Page 24 of The Fated Mate Bandit

“Yes, really. Unless that’s not why you came in here. We can just cuddle. But if you’re asking what I want.” He rubs my hand into his crotch, his eyes burning into mine.

“Oh. That’s…” All words leave my head as I feel him get harder. “Good. That’s good.” I stammer. God, I sound like an idiot.

He smiles. “Does that mean you want to mess around? Because I have to warn you, I’m not wearing anything underneath this blanket.”

I swallow hard. “Oh. I… um…” I finger the top of the blanket. It’s been so long since I got to look at his naked body. Not that I have any right to it, of course. But if we’re pretending to be mates…

I take in a shaky breath and slowly pull down the blanket, inch by inch. He has plenty of time to stop me, but he doesn’t. He lets me expose his lower abdomen and his hips. His cock bounces up as I reveal his thatch of silver pubic hair. It’s bigger than I remember with a shaft that’s thicker close to the tip. I remember how it felt to have it inside of me. So satisfying—so intense. He filled me up until I wasn’t sure if I could take it all, and then he filled me up even more.

He slides his fingers into my hair. “Lucas.”

I push into his hand, eager to feel his fingers on my scalp and his palm cupping my cheek. His body and his scent takes me back to a time when sex was wonderful. With him, I orgasmed every time. I felt cherished and sexy. The nights we snuck out into the prairie to mess around were nothing but bliss.

I didn’t learn until later that sex isn’t always like that. Sometimes it’s boring. Sometimes it hurts. Sometimes it makes you feel hollow inside because you know that your mate doesn’t really want you. He just wants sex, and you’re there. Especially the last few months. My pregnant belly repulses Daryl.

“Maybe I could keep my clothes on and just… with my mouth,” I offer with a tiny shrug. That might not be what he’s into now. I don’t know. But I used to love the salty bitterness of his cum and the scent of his pubic hair.

“Is that whatyouwant?” Silver asks.

“It would be easier, right? Then we wouldn’t have to deal with, you know,” I glance down at my belly.

“Come here,” he whispers, tugging my hand forward.

I scoot closer to him, not exactly sure where he wants me. He hooks his arm around my body and pulls me onto his lap. It feels wildly different than sitting in his lap this afternoon because his beautiful chest is bare, and the unmistakable stiffness of his erection is underneath my right ass cheek.

“I have a confession,” he says, leaning in and pressing his forehead to mine.

“What is it?”

“I’m into it.”

I pull back, confused. “Into what?”

He smiles sheepishly. “Into pregnant you? I don’t know if I’m into pregnant guys, in general. But you… well.” He runs his fingers down my back and over my ass. “I’m into it, Lucas. I want you—all of you.”

If I couldn’t feel the tip of his erection poking into me, I don’t think I’d believe him. I feel huge and ugly, not like some sexy version of pregnant omega that an alpha could conceivably want. I place my hand on the center of his bare chest. His heart races under my fingertips.

“Can I see you, baby?” he whispers in my ear.

I nod, even though I’m terrified of showing my body to him. What if he’s disappointed? What if he stops wanting me? I know he’d be kind about it, but it would be humiliating.

I don’t know if I’d ever truly recover.

He slides my shirt up, revealing the part of my body I’m the most afraid for him to see. My belly is huge and distended with white stretch marks extending from my belly button. Silver lifts my shirt over my head, so I can’t see his reaction until my shirt is completely off and discarded on the side of the bed.

He runs his fingers over the swell of my belly and down my legs with this feral look in his eyes that I remember from back when we were teenagers and messing around for the first time. I never had to wonder if he found me desirable. It was always written all over his face.

How could he still want me like this?

He circles his arms around me and lowers me onto the mattress. “Can I take off your shorts?”

I nod again. He could ask me almost anything right now, and I’d say yes.

He slips his fingers underneath my sleep shorts and yanks them down. I’m sure my erection is completely obvious now that only my underwear is covering it, but I can’t see for myself. My belly is too big.

“Fuck, baby. You’re so hard for me, you’re leaking all over your underwear.”

My cheeks heat up. “Sorry.”

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