"Neither did I," I confess, running my fingers through her hair. "But I meant what I said earlier. I want to be better, for you and for our family. And right now, that means being here with you."
She nestles closer, her head resting against my chest. I can feel the tension in her body slowly easing as I hold her.
"Thank you," she whispers, her fingers tracing patterns on my arm. "For staying. For trying."
I press a kiss to the top of her head, inhaling the sweet scent of her hair. "I know I have a lot to make up for," I murmur. "But I want you to know, I'm all in now. No more walls, no more distance."
Lyah lifts her head, her eyes searching mine. "Promise me something, Niko," she says, her voice soft but firm.
"Anything," I reply without hesitation, surprising myself with how much I mean it.
"Promise me that no matter what happens, no matter how dangerous things get, you'll always be honest with me. Even if you think the truth might scare me or push me away. I need to know I can trust you completely."
I cup her face in my hands, meeting her gaze steadily. "I promise, Lyah. From now on you'll know everything I know, good or bad." It’s a surprising relief to say it. Like I can just relax and be myself around her. Use her as a sounding board and confidante instead of having to put on an act in my own home.
She nods, satisfied, and leans in to kiss me softly, then whispers in my ear. “The doctor has given me a clean bill of health…”
The gentle press of her body ignites a fire within me, and I grip the back of her neck, taking her lips again and deepening the kiss to pour all my pent-up emotions into it. My hands roam her body, rediscovering every delicate curve, every sensitive spot.
Lyah moans softly against my mouth, her fingers tangling in my hair, so much more hands on than she used to be. The sound, the feel, sends a jolt of desire through me, and I stand, lifting her effortlessly in my arms.
"Bedroom," I growl, my voice husky with need.
She nods, her eyes dark with want, but also sparkling with mischief as I carry her swiftly to our room.
Laying her gently on the bed, I pause to drink in the sight of her. Hair fanned out on the pillow, cheeks flushed, lips swollen from our kisses. She's never looked more beautiful.
Or more mine.
"I love you," I whisper, the words still foreign on my tongue but feeling more right than anything ever has.
Lyah's eyes shine with unshed tears. "I love you too, Niko. So much."
I cover her body with mine, kissing her deeply as my hands work to remove her clothing. She arches into my touch, her fingers fumbling with the buttons of my shirt. There's an urgency to our movements, a desperate need to reconnect after so much time apart.
As I trail kisses down her neck, Lyah gasps and arches her back. "Niko, please," she whimpers, her nails raking down my now-bare chest.
I growl low in my throat, aroused by her boldness. This is another new side of Lyah, uninhibited and demanding, and I find I like it very much. Why did I ever think I wanted a meek, subservient wife?
I capture her lips again as I finish undressing us both, savoring the feel of her soft skin against mine before I kiss down her body.
With the pregnancy, her nipples are delightfully sensitive, and she starts to writhe underneath me as I torment them, pulling the ripe peaks into my mouth and suckling. Grazing the berry hard flesh with my teeth until she’s panting and pleading.
“Damn it, Niko, I need more,” she gasps, trying her best to man oeuvre me where she wants me to be.
I smother a laugh at how my prim and proper wife is showing all the signs of becoming a vixen, and I’m totally here for it.
Her fingers fist in my hair as I trail kisses lower, savoring the sweet taste of her skin, and I enjoy the bite of pain she inflicts.
Pausing at the gentle swell of her belly, I place reverent kisses there before continuing my descent. Lyah's thigh’s part for me eagerly as I settle between them.
"Niko, please!" she implores her voice thick with desire.
“Tell me what you want, sonechko.” Her breath stutters at the endearment. ‘Little sun.’ That’s what she is to me now. The sun that lights my life.
I look up, meeting her gaze as I run my tongue lazily along her slick folds, knowing it’s not enough. Her eyes flutter and she lets out a breathy moan that sends heat coursing through me. “Suck my clit,” she demands. “Fuck me with your fingers.” Damn, I like this dirty talking version of my wife. What is it they say? Lady in the streets, freak between the sheets? Never thought it could happen, but fuck is it making me harder than I ever believed possible.
I’m more than happy to comply with Lyah's demands, circling her sensitive bud with my tongue before sucking it between my lips. She cries out, her hips bucking against my face as I slide two fingers inside her slick heat.
