“Knox…fuck… Slow down,” I’m panting. “Too much…”
All I get in response is some sort of grunt from him as he repositions my legs around him and picks me up, all the while continuing to thrust up into me. Knox is holding on to me and though I try to match his movements, he’s too wild, too crazed. So I tighten my arm around his neck and hold on tight.
It feels so damn good, but it’s almost too much. Before I have a chance to process my thoughts, my body’s humming with satisfaction and I reach the precipice of ecstasy all over again. He continues thrusting while my body starts to go limp from the pleasure. He then tenses and squeezes my legs with his hands as he fills me with his release. My head is spinning; my body is still tingling. Knox’s head falls to the crook of my neck, where he peppers soft kisses along my sweat-slicked skin.
“Amazing. So fucking amazing,” he whispers, and the reality of what we’ve done crashes down on me.
I can’t believe I just did this. Hell, I can’t believe I lasted two months with him in my bed before doing this. My heart is full—yet heavy—and I’m ridiculously overwhelmed with a flurry of emotion that I can’t help the rush of hot tears. I try to blink them back to no avail.
“Amelia, no,” he whispers, wiping my tears away and getting the wrong idea. “I’m sorry. That was too fast. Too much. I’m so fucking sorry.”
Possibly one of the best moments of my life—definitely top-five material—and it ends with her crying.
I’m an asshole. A fucking deviant. I’m selfish beyond belief and I’ve never felt this damn low.
Which is kind of a conundrum.
I’ve also never felt so fucking thrilled.
Amelia’s expression is unreadable, and she doesn’t respond to my apology. Instead, she pushes past me and exits the bathroom.
“I was just coming to tell you we’re out of diapers.” She tosses the words over her shoulder.
I wrap a towel around my waist then follow her into her bedroom. Our bedroom. Feeling like a caged lion, I force myself to sit on the edge of the bed. “Let me get dressed. I’ll go out and get them. Do you need anything else?” I sound too eager, but I don’t care. I’ll do anything to make this right.
“Knox,” Amelia calls, her eyes shining.
Fucking hell, more tears?
From my place on the bed, I hold my head in my hands, rubbing my forehead and then finally returning my attention to her. She ties her robe around her waist then comes to sit next to me.
“That was…” she trails off, trying to find her words.
I take her hand, bringing it to my lips to press a kiss against her. “That was too much. I was an animal. I should’ve been gentle. Slow. Fuck,” I mutter, running a hand through my wet hair before catching her gaze. “I’m sorry. It’s just… Hell, I’ve been dreaming of this ever since you let me back in your bed and I got carried away. Please, please don’t shut me out. I’ll go to the couch if you want. I’ll do anything, Amelia. Just don’t shut me out.” I’m practically begging, something I never thought I’d do, but when it comes to her? There’s no length I won’t go to, no bridge I won’t cross. No mountain I won’t fucking climb if it means she’s mine again.
She holds a finger up to my lips. “Shh. If you’ll be quiet, I’ll finish.”
I snap my lips closed, and the smile on her face has hope swelling in my chest.
“I wasn’t lying when I said I missed you.” She lets out a small laugh. “I missed you from the moment you left that last morning. Hell, I probably missed you before even that. The whole summer, I knew I’d miss you when you left. But how could I say it, knowing what this was supposed to be?”
We’re both such stubborn fools.
“And what just happened?” she continues. “Tells me you’re still twisted up in me in a way I think you’ll always be. I’m not upset that after far too many agonizing months I got to be with you again. I’m elated. I’m terrified. But most of all? I’m happy. Genuinely happy.”
“I didn’t hurt you?”
She shakes her head, her expression contemplative, which puts a bit of a damper on my burgeoning pride. “You weren’t what I wanted, Knox. This wasn’t what I wanted.”
Okay, ouch.
I start to open my mouth, but she holds a finger up.
“Still my turn.”
I nod.
“At least, that’s what I thought,” she clarifies. “I didn’t want to let you in. But what I found out was that it wasn’t up to me. You came in, without even knowing it, and you burrowed so deep that, even after you were gone, it was like you were still here.”
She glances to the bassinet on the other side of the room. “Okay, so in a sense, you were through Branson, but it was deeper than that. It is deeper than that. But it’s not about me now. It’s about him and giving him everything he needs.”
“Amelia, I meant what I said before. I didn’t move in here just because of the baby. I’m here because of you. He’s just an expected bonus. You said that this wasn’t what you wanted? Hell, babe, it’s not what I wanted, either. Until it happened. Now? I can’t imagine life without the two of you.”
“I can’t, either. Especially not after how well you just took care of me in the bathroom. Hopefully there’s more where that came from,” she teases, giving me a saucy wink.
“Babe, I’m thinkin’ you owe me another one since my son was supposed to be Knox.”
Amelia rolls her eyes, and I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her into me. “I know you’re joking, but how about we get through the infant stage and perhaps the terrible twos before we go talking about more babies.” Her eyes soften. “It’s not like I knew you were a junior. Or that you wanted a Knox Wellington the Third. You’ve got Branson, and I know you love him, no matter his name.”
“Babe, I love him even more because of his name. It’s an honor you named him after a great man. A better one than me for sure. I can’t wait to learn more about him.”
Amelia’s arms tighten around my neck. “That’s not true, Knox. You’re a good man. A great man. My dad would be proud.”
“Good. Because I guess this means we’ll just have to keep trying.”
Her eyes go round as saucers. “What are you saying?”
Thank fuck. She’s finally going to let me speak the truth I’ve been holding in for months. “I love you, Amelia. I think I fell for you the day you nearly ran over my toes. And I’ve been fallin’ ever since. Now, I’m in so damn deep I never want to climb out. And I love our son. And whether it’s the three of us for the rest of our lives or we’re blessed to grow our family, I want to do it together. Always.”
“You mean it?”
“I’ve never meant anything more in my life.”
She tightens her arms around my neck, nearly causing me to stumble back. I laugh as she peppers kisses all across my face before capturing my lips with hers. Just as I’m about to deepen the kiss, she pulls away, her gorgeous eyes shimmering with tears.