Chapter 139

Chapter 139: Chapter 139

"Where are you going?"

Lane paused just as she swung her legs over the side of the bed when she heard Ethan’s groggy baritone voice. Turning her head, she saw that he was fully awake, his dark eyes fixed on her.

"I’m heading downstairs," she replied. "I’m going to make us breakfast."

A slight frown touched his lips. "Let Lily and the staff handle it, love," he murmured.

"The doctor said you need to rest."

Lane let out a soft pout. Ethan had turned into the ultimate overprotective hawk ever since they left the hospital.

Nearly a week had passed since the terrifying ordeal of her kidnapping by Uncle Lucas. True to his word, Ethan had ensured that her uncle faced the full weight of the law, filing multiple charges to make sure he spent the rest of his life behind bars.

As for Olivia, she was still trapped in a deep sleep, though her vitals remained stable.

The medical team was doing everything possible, and her doctors reported tiny, encouraging signs of improvement during every checkup.

Lane prayed every single night for her cousin to wake up, desperately wanting her to have a second chance at life, a second chance with her son Tyler, and a second chance with the man who truly loved her.

Nathan.

The first time Lane had seen him sitting faithfully by Olivia’s bedside in the hospital, she had been instantly curious.

He had been holding her cousin’s hand with such profound sorrow etched across his face. When Ethan later explained who he was, Lane had been stunned.

Nathan was Tyler’s biological father, and he was the father of the child Olivia had tragically lost. Throughout all the months Olivia had spent hiding and pushing people away, Nathan had never stopped loving her.

Looking at Nathan had made Lane understand the fierce, protective terror she had seen in Ethan’s eyes when Uncle Lucas held a gun to her head. It was a love that defied logic and past mistakes.

She still couldn’t wrap her head around why Olivia had wasted so many years chasing after Ethan when a man like Nathan had loved her unconditionally all along.

"Come here," Ethan murmured, snapping her out of her thoughts. He opened one arm.

There was no need for a second invitation. She slid back under the covers and snuggled against him, resting her head comfortably on his shoulder.

The moment she settled, his arms wrapped around her in a secure, protective embrace.

"Let them work downstairs, hmm? Let’s go back to sleep. It’s still too early," he whispered into her hair.

Instead of answering, she buried her face against his chest. A contented sigh escaped her as his clean, natural scent washed over her senses. She had grown utterly addicted to the way he smelled, a craving brought on entirely by her pregnancy hormones, much like when she was carrying Calvin.

Unable to resist, she pressed her nose closer to his collarbone, breathing him in deeply.

Ethan chuckled softly, feeling the movement against his skin.

"Do you really like my scent that much?" he asked tenderly.

She tilted her head up, meeting his warm, dark gaze as he looked down at her. "The baby seems to love it," she teased.

A playful spark lit up his eyes. "And you?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "Do you like me too?"

She held his gaze for a long moment, letting the silence linger before she slowly raised a hand to cup his rugged cheek.

"Very much," she whispered.

She watched the sudden flash of heat in his dark eyes. His gaze dropped slowly to her parted lips, and she caught the sharp movement of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed hard.

"Can I kiss you, love?" he asked softly, asking for permission.

Lane blinked in confusion. Why was he even asking? He should have just kissed her without a second thought. She would never turn him down.

Eager to bridge the gap, she saved him the trouble and leaned up to press her lips to his. It was a light, lingering brush of skin against skin. But just as she started to pull back, Ethan’s hand shot out to cup the back of her head, locking her in place as he deepened the kiss.

His initial gentleness began to fade. She preferred his passionate, demanding side anyway, so she took the lead.

Lane slipped her tongue past his lips, mapping every inch of his mouth. The moment she took charge, Ethan’s rhythm shifted. He kissed her with a fierce, ravenous hunger that left her breathless.

Before she knew it, he had rolled her over so she was straddling his hips, one hand securely anchored to her waist while the other tangled deep in her hair to hold her steady.

The kiss grew hotter, deeper, and infinitely more intense.

A soft moan slipped past her lips against his mouth when she felt his heavy arousal pressing firmly against her.

"E-Ethan..." she breathed out, clinging to his shoulders as he pulled back just an inch, their lips still brushing.

"Hmm?" he rasped, his voice thick with desire.

"You’re..."

"Hard?" he finished for her with a rough chuckle. "How could I not be? You are entirely irresistible, love."

Her breath hitched as he shifted his hips upward, giving her an undeniable reminder of his need.

With a reluctant groan, he carefully set her down beside him on the mattress.

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to regulate his heavy breathing. But the restraint didn’t last long. He snapped his eyes open, throwing off the covers and sitting straight up.

"Stay right there. I need to go cool off," he muttered, scrambling out of bed.

"We can’t do anything yet. The doctor said you need to rest."

He didn’t wait for her to reply, practically bolting toward the en-suite bathroom.

Lane watched him go with a raised eyebrow. She had a pretty good idea of what he meant by cooling off, but she couldn’t for the life of her understand why he insisted on doing it the hard way when she was right here and more than willing to help.

She wouldn’t get tired!

A wave of mischievous determination washed over her. She scrambled out of bed and padded quietly across the bedroom toward the open bathroom door.

To her luck, he hadn’t bothered to lock it.

She slipped inside and found Ethan standing by the counter, halfway through stripping off his clothes. He had already shed his shirt and was reaching for the drawstring of his pajama pants when he caught her reflection in the mirror.

His eyes widened in shock.

"What are you doing in here, love?" he stammered, freezing in place.

Instead of answering, she closed the remaining distance between them. Ethan stood completely still, watching her every move like a hawk.

"You really shouldn’t—"

He didn’t get to finish. Lane grabbed the waistband of his pajama pants and yanked them down in one swift motion, letting them pool around his ankles.

Her breath caught in her throat as his thick, throbbing erection sprang free.

"Love?" he choked out, his voice cracking slightly.

"Let me help you cool off," she murmured, looking up through her lashes.

"But—"

She didn’t give him a chance to argue. She reached out, her palm wrapping firmly around his shaft. Ethan instantly sucked in a sharp breath, his stance widening as a shudder wracked his frame.

"You’re going to wear yourself out..." he groaned, though his body completely contradicted his words by leaning eagerly into her touch.

"No, I’m not," she whispered, stroking him in a slow, steady rhythm.

She felt him grow even heavier and hotter in her hand, radiating a pulse of pure heat. Watching the way his chest heaved and hearing the raw hunger in his breathing made a sudden, intense craving hit her.

Still stroking him, she tilted her head back to meet his gaze. His eyes were dilated, burning with a mix of lust and disbelief.

"Love?" he rasped.

"Hmm?"

"I want to taste you," she stated boldly.

Ethan’s jaw went slack, his dark eyes widening to the size of saucers.

"You shouldn’t be kneeling down there—"

"I’m craving it," she interrupted, a confident smile playing on her lips.

"You promised you’d give me whatever I want. And right now, I want your cock."

Ethan opened and closed his mouth, entirely derailed by her forwardness. After a tense, breathless second, he let out a defeated groan.

"Fine. But don’t get on the floor," he muttered in a gruff, husky whisper. He gently scooped her up and sat her right on the edge of the toilet lid.

"Here," he said, stepping between her knees.

"Do whatever you want with me."

She wrapped her hand around him again, giving a few slow strokes before leaning in close.

"fk!" Ethan cursed aloud the moment her lips wrapped around the tip.

It was a tight fit, so she took what she could, swirling her tongue over the crown. She started bobbing her head in a steady cadence, using both her hand and mouth to drive him out of his mind.

Ethan’s hands flew to her head, his fingers threading into her hair to keep her anchored against him. He let out a low, feral growl that vibrated through the small bathroom, sounding like a wild beast pushed to the brink.

Hearing him lose control like that only fueled her confidence. She picked up the pace, swirling her tongue over the sensitive underside before taking him deeper.

She dropped a hand lower, shifting her attention to his heavy, sensitive sac. When she swiped her tongue over him while tugging gently at his weight, Ethan’s hips bucked involuntarily.

"fuck! fuck!" he roared, his head dropping back against the tiled wall.

His eyes squeezed shut, and his teeth sank deep into his lower lip as he tried desperately to keep from shattering.

Encouraged by his overwhelming response, she sped up, her hand pumping his shaft in perfect sync with the rhythmic slide of her mouth. The friction was electric, and she could feel his entire body beginning to tremble with a tight, agonizing tension.

"Love, stop, I’m right there!" Ethan panted, his voice breaking as his hips twitched forward. "Let go of me, I’m going to--"

Instead of listening, she took him all the way back in, giving one hard, deep pull with her lips.

That was all it took. Ethan’s restraint snapped completely.

A ragged cry tore from his throat

as he reached his peak, his release flooding her mouth.

"Damn it, spit it out," Ethan breathed heavily, his hands sliding down to cup her cheeks in a panic.

Instead of obeying, she swallowed every drop, licking her lips with a triumphant grin.

Ethan stared down at her, shaking his head as a helpless laugh rumbled in his chest. "Damn it, you are so impossibly stubborn."

Lane just smiled up at him, wrapping her arms around his waist as he pulled her in for a breathless, thoroughly earned kiss.