“I’ve never had ‘I love you’ sex before, I mean.”
The tension dissipated, and a wave of relief fled through my chest. “Me either. I’ve never told a woman I love her before.”
And I was so fucking grateful for that. No one else deserved those words. All that mattered at that moment was the womanin my arms. The woman carrying our baby. The woman Iloved. She was everything I never knew I always needed. Gone were the days I craved a quick, rough, fuck with a stranger. If she’d let me, I’d spend the rest of my days making love to Maggie exactly the way she deserved.
Chapter twenty-seven
Maggie
Islowly awoke in the warm embrace of the man I loved.My husband.
My head was tucked against his soft, warm chest that quietly rose and fell. One of my arms was wrapped around his neck, the other tucked against my body, my fingers interlaced with Jack’s. Had we slept like this all night?
Trying not to wake him, I tilted my head upward to glimpse at the handsome man above me. His eyes were heavily closed beneath his thick blonde lashes, and the tiniest freckle I had never noticed before lived right beside his right eye. To say Jack Hennicke was an Adonis who could model for the U.S. Polo Association any day would have been an understatement. He was virtually flawless, body and face. And he was pretty perfect in every other way, too.
Telling Jack I loved him the night before sent me on a rollercoaster. It felt like I was riding a green horse down the big open field with no brakes. It could have been disastrous, putting my feelings on the line like that. I hadn’t even meant to say it at all, but defending Jack to my dad resulted in all of my feelingsspilling out and accidentally admitting how I truly felt, with my lover as my witness.
The way my drunk-out-of-his-mind father handled everything last night broke my heart. Anger wasn’t the right word to describe how I felt about his drunken fit, though I tried my best to make it look that way. No, I was shattered that somethingIdid caused him to react that way. Blaming myself wouldn’t solve anything, and I knew it wasn’t entirely my fault, but the idea that he could have been sober had I not left him alone with his feelings and distress gutted me.
I tried to push the thoughts from my mind and focus on the man in front of me. This man deserved the world for standing up for me against my father, for taking care of me yesterday, and for taking care of me for the last few months. We had proven that we could face the unconquerable together, whether it was a fake marriage, a baby, an alcoholic, and an overprotective father.
Reaching to brush a blonde wave from his face, I felt the urge to kiss the newfound freckle beside his eye. I leaned upwards and gently skated my lips across the delicate skin, a stark contrast from the broken and bruised cheekbone on the left side of his face. He stirred at my touch, his heavy eyelids beginning to open. My body jerked softly at his movement, and I returned to my position against his chest, not wanting to break our embrace just yet. A soft chuckle vibrated through him while my ear pressed against his chest. His voice was muffled, but I felt a soft kiss pressed on my head.
“Good morning, wife,” he whispered after bringing his mouth to my ear. His accent was completely exposed. Completely real. I gazed up at him, letting myself get lost in his soft brown irises. Warmth swelled through my body as his hand gripped my side tightly. We snuggled closer together, our eyes never breaking contact. His beautiful, soft lips drew me in with each word thatleft them. Mine pressed against them in a small peck. I preferred mouthwash at least before fully kissing him in the morning.
“It’s a great morning,husband,” I whispered.
“It is indeed, baby.” And without warning, he grasped my head in his hands and pulled me into his lips. They met mine in a soft, wanting embrace.
His tongue invaded my mouth as he tugged on my hair, releasing a groan. The sheets melted beneath me when Jack rolled on top of me and pressed his hips into mine. I clutched his broad, muscular shoulders. While his weight nearly took my breath away, I felt safe and secure to have him on top of me—my human shield. The man who protected me since the night we dragged my drunk dad home washere, proving every ounce of his love for me.
“I don’t think I can ever get enough of you, Maggie Hennicke.” His voice was a gruff whisper as he kissed a path across my jaw and down my neck. “I love knowing that you’re all mine.” He cupped my ass, bringing my legs to wrap around his back. “You have my baby, my last name…and now your whole body is mine.”
My entire being shivered at his words. Possessive Jack was my favorite Jack, and now that I’d had a taste of him, I never wanted to go without him.
“Jack?”
He pulled his lips from my neck and rested his forehead against mine, eyes steady on me. “Yeah, baby?”
“I think I want your last name…for real.”
A small inhale slid through his lips. “You…” he breathed deeply, as if he couldn’t believe I was asking to be his wife for real. Was this backwards? I didn’t care. I’d propose to him on the spot if it meant keeping him forever. “You want to get married?”
I nodded, rolling my forehead with his. Our noses brushed against each other in perfect tandem. “I hate the idea of planninga wedding,” I looked away from him and swallowed. “I never thought I wanted one before you, before this. But I love you so damn much, Jack. Everything we have now—it just makes me feel…”
“Like you’re exactly where you belong?”
Exactly.“Yes. I think it’s all I ever wanted.”
“That’s because you are where you belong. Right here. In Golden Meadow. With me and with my last name.”
God, his words were so sweet. So perfect.
Maybe I didn’t need to be a renowned female player. Maybe it was enough to be a wife and a mother and a riding instructor. Maybe all I needed was a real family.
I couldn’t wait any longer. I kissed him. I kissed him like he was myrealhusband.
His rough hands traveled up and down my legs and he ground his hard cock against my wet folds. A moan slipped between my lips before he took them into his mouth. Our tongues tangled as we battled for territory, and a throbbing knot began to form in my lower belly.
