Page 33 of Finding You
And what about that nursery? Zion had told her if there was anything she wanted to change to go for it, but it was gorgeous. His family had been nothing but generous since she arrived, but that room was everything. It was enough that they’d set up a nursery, but they’d taken it so much further. Zion was all set for when the twins visited him, and it was the sweetest thing they could’ve done.
“Food should be ready in a few minutes,” he said, cutting into her thoughts.
“Good because the aroma is making my stomach growl.”
The sweet, tangy, and potent scent of ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and a host of other spices had her mouth watering. When he’d told her they’d be having a taco bar, she hadn’t expected the spread he was planning. Orange chicken, mahi-mahi, and shrimp were the proteins, and there was a host of toppings and sauces. Good thing she was hungry because she planned on tasting everything.
When she stood from the table, Onyx stood too, probably wondering what she was getting ready to do. He’d been so quiet, lying on the floor near her, that she had temporarily forgotten he was there.
She moved across the kitchen to the cabinet that was over the dishwasher and pulled out plates. “Did you invite other people over for dinner?” she asked, wondering if he was expecting others.
“Nope. Just you and I,” he said, flashing her a crooked grin as he eyed all the dishes he’d created. “I enjoy cooking, but with my schedule, I don’t get to do it that often. Which is why my mother and sisters are always feeding me.
“However, I figured I’d do a little extra since this is a special occasion for us, a celebration of sorts. One: I found you after thinking about you for almost a year. And two: you’ve given me two incredible gifts.”
Raven was glad he felt that way. Him finding out the truth about being the twins’ father could’ve gone several ways. She appreciated him looking at their babies as a gift.
“That’s how I felt when I laid eyes on them for the first time. It was hard to believe I played a part in creating two beautiful humans. Growing up an only child who had always wanted siblings, I vowed to have a big family of my own. But once I hit my mid-thirties, I didn’t think marriage and having babies was in the cards for me. Embracing the idea of being single for the rest of my life, I had still planned to adopt one day, but I wantedto be more settled into my career. I also wanted to make sure I could financially support a few children.
“Having babies outside of marriage hadn’t occurred to me, especially with how conservative I’d been raised.”
She couldn’t help thinking about the conversation with her aunt, and what she’d said about Maximus and Zion. Talk about having it all wrong. If her aunt could’ve been there for the last hour, she would’ve witnessed how committed Zion was to being a father.
Raven was setting plates and utensils on the table when Zion came up behind her, startling her. He wrapped his arms around her from behind as if he had every right to do so. She didn’t stop him. The sweet thrill that shot through her wouldn’t allow it, especially considering how good it felt to be wrapped up in his powerful embrace.
It had been clear since she arrived at his house that they were definitely feeling each other. It was noticeable in the way his gaze would glide over her body, as well as the way he took every opportunity to touch her.
It all felt good.Too good.
She turned to face him, and her hands automatically went to his hard chest as he maintained a hand on her hip.
“I know you had other options when you learned you were pregnant. I’m glad you chose to keep them.”
She shook her head. “No other options crossed my mind, though I was seriously freaked out when learning about them,” she said on a little laugh. “I planned to keep and love on those babies until my dying breath. There’s no need to thank me.”
He nodded and his hand slid up her side while also easing her close. She knew he was going to kiss her, and though she should stop him, she wouldn’t. She couldn’t even if she wanted to because she had dreamed about kissing him again.
“I know we have things to discuss, and I told myself that feasting on you wasn’t on the menu tonight, but is it okay if I kiss you?”
“Yes.” The word fell from her lips without her thinking about it, and a second later his lips covered hers.
His kiss was gentle, yet commanding as shock waves shot through her body, nipping at every nerve ending. Oh yes. She wasn’t surprised by her eager response. This was what she wanted, what she needed. Just a little bit of loving from him to remind her of how it felt to be desired by a man.
She moaned against his mouth when he nudged her closer, crushing her to his hard body as he deepened their connection. Raven gave as good as she got and slid her arms around his waist. She held on tight, loving the feel of him pressed against her and not wanting to ever let go.
Yeah, this was what she’d been craving. Him, his mouth, and being engulfed in his strong arms was hard to resist. This was bound to happen at some point tonight because a jolt of electricity sparked whenever they were near each other.
It was going to be hard to resist him going forward. She longed to have his big, strong, muscular body wrapped around her while he made love to her.
Okay, if that’s where her thoughts were going, she had to put some space between them.
Reluctantly, she ended the kiss, but Zion didn’t release her. He lowered his forehead against hers, and they stayed that way until he said, “This might sound crazy, but I missed you.”
Raven laughed. “You’re right, it does sound crazy. It’s been practically a year, and it’s not like we dated or anything.”
She eased out of his hold before she did something crazy. Like fist the front of his T-shirt and toss him onto the table and have her way with him. Ha! Yeah, that would be wild.
“That might be true, but it didn’t stop me from thinking about you when I didn’t even know your last name. Ask my sister, Nyla. I told her about you. Well, I told her about the mystery woman I had met in Vegas and basically how that encounter ruined me for other women.”
