Coalescence
Page 27
Finding the hem of my shirt, he pulled it over my head and tossed it aside. He cupped me through my bra, rolling my nipple through the lacy material while his other hand reached around to unclasp it. I let it fall off my shoulders, working Alaric’s belt at the same time.
We made short work of his clothes before he dropped me onto my mattress. His eyes moving over my body fervently before he lowered his face to the apex of my thighs, pressing a kiss there.
His breath was hot and tantalizing against my skin. His mouth moved closer to my core, and I let out a sharp exhale, every nerve in my body pulsing. I was incredibly turned on, so completely and utterly in love with him.
“Do you want this?” he asked lowly, his eyes serious as they bore into mine.
“Yes,” I said with absolute certainty, even knowing he was referring to a lot more than just his dick. His magical, beautiful dick—I sighed with anticipation, squirming against the mattress.
Alaric crawled on top of me, parting my legs with his knee, settling between them. His tip brushed against my core, and I let out a low, murmuring plea.
His arms on either side of my face, he looked down into my eyes, drawing in a breath. My heart skipped, tripping over its beat.
He slid into me with a deep thrust, filling me to the hilt. I felt the difference immediately—his skin against mine was utterly euphoric, so sinfully gratifying, so unabridged. “Alaric,” I gasped, my nails biting into his back.
He pulled out, sliding back in again at a torturously slow pace as he lifted his head, his eyes locked on mine, watching the pleasure filter across my face with every thrust. I bit down on my bottom lip, trying desperately to keep my pleasured mews to a minimum.
Alaric grinned, his lips lowering to cover mine, his hands tangling in my hair as he moved within me.
“You’re still on birth control, right?” he said, speaking against the side of my neck.
“Obviously,” I breathed, rolling my eyes—partly in exasperation, but mostly from the delirious pleasure I felt every time he sank into me. Alaric let out a guttural grunt against my neck in response, keeping up a lethargic pace that made my toes curl.
I pushed my leg against his waist, urging him to roll over. He took me with him, his thick cock sliding out of me when he hitched my leg over him.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he rasped, watching as I sank down on his length. His hands went to my waist, the pads of his fingers pressing in as I arched my back, moving against him.
Loving the way he was gazing at me, I rocked my hips forward. My lids fluttered closed as I rolled them again, feeling Alaric’s thighs tense beneath me as he emitted a low moan.
I opened my eyes, taking in the sight of pleasure on his face as he gazed up at me with perplexed awe that stole my breath.
I fell on his chest, my nipples brushing against his hard pecs, and pressed my lips to his. Reveling in the taste of him, the feel of him.
The friction alone of my breasts against his chest was sensory overload, especially when paired with the way he met me, thrust for thrust, pounding me throughout an orgasm so shattering, I had to bite his shoulder to keep from screaming out.
His hips jutted forward once more, and he grunted, emptying his release into me. I tightened, and he swore, chuckling a little. “Jesus, woman,” he scolded, breathing heavily. He moved my hair over, pressing a kiss to my sweaty temple.
Laughing, I rolled off him, feeling a mixture of him and me spilling out between my thighs. My heart pounded, trying to regulate its beat. “Jesus, man,” I mimicked breathlessly, trading a secretive smile with him.
He pulled me against him, and I settled with my head on his shoulder and my hand splayed across his chest. I could feel his heartbeat steadying beneath my palm, and I let out a contented sigh.
Epilogue
Two Years Later
July 2019
Gwen
I saved the document, staring at the italic words signaling the end of another story. I pushed my chair back, standing and stretching to work the kinks out of my back.
The baby kicked, making his irritation at my movement known, and my hand flew to my rounded stomach. The sensation of him moving around was something that always took my breath away.
A lot can change in a year, I thought, massaging my stomach and glancing around.
I moved in with Alaric two years ago in November, after my lease was up. Dahmer came with me, of course, and he loved our new home as much as I did. Here, my cat had ample space to roam freely, and he tolerated the dog so long as Tig left him alone.
Not long after I moved in, Alaric had renovated the bedroom off the dining room, creating a space of my own for me to write. After almost a year of living together, we got married in the backyard in October. The ceremony was small, with only our close friends and family present.
Kelsey was my maid of honor and Sawyer was the flower girl. Tig carried the rings in a basket and wore a festive bow tie like the incredibly awesome dog he was. Dahmer didn’t participate in the wedding shenanigans, despite my attempts at trying to make him wear a bow tie that matched Tig’s.
Cheryl, Mason, and their daughter, Olivia Rain, were even at our wedding. The birth of Olivia seemed to bring peace to Cheryl, and she started working with Alaric instead of against him.
She even begrudgingly grew to like me, after a time. When she learned that I was pregnant, she reached out to congratulate me and offered some helpful tips and reassuring words about the whole experience.
With Alaric by my side, I was only marginally freaking out about everything. The beauty about falling in love with a single dad is that you already know what kind of father he is. He would be wonderful with our son, just as he was wonderful with his daughter.
I just hoped I would be as good with the whole baby stage as I was the preschooler age.
Eight months after the wedding, and we were only one month away from meeting our baby boy.
Picking up my empty tea mug, I walked through the dining room and into the kitchen to put it in the sink. The house was quiet—Sawyer was at her mom’s this weekend, and Alaric was in the garage puttering on a project.
I moved through the house with my hand on my back, slipping into my flip-flops—the only shoes that fit me these days—and opened the connecting door.
Catching the door opening in his peripheral, Alaric looked up. Seeing me, he turned off his welder and set his gun down, a smile gracing his lips. His muscular arms were tanned and glistening with sweat; his black beater stretched across his broad, damp chest.
He gave me such a lady boner that I forgot why I came out in the first place.
“All done?”
“Yup, finished,” I said with relief, my gaze still feasting on him as he dried his forehead with a towel.
“Your second book in two years.” Alaric shook his head like he couldn’t believe it. He tossed the towel down on the bench, watching me with adoration. “I’m proud of you.”
“Well, it’s because of you. You’re my dickspiration,” I replied.
“You’re the talent,” he corrected, crossing over to where I was standing.
He held my belly, his large hands splaying out, feeling as much of it as he could. Our son kicked, and his eyes sparkled when lifted his head to look at me. “God, I love seeing you pregnant with my baby,” he said.
“Well, I love being pregnant with your baby,” I teased, standing on my tip-toes to kiss him.
His kisses still made me weak in the knees. So much so, that I swooned in his arms and felt his grip tightening. Alaric smiled against my lips, letting out a low chuckle.
“Don’t laugh at me.” I sulked, half-kidding. “It’s not my fault my hormones are out of control. Plus, I’m so horny right now,” I whined.
His blue eyes darkened, and he cocked a brow. “Are you now?” he asked, his cock stiffening against me eagerly. “I think I can help with that.”
Acknowledgments
Matt; there’s nothing more attractive tha
n a hardworking family man. Thank you for being all that and so much more, and thank you for helping me create that in Alaric. Your support and your love keep me striving.
Emerald O’Brien, Elizabeth Barone, Kendra and Lyndsay; thank you all for letting me blow up your messenger rambling incoherently about this story and these characters.
To my betas: I appreciate you all so much, and thank you for your early input in this story. You helped me make it what it is, and that’s an essential part of telling a story.
Patti and Kendra; thank you for all your hard work with editing!
Shari Ryan; thank you so much for creating the most perfect cover for Alaric and Gwen!
To the bloggers—I love you! Thank you for loving books, and for spreading that love far and wide.
And lastly, dear reader—thank you for reading!
Also by J.C. Hannigan
The Collide Series:
Collide (Book 1)
Consumed (Book 2)
Collateral (Book 3)
The Damaged Series:
Damaged Goods (Book 1)
Reckless Abandon (Book 2)
The Rebel Series:
Rebel Soul (Book 1)
Rebel Heart (Book 2)
Rebel Song (Book 3)
Rebel Christmas (Novella)
The Welder Romance Series:
Coalescence (Book 1)
Standalones:
The Key to 19B (Novella)
About the Author
J.C. Hannigan lives in Ontario, Canada with her husband, their two sons, and their dog.
She writes contemporary new adult romance and suspense. Her novels focus on relationships, mental health, social issues, and other life challenges.
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