Page 83 of By the Letter

“She isn’t,” Adrian insisted.

Ben swatted the back of his head. “Stop being a jackass. Our nephew is her kid. If that’s not family, I don’t know what is.” He waggled his brows at me. “Plus, if I’m not mistaken, Romeo has the major hots for her.”

I did not admit he was right, but I certainly didn’t deny it. My attraction to Shira was profound, and my desire to be in her presence was almost overwhelming. I hadn’t worked out how much of that had to do with the baby and what was all her yet. Luckily for me, she was willing to break bread with Ben and I most evenings, and when she’d fallen asleep on my couch a fewnights, I’d convinced her to stay over in my bed after I’d carried her there. I had time to sort my feelings outwithher.

Adrian groaned. “This is what I mean. You’re clouded, Rome. On a normal basis, you’d never look twice at—”

I was a breath away from cutting him off, but Ben got there first, slamming his fist on the table. Silverware rattled, and water sloshed over the edges of glasses. Ade’s eyes rounded, but he clamped his mouth shut as Ben leaned into him.

“I’ve had enough of you. If you say one fucking word about her looks, brain injury or not, we’re throwing down,” Ben hissed. “That is my friend you’re talking about. That is the mother of our nephew. Put some respect on her name, Adrian.”

Closing his eyes, he pulled in a deep breath. On a slow exhale, he opened them, looking back and forth between Ben and me.

“I’m sorry. Clearly, I’m in the wrong.” He shoved his fingers through his hair. “This entire thing is a departure from anything I’m used to.”

I blew out a puff of air. “It’s new for all of us, but you’re the only one who’s being left behind.”

He nodded once. “I see that. I’ll get a handle on this.”

“That’d be good. We only have a couple months until our boy is here, and I won’t have you around him if you’re going to bring any negativity.”

Adrian’s mouth dropped open, his eyes stricken. “I don’t want that.”

I didn’t either. “Then, like you said, get a handle on it.”

That night, I had Shira in my bed. She was sleepy by the time I’d deposited her on my mattress, but she lifted her arms by rote, allowing me to take her top off. I reached around her andunhooked her bra. She groaned as her breasts were freed from the cups and in my waiting palms.

“Stop wearing bras when you come over, baby.” I kneaded them, hefting them in my palms. Shira’s tits were gorgeous, big by any standard, but especially for her small frame, and had only grown during her pregnancy. Her nipples were bigger too, and darker. My mouth watered at the sight of them, and a mental image of them dripping milk brought my dick to full mast.

“Maybe if Ben wasn’t here.” She leaned her head against my arm as I caressed her. “I don’t think your brother should see my nipples trying to poke a hole through my shirt like it's their job.”

A green slash of jealousy hit me like a lightning bolt. “He absolutely should not. But you can throw a sweater on. He won’t notice.”

“I don’t know, Rome. My nipples are powerful these days. They’d probably break through the strongest wool.”

She was joking, and normally, I would have chuckled, but her pretty tits were in my hands. I was rolling one of those powerful nipples between my fingers, so I wasn’t feeling very humorous.

I dropped down to my knees in front of her and opened my mouth to take as much of her breast in as I could. Her groan was immediate, and her fingers dug into my hair to cradle me there. She was addictively soft and so damn sweet I craved the taste of her skin when I didn’t have it on my tongue.

Moving to the other breast, I drew deep, filling my mouth with nipple and her lush, round breast. As I sucked, I wrapped my arms around her, scooping her ass into my hands. She’d gotten a little bigger there too, and fuck, did I like it.

“Rome,” she sighed. “That feels really good.”

I raised my eyes to find hers, and when I did, she immediately slammed hers shut. It was a habit she had, and I didn’t like it—her letting me have full access to her body but not her eyes. I had to guess that was her keeping a part of herself back from me. Aform of self-preservation. I’d address it soon, but not now. Not when she was giving me so much already.

I broke from her breast to rid her of her pants and underwear, then I propped her on a pile of pillows and spread her legs. She was swollen and slick, too pretty for me to look at for long without putting my mouth on her. I let myself play with her for a minute, sinking two fingers inside and rolling her beaded clit under my thumb. Shira cupped her breasts while I moved my fingers in and out of her, curling to press on the spot that made her entire body shake.

Once I got her close, I laid down and covered her pretty cunt with my mouth, lapping up her arousal and bringing her over without any effort. Her moans of pleasure were dulcet, barely above a whisper. She kept her fingers in my hair and her feet on my back, sliding and digging in.

“Rome,” she cried. “That’s so good.”

I had to rock my hips into the mattress to find a fraction of relief. Having my mouth on her and her taste on my tongue turned me on in an almost uncontrollable way. My need for her was too big to keep locked down, my urge to bring her pleasure the only thing stronger.

She fell apart like a house of cards. Utter destruction, which barely made a sound. Whole in one moment, fluttering to pieces in the next.

I would have kept going, but she gave my hair a tug, drawing me up her body. First, I got rid of my pajama pants, then I settled on my side behind her, nestling my cock between her slick lower lips.

I put my mouth to her ear. “Say it, Shir.”

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