I wrapped my legs around Andrew’s waist and pulled him against me. He held himself up with his arms, not wanting to put any weight on my stomach.
“Come here,” I said, pulling his face back to mine.
We kissed again, harder this time. My body was beginning to take over. I wanted Andrew so badly. After two months of being apart, I needed to feel him inside of me. I couldn’t take another second of anticipation.
I moved my hands to Andrew’s pants and frantically unbuttoned them. He kissed my neck roughly and fumbled with my t-shirt. It was like a light switch had been flipped for both of us. We sat up just enough to tear each other’s clothes off and throw them in a pile on the floor.
Finally, I felt Andrew’s skin against mine. He pressed himself against my body, and I groaned at the pressure. I’d waited long enough to feel this way again.
Andrew’s arms circled around my body as he lifted me up to kiss my lips again. I barely knew what was happening as our bodies melted into each other. Andrew slid inside of me and kissed me again, sending shivers cascading down my spine.
We moved together without effort. Andrew buried himself so deeply inside of me that I lost myself completely. Our bodies were no longer separate. Andrew was inside of me and all around me. He overwhelmed my every sense. I couldn’t think. I could barely breathe. Andrew’s body took me over.
He moved his hips forward gently, rocking us both back and forth slowly. My body shook, and my breathing was ragged, but I didn’t care. Andrew’s lips never left mine. He kissed me softly. Our tongues tangled together. Just like the rest of our bodies, they became one entity, one being.
My body and soul were so full of Andrew’s presence that I lost focus on reality. Andrew moved inside of me, thrusting his hips forward, but I barely felt it. All I felt was a deep sense of need inside my chest. I clung to Andrew’s back, digging my nails into him as my body shook with an orgasm I didn’t realize was coming.
“I love you,” I whispered, tears sliding down my cheeks.
Andrew finally pulled away from my lips. He kissed my cheeks, then my forehead, as he continued to take me slower than ever before.
Pleasure coursed through my body for minutes at a time. Each orgasm that Andrew brought on was stronger than the last. I didn’t even know what he was doing, but it was amazing. Incredible. Every move he made was like pure ecstasy.
“Sophie,” Andrew breathed as his body began to tremble.
I could feel him move inside of me. He twitched and shook, his entire body shivering with the pleasure that was about to come.
“Sophie.”
I looked into Andrew’s eyes and saw something I’d never seen before. He wasn’t yet crying, but he was seconds away. His eyes were full of emotion. So much that it brought a lump to my throat. I kissed his lips roughly, making him moan and sink deeper into me.
When he came, it was soft and intense. He moaned and cried out, whispering my name over and over until the pleasure faded from his body.
Even after we were done, neither of us moved a muscle. Andrew stayed on top of me. He was still buried inside of me, my legs wrapped firmly around his waist. I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to. It was like we’d been permanently fused together, and neither of us wanted to break the connection.
“I can’t stop saying it,” Andrew said. “I love you.”
He kissed my forehead, and I sighed, fresh tears washing over my face. I’d never cried so much in my life. I didn’t know if it was the hormones or simply the joy of being back with Andrew. Whatever it was, water continued to fall from my eyes as Andrew held me tightly against him.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Andrew pulled himself off me. I whined in protest and frantically grabbed at his arms. I hated being separated from him, but Andrew didn’t let me get far. As he laid down on his back, he pulled me with him, wrapping his arm around my naked body and pressing my head against his chest.
He kissed the top of my head and sighed as we snuggled on the bed. I was cold, but I didn’t want to move enough to grab a blanket. I let Andrew’s body warm mine, and it was more than enough.
“Are you feeling okay?” Andrew asked softly. “Have you been sick or anything?”
“I’ve had morning sickness,” I said. “Nothing too horrible, though.”
“Did the doctor give you anything for it?” Andrew asked.
“He offered,” I said. “But I refused. I don’t want the baby to get any medicine it doesn’t need. I can suck it up for a few months.”
“Sophie, if you’re feeling bad…”
“I’ll be fine,” I said with a laugh. “Right now, I’ve never felt better.”
Andrew sighed and pulled me closer, his fingers tracing lines along my arm. I’d never felt safer in my entire life. For the first time since I found out about the baby, I knew everything would be okay.
Andrew and I were going to be a family. We were going to have this baby and love it endlessly. Our entire lives would change forever, but I didn’t care. I knew Andrew didn’t, either. We were both so happy that nothing else mattered.
“I can’t believe this is really happening,” Andrew said with a soft laugh. “It feels like a dream.”
“I know,” I said. “I’ve been living in denial for two weeks.”
“But you’re happy, right?” Andrew asked nervously. “I mean, this is what you want?”
“More than anything,” I said. “But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t scary.”
“I know,” Andrew said. “We’ll get through it together.”
“I was afraid you’d be angry,” I said. “That you wouldn’t want the baby. Or me. After what happened.”
“I never stopped wanting you,” Andrew said. “Even when I was angry, even when we were yelling at each other, I always knew you were the one person I could really love. Sophie, it was always supposed to be you.”
I looked up to meet Andrew’s gaze. He meant every word he said, and it was enough to bring even more tears to my eyes. I felt like I’d never stop crying, but I didn’t mind. I’d finally gotten everything I’d been hoping for.
As Andrew held me that night, I let myself relax for the first time in months. It was as if everything had fallen into place. Not only was I in the arms of the man I loved, but I was carrying his child. I never knew this was my dream until it came true.
I felt Andrew fall asleep beneath me. His breathing became steady, and soft snores rippled from his chest. He held onto me even in his sleep, never letting me stray too far away.
It took me a while before I could fall asleep, but I didn’t mind. I would have laid awake all night if it meant being in Andrew’s arms. I buried my face in his chest and breathed in his scent, memorizing everything about the moment.
When my exhaustion became too strong, I snuggled closer to Andrew’s side and closed my eyes. I knew we’d have more time together in the morning. And the next day. And the next.
Being with Andrew was exactly where I was meant to be. It took me a while to realize it, but once I did, I never left his side again.
Chapter 33
Sophie
Two months later
I smoothed down my dress and stared at myself in the mirror. The dark green material hugged my small baby bump just enough that it drew my eyes. I sighed and ran my hands over the bump, a smile forming on my lips.
For weeks, I’d been wondering if I would ever start showing. I was almost halfway through my pregnancy, and still, my little bump remained elusive. Finally, it popped out, and now, it was impossible to miss.
I grinned at myself in the mirror and closed my eyes, holding onto my stomach and feeling the tiny kicks of my baby girl. She fluttered around, making sure I knew she was there but still moving softly enough that I had to focus to feel her.
“Are you ready?” a voice asked from behind me.
I turned around to see Andrew standing in the doorway. His eyes trailed down my body when he saw me. The grin on his lips was both sweet and se
ductive. I found myself wishing we could stay. Dinner no longer seemed like the best plan.
“I am,” I said. “But if you wanted to stay in tonight, I would be okay with that.”
“Oh?” Andrew asked playfully. “You would?”
I nodded and moved closer to him. My hands found Andrew’s chest. I ran them over his body, feeling his muscles hidden beneath his shirt. He wore a button up and a pair of slacks. Wherever we were going, I knew it was somewhere nice.
“We can’t,” Andrew said with a sigh. “These are plans we shouldn’t break.”
“Why?” I whined. “It’s just us, right?”
“It is,” Andrew said, nodding. “But trust me, you want to go.”
“Fine.” I rolled my eyes and pushed away from him. “Just let me grab my wrap, and I’ll be ready.”
“It’s not too cold out,” Andrew said. “You’ll be fine like that.”
His eyes dropped to my chest, and I knew what he was thinking. Ever since my pregnancy began, my body had undergone some changes. My breasts were huge and impossible to ignore. The dress I was wearing made them even more obvious. Andrew licked his lips as he stared at me. I groaned and wrapped my arms around his neck, feeling pools of desire form between my legs.
“You can’t look at me like that,” I said. “Otherwise, we’ll never leave the house.”
“I can’t help it,” Andrew said softly. “You’re sexy as hell.”
“Then, let’s stay home,” I said. “Trust me, I’ll make it worth your while.”
Andrew laughed. “There’s those hormones again.”
I rolled my eyes and groaned, pressing my body against his. He kissed me softly, but pulled away quickly. No matter how hard I tried, Andrew wasn’t going to let me seduce him into cancelling our dinner reservations.
“You’re killing me,” I said. “My body is such a mess right now. All I want is sex.”
“You’ll get plenty of it tonight,” Andrew said in a low voice. “I promise.”
I moaned and let Andrew lead me out of the room. My heels clicked against the hardwood floor as we made our way down the hall. I wrapped my arm around Andrew’s when we reached the stairs. He held me steady as we walked, making sure I didn’t trip.
He’d been this way since I told him about the baby. He was more than a gentleman. He was so caring that I often felt spoiled.
“Where are we going anyway?” I asked.
“You’ll see,” Andrew said with a wicked grin.
We walked through the house on our way to the front door. As we passed through the dining room, it was pitch black, and I couldn’t see a thing.
“Andrew,” I said.
Before I could get out another word, the lights flicked on and a roar of voices hit my ears. Familiar faces surrounded me as I blinked in the newly bright light.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Andrew just grinned as everyone hurried over to say hi. My father was there, and Kaddy. Friends of mine from the coffee shop and a few of Andrew’s employees. Liam stood off in the corner with a wide smile on his face. The room was full of friendly faces, but I still didn’t know what was going on.
My confusion only grew when I turned to see Andrew grinning at me nervously.
“Andrew,” I said. “What is all this about?”
“I wanted everyone here tonight,” Andrew said. “Because well, because of this.”
Andrew sank to one knee, pulling a small black box from his pocket as he moved. My eyes flew wide, and my heart stopped. Everyone around us fell silent, but I barely noticed. I only had eyes for Andrew.
“Sophie,” he said slowly. “These past couple of months have been amazing. I never thought I would meet someone like you. For years, I devoted myself to work. I lived and breathed Hopper Antiquities. Nothing could pull me away from that world, nothing could pull me out of my own head. Until you.”
I swallowed hard. Tears were already forming behind my eyes.
“I never knew how much I could love someone until I met you,” Andrew said, his voice breaking. “I fell in love with you so fast that I didn’t even realize it was happening. You came into my life for a reason, Sophie. And that reason is right here.”
Andrew put his hand gently over my stomach. I couldn’t take it anymore. The first tear spilled over and slid down my cheek.
“We’re already a family,” Andrew said. “And now, I want to make it official.”
He opened the box. My eyes fell on a brilliant diamond ring.
“Sophie,” Andrew said. “Will you marry me?”
I could barely speak, but somehow, I managed to choke out my answer.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Yes, of course. Yes.”
Epilogue
Andrew
One Year Later
I woke to the sound of soft gurgles coming from Nina’s crib. She wasn’t yet awake, but I knew she would be soon. At just under seven months old, her routine was set in stone. She woke in the morning, ate, played, and slept. This pattern was repeated until bedtime at nine o’clock every night.
Sophie often wondered if Nina’s schedule was too strict, but whenever we tried to change something, Nina would protest in her own baby-like way. She rarely ever cried. Instead, she would poke out her bottom lip with her emerald green eyes opened wide and her cheeks flushed a faint pink. Every time she did this, I was reminded of her mother, my fiancée Sophie.
This morning, Sophie was fast asleep on top of my arm. Her long brown hair cascaded over the bedsheets, catching the morning sunlight that seeped through the windows. I stared down at her as I waited for Nina to wake. Today marked exactly one year since I proposed to Sophie Newman, one year since she agreed to become my wife.
With the baby arriving, we never got around to planning our wedding. We threw ourselves into parenthood and never looked back, but as Nina grew, so did my desire to marry Sophie. I thought about it often, more than I wanted to admit. Every time I watched Sophie feed our daughter or play with her on the floor in our living room, I imagined what the rest of our lives would be like. I had forever to spend with this woman, and yet, I wanted forever to start immediately.
I shifted my arm out from under Sophie, moving slowly so as not to wake her. Nina’s gurgles were becoming louder and more insistent. She would be fully awake in seconds, and I didn’t want to disturb Sophie. It was my morning to feed Nina breakfast, but if Sophie woke up, I knew she would insist on taking over. Her maternal instincts were stronger than anything else about her.
“Hey, baby girl,” I whispered when I reached Nina’s crib.
Her bright eyes stared up at me. She was still sleepy, her tiny fists reaching up to rub her face as a wide yawn escaped her lips. I chuckled softly to myself and scooped my daughter into my arms.
She babbled at me when I kissed her cheek. I walked across the room, and Nina rested her head against my shoulder. Sophie sighed and rolled over in her sleep. I held my breath and waited, hoping she would stay asleep long enough to feel rested. Ever since Nina was born, I worried that Sophie was pushing herself too hard. She almost never slept through the night anymore, even though Nina hadn’t woken up for a nighttime feeding in almost three months.
Nina and I hurried into the hallway and slowly made our way downstairs. It was early, but I could already hear Liam moving around in the kitchen.
“Good morning, Mr. Andrew,” Liam said warmly. “And Missy Nina Emily Hopper. Oh, how is my favorite little princess this morning?”
Nina smiled brightly and reached out her tiny arms for Liam. She adored him, and he her. They bonded immediately.
I handed Nina to Liam and moved across the kitchen to pour myself a cup of coffee. My eyes felt heavy, and my head was still foggy from sleep. I yawned and shook myself before taking a long sip of the scalding hot beverage. It warmed my throat and my chest, falling into my stomach with a happy plop.
“Hungry, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked.
I nodded. “Starving.”
Liam put Ni
na in her highchair before he moved to the stove to finish breakfast. I warmed a bottle and then joined her at the table. She took the bottle happily and tilted her head back against her highchair. I watched her with a smile as she drank the milk quickly, her eyes fluttering with happiness.
“Wow,” I said playfully. “Someone was hungry this morning.”
Nina finished her bottle and then dropped it on her highchair tray with a high-pitched squeal. She smiled and giggled, kicking out her little feet and staring at my face.
I laughed with her as Liam put a plate down in front of me. He sat beside Nina while I ate, tickling her toes and playing patty cake with her tiny hands. I watched them and couldn’t help but smile.
It was like Nina had transformed us all. Sophie slipped into motherhood without effort. She had always radiated compassion, but after Nina’s birth, she became even more loving and amazing than before. Sometimes, I even thought her appearance had changed. Sophie now had a glow about her, a natural shine that made it impossible for me not to stare at her.
Liam had changed, too. He’d become a grandfather to Nina. He could spend hours just watching her wiggle and squirm. I’d never seen him so happy in all my life.
And me? Well, I changed the most.
Sophie showed me there was more to life than work, but Nina was my something more. She was everything I never knew I wanted. From the second I laid eyes on her, I was hooked. She wrapped me around her tiny finger before she could even open her eyes.
“So,” Liam said as I took a bite of toast. “Today’s a pretty big day.”
“Is it?” I asked with a frown.
“One year ago today, you proposed,” Liam said, raising his eyebrows.
“Oh,” I said. “Yeah. The engagement.”
“Have you two talked about a date at all?” Liam asked.
“Not lately.” I sighed. “We’ve been so busy with Nina and work that the wedding just kind of…”
“Went by the wayside?” Liam asked.
“Exactly.” I nodded.
“Maybe you should bring it up,” Liam said pointedly.
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