Page 93 of Begin Again, Part 2

Their son was still sleeping when they returned to the bedroom. Liam picked him up and took him to the nursery.

"I'll sleep with him in one of the guest rooms," Eden offered.

"No," he shook his head and laid down the law. "Your place is with me."

He tucked Aiden in, turned the light off, and led Eden back to their room.

Wordlessly, they slipped under the covers and turned off the side lamps. Liam stared at the ceiling, and Eden moved and fussed, trying to find a comfortable position. After ten minutes of her endless tossing and turning, Liam drew her into his arms and held her, resting her head on his chest.

"Why can't you sleep?" he asked.

"I'm not used to sleeping in strange places," she said.

"We can change that," Liam kissed her nose. "Move in with me."

"I can't cook."

"I know."

"And I'm messy."

"I saw your place," he chuckled.

"I hog the remote, and I like reality TV and lots of true crime."

"I'll get you your own TV."

"Okay." Eden smiled.

"Okay?" Liam shook her gently. "Is that a yes?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "But give me three months. Maybe six. I want to finish renovating my place."

"If you don't marry me in six months, I'll lose all my inheritance," Liam announced.

Eden chuckled. "I guess you'd better start preparing to live on a minimum wage like the rest of us mortals then."

"Did you mean it?" he asked and held his breath, praying she did.

"What?"

"When you said you love me?"

"No." Eden smiled in the dark. "I just wanted you to fuck me harder, that's all."

"That can be arranged." He moved over her and slipped off her panties.

"Do you want me to fuck you harder?" he asked, removing her nightshirt next, her breasts tumbling into his hands, and he stared in complete awe at her naked body.

In the soft, cosy downlight of their room, illuminated by the full moon outside, Eden looked breathtakingly beautiful, and his heart ached all over again at the thought of being away from her for so long. If there was a way to prolong this moment and this night, he would.

"God, you're beautiful!" Liam said, bright tears dimming his vision as he lowered his head and began to kiss and explore every part of her.

Eden moaned when he trailed kisses all over her neck and breasts and down lower. He paused on her flat tummy, amazed that at some point in the last two years, it was swollen with their child. If it wasn't for the faint vertical scar on her abdomen, there would have been no evidence she was ever pregnant, that she'd given him a beautiful, perfect son.

Liam's heart swelled with love and pride at the idea that the two of them had created a life in his image and her spirit. The feeling was so profound, he thought his heart would burst and splinter into a million little pieces.

"You are amazing," he whispered as he placed butterfly kisses on her tummy and caressed her inner thigh, opening her up.

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