Page 33 of Wedding Contract
I force her head back onto my shoulder and flip the coverlet over our bodies. “It’s not a junky pottery bowl. It’s a work of art, and my home needed some color. Besides, it wasn’t a theft, more like a borrowing.”
“Are you bringing it back?”
“We’re married,” I remind her. “It’s both of ours now.”
A small laugh leaves her. “That’s how this works?” A smile pulls at her lips, making me want to kiss her.
“Everything I have is yours.” That's how I want us to be. All of us wrapped up in each other.
“I love the sound of that.” She leans over and kisses me. Belle is so damn sweet. I don't deserve her. I'd even tricked her into this marriage, and maybe I should feel guilty, but I don't. It brought us here. Belle and I both need each other. We fit.
“I love how that sounds too,” I tell her. When it comes to Belle, there isn't one thing I don't love.
Epilogue
ANNABELLE
Istand in the doorway watching Charles rock our baby girl to sleep. He puts everything into what he does. I couldn't have asked for a better husband or father to our children, and we have three already. I'm more than sure there will be a few more in time, but we're spreading them out, wanting each one to get the attention they deserve.
When he lifts his head and our eyes lock, I get that flutter inside of me that only he can provoke. It doesn't matter how many years we've been together, it's still there as strong as ever. He slowly stands as he carries our daughter over to the crib and gently puts her down before coming to me.
“I thought you'd be a little longer,” he says before he kisses me, not giving me a chance to respond until he finally lifts his mouth from mine.
“I missed you.”
I'm sure many would call us codependent. We spend most of our time together. He's my best friend. We want to be together. His office is even at home. It's rare when he has to go out for a business meeting. He's really slowed down. At least that's what I've been told. Before we married, he was always working. Now the family and I come first to him. Everything else can wait.
It’s been so healing to have that from him. My experience with my own family was never good. They never cared for me. I was the frumpy sister that would never amount to anything. It’s comical when I think about it now. I’m where my sisters would die to be in their own lives in my personal and social life. But I have no interest in the things that they want from the life I have with Charles. I’d give everything away to simply have him. I know that he’d do the same for us.
“Are the boys asleep?” His hands slide to my ass.
“They went down quickly. You wore them out today.” He'd taken them all over the city earlier, to a museum and the park before they'd brought dinner home for all of us.
I’d wanted to finish a few pieces I’ve been working on. One of the luxuries of being married to a very wealthy man is that I can pursue the things I love, and Charles encourages it. Even if it does mean he got a sweater for Christmas with one arm longer than the other. Don’t judge me, I’m still learning. And he still wears it. Every time he does, I can’t help but love him more. He’s always so encouraging and supportive of me.
He lifts me off my feet, and I wrap my legs around him as he carries me through the house and to our bedroom. Charles lays me out on the bed, pulling the tie on my robe so it falls open. I hadn't bothered putting anything on after I'd taken a quick shower before I went to find him.
“How do you always manage to get more beautiful?” His hands run up my hips.
“You mean bigger?” I laugh.
“I will always take more of my wife.”
“Charles.” I cup his face with my hand. “You are far too smooth with your words.”
“It's true.” His fingers graze across my stomach, where a few stretch marks linger from pregnancy. “This body is my wholeworld. You carry it all.” I grip his shirt and pull him down for a kiss.
No one makes me feel so special and needed. Everyone should have that in life. I didn't know how badly I needed it until it was there, and I'm not sure how I ever managed to live without it.
“I think it's time for my dessert,” he says when he breaks the kiss and his mouth starts to travel down my body.
“I offered to share my ice cream,” I say, licking my lips and watching him.
“This is what I wanted.” He spreads my thighs wide to make room for his broad frame before his mouth descends upon me.
My hips buck as I dig my fingers into his hair. “Always tastes so fucking delicious,” Charles says against my pussy.
The man knows my body better than I do. It doesn't take him long to make me come, but he keeps going, always wanting more. If I let him, he'd live with his face permanently planted there. When a second orgasm hits me, I jerk back, trying to pull away, my clit overly sensitive.
