by Tyler, Q. B.
“Mama!” he cries as Bennett picks him up and cradles him against his bare chest. Fuck. I press my thighs together at the visual and when he turns around, the way he rakes his gaze from my feet to my eyes makes me even wetter.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
“You weren’t in bed when I woke up.” I bite my bottom lip and his eyes darken.
“I’m sorry baby, but our little man was talking up a storm.” He kisses his temple before smoothing his very curly sandy brown hair back.
“I’m surprised I didn’t hear him.”
“I’m not. I wore you out last night.” He leans forward, letting his lips hover over mine, “and I plan to do it again tonight.”
“Mamaaaaa.” Bennett pulls back and our son all but lunges for me.
“Well, you are full of energy this morning, aren’t you pumpkin?!” Brayden Clarke was the surprise in the second act neither of us saw coming. Our rainbow baby.
Imagine my shock when I went to the doctor only three months after Bennett and I had reconciled to find out that we were having a baby. We’d been heavily considering In-Vitro-Fertilization, but Mother Nature beat us to it. We were both scared shitless, but with a lot of research and even more trips to the Doctor, I was able to have a pretty normal pregnancy. The doctor’s told us this happened all the time, a few miscarriages can often lead to having perfectly safe and normal pregnancies. After that, it was as if everything fell into place. We were both concerned with me having the most low-risk and low-stress pregnancy, so it was as if the problems from before floated away at the promise of new life. Brayden made his entrance into the world, right on time and I’ve been on cloud nine ever since.
Here’s hoping this one will be just as easy. I giggle to myself as I think about telling Bennett, that we are pregnant again when he gives me a look.
“Care to share with the class, Mrs. Clarke?”
“I was just thinking…”
“About…” He raises an eyebrow as we walk towards our bedroom. Brayden is playing with my hair, tugging it gently. I wince, when I feel Bennett, removing it from his hand. “Now Bray, no pulling Mama’s hair. Only Dada can do that.” He gives me a devilish grin before dropping on the bed and holding his hand out for me to join him. I snuggle against him, holding our baby in my arms just as his eyes flutter closed. I grab one of his pacifiers from my nightstand and slip it into his mouth as he drifts off to sleep.
“So, you were thinking…”
“About maybe trying for another one?” I look up at him and he rubs his chin.
“Hmmm.”
Shit. Is he not ready? “No? I mean if you’re not ready or you don’t think now is a good time…” I begin to panic when I feel his knuckles drifting down my arm gently.
“No, I had just been curious how you were going to tell me you were pregnant.” He gives me a cheeky smile and I gasp.
“You knew?!”
A cocky smiles finds his lips as he side eyes me slightly. “Yes, baby. I knew.”
“How?!”
“I know when your period is, your boobs are huge, and I know your body better than I know my own. Come on, Livi.” He leans back against the bed and I lay our sleeping baby on top of his chest. I press a kiss to his forehead before turning to his father.
“Are you happy?”
“About you giving me another baby? Absolutely. I am so fucking happy.”
I glare at him, though the smile threatens to break through. “You know I’m going to kick your…you know what the first time our child says F-U-C-K.”
He rolls his eyes. “So, I was thinking of having Alyssa and Wren babysit tonight.”
“Why?”
“So, you and I could have a date night.”
My eyes light up and a grin finds my face as I think about our date nights of the past year. Essentially, we ate dinner standing up in our kitchen in about ten minutes and then proceeded to fuck over every inch of our apartment and then took a nap before our child returned.
“Really?”
“Well, I was thinking like a real date, where we go out and dress up. Not necessarily one that consists of us sixty-nineing on the couch.”
I pout. “I like that, though. I don’t have to put on pants.”
“Can a guy take his wife out to dinner?”
“Can a guy make his wife come in ten different ways?” I retort and he laughs aloud.
“You’re the worst woman ever,” he says shaking his head at me.
“You knew that when you married me,” I sass. He chuckles, and I lean down and press a kiss to his lips careful not to rouse our sleeping baby. “I will agree to dinner tonight, if you put him back in his crib and we have my kind of date night now.” I bite my lip for emphasis and his green eyes darken.
He gets up slowly and makes his way to the nursery. He’s back in less than a minute and on top of me, pulling me down the bed and wrapping my legs around him. “I love you,” he murmurs against my lips.
“I love you too,” I whisper back.
“Being with you…being your husband has been the best ride of my life. You. Our babies. I fucking love our life, Olivia.”
“Hmmm.” I pull my shirt up, revealing my naked body. “And don’t you forget it.”
The End
Want to read another angsty emotional story surrounding a marriage? Check out Bittersweet Surrender.
Part one in the Bittersweet Duet!
Preview of Bittersweet Surrender
* * *
I WAS A GOOD WIFE.
I was loyal to a fault, playing the perfect, doting wife to a man I married at the naive age of twenty-one, when I viewed the world through those rose-colored glasses they warn you about. I loved him, supported him, and I was undeniably faithful to him.
I was a good wife.
Until one day, temptation presented itself in the form of a broken marriage and the beautiful man whose job it was to fix it. I never imagined myself capable of infidelity until the man I married lost all interest in me, just in time for another to take notice.
Now, here I am opening my mind, my heart, and now my body to a man who isn’t my husband.
How did I get here?
I feel as if I’m having an out-of-body experience, my soul floating above my physical self as I watch myself in complete fascination. I watch as a man shoves me up against the wall of the large corner office on the fourteenth floor of a building on Clinton Street, in Midtown Atlanta. I watch myself wrap my arms and legs around him as his lips find my neck. I hear the clash of our teeth as our mouths ravage each other, our tongues intertwining furiously. His hands move out of my wavy tresses, down my face to grope my breasts. My hands slide down his torso, my fingertips dancing over every hard ridge hidden beneath his cashmere sweater. I watch as I fumble with his pants, desperate to get them down his legs. My body is on fire for his touch. I’m desperate to feel him inside of me, to feel the connection of our bodies becoming one. The arousal pumping through my veins is something I’ve never experienced. I’ve never had this kind of passion with anyone.
Not even my husband.
You may think you know my story, but you have no idea.
I was a good wife…until I wasn’t.
Get Bittersweet Surrender now!
This book wouldn’t… couldn’t have happened without some pretty fabulous people. Your input, your love, your support is invaluable to me. As I, (and Carrie Bradshaw) have said probably a million times—sometimes family is the one you’re born into, and sometimes it’s the one you make for yourself.
Carmel Rhodes, my girl for life. Thank you for everything. For pushing. For mom-aging. For talking every last thing out with me at the most insane hours. For telling me “yes, this is it,” but more importantly for telling me “no, this ain’t it.” The T to my C. Love you!
Melissa Spence, Leslie Middleton, Erica Marselas, Helen Hadjia, Kristene Bernabe, Harlow Layne, Kristina Loaiza my insanely thorough betas, you’ve been with me for quite a while at this poi
nt and I don’t think you even understand what it means to me. I love you guys so much for everything you’ve done and do for me every day. You continue to show up for me and for that I’m so grateful!
Jeanette Piastri, where do I begin? Thank you for helping me bring all of my book babies to life over and over again. I still think this is my favorite cover! I’m so excited to see what you do next!
Kristen Portillo & Stacey Blake, with every book I swear it gets better, and it’s because of you both! Your magic never ceases to amaze me!
Kelsey Cheyenne, Danielle James, Gemini Jensen, Rose Croft and Alexis Rae, Thank you for being a sounding board, a safe space and my tribe. I love being on this journey with you guys! So much love.
Denise Reyes, I am so freaking grateful for you. You’ve taken on so many roles at this point, I don’t even know where to start thanking you. For beta reading this. For keeping me going. For talking with me about everything book related and for being in a different time zone which means I can message you at two in the morning and you’ll see it! For running my street team. Gah! My love for you is endless! Thank you so much!
My Street Team Babes: What was I doing before you all came along? You guys have changed my writing career for the better and I love you so much! Your enthusiasm, your excitement, your support means everything to me. I don’t think I can say that enough. A million thank yous!
All the amazing and super talented authos: I’m so lucky to know so many of you and I can’t thank you enough for your friendship and advice and support! I can’t wait to meet so many more of you in just a few weeks!
To everyone in the Hive, I love you! Some of you have been with me, what, almost five years? Where does the time go? Thank you for your love and your support and making me feel like I can.
And finally, to the readers: Thank you for going on yet another journey with me. You guys rock my world every day!
My Best Friend’s Sister
Unconditional
BITTERSWEET DUET
Bittersweet Surrender
Bittersweet Addiction
CAMPUS TALES SERIES
First Semester
Second Semester
Spring Semester
Hailing from the Nation’s Capital, Q.B. Tyler, spends her days constructing her “happily ever afters” with a twist, featuring sassy heroines and the heroes that worship them. But most importantly the love story that develops despite inconvenient circumstances.
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Website: www.authorqbtyler.com
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