Serena’s POV
I gazed into Ryan’s intense eyes as his lips pressed against my fingers. My heart raced faster when he said those words—"I’d do anything to make you happy. Anything at all."
"Ryan..." I whispered, feeling the tension shift between us.
He pulled closer, his hand sliding to the small of my back. "You know what terrifies most, Serena?" His voice was barely audible, vulnerable in a way I rarely heard from him.
"What?" I asked, noticing how his eyes darkened with emotion.
"That if you really are who Ethan says you are—a Quinn—you might choose to leave all this behind. Leave Arica. Leave..." He swallowed hard. "Leave ."
The admission hung in the air between us. Ryan Blackwood, the powerful, confident CEO who commanded respect everywhere he went, was afraid of losing .
"Is that why you didn’t tell about your conversation with Ethan?" I asked softly, touching his face.
He nodded slightly. "Selfish, I know."
Without another thought, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his. The kiss started gentle but quickly deepened as his arms tightened around .
When we finally broke apart, breathless, I rested my forehead against his. "Ryan, listen to . No matter who I was before—Quinn or anyone else—you’re my family now." I guided his hand to my swollen belly. "We’re your family."
His eyes blazed with sothing primal. "Then stay. Give a reason to keep you here."
I raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on my lips. "You’ll have to work for it, Mr. Blackwood."
Ryan growled low in his throat, lifting effortlessly into his arms. "Challenge accepted."
He carried to the private bathroom connected to his office, kicking the door closed behind us. My back pressed against the cool marble wall as his mouth claid mine again, hungrier this ti.
"Ryan," I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck. "The door—"
"Already locked when Simon left," he murmured against my skin. "No interruptions."
His hands slipped under my blouse, fingers tracing patterns on my sensitive skin. I shivered despite the heat building between us.
"You’re mine, Serena," he whispered, helping out of my top. "Not Quinn’s, not anyone else’s."
I moaned softly as his hands caressed my swollen breasts, now much more sensitive with pregnancy. "Yours," I agreed, working on his shirt buttons.
Ryan’s eyes darkened with desire as he looked at . "I can’t wait until after the baby is born to marry you," he confessed, his voice rough with emotion. "I need everyone to know you’re my wife. Not my ex-wife, not just the mother of my child—my wife."
The intensity in his voice made tremble. "Then don’t wait," I challenged, unbuckling his belt.
He lifted carefully, mindful of my pregnant state, setting on the marble countertop. His hands road up my thighs, pushing my skirt higher.
"Ryan," I breathed, my head falling back as his fingers found their target.
"Look at ," he commanded softly. When I t his gaze, he continued, "I want to see your face when you fall apart for ."
My fingers clutched his shoulders as he worked magic with his hands, bringing closer to the edge. The pressure built quickly—everything was more intense during pregnancy.
"That’s it," he encouraged, his voice tight with restraint. "Let go, Serena."
I ca undone with his na on my lips, clinging to him as waves of pleasure washed over . Before I could recover, Ryan had positioned himself between my legs.
"Tell if I need to stop," he said, his control visibly strained.
"Don’t you dare," I warned, pulling him closer.
We moved together in perfect rhythm, the bathroom filling with our mingled breaths and soft moans. Ryan whispered promises against my skin—promises of protection, devotion, and a lifeti together.
"Mine," he growled as he approached his release. "Say it again."
"I’m yours," I gasped, feeling another climax building. "And you’re mine."
Those words pushed him over the edge, and I followed right after, clinging to him as we rode out the pleasure together.
Afterward, he held close, one hand protectively cradling my belly where our daughter was growing.
"I ant what I said," Ryan murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I want to marry you before she’s born. I want our daughter to have my na from her first breath."
I smiled against his chest. "Then we’d better start planning, Mr. Blackwood."
His lips found mine again, gentle this ti. "Already have. Simon’s arranged for the best wedding planner in the city to et us tomorrow."
I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course he has."
Ryan’s expression turned serious. "I lost you once through my own stupidity, Serena. I won’t risk losing you again."
I looked up at him, seeing all the emotions he usually kept hidden—fear, hope, and sothing that looked a lot like love.
"You won’t lose ," I promised, sealing it with a kiss. "You’re stuck with now, Ryan Blackwood. For better or worse."
His answering smile was brighter than I’d ever seen. "I wouldn’t have it any other way."
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