Inflame

“Kale,” she whispers in a breathy tone, and it’s all I need to finally start moving inside her.

She closes her eyes as my movements begin, and this time, I let her. Staring down at her, I’m in awe at the sheer beauty of her. There’s a primal sense of pride flowing through my veins as a hand caresses her stomach almost as if it’s a reminder that this sensual, intimate act is for so much more than pleasure. As I pump in and out of her, the need to claim her is almost too much. Quickening my thrusts, I watch as her breasts rise and fall in rapid succession, and I can tell she’s so damn close. The feeling of her pussy compressing around my dick has my balls tightening as my own imminent release rises to the surface.

As I feel her begin to clench around me, I slide my hand under her and find her ass, slowly massaging her hole. Her lips for an ‘O’ in surprise, but she slowly adjusts to my finger as I slip it inside, working her over as she moans in satisfaction. Her body convulses as her warm juices flow around my dick and her walls clasp around it like a vise. As I bend down, I capture her mouth and find her tongue, passionately kissing her as I hope to extend her orgasm until I reach my own. Electric currents begin to flow through my body as she comes violently, clutching my dick so hard that I’m being sent over the edge right along with her. I slam into her again and again until I feel my cock convulse, fulfilling my primal need to fill her with the effects of my release. I continue to thrust, in and out, as I’m coming down from my high, slowing my movements with every passing one until I’m unmoving, still seated in her to the hilt. When I finally come back down, I’m utterly, completely spent.

With one last kiss, I pull back and gaze down at her. Her glossy eyes stare back at me, her cheeks flushed with a heated pink. A slow, sated smirk crosses her face as a bead of sweat falls from my brow. With a shake of my head, I give her my own sly smile as I reach up and click the button to remove the cuffs from her wrists. Taking ahold of them in each of my hands, I gently rub her wrists with my thumbs, hoping to help alleviate any of the soreness.

She takes one hand out of mine and runs it across the top of my head, where she runs it through my damp hair. “I’ve missed you, Montgomery,” she whispers, causing me to frown. “You’ve been distant all week, baby, and you’ve barely touched me. Trust me. I understand it, but I hope from here on out you’ll let me in, let me help you in any way I can.”

I can’t help but feel guilty, and I know she’s right. I’ve been too in my head since Lily’s accident, and as much as I’ve been trying to make it up to her, I know I’ve been neglecting Lucy.

“I’m sorry, baby,” I tell her, meaning every word. “But you have to know you’ve already been helping me just by being here. I…I think it’s just something that I’m going to need time to work out, but I promise, I’ll work on it. You’ll have my full attention from here on out.”

She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me down until I’m just hovering over her lips. “I don’t need your full attention, Kale. I just need you—all of you.”

I close the distance between us and press a soft kiss to her lips. “You have me, baby. Heart, soul”—I pause as my dick jerks inside her—“and definitely body.”

With a shake of her head, she pushes me off her and I slide out of her, instantly missing her warmth. Leaving her restrained, I go to the bathroom to grab a wet washcloth to clean her up, which I do. She then gestures to her ankles, and I exit the bed and get on my knees, gently removing them. I caress the red marks just like I did on her wrists then move in to give each one a kiss. Once I release her legs, she slinks to the edge of bed, and I grip her hips, my face in perfect alignment with her belly.

She brings a finger to my chin and lifts it so I’m looking at her. Her gaze is one of adoration, and my heart quickens. Lucy seems to know exactly what I need, even when I don’t. The fact that she just gave me herself freely, allowing me to take control after a week of feeling helpless, has done wonders for my soul. For the first time since the accident, I feel like I can move on, and I know no one could’ve given me that but her.

“You own me, Kale Montgomery. Heart, soul”—she rubs her belly—“and most definitely body. From now until forever, I’m yours. And the offer still stands. Whenever you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen.”

I know this should be my in. The moment where I finally break down and tell her everything. I don’t know what my hesitation is, but I know Lucy, and I can’t put this on her right now. Her heart is so big, and I know it’ll break when she finds out the truth. It seems selfish to keep it all in, but at the same time, it seems selfish to lay it all out for her when I know I should be keeping her as stress free as possible. She’s already been dealing with enough from me and Lily, and I tell myself that I’ll tell her everything, but just not now. It doesn’t seem right to talk about Tara and her betrayal in our post-coital bliss, so instead, I swallow hard and give Lucy a tight nod before leaning in to give her belly a kiss. I don’t miss the look of disappointment that covers over her face, but I try to ignore it as best as possible.

When I scoop her up in my arms, her disappointment seems to fade as she squeals when I leave the room and start walking towards the kitchen.

“Kale! Put me down. I’m too heavy!” she exclaims in protest, and I just roll my eyes.

“Baby, I can bench-press double your weight. This is nothing,” I tell her, and it’s her turn for the eye roll. “Plus, I’m freaking ravenous now that you’ve depleted all my energy reserves, and I can imagine that you need to eat, too.”

She gives me a sheepish grin, and on cue, her stomach growls, causing me to chuckle. I set her down on the counter before I go about making us something to eat. She asks about Lily, and I give her today’s account, every single detail, right down to the fact that she wanted to go outside and play catch again. Lucy just shakes her head and grins, saying that she’s not surprised before launching into the details of the wedding pla

Chapter 30

Lucy

“MMM, ARE we there yet?” I ask for about the hundredth time, sounding like a petulant child. Hey, if Kale’s going to be a dad who insists on driving on all our vacations, then he better get used to it.

We’re heading down to Gulf Shores for the weekend, and I’ve constantly asked myself on this drive why I ever agreed to having a shower down there. Since Mom and Marisa only live about an hour away from Ginger, it made sense, but now that I’ve spent seven hours in the car with Kale, stopping every hour so I could stretch my legs to keep my blood flowing, the selfish part of me is wishing that I’d made them come to me. We’re not even there and I’m already dreading the drive back home in two days.

I tried to fly, but at my last appointment, Dr. Foster had advised against it, and Kale wouldn’t even listen to me when I tried to talk him into getting plane tickets. I gave up the fight when he said we could just cancel the whole thing if I was that adamant about flying. The truth is that, as much as I didn’t want to make this drive, I’m more than excited to see Mom, Marisa, and Kale’s family.

“Baby, how many times are you going to ask me that?” Kale asks, giving me a wry smile. I can’t see his eyes through his sunglasses, but I can only imagine the exasperation in them. “We’ll be there in about an hour, okay? Just be patient.”