“What about it?” he nonchalantly replied.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t play dumb. How did it go?”

He chuckled and dug into his pocket. “I’m offended you’re asking,” he said. “Do I lose often?”

He didn’t give me a chance to respond. He pulled out a huge wad of cash and said, “Of course I won.”

I let out a breath in relief. We needed the money. Having a baby was expensive and we needed more baby supplies.

Seeing the relief on my face, his smile softened. “I’ll always make sure you’re taken care of, Allie. Trust in me.”

I nodded. “I know, and I do.”

Looking out of the room, he asked, “How’s the champ doing?”

“Go and check.”

He stepped out of the bedroom and into the room next door. It hadn’t been Ryker’s room for a few months now. It’d been stripped and turned into a baby room. I followed after him and watched him stop in front of the crib. He leaned over and stared at Kayden Lawson: my miracle. I was thirty nine weeks pregnant when he decided he wanted out. A seventeen hour labour later, he was born in the early morning of February 2nd, and the first thing he did was cry for food.

Heath stroked Kayden’s head, staring down at him with the softest eyes. He was smitten with Kayden – absolutely, undeniably smitten. It was remarkable seeing him so in love. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting after all of this, but it certainly wasn’t Heath stepping into daddy shoes.

I left him alone for a while to bond with him.  Sitting on my bed, I waited patiently for him to return while telling myself to be ready for sex again. The doctor had jumped straight on birth control the second I gave birth, and I opted for the pill. I wasn’t a fan of the way it made me hormonal and unbelievably emotional, but it was better than being a dumbass and relying solely on a condom like I did in the past.

Yeah, making smarter decisions was the number one goal for this year.

“You’re beautiful sitting there.”

I jumped and looked up at Heath standing in the doorway with a wistful smile on his face. I smiled back at him, already flushed by the intensity in his eyes. He wanted me.

Like now.

Like right this freaking second.

“You shouldn’t be so quiet, eavesdropping on me,” I remarked.

“I like watching you when you don’t think I’m looking.”

I laughed and replied, “That’s a little creepy.”

He chuckled. “Good kind of creepy though, right?”

“Everything that’s you is good.” I was dead serious saying that. Heath was perfection to me.

His smile faded a little as he muttered, “I don’t know that everything is good, but I want to be good for you.”

Something strange passed his features. Like he was truly uncertain of himself.

I got off the bed and went to him. He watched my every move, those eyes dropping lustfully down to my hips. As I stopped in front of him, I brushed my fingers along his lips, and said in seriousness, “You’ve been my rock for over a year. I haven’t seen anything bad in you. You’re the most selfless man I’ve ever met.”

Again, that look. He didn’t believe it. I wondered what was troubling him, because usually he’d play off any compliments I gave him with a cheeky remark. But now it was like he needed to hear them.

“And you’re the most understanding, remarkable woman I’ve ever been with,” he replied, his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “And,” he added, a small smirk playing along his lips once more, “I’m going to finally fuck the hell out of you.”

There he was, the Heath I knew so well.

Before I could respond, he was already leaning down to me. It never ceased to amaze me the affect he had on my body; it obeyed him long before I could even think to obey. My heart instantly sped up as he neared and tingles swept my body the second I could feel his heat. His rough hand went to the back of my neck as he pulled me to him. His mouth smashed against mine, taking no time before probing my mouth with his tongue. I sank into him, unable to resist the taste of him.

His hand travelled the length of me as he pressed my back against the door, covering every inch of my body with all of him. I felt my night gown shoot up, and his fingers travelled to my inner thighs. Jesus, I was already drenched. My body responded before my brain could even form a coherent thought. Weeks without this had been agony, and I could feel how desperate he was for it.

He rubbed me lightly, causing sparks to shoot through me. I panted against his mouth and gripped a chunk of his shirt to me. “Yes, please,” I moaned.

“Yes, please what?” he strained out.

“Don’t stop.”

It was only seconds of feel good heaven when he pulled away. I was so outraged, I might have cried. I’d just told him not to stop, goddammit!

I opened my eyes and watched him take several steps back, motioning to the bed as he grabbed the hem of his shirt and threw it over his head. Fuck me, he was beyond words could describe. I had this strange urge to just lick him everywhere, and you didn’t have to tell me that was weird – I already knew it was weird. It was weird just thinking it right then and there.

“Get in bed, or I’ll have to fuck you against the door,” he said with a hint of a smile.

He knew I was malleable in his hands. The second he touched me I was completely undone. He could take me on the roof in front of everyone and I don’t think I’d mind. So I made a beeline for the bed and jumped onto it. He laughed behind me at my excitement as he undid his belt and pulled down the zipper of his jeans.

“Take your clothes off,” he demanded hungrily. “I want to see all of you. Fuck, I want to taste every inch of you, Allison. It’s been way too long.”

He wanted to taste me too. I wasn’t all that weird then.

My heart beat faster as I rested my back down and stared at him. I didn’t want my clothes off. He might run the other way.

“Don’t you like my night gown?” I innocently asked.

Kicking his shoes off, he nodded and answered, “Hell fuck yeah, I like your night gown, but I’d like you better with it off.”

I didn’t respond. Instead, I watched him strip down to his black, tight briefs. My mouth went dry at the sight of him. My knight wasn’t packaged in shining armour. He was raw, hard, and had the most delicious fuck me eyes I’d ever seen. No one would think this tattooed hulk of a man had a heart of gold. But he did. He had a soul I was still trying to possess all of. I wanted him more with every passing day, and I could only pray that he wanted me too. Because lord knew some days it seemed this was all too good to be true.