Where Love Lives

by Street, K.

  She opened the door, stealing the air from my lungs. Haunted green eyes lined with long brown lashes peered up at me. Her thick brown hair had been tucked behind her ears. A wayward strand fell against her cheekbone. One of her cheeks was imprinted with red lines from whatever surface she had been lying against. She was dressed in a familiar-looking button-down shirt in various shades of blue plaid. The top three buttons were open, revealing the swell of her large breasts. My gaze drifted to her rounded belly and then lower, to the hem of the shirt that barely grazed her mid-thigh.

  Fuck me.

  “Easton?” She moved back, opening the door wider, inviting me inside and shut it behind me.

  I unshouldered my laptop bag, easing it to the floor at my feet on one side, and dropped my black duffel on the other.

  “You’re here.”

  There was something in the way she’d said it—a mixture of relief and disbelief. Fresh tears shone in her eyes. When she tried to blink them away, one escaped, rolling down her cheek. I captured it with my thumb.

  It was then I noticed how red her eyes were. “What’s wrong?”

  “Bad dream.”

  “Want to talk about it?”

  “You were gone.” Her lip quivered.

  “I’m right here.”

  She shook her head. “But you weren’t.” Fat tears spilled from her eyes. “You w-were g-gone.” Her voice broke on a sob, and she cried harder, growing more anxious by the second.

  I led her over to the chair adjacent to the couch and pulled her onto my lap, holding her hand in mine. “Shh. Breathe, baby. Try to calm down. It was just a dream.”

  “It was so r-real. You-you were gone, a-and I n-never told y-you.”

  “Told me what? What didn’t you tell me?”

  Her pulse hammered beneath my thumb. She was scaring the shit out of me.

  “I n-never told you I loved y-you. That I lied to you. At the hotel.”

  The memory rushed back to me.

  She tugged her hands from my hold and gripped my face. “I love you,” she professed through her torrent of tears.

  Molly wiped her face, and her body shook as she tried to get her words out. “I’m sorry I l-lied. I’m sorry I d-didn’t let you in. I’m so sorry I b-broke you. I’m s-sorry I broke us. Please forgive me.”

  “Firefly. Jesus, baby.” I pulled her close.

  She rested her head on my shoulder while I rubbed circles on her back, trying to get her to calm down.

  “Shh. Don’t cry. It’s all right.” I gently rocked us side to side.

  When she settled a bit, I cupped her cheeks and wiped under her eyes.

  Then, I brushed my mouth over hers. “I love you.”

  I kissed her once more. Tender and soft and full of promises.

  “I love you,” I repeated.

  She bit her lip.

  I slowly swept the pad of my thumb over her pouty lip, tugging it free. Then, I trailed that same thumb under her chin, down her throat, and along her collarbone.

  Desire burned in her emerald irises.

  I angled my head, dipping to the place her neck and shoulder met. Inhaling deeply, I breathed in her sweet scent. The tip of my nose skated over her skin to the sensitive spot just below her earlobe.

  My mouth found hers again. Worshipping her.

  She parted on a whimper, and our tongues moved in a lingering cadence, swirling together like two lovers with the span of a lifetime ahead of them.

  I hoped like hell that was the case because Molly tasted like coming home.

  Thirty-Four

  Molly

  Lost.

  Lost in the moment.

  Lost in the feel of Easton’s mouth on mine. Caught up in the taste of him. Intoxicated by his scent. Blanketed by his warmth.

  My hungry hands journeyed to the nape of his neck, fingers weaving into his hair.

  “Please,” I begged into his mouth, not entirely sure what I was pleading for.

  His cock?

  His heart?

  Both.

  Definitely both.

  Easton cradled the back of my head in his large palm, slightly tilting it, taking the kiss deeper. With every stroke of his tongue, heat pooled in my core. Desire burned bright, and I wondered if anyone had ever come from kissing alone.

  I was seconds away from grinding against him when his mouth left mine. He kissed his way across my jaw to the crook of my neck.

  “Want you, baby. Want you so fucking bad.” His gravelly rasp caused butterflies to swoop and swirl in my belly.

  He rose to his feet and reached for my hand, leading me up the stairs to my bedroom. Once inside, I walked over to the nightstand, flipping on the small lamp. Subtle light bathed the room in a warm glow.

  Our gazes found one another.

  Easton intertwined our fingers, and the air around us shifted. He brushed his lips over my knuckles before releasing my hand.

  He smirked as he began working the buttons of the shirt I’d stolen from him. “I looked everywhere for this, you know.”

  The shirt had been hanging in the closet the day I left him. It had always been one of my favorites because of how the different shades of blue made his eyes pop when he wore it. Even though I was walking away, I needed a piece of him with me. Something tangible to hold on to. On the days I missed him so bad that it hurt to breathe, I would sleep in it.

  “I’m sorry.” But I wasn’t. Not even a little.

  “Don’t be,” he said, sliding the material down my arms.

  Blue plaid pooled on the floor at my feet, leaving me standing before him in nothing but a cotton sports bra and skimpy boy shorts.

  I reached for the hem of his black T-shirt.

  “Let me.” Easton stretched his muscular arms, capturing the collar and tugging the fabric over his head.

  Showing more bravery than I felt, I slowly raised my arms in the air.

  With a hand on either side of me, he ghosted his fingers over my hip bones. I sucked in a breath as he inched upward until those fingers veered beneath the seam of my bra. The air remained trapped in my lungs as he slid the soft material from my body.

  Acting on instinct and nerves, I cupped my breasts, shielding them from his view, and dropped my gaze. The confidence I’d pretended to have seconds ago vanished. So much had changed. My body wasn’t the same. We weren’t the same.

  Easton hooked a finger under my chin, lifting my eyes to meet his. Blue irises bore into my green ones, holding me captive.

  “Don’t hide from me, Firefly.” Each word was carefully spoken, every syllable deliberate. Making sure I knew he wasn’t just talking about my body. He brushed his lips over mine. “Let me see you.”

  I slowly lowered my hands, finally exhaling.

  Easton’s eyes roamed from my face to my bare chest and back again. “Jesus, baby. You’re …” He shook his head. “You’re everything.”

  Of all the words he could have chosen …

  The weight of it hit me straight in the heart.

  He kissed me again. Long and deep. Then, he dragged his lips from mine, moving lower until his mouth was on my breast. His tongue swirled over one dark dusty-pink nipple and then the other.

  “Oh God.” My back arched.

  Easton peppered kisses over my skin as he dropped to his knees. He gripped my hips, and his fingers descended into the waistband of my boy shorts. Every single one of my nerve endings came to life as he eased the material down my legs and then skimmed his palms over my flesh, halting at the apex of my thighs.

  “Open for me.”

  Bracing my hands on his shoulders, I inched my feet apart a bit, widening my stance.

  Easton dipped one long, thick finger inside me, causing a moan to fall from my lips. He added another, pumping in and out. “Fuck. You’re so wet.”

  I rocked against his hand. “Yes. More.” My legs started to tremble, and I didn’t know how much longer I’d be able to stand.

  I whimpered as Easton withdrew his fingers. His
eyes never left mine as I watched him suck them clean.

  My tongue darted out, absently running over my bottom lip as he rose to his feet.

  Easton freed himself from the remainder of his clothing and pulled back the covers. He dropped onto the bed and patted the empty space beside him. His hard cock looked angry as it jutted out in salute.

  I nearly moaned at the sight of it before settling onto the mattress, loving the cool feel of the silky sheets on my heated skin.

  Our kiss started off tender and sensual, but it grew deeper as Easton’s hands began to roam my body. His fingertips skated across my skin, igniting the fire burning in my belly.

  His thumb circled my clit. I writhed beneath his touch.

  “I want to be inside you, baby. Is that what you want?”

  “Yes. I want you.”

  “I haven’t …” He trailed off. “Not since I found out … and never without protection. Only with you.”

  I held his face between my palms. “I trust you.”

  He froze. The weight of my statement sinking in.

  Those three words weren’t just about sex. Not for me. They were a promise. Easton might not be able to say those words back to me just yet, but we would get there in time.

  He grazed his lips over mine and shifted our bodies so he was spooning me. Easton lined himself up between my parted legs and slowly slid inside me.

  “Ahh.” I moaned at the intrusion.

  Easton’s hand skimmed over my hip until his fingers met my pussy. He eased his cock in and out while using two fingers to circle my clit.

  “I missed you, so fucking much,” he rasped against the shell of my ear.

  “I missed you, too.”

  He thrust a little further, but I knew he was still holding back; being careful with me.

  “More. Please,” I begged.

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You won’t.”

  The need to come became so intense tears pricked my eyes. Desperate to find my release, I rocked against Easton’s cock urging him on. My hands glided up my body to my breasts, squeezing them. I rolled my nipples between my thumb and forefingers.

  “Jesus, Firefly. That’s so fucking hot.”

  Easton rocked into me. Harder. Faster. Deeper.

  Seconds later we tumbled over the edge together.

  For several long moments our bodies remained joined as we floated back down to earth.

  Finally, Easton pulled out of me.

  “I’ll be right back.”

  My body whimpered at the loss of connection.

  A rush of emotion welled up inside me and I couldn’t stop the silent tears from rolling down my cheeks.

  Easton sat on the edge of the bed, washcloth in hand. Gently, he wiped between my legs.

  “Talk to me, Molls. Why the tears?”

  I shrugged. “I’m not really sure. I feel like I have zero control over my emotions these days.”

  “With good reason.” He dropped a kiss to my belly before his eyes met mine. “There’s no going back. We’re in this together.” He rested his forehead against mine. “I love you.”

  I held his face between my palms. “I love you, too.”

  * * *

  Sunlight filtered in through the open curtains, rousing me from sleep. I stretched my limbs, finding the space beside me empty. Easton’s scent lingered on my sheets. I reached for the pillow he’d slept on, brought it to my face, and breathed him in, and then I hugged it to my chest. The corners of my mouth tipped into a smile.

  “Would that smile on your face have anything to do with me?” Easton asked from the doorway of my bedroom.

  “Maybe.” I lifted my hand, holding my thumb and index finger about a half-inch apart. “Just a little. What’s all that?” I asked, pointing to the tray in his hands.

  He grinned. “Breakfast in bed. I figured since it’s just after eight and the class doesn’t start until ten, we had time.”

  “Wow.” I laughed. “What time did you get up?”

  We’d made love for what seemed like hours. There was hardly an inch of my body that had not been stroked by his fingers or caressed by his lips.

  He stifled a yawn. “A little before six. I went for a quick run, took a shower, worked for a little bit, and made breakfast.”

  My brows shot up. “Seriously? How do you have so much energy?”

  He shrugged, stepping further into the room. “Easy. I’m not the one growing a human.”

  Said human was currently sitting on my bladder.

  “Speaking of … I’ll be right back.” I slid from beneath the covers, my pregnant, naked body on full display.

  Easton sucked in a breath. “Do you have any idea how fucking sexy you are?”

  Sexy?

  I hadn’t looked in the mirror, but I was certain my hair resembled Medusa’s head, and I could no longer see my feet over the expanse of my stomach. Sexy wasn’t exactly the word that came to mind. Last night, he’d asked me not to hide from him anymore, and I had taken it to heart. So, I didn’t bother wrapping the sheet around me or bending over to reach the blue plaid shirt he had stripped me out of hours ago.

  His lust-filled stare painted my cheeks pink.

  “Um … thank you.”

  Desire flashed in Easton’s blue eyes as I walked past him toward the bathroom. Once inside, I took care of business, brushed my teeth, and slipped into my robe. When I returned, the breakfast tray sat on my dresser, the bed linens had been straightened, and the fluffed pillows were arranged along the headboard.

  His lips tipped into a smirk as he sauntered over to me, capturing my mouth in a languid sensual kiss. “Good idea.” He gestured to my robe. “Otherwise, we’d never make it to class.”

  “I had the same thought,” I confessed as I sat on the bed. After I was situated, Easton brought over the lap tray, positioning it over my legs.

  My mouth watered as I took in the food. The plate held an egg-white omelet with spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and feta cheese along with whole wheat toast slathered in butter and strawberry jam. A cup of hot orange-ginger tea sat on one corner, and a glass of orange juice was on the other.

  “This looks delicious. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  I reached for the fork. “Where’s yours? Aren’t you hungry?”

  He looked sheepish. “I already ate.”

  I dug in with gusto, sipping tea between bites but avoiding the orange juice altogether. “You can have the juice if you want.”

  “You don’t like OJ? Since when?”

  “Oh, I love it. Your kid, on the other hand, is so not a fan. I didn’t realize it until about the fifth or sixth time that I drank it.” My nose wrinkled in disgust. “I got sick. Really sick.” I recalled the way my throat had burned. “Totally not worth it.”

  His brows went up. “Five or six times?”

  I could laugh about it now. “I was a little slow on the uptake.”

  “Why did you buy it, then?”

  “Because you like it.”

  “Thank you.” He reached for the glass, staring into the liquid. “I’m sorry, Firefly.”

  My fork stopped midair. “Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault.”

  “I should’ve been here.”

  The look on his face broke my heart. I set my fork down and lifted my hand to his face, cradling his jaw. He leaned into my touch, his soft beard tickling my palm.

  “At some point, we have to stop looking backward. Stop being hung up on the mistakes we made, caught up in regret.” I picked up the tray, folding down the legs, and set it aside on the bed. Then, I reached for Easton’s hand, placing it on my belly, and rested my hand on his. “I don’t regret this. We didn’t plan this, but she … is not a mistake. You’re here now, and together, we’ll figure out everything else.”

  He dropped his forehead to mine. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.” I pecked a kiss to his lips. “We’d better get going. I don’t want to be
late.”

  Thirty-Five

  Easton

  “Feeling better?” Molly asked me from across the cab of my truck. “You looked a little green there for a second.”

  During the birthing class, we had been shown a video of two actual births. One vaginal and one cesarean.

  “I get the whole miracle of birth and all but—”

  She held up a hand, giggling. “Say no more. We’re on the same page. The human body is cool, don’t get me wrong, but from that angle …” She made a face. “I’m a little traumatized.”

  I glanced at her as I turned into the Target parking lot. “Are you nervous? About that part of it, I mean.”

  Doubt etched her features.

  “Honestly, I’m nervous about all of it.” She sighed. “Giving birth. Being a mom. People say it comes naturally, but what if it doesn’t?”

  Pulling into an empty space near the front of the store, I killed the engine and twisted to face her. I reminded myself to tread lightly. Simply dismissing her fears wasn’t going to help. “If it makes you feel any better, I’m scared, too, but I think you’re going to be an amazing mom.”

  “I hope so.” She nodded toward the storefront. “Are you ready to do this thing?”

  “Let’s do it.” I got out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side, opening Molly’s door and helping her out. “Thanks for agreeing to let Mom and Saylor throw you a baby shower.”

  “Like I could stop them,” she joked, but her smile didn’t reach her eyes.

  My hand went to the small of her back as we walked into the store. “Do you need anything else while we’re here?” I asked.

  “Just a few things.” She reached for a shopping cart.

  “Are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine. It’s just a lot. All the hormones and emotions. Just ignore me. I’m a mess.”

  I heard everything she wasn’t saying. “Well, you’re a beautiful mess.”

  I leaned in and kissed her temple. Then, I pulled my phone from my back pocket and opened the registry app I’d downloaded earlier.

  Molly pushed the cart toward the baby department. She oohed and aahed over pink booties and tiny shoes. At one point, she hijacked my phone and headed over to where books lined the shelves.