If Forever Comes (Take This Regret #2)(30)
Author: A.L. Jackson

I dropped my hand from above her head and edged back a fraction to let my hand wander along her belly. Elizabeth sagged against the wall, her stomach tightening beneath my touch as I splayed my hand wide, cupping the protrusion resting between us.

“This is so f**king sexy, Elizabeth. Do you know that? Watching you grow round with my child. There’s nothing more beautiful than that. Nothing in this world more beautiful than you.”

I felt her start to tremble at my words. “Christian…please.”

Instead I slowed and raked my eyes down to where my hand was buried between her thighs. “Look at you,” I demanded through a harsh whisper. Both of us watched as I slowly worked her with my fingers, purposed and strong, teasing her with release. But I refused to let her go. “Look at how perfect you are.”

She shook more, and she reached out again to grasp me around the neck. “Christian, please, I can’t take much more,” she begged.

I pulled back, my hands on her hips as I looked down at her. I strained between us, dripping with need.

And those warm brown eyes were gazing up at me, overflowing with trust, with all the belief she had in me.

I took her by the thighs and hoisted her higher, filled her hard and fast.

A jagged breath squeezed from her lungs and her nails cut into the rigid muscles of my back. “Ugh,” came as a grunt forced between her lips.

“Is this okay?” I begged through a grunt.

Shit.

My control was slipping by the second. But there was no chance in hell I’d hurt her. I locked gazes with her, my hand coming up to brush away the hair sticking to her face as the water ran down it. “Baby…tell me this is okay because it’s been way too long since I’ve had you this way.”

Both of my hands moved to her ass, where I gripped her, balancing her weight, my fingers teasing along her flesh where we were joined.

She moaned and tightened her legs around my waist. “Ah…perfect…don’t even think about stopping.”

And I was fighting a smile, this girl, this woman who was so incredibly sexy, so perfect, the one who anticipated what I needed before I asked for it, the one who knew me.

I pulled back and rocked into her again, hard, demanding. Her back slammed against the wall.

“Yeah?” I challenged, another test, just because I wanted to hear her say it.

“Yes,” she said, giving me exactly what I wanted.

My hips jerked as I rocked into her. I filled her again and again. Relentless. Desperate. Because I would forever be desperate for her.

Incoherent pleas tumbled from her mouth, bled and blended with grunts scraping up my throat.

“Fuck…Elizabeth…you feel so good. Baby, I need more,” I grated as I pinned her with my hips. Shifting, I wound my arms under her legs, held her by the back of the thighs. I stretched her wide and sank into her deeper than I ever had, forcing the air from her lungs with every thrust of my body.

I held her bottom in my hands, quickened as I drove into her.

Her eyes locked on mine as she tipped her chin up to me, our connection unshakable, the woman I held in my hands representing everything that was good in my life.

“More,” she said.

She raked her fingers down my back, dragged them back up to anchor in my hair. And we were face to face, our mouths a breath apart. Short rasps of air escaped from her throat and she was staring at me as if I were her world.

The burn of pleasure tightened like a knot in my spine, pulsed as it begged to be set free.

“Christian…mmm…so close,” she mumbled, struggling to get me closer.

I gripped her tighter as I tilted, rolled my hips and rocked into her. “Come for me,” I demanded.

At my words, I felt it tear through her, ripping through her in staggered, palpable waves.

That was all it took, and I gave, snapped as I was hit with a pleasure greater than anything I’d ever known. It could only be found in Elizabeth. I throbbed and jerked as I came, my hips pinning her to the wall.

Gasping, I searched for breath as my chest collapsed against hers.

My fingers loosened their hold, and I gently wound my arm around her waist to hold her up. My smile bled soft as I looked at her. “That was…” I blinked, realizing there were no words. No words for this woman who was my heart, no words for the woman who held my soul.

Instead I brushed back the soaked hair matted to her face, gently tucked it behind her ear, and cupped the side of her face. I ran my thumb along the apple of her cheek. My throat bobbed heavily as I swallowed.

“I can’t wait to call you my wife. You’ve been Elizabeth Ayers for far too long.” My words were coarse with intent. “I’m going to give you everything, Elizabeth. Anything you want in this world, it’s yours.”

Her smile was almost sad as she looked at me. With trembling fingers, she reached out and traced my bottom lip. “That’s all I want, Christian. All I want is to forever be yours.”

Christian ~ Early June, Four Months Earlier

Wracked, broken sobs beat into my chest where her face was buried. I stood at the side of the bed, bent over her as I cradled her head in the crook of my arm. My other arm was mashed between us, our hands clasped, clutching, searching for anything to ease this pain.

My head spun with confusion. A disordered chaos rained down like a raging storm, a flood sent to ruin and destroy.

Elizabeth clamped down on my hand as she wept. She pressed her face deeper into my shirt. Her mouth gaped open as she cried out, “No.”

Dizziness swept through me. It amplified the shock that clung like a torpid haze to my muddled mind. A sharp stab of sickness twisted my gut, so strong it almost brought me to my knees.

No.

Elizabeth’s doctor’s voice broke through. “I know you don’t want to do this, Elizabeth, but I need you to. Just one little push, okay? All we need is one tiny push and it’ll all be over.” Dr. Montieth coaxed her, the woman’s tone sympathetic as she persuaded Elizabeth into succumbing to what she didn’t want to do.

“I can’t,” Elizabeth wailed again. Her tears soaked through my shirt as she wept against my chest. She squeezed my hand so tightly it constricted the blood flow, her fingernails cutting into the skin at the back of my hand.

I tightened my hold on her. I would give anything to stop this. Would give up my life, would give up my soul.

No.

Desperately I searched inside myself for a way to give her comfort. I wanted to tell her it would be all right. I tried to say it, but the lie only wedged in my throat.