All That Matters

by E. L. Todd

  “Give it to me,” I said in a husky voice.

  He gripped the headboard above me and made a loud moan as he gave his final thrust. His dick throbbed inside me as he released, pumping everything he had.

  I could feel the warmth between my legs. I liked feeling him there.

  When he finished he released the headboard then buried his face into my neck, catching his breath.

  My legs hooked around his waist and locked at the ankles. The muscles of his stomach felt like concrete when they were pressed against me. He had the nicest physique, full of hard muscle and power. I wanted to feel him on top of me every second of the day.

  He kissed the skin over my heart before he lay beside me. Even though he was hot he pulled me into his chest and hooked his arm around my waist. I was stuck to him like a magnet. He never wanted me anywhere else but beside him. Now he would stare at me for the next hour before he was ready for another round. “Thank you for giving me this…”

  Despite his vague words I knew what he meant. “Thank you for not giving up on me.”

  “Never.” He kissed my forehead and left his lips there for a long time. “I’m sorry about everything—”

  “No more apologies. Let’s move on.” Focusing on the past was pointless. We needed to look toward our future, the bright one we would have together. “It’s a clean slate—for both of us.”

  A slight smile was on his lips, but the real joy was in his eyes. “My wife is an incredible woman.”

  “Then you must be an incredible man for getting me to settle down.”

  He pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth before he settled down beside me, his arms around my waist.

  Just when I closed my eyes my phone rang. My eyes immediately opened and a sigh escaped my lips.

  “Who’s calling us on our honeymoon?” Arsen said with a grown.

  “It must be important.” I grabbed my phone off the nightstand without leaving his embrace. My dad’s name was on the screen so I answered it, trying not to think about the fact I was naked with Arsen. “Hey, Dad.”

  “Hey, sweetheart,” he said cheerfully. “I’m sorry to bother you. I know you’re on your honeymoon.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. What’s up?”

  Arsen cuddled closer to me and pressed a kiss to my shoulder.

  “Well, Abby misses her dad,” he said in a low voice. “She’s been asking for him…”

  “Awe…” Neither one of us checked in with her so she was probably confused.

  “I think it’s best if she talks to you one of you,” Dad said. “She keeps asking if you’ll come back…”

  Lydia popped into my mind. She told Abby she’d pick her up from school but she never made it. It was no wonder why Abby was a little scared the same thing would happen again. We’d been gone for five days, which was the longest Abby had been separated from her father. “Of course. Put her on the phone.”

  Abby’s sweet voice came over the line. “Silke?”

  “Hey, sweetheart. Daddy and I miss you so much.”

  Arsen sat up and whispered to me. “Is that Abby?”

  I held up a finger and told him to wait a second.

  “When are you coming home?” Abby asked.

  “In a few days,” I said. “We’ll be back before you know it.”

  “Can I talk to Daddy?”

  “Sure. Hold on.” I handed him the phone. “Abby misses you.”

  He immediately took the call like a concerned parent. “Hey, sweetheart. How are you?”

  Abby’s voice could be heard over the phone. “I want you to come home…”

  “You aren’t having fun with Grandma and Grandpa?” he asked.

  “Yeah…but I miss you.”

  He released a heartfelt sigh. “I miss you too, sweetheart. It’ll just be for a few more days.”

  “You promise you’re coming back?”

  Arsen closed his eyes like that was the most painful thing he ever heard. “Yes, I promise.”

  “Why couldn’t you take me with you?”

  “It’s a grown up thing, Abby,” he said in a delicate voice. “But when I get back we’ll do lots of fun stuff together. Okay?”

  “Okay…”

  “We’ll be home soon,” he said. “Just be patient and have fun with Grandma and Grandpa.”

  “Alright,” she said.

  “Love you, sweetheart.”

  “Love you too,” Abby said with a sad voice.

  Arsen kept the phone to his ear until Abby hung up. Then he tossed it on the nightstand, no longer looking happy like he did a moment ago.

  “She’ll be alright, Arsen.”

  “It makes me sad that she’s scared.”

  “It’s not because of you. You know that.”

  He nodded, still looking blue.

  I snuggled into him and rubbed his chest. “It’s just a few more days. Then we can spend every day with her until she gets sick of us.” I gave him a smile to cheer him up.

  “I don’t care if she gets sick of us. I’ll still spend every waking hour with her.” He kissed my temple then held me close. “Would you be mad at me if I said I wish she were here?”

  “Not at all.”

  “I’m yours, Silke. I just hope you don’t mind sharing me for the rest of your life.”

  I kissed the corner of his mouth. “I’m okay with being the other woman—in this instance.”

  ***

  When Arsen was in the shower I called my dad.

  “Hey, kid. Getting tired of him already? Don’t blame you.”

  I rolled my eyes even though he couldn’t see me. “Could you do me a huge favor? Like, an enormous one?”

  “Because paying for your college and your art gallery wasn’t enough?”

  “Okay…another huge favor?”

  He chuckled. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

  “Can you drive Abby up here? Get here before dinnertime?”

  Dad paused over the line. “You want me to drive Abby up there? And have her join your honeymoon?”

  “Arsen misses her. I do too.”

  “I’m guessing he doesn’t know about this phone call…”

  “No. I want to surprise him. Do you think you can do it, Dad? I know you probably have plans or something…”

  “I do have plans. But who cares. Of course I’ll drive her up.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.”

  “You know I’m wrapped around your little finger, Silke. I’ve been that way since you opened your blue eyes for the first time.”

  I knew that all too well. He did everything for Slade and I when we were growing up. “I do know.”

  ***

  Arsen stared at me like I was a freak. “What the hell are you doing?”

  I buttoned my jeans and pulled a shirt on. “What?”

  “Why are you wearing clothes? I don’t think we’ve worn clothes once this week.”

  “I just feel like it.” And I didn’t want to answer the door completely naked. “You should get dressed too.”

  “Because?” He sat up in bed, his chiseled physique looking even more appetizing from the glow of the fire.

  “Because I want to walk in the snow.”

  “In the almost dark?” he asked.

  “Yes.”

  His eyes were glued to mine and indecision fell over his gaze. He wanted to fight me on this but at the same time he didn’t. “Whatever you want, Beauty.” He kicked the sheets back and got out of bed.

  I tried to keep the victory smile off my face.

  Just when he finished getting dressed, headlights flashed across the window. We were in one of the cottages on the grounds, so cars could drive up to any of them. It was a resort, but not in a solitary building.

  “Who’s here?” Arsen asked.

  I shrugged.

  There was a knock on the door, and I knew it was my dad.

  Arsen glanced through the peephole. “What the…?” He opened the door quickly and came face-to-face with Ryan.
“What’s wrong—”

  Abby ran into his waist and hugged him. “Surprise, Daddy!”

  When Arsen realized everything was fine, he kneeled down and hugged her. “You’re staying with us, sweetheart?”

  “Yep,” she said. “I got all my stuff. Grandpa got me a new coloring book too. Let me show you.” She ran back to the car to retrieve her things.

  Arsen stood up and turned to me. “Did you arrange this?”

  Seeing the excitement in his eyes made me smile. “I might have called my dad…”

  His eyes were glued to me and he hardly blinked. “You did this for me?”

  “I knew you missed her. And I missed her too.”

  “But it’s our honeymoon. I don’t want to ruin that for you.”

  “Ruin?” I asked. “We’re a family, Arsen. How can being together possibly ruin that?”

  His shoulders relaxed when he realized I was certain about it. “Thank you.” He pulled me into his arms and gave me a kiss even though my dad was standing right there. The kiss didn’t last long, but it was still awkward affection.

  Arsen turned to Dad. “Thanks for driving her up. Stay for dinner. You don’t need to get back on the road right away.”

  “Actually, I should go,” Dad said. “The streets are icy and I don’t want to drive in the dark.”

  “Good idea,” Arsen said. “Text me when you get back.”

  “Sure thing.” Dad hugged Arsen before he did the same to me. “You guys have fun. See you when you get back.” He waved as he headed back to his truck.

  We walked inside and took Abby with us. The cottage had two bedrooms, so Arsen and I would have some privacy when Abby went to sleep.

  Abby carried her things over to the table and set her coloring book down. “Let’s do something.”

  I turned to Arsen with a smile on my face. She would be a handful like usual, but it was so much better having her around than not having her around.

  Arsen sighed before he took a seat beside her. “What did you have in mind?”

  “Let’s color. Whoever makes the best picture wins.” Abby tore pictures out of her book and passed them to us.

  I took the seat on the other side of Abby and looked at my picture. It was a bear.

  Abby placed her coloring pencils on the table. “Okay. Go.”

  Arsen eyed me from across the table, gratitude in his eyes. He didn’t have to say anything to express it. Just the look was enough.

  This wasn’t the ideal way anyone would want to spend their honeymoon, taking care of their stepdaughter. But I didn’t mind in the least. The three of us were a family now.

  And families stuck together.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Slade

  I entered the apartment with a plastic bag of takeout. Trinity preferred to eat at home, but once in a blue moon she wanted something out of the house. Perhaps her cravings were kicking in.

  I set the bag on the counter then prepared the plates. We were having Mediterranean food, one of the relatively few healthy options. She liked the chicken kabobs with vegetables. I liked the hummus and pita bread. I could eat that shit for days.

  Trinity came out of the bedroom wearing a pair of my sweatpants. They were five sizes too big and way too long. She had to roll them up a million times at the waist so they would stay on her frame. She wore one of her t-shirts, skin tight.

  And that’s when I noticed it.

  Her baby bump.

  It was the first time it’d been noticeable since I knocked her up. Three months had come and gone, and I hadn’t seen any hint of the baby inside. She was naturally thin, with hardly any fat on her frame, so it didn’t surprise me that she didn’t show right off the bat like Skye did.

  But now her body was changing.

  The curve in her back was more prominent now, and the way her stomach bulged out slightly was…sexy. I’d never understood Cayson’s obsession with Skye’s pregnant stomach but now that I was looking at Trinity it started to make sense.

  The small swell of her stomach was all consuming. I couldn’t stop looking at it. I hardly blinked because it possessed me so greatly. There really was a baby in there, and I was the man who put it inside her.

  “Slade?”

  “Hmm?” My eyes moved to hers.

  She stood in front of the refrigerator with a bottle of water in her hand. The concern on her face told me she already tried to get my attention but failed. “Why are you staring at me like that?”

  Because of that baby bump.

  I came around the kitchen island then pressed my hand against her tummy. My hand was large enough to cover her entire stomach. My palm and fingers molded to the specific curve of her abdomen. I stared at the area, fascinated.

  Trinity’s hand moved around my wrist.

  “You’re starting to show.” I swallowed the lump in my throat.

  “Yeah?”

  “I could tell when you walked in.” I rubbed her stomach, trying to wrap my head around the fact there was someone in there. I pulled up the front of her shirt and exposed the bare skin. Trinity’s belly button was as small as ever, and the way her stomach curved almost looked natural. If I hadn’t stared at her naked body every day for years I probably wouldn’t have noticed. “Do you feel different?”

  “Not really,” she said. “I felt different when I realized I was pregnant. But since then, nothing has changed.”

  I kneeled down on the kitchen tile then pressed my lips against her slightly protruded stomach. Then I pressed my ear against it and wrapped my arms around her waist. There wouldn’t be a kick or a sound but I listened anyway.

  Trinity stroked my hair with her fingers, looking down at me.

  I turned back to her and slowly pulled down her sweatpants. Her long and perfect legs were exposed inch by inch. I kissed the skin just above her knee and noted the goose bumps that spread down her body. The underwear went next, and then she stood in our kitchen naked from the waist down.

  An inexplicable need overtook me, carnal in nature but loving in heart. Coherent thoughts ceased and all I felt was instinct. My body needed her. I needed to be inside her, to fill her with more of my seed.

  I picked her up like she weighed nothing then set her on the kitchen island. She lay back against the granite countertop, her hair stretching across the surface in loose curls. Her eyes were burning with desire, and her hands grasped me like I was taking too long.

  My jeans hit the floor and I pulled my dick out of my boxers. I’d never been this hard before, not when we first slept together or even on our wedding night. My dick was so hard it actually ached. I pulled her hips to the edge of the counter then inserted my tip at her entrance. She was wet and slick, wanting me inside her as much as I wanted to be there.

  I inserted myself completely inside and stretched her like I always did. This time it felt different. It felt so good I wanted to scream. My hands cupped her stomach and I stared at her baby bump as I moved into her.

  I didn’t know what was going on or why I felt this way. My entire body was on fire and burning brighter than the sun. Every inch of me was lit with an all-consuming desire for the woman I loved—and the mother of my baby.

  Was this happening just because she was pregnant? Did that slight bump that was hardly noticeable really affect me like this? Or did my heart simply double in size so I could love her as much as the new addition on the way. I wasn’t sure.

  Trinity was eager like usual, but right now it was at a whole new level. She dug her nails into my hips and pulled me inside her like she would die if she didn’t get it.

  My eyes were on her small stomach the entire time, and I got so much pleasure out of an act I’ve already done a million times. Somehow, I felt like a new man.

  ***

  My thoughts were on sex all day long.

  I kept thinking about Trinity in dirty scenarios. I wanted her on our bed or in the shower. I even wanted her up against the window in the living room. My sex drive had always been high, perha
ps because I was active or because I had a high testosterone level. But it was at an all-time high at the moment.

  When I picked up Trinity from the office my thoughts went there again. She wore a loose white blouse with jeans. Her hair was pulled into a loose ponytail over one shoulder, and rose earrings were in her lobes. Trinity had a classy look to her. She reminded me of old-fashioned movie stars like Catherine Hepburn. She was naturally beautiful no matter what she wore or how she did her hair. It was hard to believe there was ever a point in my life when she wasn’t mine. Once upon a time, we were friends.

  But now I couldn’t imagine being anything else besides her husband.

  “Hey, baby.” I came behind the desk, my eyes trying to see her bump through her shirt. The blouse was loose so nothing could be seen, to my disappointment. I wanted her to show it off to the world. Her heavenly glow would light up every shadow and corner.

  “Hey.” She stood up and gave me a kiss. “How was your day?”

  All I thought about was sex so I didn’t get anything done. “Good. Yours?”

  “Just a bunch of meetings.”

  “Were their bagels at least?”

  “Yeah but I don’t like bagels.”

  She didn’t like to eat anything.

  She gathered her things and stuffed them inside her bag. “Ready to go?”

  Not really. “That couch looks comfy…”

  She caught my drift immediately. “It can wait until we get home.”

  “Why?” My temper immediately flared up. “We’ve done it before.”

  “Well, I don’t want to make it a regular thing. It makes me look bad.”

  “You’re the CEO. Who gives a damn?” I understood her need for professionalism, but I didn’t like being denied.

  “Slade, it takes ten minutes to walk home.” She shouldered her bag and headed to the door. “You can wait that long.”

  My lip rose as I growled.

  She didn’t turn around. “We can keep arguing about it, or we can just head home. Your choice?”

  I hated it when she bested me. “Fine.” I grabbed the bag from her shoulder and walked out with her.

  “How did it go with Don?” She hadn’t asked me about it because she knew how uneasy it made me. She gave me time to think about it on my own.