fingertips. I want to . . . I want to have a family with you. I want to be your husband.
For real.
The thoughts run through my head in one big continuous wave, and it should terrify me, take me under, but I just feel peace. I look at Violet, unsure whether I should say anything. On one hand, it could make tomorrow so much better. But if she still sees this as something she’s doing for Papa only, and our sex as just a bonus, it’ll make tomorrow and the next six months awkward as fuck. It’s a gamble I’m not willing to take, not because I’m a wuss but because I know how much this means to her and I won’t risk messing it up or making it uncomfortable for her.
For now, I decide to bite my tongue and just keep doing everything I can for her. Maybe one day, she’ll grow to feel something for me too.
“I have to go soon,” I whisper to her. “I’m supposed to be at Kaede’s by eight. We’re doing a simple dinner in instead of a bachelor party, I promise.”
She smiles, and I know that a bachelor party is the least of her worries right now. I soothe the wrinkle between her brows. “You gonna be okay here tonight? You sure you don’t want Abi to come over?”
Her nod is hesitant. “I’m sure. I just want to take a bath and go to bed. But the bed will feel big without you in it with me.”
I lean down, meeting her lips with my own. “After tomorrow, you’ll never have to sleep alone, Vi. You’ll be my wife.” It’s as close to a confession as I can get.
She melts for me, writhing dreamily beneath me. I feel it. This isn’t just sex. Not for me, and I don’t think for her, either.
As my hands stroke her body and she caresses me back, there’s more to it. My lips write on her skin in passion, but there’s no greediness there.
This isn’t just ‘frenemies with benefits.’ It hasn’t been for a while.
“Violet,” I whisper as my hand slides between her thighs and she lifts her leg to rest it on the back of the sofa, “do you want this?”
I mean so much more than the physical things we are doing to each other, but she doesn’t know that. Can’t know that . . . yet.
She nods, whimpering in pleasure as my fingers stroke over her panties. My head’s already swimming, and even Violet’s face looks different, more serious somehow. “No sex until tomorrow, though, remember? We agreed.”
Her whine of disagreement almost makes me forget our plan and just bury myself in her, but I hold steady, finding strength I didn’t know I had.
“No sex, but I’ll make you feel good,” I tell her gruffly.
I move between her legs, shoving my shorts down to free my hard cock. Wrapping my fist around it, I press my knuckles along her core. As I stroke myself, I tease her through the soaked fabric of her panties.
It’s heaven and hell all at once. I want her so badly, but waiting is the right thing to do.
I kiss her, slow and deep, driving us both higher and hotter.
I make promises with my mouth—that we can do this, that’s it’s going to be okay, that we’re in this together.
My hand speeds up, sending sparks through my body, and I bury my mouth in the curve of her neck. I can feel the racing thump of her heartbeat beneath my lips.
“Vi —” But I stop myself, swallowing down the words that are trying to escape.
The heat builds between us until I explode, my groan rough in my throat until Violet captures my mouth with hers. Her returning moan is soft, and I taste it greedily as she bucks her hips, guiding my knuckles right where she needs me most. Hot stickiness spurts between us, and I feel her cream on my hand, mixing with my own. I look down to see my seed covering her panties, her belly, and feel like a god claiming what’s his.
Deep inside me, my heart unlocks, and I collapse onto her as I wrap her in my arms, not wanting to go.
Across the room, her phone begins to play a tune. After a second, I recognize it—Going to the Chapel.
I lift up, looking at her questioningly. “That’s my alarm. You have to go so you make it to Kaede’s on time and I have the evening to