: Chapter 35

Lia

At the door to my bedroom, Rory sighed, gazing at a fast asleep Evie. We’d poked our heads in after hearing a sound, but she hadn’t woken.

“She’s so beautiful. I hope my baby is a redhead, too.”

“Same,” I said, my hand on my belly.

We grinned at one another and moved back to the living room, the last women standing from an evening of pampering and conversation.

Scarlet and Cait had come over after Max had been nabbed, bringing with them a host of female relatives. Also alcohol and lots of laughter. Rory’s sister Elise was pregnant, too, so mainly the older generation consumed the sparkling wine.

It was no secret that I was expecting our second baby.

A few weeks after I’d brought Evie to see Max, I’d fallen pregnant again. Very happily, too. From the minute the test gave up the result, Max had wanted to tell everyone. Live every minute of it. I’d wanted the same.

Our little family journal now had two pregnancy stories in it.

With baby number two, we’d write up all the details together.

“Can you imagine having twins?” Rory continued. “Scarlet and Ally had their hands full.”

“With our guys as toddlers? I bet they hardly slept.”

We both giggled. Rory had been telling me how she and Maddock planned to take equal care roles in the baby’s life. She had a career she didn’t want to let go of for longer than the standard year of maternity leave.

It had given me an idea. “I’m going to get a part-time job,” I decided. “Effie was telling me about her business. She hates the admin side of it. All the bookings and invoices. I’m going to offer to do that for her. We don’t really need the money, so it would be more for practice. I like organising things. I’ve never done much of that.”

“Damn, can you do mine, too? I have a small client base, but then admin part of it is the worst.”

“Are you serious? Let me try.”

She held out a hand, and we shook on it.

A thud came at the door. “That’ll probably be Maddock,” she said then leapt up to answer the door.

I drifted after her. It couldn’t be Max. Not this close to midnight. We couldn’t see each other until the wedding now.

Regret filled me. I loved that we’d soon be walking down the aisle and making vows, but I needed a Max-sized hug. A promise that it would all be okay.

I missed him.

In the kitchen, Rory fell back from the door, laughing like a drain. “Oh my God. What did they do to you?”

Crossing to get a better look, I clapped eyes on a ridiculous sight.

Breathing hard, Max stood at the top of the steps in a black mini dress and white lacy apron. Mud streaked his legs and flattened his red hair. On top, a tiny white cap perched at a jaunty angle.

I gawked at him but then caught the look in his wild eyes.

My whole body heated.

Max jabbed a finger at the kitchen clock. “It took me forever to run here. We have hardly any time left. Come here.”

Hell yes. Heedless of my white and fluffy bridal party pyjamas, I closed the distance and threw myself at him.

Max caught me up, and I wound my legs around his waist, tasting the outdoors in his brief, steamy kiss. His outfit was damp, his skin hot.

Before he could make the scene indecent, I paused to glance around at Rory.

“Stay and watch Evie?”

She raised both eyebrows. “You’ve got it. You have twelve minutes, guys.”

Max carried me down the steps. At the base, he kept walking, his lips on mine like he could do nothing else but devour me.

At a deep doorway, he hid us in the shadows and pushed me against the wood.

“Need ye,” he said between hungry presses of his lips. “Always. In every way. Especially right now.”

His tongue slid over mine, cutting off any reply. Not that I had any to give aside from yes and more.

There was a tiny chance we could be discovered. We were outdoors. Yet it was the middle of the night, and the castle lights had been extinguished. Only the lamp at the top of our steps reached the entry to our hideaway.

In Max’s arms, I turned our kiss dirty, slipping my hands under his outfit to graze down his sides.

Max growled and set me on my feet. Dropping to his knees, he yanked my pyjamas down, and I stepped out of them. In a flash, Max had my leg over his shoulder and his mouth at my core.

“God,” I squeaked.

With no time to waste, Max licked me then sucked my clit, alternating, his grip on my thighs and backside fierce. His warm tongue drove into me, and I writhed against his attentions, a delicious ache growing inside. I fisted one hand into his damp hair and clamped my other palm over my lips to keep from crying out.

Just as I was about to explode, he jumped up and collected me into his arms once more.

Face to face, he pulled his maid’s skirt aside and got into position. Then he sheathed himself in me. We both gasped against each other’s mouths.

Now, his kiss was softer. “Love ye,” he said.

“I love you, too,” I managed in return, not taking my gaze off him.

Max kissed me and jacked his hips to slide in and out, hitting that spot inside he could always seem to find. I tucked my face into his shoulder, and Max surged, taking permission to go for it.

This was thrilling. The time ticking down. The fresh air around my bare limbs. The knowledge that, with Max, I was safe and loved.

He made love to me until my climax hit hard. Silently, I cried out, and Max swelled even harder and slammed home a few times before coming himself. His orgasm extended mine, the sheer pleasure of it overwhelming and mind-blowing.

Then his mouth took mine, and his kiss told me everything of how he felt.

“One minute,” Rory called from the steps. “Don’t make me come down there and blindfold you. So gross.”

“Going to have to love ye and leave ye,” Max said softly, placing me down. “They’ll be here to grab me again. Fuck knows what they’ve got in mind for the end of the night.”

I found my jammies on the flagstone doorstop and pulled them back on, an ache between my legs and so much love in my heart. “So long as you make it to the altar tomorrow in one piece, I’ll forgive them.”

“I’ll try my best.” He grinned.

A final kiss, and I backed out of the alcove. Footsteps advancing around the corner had me running for the steps, and I dived in the apartment door as hollers told me the men had located Max.

Rory cocked her head at my no-doubt dishevelled state. “You have mud streaks on your face.”

“And other places. Shower, I think.”

She snickered and let me go. Tomorrow, we had a wedding to ready for and a life to start. I couldn’t wait for all of it.