Hearts in Darkness Collection by Laura Kaye

Chapter Twenty-Four

“This is my favorite Valentine’s Day ever,” Makenna said, sitting in the rocking chair as Caden drove in the last screw on the baby’s crib. What could be more romantic than the father of her child whole-heartedly throwing himself into decorating the baby’s nursery? They’d been working on it for hours, both of them perfectly content to just be at home together on this day that was all about celebrating love.

They’d gone with a red, yellow, and light blue color scheme and a fireman and Dalmatian dog theme. Makenna’s guess had been right—they were having a boy. Caden had teared up upon seeing the ultrasound and learning the news—it was one of the sweetest things Makenna had ever seen.

Caden’s smile brought out his dimples. “Oh, yeah? Me too.”

She popped a piece of chocolate from a big box he’d given her into her mouth, and looked around at what used to be Caden’s spare bedroom. She’d moved into his house the week after she’d been released from the hospital. Caden had insisted, and Makenna had fallen in love with him even more for how much he’d been doting on her.

“There,” he said. “All done.” He rose and slid the crib into place against the wall, then settled the mattress inside.

“It’s coming together so nicely,” she said, looking up at the mobile with its hanging fireman’s helmet, Dalmatian, fire hydrant, and fire truck. “Such a cute room.”

“I have an idea.” Caden disappeared for a moment and returned with the stuffed bear she’d gotten him all those months ago. “I think this guy should go in here. The baby’s very first bear. A gift from his mom and his dad.”

“Have I told you lately how sweet you are?” she asked as he placed it in the crib.

He gave her a sheepish smile and knelt in between Makenna’s thighs. “Our son deserves everything.” He pressed a kiss to her belly—she wasn’t very big yet, but there was no mistaking that she was pregnant. “And so do you.”

She rubbed her hand over her short hair. “We all do,” she said. “And we have it.”

Leaning closer, Caden cupped her cheek and kissed her, a slow press of lips and a soft slide of tongues. “You taste fucking delicious,” he said.

“I do?” she whispered, her arms wrapping around his neck.

He nodded and deepened the kiss. Then he tracked kisses from her cheek to her jaw to her ear.

“Watching you being all handy and domestic is really hot,” she said, smiling.

He chuffed out a laugh against her neck. “Like that, do you?”

“A lot.” She nodded.

“Any time you want me to hammer, drill, or screw, you just let me know,” he said.

Makenna laughed. “I want those all the time, Caden. Don’t you know?”

A mischievous grin on his face, he rose and pulled her up with him. Kissing her again, he walked them out of the nursery and into their bedroom. Boxes of her stuff lined one wall—slowly, but surely, they were getting her settled in. “Tell me what you want.” His dark eyes blazed at her.

“You,” she said, pulling her shirt over her head. “Just you.”

He kissed her shoulder, the swell of her breast, her nipple through her bra. “You have me,” he said. “You always have.” He unclasped her bra and flicked his tongue over one nipple than the other.

Before long, they were both naked and Caden was pressing her back onto the bed. He dropped to his knees and pushed her thighs apart. The look on his face was pure masculine hunger as he leaned in. He kissed her thighs, her hip bone, the skin just above her pubic hair, driving her crazy and making her need him even more. And then he pressed a firm kiss against her clit, and Makenna couldn’t help but thrust her hips.

“You want me to put my mouth on you here?” he asked, his breath ghosting over her most sensitive skin.

“God, yes,” she said, looking down her body at him. He was so fucking sexy, his big shoulders filling up the space between her thighs, that harsh face peering at her with such intensity.

“Say it,” he said. “Tell me what you want.”

“I want you to make me come with your mouth,” she rasped.

“Fuck, yes,” he said, and then he was on her. Licking, sucking, relentless, driving her out of her mind. He penetrated her with one thick finger, then with another, his fingers moving inside her as he sucked hard on her clit and flicked it with his tongue. His lip piercing pressed against her flesh, a feeling that always drove her wild.

Makenna cried out and grasped his head, holding him to her, pressing him down. “God, I’m going to come already.”

He growled his approval and sucked her harder, faster.

She held her breath as her orgasm washed over her in wave after wave. “Holy shit,” she rasped.

“Again,” he said, a mischievous glint in his eye, his pierced eyebrow arched. He angled his fingers inside her and hit a place that sent her flying.

“Jesus,” she rasped. “That’s so freaking good.”

As he worked his fingers deep inside, he flicked his tongue over her clit hard and fast. He reached his other hand up her body and grasped her breast, his fingers stroking and squeezing her sensitive nipple. Makenna’s body wound back up fast, arousal and lust and love lancing through her for this man. This gorgeous, sweet, damaged man. Her Caden.

“So good, so good, so good,” she said, her hips moving, her heart racing.

“Come on my tongue, Makenna,” Caden gritted out. “I want it.”

The need and arousal in his tone shoved her closer to the edge. And then he angled his fingers to stroke that spot inside her again and again.

She came on a scream, her body shaking and the room spinning. Turned out that pregnant sex had some fun benefits—she found it easier to have multiple orgasms and they were so much more intense. Makenna reached her hands out to Caden.

He crawled up over her and pushed her up against the pillows until he could settle between her parted legs. “Love you so fucking much,” he said, taking himself in hand. He leaned down and kissed her, an urgent kiss filled with heat and love and need, and then his cock was right there and sliding deep.

“Love you, too,” Makenna moaned, arching beneath him. Hearing him say that would never get old. Finding him in that elevator had been such a gift.

Arms braced on either side of her shoulders, Caden’s hips moved in a slow, grinding rhythm. His gaze dropped down to where he disappeared inside her. “Looks so fucking hot,” he rasped. “Feels so good inside you.”

She ran her hands down his strong sides to his ass, his muscles clenching beneath her grip. “Harder,” she whispered, needing more of him, needing all of him.

“Don’t wanna hurt you,” he said.

“You won’t,” she said. “Need you so much.”

“Jesus,” he said, coming down all the way on top of her. His hands slid beneath her ass, tilting her hips, and then his hips were flying—hard, fast, delicious. Every impact ground against her clit until Makenna was panting and digging her fingers into his shoulders. “You own me, Red. Do you know that?” he whispered against her ear. “There isn’t a part of me that isn’t yours completely.”

The words squeezed her heart and made her soul fly. “I feel the same way, Caden. You’re everything to me.”

“Fuck,” he growled, his hips moving faster. “It’s too good.”

She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels into his ass. “Come in me. I want to feel it.”

He circled his hips, the new sensation suddenly pushing her closer to orgasm. “Oh, God.”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t stop,” she whispered. “Don’t stop.”

“You gonna come for me again?” he asked, kissing her ear.

All she could do was moan as sensation twisted faster and faster low in her belly.

“Aw, so fucking tight,” he rasped.

And then she was crying out and coming, her body gripping his.

“Yes, Makenna, yes. I’m coming. Coming so fucking hard,” he said, his voice low and gritty. His cock pulsed inside her as his hips slowed and jerked.

When their bodies calmed, he eased from inside her and rolled them over until she was laying half on top of him, his arm around her shoulder and holding her close.

“I never thought I would have all this, Makenna,” he said, kissing her forehead. “It’s more than I ever hoped for.” He tilted her chin up so he could look her in the eyes, eyes that were lighter and more unburdened than she’d ever seen them. Since they’d moved in together, he’d told her everything he’d done to get himself healthier while they’d been apart. And she was so proud of him, proud that he’d had the courage to look all that darkness in the face and still manage to find the light. “You’re more than I ever hoped for.”

She stroked her hand over his scar, her chest so full of love for this man she wasn’t sure how she contained it inside her. “I’m going to spend the rest of my life making you happy.”

He pressed her hand to his mouth and kissed her palm. “You know what, Red? You already do.”