Page 78 of In Ruins
I see fucking red every time I think about what could have happened if I didn’t find her in time. The thought of my little girl being in the hands of that asshole makes me murderous.
I shift a little, moving my body closer to hers, spreading my hand wider over her belly, my touch possessive and protective.
This. Is. Mine.
She. Is. Mine.
Both of them are mine.
I will do whatever it takes to keep my little family safe.
Six months ago, she was just a tiny little thing, and now you can’t miss the life growing inside her. I love all the changes her body has made so far. Every fucking inch of her is sexy as hell, and I can’t ever seem to get enough of her body.
I lift up her nightie to expose her bare stomach to me, taking in the stretched flesh as I brush my thumb slowly across her smooth skin in a back-and-forth motion.
While I’m still mesmerized by her stomach, I feel a small movement before a limb pushes outward beneath my palm.Holy shit! I will never not be amazed at that sight.
“Well, good morning to you, too,piccolina,” I murmur to her stomach, letting out a quiet laugh when another kick follows. “I can already tell you’re going to be a handful and cause chaos when you’re older. Just make sure you take it easy on your old man when the time comes.”
Obviously, when she’s older, we’ll have to have this talk again, but I read that talking to the baby while they’re in the womb helps them become familiar with voices, and it promotes brain development.
“Mmm… You’re awake. What are you doing?” Aria asks, in a husky voice still tinged with sleep. She changes position, rolling over so she’s lying on her back as she looks up at me. “You woke her up, because that was quite the wake-up kick I got there.”
Her hand drifts down, placing her palm on top of mine that’s now resting on top of her belly, and the emotion in my chest is indescribable.
“I was talking to ourbambina. I guess she does love the sound of her daddy’s voice, which means it’s working.”
“What’s working?”
“I read that when you talk to the baby, they become familiar with voices and it helps with development too.”
“You read? What did you read?”
“I bought some baby books yesterday, and I read a few pages on the ride home,” I tell her. She looks like she has tears in her eyes.
“That’s so sweet.” She sniffles. “Don’t mind me. It’s these damn hormones.”
I lean down and capture her mouth in mine, giving her a soft kiss before pulling away. “Good morning,Tesoro.”
“Good morning,” she whispers, sleep still coating her voice.
“Feeling her kick is such a strange yet incredible thing,” I remark with a bit of wonder.
“I know what you mean. I’ve felt it so many times already, and I still can’t get used to the feeling,” she tells me with a smile.
“You okay? How are you feeling this morning? Did you sleep well?” I pepper her with questions because I want to know everything, even the smallest details, about how she is doing.
“I’m okay. I don’t feel as stressed as I was before. And yes, I slept well. Did you?” she asks.
“I’m glad you’re not as stressed anymore, but we need to get you to no stress. I did. I had the best night’s sleep with you in my arms,” I murmur, my hand gently rubbing circles on her stomach.
“That feels so good. By the way, I felt your hand on my belly all night,” she remarks.
“Oh yeah. Just keeping my baby safe in there. And not going to lie, I’m fucking obsessed with your pregnant stomach,” I say, a grin crossing my face.
“Is that one of your kinks or something?” she questions.
“Hell no. I’ve never even gotten hard at the sight of a pregnant woman before. I’m thinking it’s just you because every time I look at you, I’m as hard as a rock and ready to bang the shit out of you,” I state matter-of-factly.
