Page 78 of Utah

“I’m enjoying myself. I don’t wanna come too fast, but if you need it a little rougher, I think I can do that for you.”

“Oh, you think you—”

The rest of my words were stolen when he wrapped his arm around my waist to anchor me against him and jacked his hips upward. He squeezed my breast with his free hand before flicking the nipple. The contrast of pleasure and pain collided, and I was desperate for him to do it again. But I didn’t have to ask because he knew what I loved.

He wove his fingers through my hair and yanked my head to the side. “Kiss me,” he demanded, slamming his mouth over mine before I uttered a single syllable. His tongue slid against mine, soft and slow, while he fucked me with wild abandon, the contrast making me dizzy with desire.

I wanted more.

I wanted everything.

He echoed my moan with one of his.

I pleaded with him to make me come again.

He whispered the dirtiest things in my ear, his voice turning rough and aggressive.

We teetered on the edge.

But instead of tipping us over, he pulled out, flipped me on my back, and pinned me to the bed with the weight of his body.

“I wanna watch you come again.”

He threw my leg over his hip and pressed inside me—only this time, he didn’t take it slow. His warm breath tickled my lips as his eyes flashed and dropped to my mouth, his colliding with mine once more. Intense and ravenous, the force of his tongue matched the gyration of his hips.

Moments later, Utah threw his head back with a growl, his muscles cording with every thrust and swivel. When his eyes found mine again, the corners of his mouth kicked up. He owned me, and he knew it.

I dug my nails into his biceps as I chased my orgasm, my breath held hostage in my lungs as I broke apart on a shudder, relentless waves of pleasure splintering me apart. I’d barely come back down when he seized my waist and drove even deeper than before, exploding inside me, the echo of my name lingering on his lips.

After we’d both gained control of our sprinting hearts, he collapsed next to me, taking me with him until I was sprawled over his left side. He kissed the top of my head and sighed.

“I really missed that.” He hooked his finger under my chin until our eyes met. “I really missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

“Never again, Ria,” he blurted, pulling me up his body so we were face-to-face. “I’m never letting you go again.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Something inside me told me he needed this reassurance, and I was happy to give it to him.

“I know we’re good now, but what if there are more hurdles down the road?” he asked.

“Whatif? We’d be naïve to think there won’t be any issues in the future. Let’s face it, we’re both stubborn.” My tone was light yet serious as I cradled his cheek in my hand, the hairs of his beard soft on my palm. “But we’ll get through it.” The way he looked at me made me feel like the most loved woman in the world, but when a flash of what I perceived to be sadness wove itself into his gaze, I became concerned. “What’s the matter? I thought I was supposed to be the emotional one,” I teased, hoping to alleviate whatever troubled him.

He turned to his side and rested his hand on the curvature of my waist. Silence bounced between us, but I didn’t rush tobreak it because I wanted him to take the time he needed to work out whatever it was that bothered him. Besides, I enjoyed the way he trailed his fingers up and down my hip, the gesture soothing enough to make my eyes a touch heavy, especially after two incredible orgasms.

He moved his hand behind my back and pulled me into him, nudging his large thigh between mine. There was no room between our bodies, and as our heartbeats fell into sync, I became overwhelmed with how much I loved this man. I was seconds away from telling him as much when he finally parted his lips.

“My life hasn’t been easy. In fact, I prayed for a way out more times than I’d like to admit, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat because my pain brought me to you.” He placed his hand on my belly. “To my family.” He took one breath, then two, the softness in his eyes lighting my heart. “You make my darkness brighter, Ria, and I’ll never be able to repay you for loving me the way you do.” I wanted to cherish his words without becoming a mess, but I couldn’t stop the onslaught of tears. “Don’t cry, sweetheart.” For every tear he wiped away, three more trickled from my eyes.

“What do I… how do I even tell you…?” My voice trembled as I tried to gather my thoughts enough to make a lick of sense. In the end, I settled on something straight to the point. “I love you so much.”

Five simple words, but they encompassed everything.

45

As the weeks blended into months, Utah and I fell into a comfortable rhythm, rotating whose place we stayed at. He’d go to the club during the day, and I’d spend my mornings at my new job, working with Kyla at Dr. Sanders’s office. Utah hadn’t loved the idea of me working for the guy, but he realized how important it was for me to earn my own money, to keep my independence. I agreed to compromise after the baby was born by staying home with him or her, although it wasn’t much of a concession because I wanted to spend as much time with the newest member of our family as I could. On two separate occasions, he mentioned expanding our family, but I reminded him he wasn’t the one who had to grow a human inside him. Would I like to have more kids in the future? I couldn’t say right now because I was still adapting to the surprise of this one.

---