Page 83 of This Heart
“Yes,” she whispered, digging her nails into my back. “Oh God. Liam, I’m going to come.”
When I felt her insides pulse around my fingers, I nearly stopped to take off my pants and push inside her, but tonight was for Aurora. She cried out my name, and I captured those cries with my mouth as she rode against my hand. When she finally stopped moving, both of us were breathing like we had just ran a race.
Aurora opened her eyes and we stared at each other for a few moments.
“I want you, Liam.” She shook her head. “No, I need to feel you inside me.”
I swallowed hard. Why was I suddenly so nervous?
“Are you on the pill?”
She blinked a few times. “Um, no. I don’t suppose you would have any reason to have any condoms?”
I laughed. “No. I can pull out, if you’re okay with that.”
She nodded vigorously. “I’m totally okay with that.”
I sat up, bringing her with me.
“You’re sure about this?”
When she bit down on her lip and nodded, I jumped up.
Tossing her over my shoulder, I was about to spring to my bedroom when I heard Winnie call out in a near scream.
Aurora froze, then hit me to let her down. “Winnie needs you.”
“Rora!” Winnie’s voice cried through the monitor.
With wide eyes, she asked, “How does she know I’m still here?”
I shrugged as I said, “I’m not sure. I didn’t think we were that loud.”
Aurora quickly adjusted her bra and slipped her shirt over her head.
I took her hand in mine and we headed up to Winnie’s bedroom. When I opened the door all the way, Winnie was sitting up.
“What’s wrong, angel?” I asked, making my way to her.
“Pewey.”
Perry had somehow gotten lost.
“Here he is,” Aurora said, tucking the stuffed moose in next to Winnie.
I was about to get up when Winnie said, “Don’t go, Daddy.”
Glancing up at Aurora, she smiled and was about to leave when Winnie said her name. “Rora, sleep.”
There was conflict in Aurora’s eyes, or at least I thought there was.
“Are you sure?”
“Just until she drifts off,” I said.
With a nod, she slid in next to Winnie, who settled in between the two of us. Aurora kissed her forehead and adjusted Perry.
Winnie reached for a piece of Aurora’s hair and started to slide it through her fingers. She let out a contented sigh and closed her eyes. When Aurora’s eyes met mine over my daughter’s head, we both smiled. Somehow, this felt so damn right. Hope had been a good mother and had tried her best to give Winnie everything, but she also kept her at a strange distance. She wouldn’t have ever snuggled up in bed with her; it was always me who did it. I never understood why Hope was that way. Maybe in some strange way, Hope knew she wouldn’t be here long enough for Winnie.
