Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67973 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Don’t stop,” she begged, her words fractured with need. “Liam…”
I’d never tire of hearing my name on her lips like that. Desperate and reverent. I quickened my pace, thrusting faster, deeper, pulling back just enough to watch her flushed face as her ecstasy built. Her lips parted, lashes fluttering shut as she shattered, her body convulsing around my fingers in rhythmic pulses. A stifled cry of pleasure escaped her as she came hard, soaking my hand.
She was beautiful. So utterly fucking beautiful.
I withdrew my fingers slowly, bringing them to my mouth to lick them clean, savoring her taste while her dark eyes watched and flared with heat. That intimate look alone reassured me, chasing away my fears of distance creeping in and ruining what we were building before we even had the chance to figure out who we could become.
My past wasn’t my present. Morgan was different and so was I.
And finally, I felt ready to leave it all behind, where it belonged.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Morgan
The mall was packed with shoppers, as was typical this time of year. With Christmas just around the corner, there were plenty of people trying to finish buying gifts for everyone on their lists. That was exactly why I was here with Becca.
“Are you sure that Parker will like this?” I asked, holding up a package of Star Wars socks. “I’m worried that socks are a lame gift.”
“Those aren’t just any socks,” Becca said with an indulgent smile, as if I just didn’t get it. To be fair, I didn’t. “Those are Star Wars socks. Anything with pictures of Yoda or Darth Vadar is a good gift for him.”
I laughed and shook my head. “He’s such a nerd.”
“And that’s one of the many reasons we adore him.”
I couldn’t argue with that. I’d always found his nerdiness endearing.
We headed to the register, and I bought Parker’s socks while Becca purchased a ladybug nightlight for Gracie and a new tie for my dad.
After that, we strolled through the mall, passing clothing stores and a smoothie shop before we went into a toy store. This was the most crowded store we’d been to, and it was hard to walk around without bumping into someone.
“You’ll have to help me choose something for Gracie,” I said, scanning the store for that perfect gift for my niece. “I want to make sure she loves whatever I get her. She deserves a great Christmas since she’ll be sharing the attention with her little brother next year.”
My eyes were on a display of baby dolls as I spoke but when Becca didn’t reply immediately, I glanced at her. To my surprise, she was frowning.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, my eyes immediately going to her stomach. “Is it the baby?”
She waved off my concern. “No, not at all. It’s just…what you said. I had the same thought. I wanted to go a little big this year for Gracie because as excited as she is to become a big sister, this is going to be a huge change for her. She’s used to being the only child and getting all the attention.”
“Makes sense,” I said, nodding thoughtfully. “A little spoiling sometimes isn’t a bad thing.”
“But Parker disagrees,” Becca continued, her frown deepening as she absently toyed with a stuffed unicorn on a shelf. “He told me that he didn’t think we should go too overboard on gifts for her.”
That didn’t sound right to me. Parker adored Gracie, and he was the first person I’d expect to want to give her an especially magical Christmas.
“It’s not just that,” Becca added, her voice dropping as we meandered deeper into the store. “He’s also cancelled our babymoon trip.”
“Your what?” I asked, confused by the term.
She sighed. “It’s a little vacation that a couple takes together before the baby is born. A last chance to get some quality time in before you’re overwhelmed with diapers and sleepless nights,” she explained, her disappointment evident in the slight slump of her shoulders. “I didn’t know about them before Gracie was born, but now that I do, I really wanted the two of us to do this. I’d planned it during New Year’s, but all of a sudden, Parker is worried about travelling while I’m pregnant, even though my doctor said it would be perfectly safe.”
I could see that she was frustrated, but I didn’t know what to say to make her feel better. Parker wasn’t usually this overprotective of Becca. Combined with his take on how to handle Gracie’s Christmas gifts, along with some over the top reactions about a few things at work, including the increase to the marketing budget, his behavior had been strange lately.
“Maybe he’s just feeling pressure about the upcoming launch,” I said as my eyes skimmed over some board games. “He did seem rather stressed during last week’s meeting.”
She sighed. “This new EV charger and making it a success is important to him. I get that, but I’m also disappointed.”