Page 5 of The Build Up

Above us, the skies come alight, the flashes softer now as the lightning moves further away.

The thunder has faded to a soft rumble in the distance. The rain subsides a little, becoming a gentle patter, no longer a downpour.

Arms around my waist, Tarak holds me, pressing himself against me—just enough that his hard, honed body melds to the swell of my pregnant belly.

It’s dark out here. I can barely see him, except for when the lightning flashes.

And it does again, allowing me to catch a glimpse of his face.

Whoa.

Whenever Tarak’s expression softens like this, it takes my breath away.

That he could be capable of such a thing.

And all of this… all ofhim…

Is mine.

“I’ve seen storms like this on many planets.” He brings his lips close to my ear so I can hear his deep voice above therush of the wind and the soft roar of the rain. “Wind, vapor, precipitation, electrical discharge… From above, they all look the same. A common phenomenon. Seemingly insignificant. But when you’re inside, you begin to realize that the storm has power. And sometimes, it can turn the course of a battle.”

“Things appear different when you’re close, rather than on the outside looking in,” I say, savoring his closeness more than ever before.

Our intimacy is divine.

I can never take it for granted.

“I know it now.” He shifts ever so slightly, letting me feel the unmistakable pressure of his arousal. “I have missed you, myamina.The things that take me away from you sometimes feel so very tedious. If only there were a way I could silence the noise of the Universe so I could have you at my whim, always. In fact, I would have you right now in the rain and the mud, but I can’t bear the thought of you experiencing even the slightest dirt or discomfort at my expense—especiallyin your current state.”

The child inside me flutters—along with something else.

Need.

It comes so easily whenever I’m with him.

And knowing how insatiable he is—how endless his desire and stamina, how much control he exerts to hold himself back—makes him all the more irresistible.

I would even do him in the rain and the mud right now… if not for my current state.

“I think I’ve seen enough of the storm, Tarak.” The Universe wraps its damp, electrified tendrils around me, and I almost feel whole again.

“Very well,” he rumbles, as deep and inevitable as the thunder. “Let’s go inside.”

“Okay,” I say weakly, giving in to the gentle yet insistent press of his fingers against mine, an invitation I can’t refuse.

My scant resistance has crumbled. I’m in the mood to be held and taken care of, spoiled at his whim, indulged…

And I want to savor all of him.

To give him whathemost desires and revel in it.

He twines his fingers through mine, taking my hand, leading me back the way we came, through the sand-turned-mud, over the Earth’s gentle undulations. Not once do I step on anything unpleasant with my bare feet, and that’s because he’s guiding me.

He has perfect night vision, after all.

As we reach the house, he grows impatient and sweeps me up into his arms.

I don’t protest.

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