“Okay, I could see that. But now you’ve got me curious, and this is kind of a dealbreaker for me, so just take that into account.”
My stomach twists with nerves in anticipation of his question.
“When we have kids one day, are you going to want to find out the gender ahead of time or wait until the baby is born?”
I let out an unattractive snort that is also somewhat of a sigh. “Oh my gosh, Carson. You had my mind racing thinking about what you were going to ask, and then you askedthat. Who says their dealbreaker is whether or not a gender is revealed?”
“Hey!” He feigns hurt. “I just think it’s important to be on the same page about these things.”
“What if the baby doesn’t cooperate, and you can’t determine the gender until he or she is born?” I counter.
“Well, then I’ll have my answer—only a stubborn little girl who’s just like her mama would make me wait longer than necessary for something I want.”
Holy. Shit. I think future daddy Carson is going to melt hearts one day when he holds his baby in his arms. And now I’ve got images in my head of that baby being ours. Would they have his eyes? His blonde hair? God, I hope they’d get his patience and caring heart.
“So, what’s your answer?” he presses, pulling me from my daydream.
“Um, I think I’d like to know ahead of time, if possible.”
Carson pumps his fist in the air. “I knew you were my dream girl!”
When the gondola pulls back up to the hotel’s dock, Carson guides me inside and up the staircase.
“Come here. I want to show you something,” Carson says as he leads me down the hallway opposite of our room. He pushes open an intricately carved set of double doors that leads us to what appears to be a library. It’s dark outside, so it’s hard to make out the room from only the dim lighting of the wall sconces.
“I thought this would be a good spot to do some of your writing while you’re here. There’s a few books about the different places we’re visiting while we’re in Italy that I wanted to read too. You know, if having company while you write isn’t too distracting.”
Throwing my arms around his waist, I squeeze him with everything I have. “Thank you for being so thoughtful—for just beingyou.”
Lifting up onto my tiptoes, I press my lips to his. It’s a whisper of a kiss—he ghosts his fingers over my collarbone, tracing a line up to my jaw before tangling his fingers in my hair and tugging softly.
When he breaks the kiss, he leans down. “I think it’s about time we turn in for the night,” he murmurs into my ear, brushing his lips along the slope of my neck.
My heart begins to race erratically in anticipation of what’s to come. We somehow make it back to our room before he lifts me up and presses me against the wooden door.
Our kiss is heated, frantic, even. “Tell me you need me as much as I need you, Austen.”
I pant, desperately trying to catch my breath. “I need you, Carson. I need to feel all of you.”
He growls his approval at my compliance as he carries me into the bedroom and places me on my feet. With his hand resting over the zipper on the back of my dress, he asks, “May I?”
I nod in response before his request from last night that I give him my words rings in my head. “Yes,” I breathe out.
He unzips my dress at a torturously slow rate until it finally falls to the floor. When I turn to face him in nothing but a black lace lingerie set, Carson’s eyes darken with desire.
“You’re ravishing, darling. Come here,” he requests.
I go to him, watching his jaw tick as if he’s barely able to keep it together right now. My core tightens with need when he picks me up, bringing me in for a searing kiss before setting me on the bed. I watch Carson undress with rapt attention, taking in the way his muscles flex as he tosses his shirt to the ground before he goes to undo his belt buckle. He stops when he looks up and finds me watching him.
Crawling toward him, I kneel on the edge of the bed and reach for his belt. The sound of his buckle clanging, followed by his zipper opening, only enhances my impatience to have his body against mine once more. I make haste as I strip him of his pants and briefs at the same time. When his cock springs free, I gasp as I take it in for the first time. He is so thick and long that I worry he’ll split me in two.
“Carson,” I stammer, gripping his cock in my hand and moaning when I realize I can’t close my fist around it. “There’s no way,” I state. His abs clench in response to my touch.
“Fuuuuckk,” he grinds out through clenched teeth. “I didn’t take you for a quitter, Austen.”
I scoff at that. “I’m not a quitter, but this will destroy me.” I squeeze my fist so he knows what I’m talking about.
“Good. I was hoping to ruin you for anyone else.” His gruff voice turns my nipples impossibly hard.
