Three Years Later
Emma sat in her SUV, peering out the front windshield. It was hard to believe that in three short years, she’d managed to stay sober, find a man who was beyond her wildest dreams, and marry him.
A smile curved her lips as her gaze took in the “cabin.” It was too big to be called that, but what did one expect when married to a man who ran a centuries-old, billion-dollar wine empire?
She grabbed her handbag and a gift bag from the passenger seat and pushed open the door, making her way up to the house. With each step up the pathway to the wide front porch, butterflies flapped in her belly.
The house was quiet as she set her purse down on the side table. Her boot heels clicked on the hardwood as she walked through the house, looking for her handsome husband.
“Shane?” she called out. “Where are you?” His black Land Rover was parked in the driveway, so he was here. She chuckled at the thought that she’d lost him again in the house.
“Upstairs.”
Judging by where his voice came from, he was in his office. Emma jogged up the stairs that overlooked the two-story living room, gift bag in hand, her smile turning into a grin. The excitement at seeing him when they’d been apart hadn’t waned. Even when he’d aggravated her in some way, she still couldn’t wait to see his stupidly gorgeous face.
She walked to the end of the hallway, where his office took up a large corner room, and leaned on the doorjamb. A curl of desire started low in her belly watching Shane focused so intently on the monitor in front of him.
Shane did all things with focus and intensity, and she was often the lucky recipient of that focus.
“Yeah, that’ll be fine.” His gaze snagged hers, and even though his voice was professional in nature, his eyes darkened to a decidedly unprofessional nature. His stare held hers while he said, “Listen, something just came up. Send the email to my assistant, and she’ll get a call on the schedule. Thanks.”
He disconnected from the call, and in one fluid movement, he swiveled his chair and rose from it. His movements were slow and predatory as he rounded the large dark wood desk. He leaned against the front of it, crossing his muscular arms over his chest. “Hello, Emmaline.”
Desire kicked up a notch when he spoke to her in that deep-timbred voice that dripped with sex. He was casual today, a black T-shirt covering his broad chest and shoulders. Dark jeans hugged his long legs, and his feet were bare. It wasn’t fair that every single part of this man was beautiful, but there was one thing she knew.
He was all hers.
“Hello, Shane.” She pushed off the doorjamb and walked toward him slowly, holding the bag behind her back.
The muscles of his forearms tightened and released as his eyes tracked up and down her body. “You look beautiful today.” He rubbed a hand over his mouth. “Can’t say I understand why I let you out of the house looking like that.”
She stopped and looked down at her work attire of a red button-down shirt and black pencil skirt that fell to just above her knee. And of course, the adorable ankle boots she’d snagged the last time she and Amelia went shoe shopping. “What, this old outfit?” She shrugged a shoulder. “Eh, nothing special.”
“Looks pretty special to me.” His ocean-blue eyes darkened to stormy-seas blue and he tapped a finger on his bicep. A bicep she wanted to bite. “How was your day?”
“It was good.” She walked forward, and the closer she got, he opened his stance for her to step right between his legs. “How was yours?”
“Better now that you’re here.” He settled his hands on her hips and squeezed. “What ya got behind your back, Peaches?”
“A gift for you.”
“I got all I need standing right in front of me.” Shane leaned forward and rubbed his nose along her neck. She tilted her head, her hair falling to the side. Her eyes closed when he dropped soft kisses on the sensitive spot under her earlobe. The scent that was uniquely Shane surrounded her as though wrapping her in an embrace.
“Shane…” His name came out as a whisper.
“You’re the only gift I want, Emmaline.” His hands moved from her hips to her ass, pulling her closer to him. Standing between his legs, Emma felt his hard length push against her stomach.
Lust shot through her knowing what he could do with all that barely restrained power. He could decimate her. Every. Single. Time.
She loved every minute of it.
Shane reached around her and took the bag from her, setting it on the far end of the desk.
“Hey,” she started to protest, “I wanted—”
“We’ll get to that in a minute. But first I want to kiss you.”
“Oh. Well, in that case. Kiss me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as his mouth slanted over hers. He squeezed her ass, and when her mouth opened on a gasp, his tongue slid against hers, their moans trapped between them.
Soon, kissing wasn’t enough. She wanted more of him, all of him. And he was the same. It was just the way it was with Shane.
Her hands went to the button of his jeans and his went to the zipper on the back of her skirt. When her skirt hit the floor and pooled at her ankles, she kicked it away. He made quick work of her buttons while she unzipped him and palmed his hard, warm cock.
God, she loved when he went commando. Made for such easy access.
With a low growl, Shane switched their positions and boosted her up on his desk, the hard wood cold beneath her ass. The contrast of heat in front of her and the cool beneath her heightened all the sensations. He stepped back and reached behind his neck to pull his T-shirt over his head, tossing the garment in the direction of her skirt.
She leaned back on her elbows and watched the play of muscles over his chest as he moved. He looked like he stepped off the pages of a magazine shoot in nothing but a pair of unbuttoned jeans, his hair all mussed up from her hands, and that sexy AF V at his hips.
She swallowed hard, and her breaths came in shallow pants. His eyes were dark and devoured her from the top of her head down to where the lower half of her body was bare, save for a tiny scrap of black lace covering her core.
“You’re still wearing too many clothes, Peaches. Let me fix that for you.”
While the look in his eyes was all caveman, Shane was an expert at taking it slow and torturing her. He moved forward between her legs and drew one hand up the center of her chest, along the buttons of her shirt. She bit her lip, the light caress driving her crazy through the silk. She was ready to rip the damn thing off, but when she raised her gaze to meet his, the hot stare kept her pinned to the wide desk.
With aching slowness, he popped the buttons one by one to the point that she was a writhing mess of want by the time he reached the last button and spread her shirt open. The cool air hit her chest and hardened her already diamond-hard nipples.
Shane stepped back and rubbed a hand over his mouth, a low growl coming from his throat. “I don’t think I’ll ever get over how beautiful you are, Emmaline.”
Ah yes. That was one of her husband’s greatest gifts. The ability to look like he would eat her up in two big bites and yet make her feel adored and treasured all at the same time. That was something she’d never get over.
His eyes tracked over her, and her skin heated under her black, lacy undergarments. Once he put his hands on her again, those pretty little things didn’t stand a chance. She crooked a finger at him, and he moved closer like a puppet on a string.
She sat up as he drew closer, and with her eyes on his, she pushed his jeans down so his cock could be freed from the confines. She moved her hand up and down the long length. The skin was soft and warm, and the thought of all that inside her sent her pulse racing higher.
“Hmmm…fuck, that feels good.” Shane closed his eyes and leaned his head back for a moment before bringing his gaze back to hers with a wicked smile on his lips. “Let me return the favor.”
His hands slid over her bare legs, and at the back of her knees, he hooked his arms under them. “These are some sexy boots, Peaches.”
“Hmmmm…” Words were hard for her when his head was between her thighs. And he hadn’t even touched her yet.
With a quick jerk, he pulled her to the edge of the desk. She sat back on her elbows while Shane kneeled in front of her. With that toe-curling, panty-melting grin of his, he leaned forward and pushed the lace aside, clasping his mouth to her clit.
She cried out with a start and gave herself over to all the feelings washing over her. The man was a god when it came to going down on her, and she wasn’t going to protest when he did it. He worked her over like the master he was, and when he slid two fingers inside her and did that magic little curl, she detonated.
“Shane, oh my God.” With one elbow lifting her up, the other hand slid through his dark hair, and she gripped hard, riding out the waves of her release.
When she stopped pulsing, he kissed his way up her body. At her breasts, he pulled down the cups, his tongue flicking her impossibly sensitive nipples.
“Shit,” she panted out. “Shane, quit teasing me. Please.”
If she didn’t love him with all her heart and soul and know the feeling was mutual, she might be humiliated by how much he made her beg. Instead, it just turned her on even more.
“Shhh…I got you, baby.”
He tugged hard on the lace, ripping it away from her body. She gasped when the bulbous head of his cock rubbed against her slick heat. She bucked her hips against his. “Please. You’re such a fucking tease.”
He chuckled and stroked himself against her a couple more times, ratcheting up her desire until he sank into her, balls deep.
“Yes…” Her moan was long and low, her head falling back in the ecstasy that consumed her.
“God, you feel amazing, Peaches. Every. Fucking. Time.”
He pulled out and slid back in, his groans animalistic. They found that rhythm, like they always did, the sounds of skin on skin and the smell of sex filling the room. She wrapped her legs around his waist, spurring him on, and leaned back on her elbows. He gripped the top of her shoulders, gaining more leverage, pounding into her body.
Soon, Shane’s cock grew impossibly larger inside of her, and she knew he was going to come soon. Another orgasm bore down on her, causing her to tighten around him.
“Yes, baby. Grip my cock.” He slammed into her one last time, setting both of them reeling. Stars formed behind her closed eyes, and Shane laid his forehead on her chest, both panting.
When their breathing came back to normal, he laid a kiss over her heart and lifted up to look down at her. “I love you, Emmaline.”
“I love you, Shane.”
He leaned down and dropped a sweet kiss on her lips, soft and slow, their bodies still joined. He pulled out, and she made a noise of discontent, causing him to smile.
“I know, babe. I already miss you too.”
They cleaned up, and when Emma walked back into his office fully dressed, Shane sat behind the desk in his chair, waiting.
She smiled, those butterflies appearing again, rolling in her belly. The gift bag sat on the edge of the table holding all she ever wanted and thought she’d never have.
“I have something for you.”
One side of his mouth quirked up, commanding in his chair like the powerful man he was. “I thought you just gave me something.”
She tilted her head and leveled him with a stare, causing him to chuckle.
“Guess I owe you a new pair.” Ruined black lace hung from his finger.
“Yes, you do,” she said primly, picking up the brown bag and walking around his desk to stand in front of him. “But it was worth it.”
His eyes flared again, and the picture of him—sitting in that big leather chair in nothing but a pair of worn jeans—caused a little ember of desire in her lower belly to spark to life.
Honestly, it was a wonder they ever got anything done.
“I’ll just keep these for now.” He lifted his hips up and shoved the lace scrap into the front pocket of his jeans.
She rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop the smile.
“So, what do we have?” He rolled the chair forward, caging his long legs around her. She leaned back on his desk and handed him the bag.
* * *
Shane
Shane Kavanaugh was a lucky man.
One of his favorite things to do was making his beautiful wife fall apart underneath him. Above him. On all fours. It didn’t matter. Hearing her moan, calling out his name was better than any feeling he’d known. Life was never boring with Emma. It was excitement in a way that he’d never experienced.
He loved simply being with her. Listening to her laugh, watching her move, her challenging him both in and out of the office. And the giving spirit she had after coming through hell. It was one of the most admirable traits of his wife.
Just like now. She’d rocked his world with that body of hers, and while he should be on his hands and knees worshipping her, she stood before him handing him a gift.
With a grin, he took the brown paper bag by the handle and set it in his lap. Inside was a white square box. It had some weight to it. When he pulled it out, he lifted a brow to her. “It’s heavy.”
Emma bit her lip but didn’t say anything, her movements still. He wondered what he was holding that would make his little peach look like she wanted to bolt. Or be sick.
He opened the box and pulled out the short glass, wrapped in clear bubble wrap. He tossed the box on the desk and let the cylinder roll out of the wrap and into his palm. A small, square paper sat inside the glass.
“Read the glass first.” Emma’s voice wobbled, and when he looked up, her eyes were shining and on him.
What the fuck was going on? Must have been written all over his face because she just shook her head. “Please just read it. Then open the paper.”
His brow furrowed as he lifted the whiskey glass up to read the white etching on the side of it. There was an X in the middle, with the letters A D D etched around the X and the word “Established” and the current year at the bottom.
A D D and the year? What the hell did ADD…
Oh. Shit.
His gaze ran over the letters again, reading them from left to right. They didn’t spell add, they spelled DAD.
His jaw dropped, and his blue eyes met her whiskey-colored ones.
“Is this…” He swallowed against the ball of emotion lodged in his throat.
“Now you can look at the paper.”
With shaking fingers, Shane pulled out the square of paper and opened it. The name of the local medical center OB/GYN office was at the top along with her name and vitals. Farther down the paper, he found the line she’d highlighted.
Pregnancy test (hcg) = POSITIVE
Shane blinked, reading the line again and again, praying that this wasn’t a dream. He cleared his throat and looked up at her. “You’re carrying my baby?”
Emma rolled her lips inward and nodded.
He stood, putting the glass and paper down on the desk next to her hip. Her head turned, watching his movements carefully.
“Emma…” Caging her against the desk with his hips, he took her face in his hands, his thumbs caressing her bottom lip.
“Yes?” Her long dark lashes were moist with unshed tears, and her golden-brown eyes were bright.
“I don’t think I could love you any more than I do right now.”
“So…so you’re happy about it?”
He dropped to his knees in front of her, holding her hips in his hands. Leaning forward, he unzipped her skirt again, pushing it down far enough to where he could kiss the skin covering her flat belly.
“Happy doesn’t begin to cover the emotions I’m feeling right about now. You’re having my baby.” His eyes met hers, and he spanned one large hand over where their baby’s heart beat inside her. “This was something I thought I’d never have a chance to have. And you gave it to me.”
“Oh, Shane. I love you so much.”
He stood up, and Emma threw her arms around his neck before lifting up on her toes and taking his mouth with hers.
Shane moved his arms down and wrapped them around her waist, pulling her closer to him as their kiss deepened.
But it was a different kiss. One filled with all the passion they always had, but this time, it was also filled with more love than Shane ever knew could exist in his heart for any one person.
His gut told him this may be the first time he felt it, this adoration for another human. But it wouldn’t be the last.
After all they went through, the trouble they’d endured, they’d come out the other side, and now they’d have a tiny part of each other to share it with.
A lucky man, indeed.
