I would if she was five years old, not five months old.

  “I’ll give her a big hug when we get her back tomorrow,” I say.

  “Okay.” Stella holds her phone in front of her. “So Jess, any questions?”

  “None that I can think of,” Jess answers.

  “Well, if you think of any, any at all, or if you have the slightest suspicion that something is off, call me. My phone will be on all night.”

  “And so will I. I will be taking good care of our precious Erin all night in this fancy hotel room that you graciously booked for me, so don’t you worry, okay?”

  Good advice.

  “Just enjoy the evening alone. I mean with Ethan.”

  Yup. Because I’m still here.

  Stella nods. “Okay, but promise you’ll call if—”

  “I promise I’ll call if anything goes wrong,” Jess finishes the sentence for her. “And I swear I’ll do everything in my power to make sure nothing does. Now, let me enjoy my time with Erin and you enjoy your night with your husband. See you tomorrow. Good night.”

  Jess hangs up. Finally. But Stella doesn’t look relieved. In fact, she looks even more worried. I frown.

  I pry the phone away from her fingers and put it down on the coffee table. Then I pull her into my arms.

  “Everything is going to be alright,” I tell her as I stroke her back. “Just relax.”

  “I wish I could,” she says. “It’s weird, really. I was excited about this. I was looking forward to it, to finally getting a break, to spending time with you, to being able to do something besides changing diapers or mixing formula or just carrying a baby in my arms. But now that it’s here, all I can think about is the fact that Erin isn’t here and if something bad were to happen to her…”

  “Nothing will happen to her,” I assure her. “Jess and Erin are in one of the top hotels in the city. They’re secure. They have a doctor on call. She can call the front desk if she needs anything. Or she can just ask her mother, who’s with her and who used to be a nurse.”

  Stella pulls away. “But…”

  I put a finger to her lips. “Besides, it’s just for one night. One night for you to catch your breath…”

  I stroke her cheek as I gaze into her amber eyes.

  “…to do something for yourself…”

  I brush strands of her hair back so I can whisper in her ear.

  “…to remember what it feels like to be a woman.”

  I plant a kiss behind Stella’s ear. She remains still, tense. I rub my lips against the edge of her earlobe, then suck on it as I rub her rigid shoulder. Gradually, I feel her relax. I trace the folds of her ear with the tip of my tongue. She draws a sharp breath.

  I grin but I don’t stop. I continue licking her ear until I feel her trembling. Then I plant my lips on her neck and suck on the soft skin. Stella moans. Or was that a sigh of contentment?

  At any rate, she seems to be at ease now. As my hand wanders across her back and my lips travel along her shoulder, I find the knots in her muscles gone. She’s no longer stiff.

  But I am.

  Stella and I have barely been having sex since her second trimester, and I’m about to burst from just touching her a little. Not even kissing.

  Fuck.

  I should just kiss her right now while I tear her clothes off, then bury myself inside her over and over right here in the living room until morning. But no.

  I draw a deep breath to calm myself down as I take a step back.

  If one night is all we’re going to have, it’s going to be perfect, exactly as I planned it to be.

  “So, do you want to know what I have in store for tonight?” I ask Stella.

  Her eyebrows furrow. “What?”

  I grin. “Change into a robe and meet me outside by the pool.”

  “Outside?”

  I kiss her hand. “I’ll be waiting.”

  ~

  After ten minutes, I start to think Stella won’t show up. Maybe she fell asleep. Maybe she’s back on the phone with Jess. Maybe she’s gone to Jess to be with our daughter. If so, maybe that’s for the best. That way, she can make sure Erin is alright and spend time with a friend. Of course, I’d rather she spend it with me, but if that’s what will help her relax…

  My thoughts stop along with my breath as I see her coming, walking towards the pool like a model on the runway with both hands tucked into the pockets of her robe. Her hair bounces off her shoulders, the brown strands and the gold silk reflecting the lights in the lawn. The soft fabric shifts with every step she takes, the flaps opening just a little bit to offer a peek at her smooth thighs. I wonder if she’s wearing anything underneath.

  I’m not wearing anything. As I get out of the pool, water drips from my skin. I grab my robe and put it on.

  “Sorry,” Stella tells me. “I… had to shave.”

  I see. Finally, she’s getting into this evening.

  I pick up the bottle of wine. “Drink?”

  She nods, so I pour her a glass. She sits on one of the loungers.

  “That’s a lot of food.”

  “Yes,” I agree. “I wasn’t sure what you were in the mood for, so I asked the chef to prepare some dumplings, some oysters, some pasta and mac and cheese made with your favorite cheese.”

  “Thank you.” She gives a fleeting smile. “But I think I have to work up an appetite.”

  “Too anxious?” I hand her her glass of wine and sit beside her. “Don’t be. This isn’t our first date.”

  She sips her wine. As I do the same, I steal a glance at her cleavage. Her robe is a little loose so I can see the top of one of her breasts. I know I’ve already seen her bare breasts plenty of times—back when she was breastfeeding, she didn’t seem to care who saw them. Still, this gives a certain thrill.

  “This reminds me of when we first drank together,” I tell her. “On the balcony of my hotel room back in Geneva.”

  Stella blushes. She remembers, alright.

  I glance at her bare knees. “You were in a robe back then, too.”

  She crosses her legs and pulls the hem of her robe over her knees. “Yes. And I was slim back then. I had a tiny waist and slimmer hips. And firmer breasts…” She puts a hand on her chest. “And better skin and better hair and better teeth…”

  I interrupt her with a quick kiss before looking into her eyes. “I think you still have good teeth.”

  “And stretch marks.” She glances down at her stomach. “I have stretch marks now.”

  “So? You’re still the beautiful woman I fell in love with.”

  Her eyes grow wide. Why? Is what I said so hard to believe? If so, then I’ll just have to convince her.

  I put my glass down on the floor, then pry hers away from her fingers and do the same with it. Once my hands are free, I cup her face. I stroke her cheeks as I gaze into her eyes before sealing her lips with mine.

  I kiss Stella tenderly over and over. She places her hands on my cheeks and kisses me back. I clasp the back of her neck as I drive my tongue inside her mouth. Her hands move to my hair and she tugs at the locks as she rubs her tongue against mine. She moans. The sound and the heat from the friction between our mouths travels straight to my crotch. My cock hardens.

  I guess it’s a good thing I’m no longer wearing any underwear or I’d be way more uncomfortable right now. The downside to that? My cock might burst at any moment.

  No. Not yet.

  First, I have to convince my fiancée that she is still the most beautiful woman in the world.

  I slip my hand beneath Stella’s robe to cup her breast. She shudders. I take her nipple between my fingers and rub it as I slowly push her down on the lounger. Once her head is resting on it, I pull my mouth away.

  I kiss the side of her neck, then the base of her throat. She swallows. I drag my lips lower, planting them on the valley between her breasts as I pull off her sash. She holds her breath. Mine leaves me as I lift my head and stare at her naked body.

  How can Stella say she’s not beautiful? Her skin is still smooth. Her breasts are fuller than before even though she’s no longer breastfeeding, her nipples darker. Yes, her abdomen isn’t as flat as before and her hips do look wider, but so what? The extra curves just make her body more attractive. And her stretch marks? They’re battle scars, reminders of her strength and courage. She should be proud of them, not ashamed. I know I am.

  This is a woman’s body and I am proud of every inch of it.

  And every inch belongs to me.

  Stella tries to put her robe back on but I grab her wrists. I hold them over her head and tie her sash around them.

  “Ethan.” I hear the confusion in her voice. “What are you doing?”

  I run my hands through her hair as I hold her gaze.

  “Showing the mother of my child just how beautiful she is.”

  Before she can say more, I put my mouth on top of hers. Both my hands cup her breasts and she trembles.

  I caress the soft mounds of flesh as my tongue mingles with hers. Then I take one of them inside my mouth. I suck on it as I squeeze the other in my hand. I lick her nipple as I rub the other.

  Stella gasps. Another shiver goes through her.

  I move to her stomach. I plant a firm, reverent kiss right on top of her navel and she goes still.

  I remember when her stomach was huge and round. The first time I saw her bellybutton sticking out, I was afraid that there was something wrong with her, but it turned out to be perfectly normal. I remember, too, when I would kiss her belly and feel something poke me in the face. Stella used to say that it was the baby kissing me back, but it felt more like a punch or a kick. I grin.

  “What’s so funny?” Stella asks me. “Does my stomach feel funny?”

  “No,” I tell her. “I just remember when Erin was still inside here.”

  “Sometimes I wish she still was. But then I remember how I could barely move and how I had to pee all the time and all the gas I had and…” She stops and lets out a breath. “I was disgusting, wasn’t I?”

  I shake my head. “You were perfect. You are perfect.”

  I plant another kiss on her stomach. Then I proceed to drag my lips and the tip of my tongue over the light streaks on her skin. Again, Stella stays still, silent. Until I lick a spot near her hip and she lets out a gasp and a giggle in the same breath.

  “That tickles,” she says.

  I grin. “Then it seems I have a new spot to tease.”

  I do that. I lick the spot over and over until she’s squirming and laughing out loud and begging me to stop. Then I stop.

  “Meanie,” Stella tells me breathlessly with tears in her eyes.

  “Sorry.”

  I wipe her tears and kiss her forehead in apology. Then I kiss the tip of her nose, her lips, her chin, her chest, her stomach and just above the triangle between her newly shaved legs. I can still smell the soap on her skin.

  I’m tempted to delve right into the bottom of that triangle but I nibble on the insides of her quivering thighs first. Only afterwards do I bury my face between her legs and stroke her with my tongue.

  Stella’s legs shake. Her hips rise as she lets out a moan and a gasp. I hold them down as I lick every drop of the sweet substance oozing out of her. Then I push my tongue in to get more.

  Stella’s moans grow louder, accompanied by soft cries. My cock throbs and I suppress a groan.

  I have a strong urge to just sheath my cock inside her heat. She’s wet. She’s ready. But I keep using my tongue, wanting her to relish this experience even as I relish her.

  Her moans continue, saturating the air. Her thighs quiver even more. Her voice trembles.

  “Oh… God…”

  I know she’s close. Her clit is engorged, darker. I use my tongue on it, running slow circles around it. Then I start stroking it as fast as I can.

  Close. So close.

  “Ethan!”

  When Stella screams out my name, my cock spurts inside my robe. I lift my head and try to catch my breath as I watch her back arch. Her head falls back as her mouth gapes open. Her eyes are squeezed shut, her lashes moist. Roses bloom across her cheeks.

  Beautiful.

  Her shaking hands, still tied, clench into fists. Her nails burrow into her palms. Then they relax. I free her wrists and her arms fall to her sides.

  She opens her eyes and I look right into them as I stroke her hair. She smiles.

  “That was…”

  “Perfect?” I suggest.

  She nods. Then she lifts her hand to touch my cheek.

  “Do you really still find me desirable?”

  She still doesn’t believe it? I get on my feet and open my robe so she can see the white stains on it and the bead of cum still clinging to the tip of my cock.

  “Look what you’ve done to me.”

  Stella’s eyes grow wide. “I… did that?”

  “You did, Stella Quinn. You’re the only one who can drive me crazy and mess me up with desire.”

  She grins. Then she sits up and pulls me forward so my cock is right in front of her face.

  “Then it’s my responsibility to clean you up,” she says before grabbing my cock by the base and licking the tip.

  I shudder. Afterwards, I grin.

  There’s the confident, naughty Stella I know.

  I shrug off my robe and grip her shoulders as her tongue swipes against the tip over and over. Again, it swells. I’m hard.

  She licks the length all the way down to my balls. She sucks on them and I grab her hair as I let out a hiss.

  She goes back up and wraps her lips around the tip of my cock. Her hand clutches a cheek of my ass as she takes as much of me as she can inside her mouth. Then she sucks. My knees tremble.

  I run my fingers through her brown hair as she moves her head back and forth. I tug on the strands and draw a sharp breath each time she sucks. I want to hold her head in place and just pound into her skillful mouth. I can feel my balls getting hot again even though I just came.

  But I don’t. I let Stella have her fun as I had mine, summoning every ounce of my self-control as I gaze up at the moon. I close my eyes and try to breathe, willing the occasional breeze to dispel the heat from my skin as Stella moves even faster. The friction between our bodies increases.

  When it gets to be almost too much, I push Stella away. I don’t want to come anywhere other than deep inside her.

  I pull her to her feet and kiss her. Then I sweep her off her feet and carry her in my arms. She gasps.

  “What are you doing?”

  I don’t answer. I just carry her to the steps at the side of the pool. I have her sit on one of them. Then I capture her lips once more as I enter her.

  Stella moans into my mouth as she wraps her arms around me. I grip her thighs as I push the whole length of my cock inside her, wincing as her silky skin clings to me. I know she’s given birth, but damn, she’s still tight. Tighter even. Softer but tighter. I groan at the friction.

  Finally, I’m completely inside her. I break the kiss and take a moment to catch my breath. Then I start pounding into her.

  Stella leans back on her arms and gasps. She cries. I continue to jerk my hips, moving faster and faster. The ripples around me grow just like the ripples of heat and pleasure going through my veins. They’re turning into waves.

  When the waves wash over me, I give a final thrust and spill myself deep inside Stella’s body. She throws her head back as she cries out. Her body trembles around me as my cock quivers inside her, the rest of my body taut. Then she goes still. Her head rests on the edge of the pool. Her hair fans out around her.

  I pull out of her and sit beside her on the steps as I catch my breath. Her hand finds mine.

  “I’m sorry,” she says.

  I turn my head to look at her. “For what?”

  “For being mean to you when I was pregnant. For worrying about Erin too much and making you worry. For not agreeing to a nanny.”

  I squeeze her hand and shake my head. “I know you didn’t mean to be mean when you were pregnant. You were going through a lot. And it’s only natural that you worry about Erin and that you don’t want anyone else to take care of her. You’re her mother.”

  “But I’m also your fiancée,” Stella says as she touches my cheek. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you, too. And I haven’t been. I’ve been neglecting you. I have the most wonderful man in the world by my side and I’ve been neglecting him. That’s a crime.”

  “One that can be forgiven,” I tell her as I bring her hand to my lips, “on one condition.”

  “What?”

  “At least once a month, promise me you’ll spend an evening alone with me just like this.”

  Stella smiles. “Done.”

  I bring my lips to hers to seal the deal with a kiss. She pulls away.

  “You know, I just thought of something,” she says.

  “What?” I ask curiously.

  “That this was where we first talked to each other, right by this pool. Do you remember?”

  I do.

  “You were wearing a black and pink dress,” I recall out loud. “Which I like, but not as much as the red one you wore in Geneva.”

  Stella smiles. “And you had just been named CEO. It seems like forever since then.”

  “I know.”

  She was introduced to me as my new assistant then. Now, she’s my fiancée and the mother of my child.

  “I love you,” I tell her in a whisper.

  “I love you, too,” she says back.

  As always, the words never fail to make my chest swell with pride and joy. I kiss her again, pressing my lips firmly against hers.

  Even after all this time, I still can’t believe she’s mine.

  The sound of a whistle breaks into my thoughts. I pull away from Stella with a puzzled expression at the same time she jumps away.

  Someone’s watching us? Who?

  Then Asher steps out of the shadows. I frown. Stella gasps and sinks deeper into the water with her arms over her chest.

  “Pool sex?” Asher grins. “Hot.”

  I glare at him. “Turn around. Now.”

  He turns. I get out of the pool and put on my robe. Then I grab Stella’s and slip it on her after I help her out of the water.