Page 116 of Wickedly Yours

“I wanted you to have a reason to stay here. With me. Even if you were safe, I wanted…” He shut his eyes.“More. But I remembered what you said that first night. About your dreams. The kind of man you wanted to be with. And for the first time… I wanted that, too. To be everything you’d dreamed of. The father of your children. The one I’d never had growing up.”

My eyes softened. “You’re going to be such a wonderful dad.”

“How do you know?” He looked so vulnerable, so close to breaking, and it hurt to know anyone had inflicted scars this deep on such a strong man.

“Because you care. Because you have so much love in your heart, you’re just scared to show it to other people.” I kissed that spot on his chest as if in demonstration. “And you didn’t have to get me pregnant to get me to stay with you, dummy. I would have done it if you asked.”

“But you’re happy? With this? With everything?”

“Could have gone without the kidnapping,” I mumbled, getting a soft swat on my ass.

“Sass.”

“You like it.”

“Yeah. I like you.”

“That’s good,” I murmured, “because you’re stuck with me now. Jokes on you.”

“Luna?”

“Mhm?” I hummed in response, letting his scent fill up my nose.

“Thank you.” His hand slid over my stomach. “For this. For everything.”

I yawned, burying my face in his neck and rubbing my nose over the spot where he’d let me mark him weeks ago. “For you? Anything.” I meant it, too. “I love you.”

Snuggling against him, I thought about everything that had happened over the last few days. About everything that would need to happen now that his father was gone.

“Do we have anything we need to do now?” I asked, resting my head against his shoulder and letting my eyes flutter shut.

“For now?” Zain wrapped his arms around me before picking me up and then settling us both down on the bed. “Just sleep.”

“Promise you’ll be here when I wake up?”

“I’ll never leave you alone again.” A promise.

And he didn’t break his promises.

That night, curled up in his arms, tucked away where I was safe… I slept better than I had in a long, long time.

“Happy coronation day,” Zain whispered in my ear, his fingers brushing over my face as my eyes fluttered open.

It still didn’t feel real.

A month had passed since his dad’s death. Since the night I thought I’d lost everything.

“Five more minutes,” I mumbled, curling into his chest, letting his scent fill my nostrils.

He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

When I looked up, he was smiling at me.

“What?”

“This is everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“Mm.” Snuggling back into him further, I kissed the spot over his heart. “Getting sappy on me now, are you, husband?”

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