“Will you make love to me?” I asked.
Reed tilted my chin up and looked into my eyes. “Yes…but only after we open presents.”
He quickly kissed my lips, and then he reached around and slapped my ass, causing me to let out a scream and jump.
“Now, get your beautiful pregnant ass dressed and in front of the Christmas tree in five minutes, woman, or no sex for you.”
I let out a laugh as I watched my husband retreat from the bedroom to go back to the kitchen. I headed into the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and got dressed in my comfy sweatpants from Victoria’s Secret and one of Reed’s T-shirts. As I started to walk out of the bedroom and toward the kitchen, I was stopped in my tracks.
Is that Christmas music? I walked closer to the kitchen and stopped again as I placed my hand over my mouth.
Reed was in the kitchen…singing.
I leaned up against the wall and tried to settle my beating heart. His voice was amazing.
How did I not know my own husband has such an amazing voice?
When he walked out of the kitchen, he stopped and looked at me. “What’s wrong? Are you okay, Court?”
I nodded my head and wiped away my tears. “I’m more than okay. I’m so more than okay.”
Reed smiled as he held out his hand, and I placed mine in his. We walked out into the living room, and I let out a gasp. I looked around at all the gifts and started to cry again.
“Where? When? How did you get all this here?” I looked around and saw a swing, a bassinet, a crib, a changing table, and an endless amount of presents under the tree.
My eye was drawn back over to the crib. I walked up to it and ran my hand along it. It was the most beautiful crib I’d ever seen. “Reed, is this handmade?”
He nodded his head and said, “Yep, by a guy in Fredericksburg. His name is Josh. Super nice guy, and he does amazing work. He made all the furniture in both Layton’s office and mine.”
“It’s so beautiful. I just don’t even have words for it. What type of wood is it?”
Reed smiled as he walked up to the wood crib. “It’s hickory, and you can use it in three stages as they grow.”
The crib had a paneled backboard with the most amazing details carved on it. The base and feet had curved embellishments that were elegant but still simple.
“Do you like it? The changing table is the same wood and design.”
I felt the tears building, and I fought like hell to control them. I nodded my head and whispered, “I love it. I love all of it.”
I turned and looked into his eyes. They were filled with tears as he smiled that beautiful smile of his. Right in that moment, I felt the flutter in my stomach again, and I lost it and began crying. Reed’s smile disappeared as he reached for me and pulled me over to him. He sat down on the sofa, and I sat on his lap.
“Baby, are those happy tears?” He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear and then ran his hand down the side of my face.
I quickly nodded my head and wiped away my tears. “I felt the baby again, and seeing you smiling at me and…” I pointed to all the gifts. “Well…I just love you so much. Reed, I really hope you know how much I love you.”
He smiled as he pulled me down to kiss him. The kiss was slow and passionate and filled with nothing but love flowing from each of our bodies.
He pulled back and said, “I just have to know something.”
“Anything,” I said.
“Are you as happy as Alexa?”
“Alexa?” Why is he asking about a fictional character in a book?
“Yeah, from The Marriage Bargain.”
“Oh, Reed…” I quickly moved and straddled him. “You do know that I would never, ever compare you to a fictional character, right? I love you for who you are”—I placed both my hands on his chest—“in here. I love you for how incredibly sweet, caring, stubborn, hardheaded, oh-so romantic, and hardheaded you are.”
“You already said hardheaded,” he said with a smile.
“Don’t interrupt me when I’m on a roll,” I said with a wink.
Reed looked down and then looked back up into my eyes. His blue-green eyes were sparkling, and I found myself getting lost in them.
“Do you remember all those things I promised you? My goals for us?” he asked.
I smiled and nodded my head. “Yes.”
He took a deep breath and said, “The most important one for me is making you feel safe and happy. I want to give you your happily ever after, Court. I just want to love you with everything I have.”
I swallowed hard and slowly took in a deep breath. I leaned into his body, and I pulled his lower lip with my teeth. He let out a soft moan that moved through my body, like silk sliding against bare skin.
I let go and whispered against his lips, “I never dreamed I would be this happy, Reed. You’ve already made so many of my dreams come true.” I placed his hand on my stomach. “This one has to be at the very top though,” I said with a giggle. “Don’t you see, Reed? The first time you held me in your arms and told me you loved me was the beginning of my happily ever after. Your love is my happily ever after.”
His eyes were dancing in the sunlight as he smiled and said, “And my swooning?”
I giggled as I shook my head. “Nick who?”
“That’s right, baby,” Reed said as he moved me to a lying position on the sofa.
He began kissing me everywhere as his hands moved all along my body, and then he slowly undressed both of us. When I finally felt him enter my body, I let out a moan.
I’d never felt so free in my life. Every fear, hurt, and confused memory vanished from my mind. Reed making love to me was almost like a healing process. Each time, I felt more and more whole, and now, I felt complete.
“Reed…” I whispered as he moved in and out of my body slowly. “I’m yours—completely.”
He looked at me as he came to a stop. Feeling him twitch inside my body was like a drug to me. I needed to feel him every single day.
He placed his hands on the sides of my head and said, “I’m completely yours.” He captured my lips, and we slowly made love. When he moved his lips to my ear, he whispered, “I’m about to come, angel.”
I lost it. I softly called out his name as we lost ourselves in each other…completely.
When I heard my truck driving down the road, I looked and then glanced over toward Layton. He jumped up and pulled out his cell phone. Courtney put the truck in park and got out of it. She waved to us as she made her way over. She looked so damn cute in her overalls and pregnant belly. She smiled at me, and my stomach dropped a little, doing that little flutter. I loved how she could still make me feel this way, even when I’d just seen her a few hours ago.