Page 138 of I Replaced His Husband
I let out a heavy sigh, walked over to the mirror, and lifted my shirt. When I twisted, I could see a long black bruise trailing down my side.
Kay got up and came closer, only to run his fingers gently over it, sending a shiver through me.
"By tonight, there won’t be a trace," he said softly, his voice low and velvety, with that teasing promise. "Our True Mates magic will heal you." He gave me a little wink.
I slowly turned to face him. His lips were parted, moist, and for a moment, I was breathless, just staring at them, my desire growing with each passing second.
"Rain, everyone's talking about the shooter, but there's another hero no one’s thanked. No one’s even mentioned him."
I stayed quiet, still watching him.
"It’s you, Rain. I saw your face when it happened. You pulled me out of bed, dragged me down the stairs… I saw how hard it was for you. You didn’t stop, even though it took everything you had. You even started bleeding from your nose, still, kept pushing."
His beautifully shaped brows drew together slightly as he stared at my neck gland for a moment, carefully choosing his words. "And when they got to us, you covered me with your body. If that blow had hit my stomach, it could’ve killed the baby."
Our eyes met.
"Once again, you stood between me and danger," he whispered, his voice shaking a little. His hands came up to my cheeks, and I saw two tears sliding down his own.
"You’re the real hero to me, not the shooter. You fought for me again, relentlessly. I want you to know it means the world to me. You are my everything, Rain."
Suddenly, he took my hand and lifted it, turning it upward before pressing a tender kiss to the back of it. His eyes stayed on me the whole time, and his lips trembled as he spoke up,
"I want you to know… what I said back then, it’s true, it’s even more—"
"Shh…" I whispered, pressing a finger to his lips as I felt his struggle. "I know, baby. I feel the same. But for now, let’s keep it our secret, something between us. Not said yet… just waiting. A soft promise of a new chapter."
I realized I’d called himbaby, and it suddenly fit, his energy welcomed it. He just smiled warmly.
"See? Even now, you get me. You give me that space, and in that space, everything starts to shift. To heal, grow, ripen. It opens me up."
He leaned in close, lips near my ear.
"And I like hearing you call me ‘baby’."
"You do?"
"I do!" He tilted his head. "To be honest, I secretly liked it from the first moment it slipped out of you. It was like a little forbidden pleasure,a sip of life, a glimpse of a normal relationship. And I missed it. I needed it. I’m a very relationship-oriented type of guy, never once wanting to be single. I need closeness, trust. I want to be somebody’s baby!"
I sighed quietly. "Oh, Kay, I hoped for it from the moment I saw you lying on this bed in your white socks, staring at me with those disapproving navy-blue eyes… I dreamed that one day they would approve of me."
He blinked and muttered, "They approve now. Very much approve…"
I smiled and kissed his forehead. "And one more thing I want to tell you, Kay." My voice grew serious. "You're incredibly strong. So much happened: the tragedy, the attacks, the pregnancy being at risk, and you still made it through."
Kay smiled back. "You helped me, Rain. You protected me—"
But then, all at once, a painful wave hit me as I whispered, interrupting him, "Not always. I wasn’t the one who managed to defend you from the Dawsons."
Kay's expression shifted, his eyes going wide. "No, Rain. No. We're not gods, we're just people. Even TMs can’t do everything! I saw the moment it hit you, that you couldn’t protect me from everything. You couldn’t see every attack coming, couldn’t predict every thrown gas can or ambush. But you still threw yourself in front of me. You shielded me with your body. You were ready to sacrifice yourself. That was your final gift, and maybe the most important one. It meant more to me than if you’d taken them all down from some safe spot in the forest with a flashy show of gun power. That strength, pushing through the moment of weakness, that’s exactly what I treasure in you."
My heart raced, overflowing with joy. We shared that moment in a special, almost solemn way. Kay’s fingers rested on my neck, moving gently, sliding up to my cheeks, brushing over my glands. It was a little… distracting, but in a welcome way.
His voice came out on a breath. "You’re perfect for me, Rain. And… I can finally move on."
Then he just pulled me close, and our lips met.
"Make love to me, Rain," he breathed against my lips. "I need you, with me, inside me. In… everything."
