She’d smile at me first, before moaning my name when I slam my cock into her at a relentless pace.
Except—no.
Fraser won’t live forever in the conditions I’ve left him in.
He doesn’t get to depart from this world without paying his dues.
“Okay, then,” I say. “Which one’s your favorite so far?”
“Well…”
“Lilith.”
She whimpers at the faux-warning, and my cock throbs.
And yet she doesn’t give me an answer.
“If you won’t tell me, you’ll be punished.” I run my thumb over the plastic tubing of my stethoscope, imagining it’s her delicate neck. “No more hard fucks. No more biting or breath play. In fact, I’m going to be gentle. So fucking gentle.”
There’s nothing wrong with being soft. But while it’s some people’s thing, most of the time, Lilith needs me to match the feral, wild, unhinged side of her.
Which is why I’ll never deny her.
It’s just that I like hearing her gasp when I tease her. Like she does now.
Also…whether she answers me or not, after I’m done with Fraser, I’ll do anything she wants.
But first.
“So,” I start again, returning to what I was trying to say earlier. “Lilith, you deserve to feel special. Appreciated. Worshipped. Spoiled fucking rotten. That’s what the gifts are for. They’re not me sayingI’ve got better things to do, so here, take this. Not at all.”
The line goes silent, then she sniffles, and I could die. It’s like she doesn’t think she deserves it.
“Oh,” she pipes out eventually, breaking my heart.
“ThatOhis why I got you these gifts today.” I square my shoulders and sit taller. This part of the conversation matters too much to slouch through, whether she sees me or not. “To show you, with more than my attention, how important you are to me. That even on my busiest days, nothing will stop me from taking care of you.”
“Your T-shirts that smell like your cologne.” Her breath hitches. She sniffles again. “That’s my answer. My favorite gift. Because you packed them yourself. Unless you’re here, I’m going to inhale them all the time.”
A short, surprised laugh bursts out of me. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Loveit. It’s perfect.” She gasps as if she just remembered something. “And the chef-prepared meals—you got all of mine and Hope’s favorites.”
“You two work hard, spending hours on your feet.” When I hear the beginning ofAlaric, the start of her protest, I cut her off. “And with the bakery still in the planning stages, I’m assuming there’s a lot on your plate. The least I can do is make sure you don’t have to worry about dinner. I just wish I’d thought of it sooner. From now on, they’ll be delivered daily to the apartment, even after you move in with me.”
“I’m moving in?”
I raise an eyebrow. “If it were up to me, you’d have movers in your apartment today.”
“Oh my God.” It’s her turn to laugh, the melodic sound sending warmth through me.
“We’ll discuss it later.” I pause, biting back a smile. “What did you think about the pillow?”
“You mean the…um…” She pulls in a breath. “The maternity pillow?”
She sounds like she’s blushing, which is so fucking sweet. And makes no sense. There’s no reason for her to get like that over a pillow unless…
“Lilith.” My cock throbs. My chest heats. I’m ready to throw my backpack on and head over there, and to hell with Fraser. “Are you pregnant?”