She spreads her legs open, giving me a peek at her panties, wedged high, showing the outline of her pussy. I groan softly. Stepping closer so my knees bump against the mattress, I grip her knees and spread her legs wider. As I do, her panties slide, exposing one of her bare lips.

“You have no idea how fucking gorgeous you look right now,” I breathe.

She whimpers, hands moving to her breasts, sliding under her shirt to roll a nipple between her thumb and forefinger. I groan and reach forward, running my thumb over the seam of her wet pussy, feeling her pulse and clench against me. I want to make her so much pleasure. I want to drive her wild, to ruin her the way I’m terrified she’s ruined me forever.

Nudging the fabric aside, I push a finger into her, reveling in the feeling of her, smooth, slick, and drenched.

“Fuck,” I grit out.

Her cheek flush pink as she moans. I growl, dropping to one knee, slinging her leg over my shoulder and tugging her ass to the bed. I slowly start press little kisses up her thigh, enjoying the way her body writhes beneath me. When I tug at the material of her panties, it rips with barely any effort.

She gasps. “Sterling!”

“I’ll buy you more,” I murmur, holding her wide open before dropping my head to feast.

Emilia cries out as I lick her pussy, mounting pressure and adding in just the right amount of teeth to enhance her pleasure.I slide my tongue right into her and she squirms so hard I have to reach upward to keep her in please.

“Sterling,” she moans. “I’m going to come.”

“Go on, come for me, angel,” I prompt.

Soon after the warning, she explodes. I lap up her juices as they coat my tongue, holding her down as the pleasure racks through her body. I don’t stop until the spasms stop, until her moans quiet. Once that happens, I start kissing my way up her thighs, lifting her skirt as I press soft kisses against her hip. I push up the top she’s wearing, revealing her bare stomach.

I pause when I notice something, though, my brows furrowing.

“What’s this, angel?” I question, staring at the thin, pale scar that bisects her stomach. “Did you have surgery?”

When I look at her, all the blood has drained from her face. Her reaction worries me. It feels like all the air in the room has been sucked away.

I’ve seen her naked before. My lips turn down in a frown.

“The scar wasn’t there two years ago. What the hell happened to you?” I question worriedly.

“It’s from a Caesarean section,” Emilia stammers.

That more than anything has my eyes widening. She never stutters or stammers. She’s always so confident, but right now she looks terrified and I have no clue why. I’m just so fucking confused. She’s not making any sense.

Still, I slowly try to piece it all together, my brain working hard to understand.

“You were pregnant?” I realize, my heart speeding up.

She sits up, pulling her top down and running a shaky hair through her hair.

“Sterling, just calm down, okay? I-I can explain.”

“Then explain,” I order in a low tone.

Her eyes well up with tears. “This isn’t how I wanted to tell you.”

“You’re scaring me, angel. What happened?”

“I was pregnant. I found out the day before you left Edenton. I was pregnant with your baby,” she states.

I feel a ringing in my ears as she says those words. Words that effectively throw my world off-kilter.

CHAPTER 25

Emilia