HAPPY FOREVER AFTER

She held back a gasp at the prickle of awareness concentrated in the pads of her fingertips, and pushed them a little harder into his chest. Schooling them not to grab him.

Because that was what every hormone fuelled impulse in her body was screaming at her to do. To grab his hand, seize the heat simmering between them and bury the remnants of her doubts and worries in a kiss. Or, preferably, more.

Bringing his face fractionally closer to hers. Just enough to fill her entire field of vision with the clean lines of his face and the coarse chaos of his hair. And her nose with his scent. And every single nerve ending with the memory of how he could make her body sing. She tipped her head and closed her eyes.

His lips brushed against hers. Soft, but not hesitant. Deliciously assured and practiced. Familiar but new, teasing her with all he had learnt about her since the moment they had met.

As Daniel’s hand found her waist, or what was left of it these days, she parted her lips with a moan, and twisted, snaking her arms up around his neck and pulling his body closer. He wasn’t the only one who wanted to touch.

Somehow all the reasons this had seemed like a bad idea faded to nothing. With the passion that she felt for him and the love that they shared for the life growing inside her. And the love she felt for him, she realized. The love that had continued to grow alongside their child.

Damn, she tasted incredible. Daniel thought.

He nipped out his tongue, tasting and teasing, as he desperately tried to catch his brain up with his libido. But it wouldn’t cooperate. It was so flooded with sensation and need that there was no room for anything rational.

She was stretching up on tiptoe to reach his mouth, and it arched her body into his, their child pressed firmly between them.

“Damn Emma, I have wanted to do this for so long.” He ground out the words between kisses, capturing her every gasp and moan with his lips. “This-more-everything,” he said.

At the word ‘more’, she pulled back, concern clear on her face.

“More?” she asked. She was afraid. She knew what he wanted. She wanted the same thing too… But she loved him and she was afraid that Daniel didn’t feel the same way. And she didn’t want to get hurt again.

“I want you Emma,” he said. Then she pulled away and turned her back to him. Breathing hard. Like she was trying to recover from his kiss. He didn’t want her to.

His mind was thrown back to that day she’d told him there could be no sex between them. He’d been an idiot. He wanted her in every way, in every part of his life. Every time he sat down to figure out their plans, he’d come to see that they all revolved around her. She was at the center of his every hope and desire for the future.

Suddenly he spun her around to face him again and he crushed his lips to hers, cupping her face in his hands. She brought her hands up between them to push against his chest, but his arms went tightly around her back, pulling her even closer to him.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

She moaned low in her throat as his kiss gentled and became exploratory. He carried her to her room and lowered her onto the mattress, never ceasing his slow movement over her lips.

“Damn it, Emma, don’t stop” he whispered hotly in her ear.

She gazed into his eyes as he drew away from her and studied his expression. How could she want him so much after all the hurt? His fingertips caressed her cheek and she closed her eyes, arching further into his hand.

What if she let him make love to her? Would it be so bad? He didn’t love her.

Like a bucket of ice water, that thought quashed any desire she had to surrender to his lovemaking. He must have sensed her withdrawal because he drew away, looking at her in confusion.

“I can’t do this,” she said, scrambling to sit up on the bed. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I just can’t.”

The words caught and raggedly slipped from her lips. Drawing protective arms around her chest, she sat on the rumpled covers watching him warily.

“Damm it, Emma. Don’t stare at me like you expect me to pounce,” he said in disgust. “I am not into unwilling women. You should know that.”

He left the room, slamming the door solidly behind him.

Feeling more alone than ever, Emma edged off the bed and walked into the bathroom to splash cool water on her flushed face.

She stared back at her reflection and saw the utter misery in her eyes. Tears welled. Her chest hurt. Her heart hurt.

Turning the water off, she put her elbows on the countertop and buried her face in her hands as sobs billowed from her throat.

Tears still sliding down her face, she went blindly back into the bedroom and curled into a ball on the bed. Her shoulders shook and the tears streamed down her cheeks in steady trails.

After a few minutes, the bed dipped and Daniel put a hand to her cheek. “I’m sorry, Emma,” he said hoarsely. “Don’t cry. Please don’t cry. I can’t stand seeing you cry.”

Gently he lifted her into his arms and cradled her to his chest. She clung to him and buried her face in his neck as her tears soaked into his shirt.

“Baby, I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted things to go. I never meant to upset you or make you feel… Emma, baby. Look at me. What do you want me to do? Just tell me and I will do it”

She lifted her face from his shoulder.

“I just want to be alone right now, Daniel. Please leave”

——————————-

They didn’t talk about the kiss.. Or the fact that they were so… so close to having sex. Emma was a bit glad they didn’t talk about it because she wasn’t sure she wanted to. So life just went on as before.

Two days after New year, Daniel’s family came for a visit. Lana was so happy to see Emma. And she seemed more excited because of the pregnancy. She doted on her so much that Emma started to feel embarrassed.

Both Lana and Alexa wanted to know why she and Daniel weren’t getting married. It didn’t seem right to them that they were having the baby out of wedlock. But Daniel simply told them that he and Emma ‘just weren’t there yet’.

And Emma was glad he did because she knew she wouldn’t be able to handle so many questions from his mother. Lana wasn’t satisfied with the response, but Daniel told them the topic wasn’t up for discussion and urged his mother to let it. The most important thing was that the baby was healthy.

Jared of course wasn’t so happy to see Emma and it was harder to ignore him when she was living with Daniel.