“Your leg,” I murmur, breathless.
I’m not sure he hears me because he keeps fucking me, pushing me higher and higher. He ducks his head and captures my nipple between his lips. My back arches off the bed, the sensation painful and incredible all at once. Then his mouth leaves my breast, trailing kisses up, up, up, and halting at the column of my neck. I feel his teeth skim the sensitive skin behind my ear, and I shiver. Oh God. This is pure torture.
Sol is everywhere all at once, ravaging my body as though he’s on a race against time, and I take it all. I love it all. My whole body is on fire. I feel the telltale tingling sensation in my core, and I know it won’t be long. I run my hands through his hair, tugging it until he growls, “God, yes,” under his breath, hips thrusting, his movements less controlled. I know he’s close too.
Our eyes remain locked on each other as our ragged breathing escalates as we chase our release, climbing higher and higher. My orgasm hits me like a freaking tornado, destroying everything in its path. Sol shouts my name, and I shout his, our bodies rocked to the core.
Sol slumps down, his face buried into the crook of my neck. He wraps his arms around me and mutters something under his breath, I don’t know what, and presses his mouth to my shoulder. We stay like that, our sweaty bodies flush, as we come down from our high.
“That was incredible,” Sol murmurs in my ear when our breathing has returned to normal. “God, Gracie. You and me, we are like two stars burning across the galaxy, and when we collide, it’s so powerful.”
I kiss his jaw and laugh softly. “Well, this is new.”
He rolls from on top of me onto the other side of the bed and props his head in his palm. “What’s new?”
“You waxing poetic after sex.”
He laughs. “Smart-ass.” His fingers stroke up and down my hip. “I’ll be ready to go again in five minutes.”
“Really? Five minutes?”
He peeks at me. “I’m making up for all the times we weren’t together.”
And true to his word, Sol is up and ready to go in exactly five minutes. And I give myself to him willingly.
Hours later, I walk into the candle-lit bathroom where Sol is waiting for me inside the tub brimming with bubbles. His eyes roam my naked body, a slow smile curving his lips. Feeling conscious, I cross my arms over my chest to cover my breasts. He shakes his head, his expression softening.
Something in his face, the way he’s looking at me like he wants to grab me and devour me gives me a boost of confidence. I drop my arms and straighten.
Squashing the nerves, I skim my teeth along my bottom lip. I hope I’m coming off as a siren and not an idiot. “Like what you see?”
He nods, his darkened gaze roaming my body like he can’t get enough. “I love what I see. Get in here so I can kiss you. Maybe cop a feel or two.”
I laugh. “We’ve done more than cop a feel in the past—oh my God. How many hours has it been since you agreed to marry me?”
Smiling, he holds out his hand for me. “I can’t believe you beat me to it. If Ivan gets wind of this, he’s going to bust my balls.”
Settling down between his thighs, I tip my head back to meet his eyes. “For once, I did something right.”
His brows dip immediately. He grips my chin, and says in a low, rumbly voice, “I don’t want to ever hear you say that again, Gracie. You did something right when you gave me—us—a second chance even though I was a bit slow catching up.”
Tears burn my eyes. Gosh, why is he so sweet? I jerk my chin from his grip, but his fingers tighten.
“Did you hear what I just said?” Before I can answer, his mouth slams on mine and he kisses me as if he’s about ready to pull the answer from me. Then he pulls back slightly and waits.
Inhaling deeply, I nod. “I should have waited for you. I should have trusted you enough to know that you’d come back to me.”
He shakes his head. “We both made mistakes. I was a complete mess and a selfish jackass.” He huffs a self-deprecating laugh. Then he snakes his arms around my shoulders, pulls me to his chest, and kisses my shoulder. “But all that shit we went through got us to where we are right now. You in my arms, that’s all that matters. I love where I am. I couldn’t be any happier. Soul deep, remember?” He repeats the words he said to me this morning. A vow that we’re it for each other.
“Soul deep.” I kiss his bicep, then nip the skin there. “I love where I am too.”
The tip of his finger draws circles above my right breast, but he doesn’t say anything.
“A penny for your thoughts?” I ask. “I can hear the wheels in your head turning.”
He clears his throat. “It’s nothing. I just enjoy holding you like this.” I tilt my head to meet his gaze. There’s something there. I lift my brows in question, and he sighs. “You mentioned children before, and, um, is this still on the table?”
I think back on what I said before I proposed, and my stomach tightens. The thought of having children terrifies me. I’m scared they might end up having the same gene as my biological father. And Sol knows about my fear.
“It’s okay if it’s not,” he says fast as if he’s worried I’ll change my mind. “I want you in my life, children or not.”
Pulling away from his hard chest, I shift around in the tub until we’re face-to-face. He scoots forward, leaving enough space for me to wrap my legs around his back. Then I cup his jaw and kiss his mouth once.
“I want to grow old with you. I want to give you everything you want. God knows you deserve everything, Solomon Callan.” I swallow, forcing the lump in my throat down. Am I brave enough to defeat my fear? Is it all just in my head?
Sol squeezes my thigh. “But?” His brows are pulled so low my heart hurts just looking at him.
“What if . . .?” I start. I don’t want to hide my fears from Sol, and I don’t want to bury my emotions anymore. Sol waits patiently for my next words. “I’m scared, Sol. What if I’m like my biological father? What if I pass that on to my child?”
Sol cups my face. “Grace. You’re nothing like that man.”
“But—”
Sol gently places a finger over my lips, effectively shutting me up. “No buts. I know you, Grace. I know your heart. There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that you’ll make a good mother. Our kids would be lucky to have you as their mom. You’re strong and kind, smart and determined. You love hard and fight hard for those you love.”
But what if it’s not enough? What if the bad genes still manage to seep through? What if I screw them up somehow, and they end up hating me?”
“Do you trust me?” he questions.
I nod. “More than anything.”
“Then trust me when I say we’re in this together. I can’t promise you that we won’t make mistakes. All parents do. But I can promise you that you aren’t alone. I can promise you that we’ll figure it out together and that our children will be so loved they won’t know what to do with it all. I have all the confidence in you. You’re the best woman I know.” Sol relaxes back in the water. “You also make kick-ass waffles and have great taste in music. It got me to fall in love with you.”