Page 69 of Essence of his Soul

“Tyler’s already crazy about his daddy,” she added, her voice low, like she was letting me in on something she hadn’t told anybody else.

That caught me off guard, but in a good way. “Really?” I asked, surprised but also feeling damn good about it.

She nodded, and the way she looked at me… I don’t know. It made something tighten in my chest.

“Yes, really.”

After that, we didn’t say much. We didn’t need to. Setting up the train set, wrapping toys, putting some on display—this wasn’t about talking. It was about a little boy who’d changed everything for us. It felt right, like we were finally building something solid, something real.

When the movie ended, she excused herself and ran to the bathroom. I sat there, staring at the tree, thinking about how everything between us had shifted. When she returned, I was holding the gift I’d been waiting to give her.

“What’s that?” she asked, her voice soft, curious.

“Open it and find out,” I said, handing her the small box.

She sat down, tucking her legs underneath her, and carefully unwrapped it. Her eyes widened when she pulled out the gold ring with the ruby birthstone. “It’s beautiful,” she whispered, almost like she couldn’t believe it.

“It’s a mother’s ring,” I explained, leaning closer. “Look at theinscription.”

Essence turned the ring over, and I watched her face change as she read the inscription. “Tyler Dane - July 19,” she said, her voice catching.

I left his last name off for obvious reasons.

I saw the emotion in her eyes, raw and unfiltered, and it hit me deep. “Oh, Mark, thank you so much, but I—I didn’t get you anything,” she stammered, looking almost guilty.

I leaned in, my voice low and serious. “Yes, you did. You’ve done an incredible job raising our son. I couldn’t ask for a better gift than him.”

She blushed, trying to hide her face behind her mug, but I saw the way she was feeling everything, just like I was. “Having you in his life now is what matters most. You’ve made quite the impression on him,” she said quietly.

I couldn’t let that sit. I had to know. “And what about his mother?” I asked, my voice dropping even lower. I traced my finger along her cheek, letting it linger long enough to clarify my point. “Have I made an impression on her too?”

I watched her breath catch and saw her hands tremble just a little. She was trying to stay calm, but I knew. I could feel the shift between us, the way her body reacted to mine. We were close now, closer than we’d been in a long time, and I wasn’t about to let that go.

I took her mug, set it aside with mine, and grabbed both of her hands. Our eyes locked, and the hunger I’d been feeling for her—the kind I’d tried to ignore—was all out in the open now. I wasn’t just feeling her. I was feeling everything. This wasn’t just about sex or some fling. This was about her—about us.

I cupped her face in my hand, my fingers brushing along her jawline. Her skin was soft and warm, and I could feel her pulse racing under my touch. My heart was pounding just as hard. I leaned in, my eyes never leaving hers, and everything else fadedaway in that moment.

When my lips touched hers, Essence sighed and tilted her chin, giving me greater access. That was all the encouragement I needed. I parted her lips, my tongue easing into her sweet mouth. Essence moaned and pressed her body to mine. I pulled her close against me and deepened the kiss. Her lips were lovely and seductive enough to send blood flowing hotly through my veins.

I cupped her buttocks and groaned near her ear. “You know what I want, don’t you, Essence?” I had drawn back to look at her flushed face. Her lids lifted slowly. Desire flickered, flared, and raged through me. She nodded and moistened her lips.

“I want to taste every inch of you starting right here.” I nipped her earlobe.

Essence drew in a shuddery breath, then exhaled with a sigh. I stroked my palm across her smooth cheek, and she nuzzled against it.

“You want that, too? Don’t you?” I asked.

The gaze that met mine was serious. “Yes.”

I wanted her so badly that I was ready to bypass all the preliminaries and get down to business. However, when she touched her lips to mine with soft, experienced kisses, I suddenly remembered that good things come to those who wait.

I picked her up in my arms. Her arms were locked around my neck as I carried her to the bedroom. With one hand, I managed to jerk back the covers, then lay her down and lowered beside her.

She sighed with pleasure as I cupped her breasts, circling them and then thumbing her nipples. I caught the fabric of her gown in my teeth and tugged it over her breasts. “I need to taste you, Essence.”

Her eyelids drifted closed, and then she inhaled deeply. “Oh, yes.”

Gown gone, she lay before me in nothing but what the good Lord had given her. I stroked her breasts while her silky fingers slid across my chest in a slow, circular motion, then lowered to skim my belly and ribcage. Shudders of sensation rippled through me, and I had to take a deep breath to maintain control.

---