The way my husband kisses me.

And nothing could pull me out of this moment with him. Not even a vacant men’s bathroom.

“Why are we stopping at the bakery?” I ask as the limo pulls in front of my shop and comes to a stop. Reese and I left The Whitmore underneath a cloud of bubbles before getting into our getaway vehicle. It was supposed to drive us straight to his condo. Or so I thought.

I don’t get an answer from my groom before he opens the door and steps out, offering me his hand. I take it and exit the limo, looking up at him.

“Umm, did you not get enough of that cake? Is that why we’re here? For treats? Because I thought I saw you eat, like, four pieces.”

He opens the shop door, keeping my hand in his as he enters the alarm code. “That was the best cake I’ve ever had. And I meant what I said about you making that every year on our anniversary.”

“Not to scale, I hope,” I reply with a smile.

He pulls me through the back and toward the stairs. I stop him, firmly holding my place by the worktop.

“Wait. What are you doing?”

Did he completely forget that all of my stuff was moved out today?

He smiles sweetly. “Come upstairs with me.”

I can feel the wrinkles setting into my skin as I put on my most baffled expression. Before I have time to ask any more questions, he steps into me, lifting me off the floor and cradling me in his arms. I hold onto his neck as he carries me up the stairs, swings the door open, and steps out into my old loft.

Because that’s what it is.

What I’m looking at now is definitely not the loft I’m familiar with.

Some of my stuff is here, but it’s been moved around. Blended with his. A perfect mix of his furniture and mine. The screen that separates the bedroom area from the living room space is now moved to the far corner of the room, separating a smaller area from everything else. The arrangement is different, making the space seem bigger somehow. My bed has been moved against the wall, leaving more room around it. After taking in my surroundings, I turn my head to meet his anxious eyes.

“I’m confused.”

He smiles, setting me down on my feet and taking my hand in his. His other hand works at loosening his tie. “Why are you confused? This is your wedding present.” He pulls me toward the bed and spins me around to face it while he stays at my back. I feel his fingers tug at the buttons on my dress. “Dylan, I don’t need things. I don’t need a big condo, or extra room, or all this shit I’ve accumulated over the years. This place is tiny, but we can make it work. I had the rest of our stuff put into storage until we figure out what to do with it.”

“But what about when we have a baby? We agreed we’d be cramped in here.”

His finger points over my shoulder, and I follow it to the decorative screen. “The baby can be right there. That way he’s right next to us.”

“He?” I ask, biting back my smile. I feel his fingers unsnap the clasp behind my neck holding my halter up and seconds later, my dress drops to the floor. Turning around, I watch his gaze slowly move up my body, taking in my wedding present to him. His chest rises with a deep inhale as his eyes seems to lose focus somewhere between my stomach and my neck. I let him look for a few more seconds before I coax an answer from him. “Reese?”

“Hmm?”

“You said ‘he’. We’re not having any daughters?”

With that question, his eyes quickly meet mine as he grabs my waist and tosses me onto the bed. He lowers himself onto me. Blanketing me. “I don’t know if I can handle more than one of you. I’m shooting for all boys.” I throw my head back and laugh as he straddles my waist. “Now, what the fuck am I supposed to do with this thing?”

I look down my body, seeing his hands physically tremble as they hover over my corset. “There’s ties in the back that…ahh!” I’m quickly flipped over on my stomach as his knees brace him on either side of my body. I feel the strings being loosened as I rest my head on my cheek, looking out at our loft.

Our loft. No longer mine. Every memory I make here will now contain my husband and the family we create.

“Thank you for what you did. I really love my wedding present.”

His lips press between my shoulder blades. Then lower, as my corset is loosened completely. Once my back is completely exposed, I’m flipped over so I can see him. He sits back on his knees between my legs, taking in the sight of me, and I see his chest shudder with his inhale. As if it’s the first breath he’s taken in hours.

“Are you okay?”

“It’ll always be like this with you.” His eyes hold mine with a gentleness I don’t remember ever seeing from him. And I want to ask him what he means, but I wait, because I know he’s going to give it to me. I see his throat roll with a swallow, his lips parting slightly as his eyes commit me to memory with the most profound look he’s ever given me. “After 323 days, I should know the effect you have on me. But I don’t. I’m never prepared for it. Every time I see you, it’s like I’m at that wedding all over again.”

The air leaves my lungs in a trembling rush, and I’m suddenly not concerned with breathing at all. Nothing gets to me like the words he chooses for me. And I know nothing ever will.

“How do you do that? How do you make me love you more than I ever dreamed possible?” I ask as the tears pool in my eyes. I reach my hand out, needing to feel him. Needing that constant contact now more than ever.

His hand touches mine and he laces our fingers together. “I should ask you that.”

I blink, sending the tears down the side of my face. He releases my hand and grabs my foot, resting my heel against his chest. One shoe is removed then the other. I watch him run his fingers up the inside of my leg along my stocking until he reaches the metal clips of my garter. And after his declaration to me seconds ago, I think this is going to be gentle. I think his next moves with be unhurried and tender.

Until I see the tremor in his hand as he brings it up to rake through his hair.

He pushes off the bed and starts ripping his clothes off, not giving a shit about buttons or zippers. He’s frantic, like a man deprived, watching me frozen on the bed.

Hungry.

Greedy.

He’s normally so controlled, so calculated with everything he does. Especially sex. His movements are precise. Well-orchestrated. Practiced. And I love that side of him. But when he’s chaotic like this, when he can’t seem to settle himself enough to remove clothing properly, when he appears human, faulted like the rest of us, this is the side of Reese which drives me insane.

“I don’t think I’ve ever needed to be inside you so badly before. I’m fucking shaking,” he pants as he drags his rigid cock up my leg. He puts a hand on each of my thighs, digs his fingers into my skin, and shreds my stockings away from my body. My garter and panties are removed, tossed off the bed and disregarded like everything else that isn’t him and me in this moment. His hands anchor into the skin of my hips as he lifts them off the mattress and, in the same motion, drives into me.

“Reese,” I cry out, digging my nails into his shoulders.

He pushes my knees against my chest, lunging so hard into me my teeth chatter. “You’re finally mine. I’ve waited so long for this.”