him closer. “Dodge. Please.”
His fingers finally dipped into me, pressing in shallowly and then retreating to draw lazy circles up to my clit. A fire raged within. I needed him. I wanted him so desperately my hips lifted into the anticipation of his touch. I wanted to feel him, to have his weight on me, to connect with him again so that everything felt right in the world.
He grumbled and kissed his way down my body until he lay between my now wide-open thighs. His giant hands slid under my ass and grabbed generous handfuls, kneading the flesh until I moaned in anticipation. My God, the strength in his grip... He held my hips in place as his tongue delved deeper. My head tilted back and I gasped for air as pleasure flared up everywhere he touched me. Desire roared to life and I lifted to meet him.
