Page 71 of Empower

I nodded, “Yeah, it’ll be hot as fuck.”

He grinned, “Your wish is my command.”

And I knew that if we hadn’t already had a baby growing in my belly, we would have made one that very night.

Because anything that occurred during a thunderstorm was powerful.

We were back in the house after checking on Krys who was sleeping soundly with Skylar cuddled up in bed with her.

We were both dry and lying in bed. My head was on his chest as I finally gathered up the words I wanted to say to him, therefore, I whispered in the dark, “I need you to work on something for me, okay?”

“Alright,” he said.

“I need you to stop worrying about what will make me happy, and just be you. I fell in love with you when you were being yourself. And Vance, I love every single thing about you.”

He sighed, “I get where you’re coming from, Precious. But I need to do this. Haven’t ever worried about a woman leaving me. In the past, if they did, it wasn’t no skin off my nose. But with you... fuck... just the thought of losing you? Feels as though someone has reached inside my chest, gripped my heart as tightly as they can, before they pull it out.”

I held back the tears at his words, good lord, the power this man has over me, I whispered, “But they won’t ever be able to do that. Want to know why?”

He shifted, and my head fell off his chest to rest on his bicep, his chest melded with mine, and a soft kiss landed on the top of my nose, “Tell me.”

“Because I’ll always hold it safe. I’ll keep it protected behind barbed wire, claymore mines, concrete slabs, you name it, I’ll use it.”

And that was how he didn’t use his words to show me how he felt about my proclamation, oh no, he used his body.

Expertly so.

So expertly so that a word for what we did has yet to be created.

***

When we woke up to the sound of Krys’s squabbles we both got up and went to get her. After we had emerged from the hall and she saw the Christmas tree lit up, her little face was lit up at all the gifts under the tree.

When I sat her down in front of the tree and handed her a tickle me, Elmo, she went crazy with happiness. I went into the kitchen, made us some hot cocoa, and carried the mugs into the living room.

While we were opening gifts, I paused to see Storm staring at a wallet I had engraved for him. On the outside, it was the MC’s logo, and, on the inside, I had engraved it; Thank you for empowering me.

He was my all and my everything. My beast and I, his beauty.

He showed me his thanks by kisses. Best. Payment. Ever,

Christmas brought out a magical time for everyone.

And as I sat there beside Strom as Krys opened the rest of her presents I couldn’t help but smile and lift my head up, sending my mother a silent prayer of thanks for sleeping with my dad.

Because had she not, I wouldn’t have this life.

This life that I would kill for, bleed for.

I smiled as I rubbed my belly, wondering if it would be a he or she.

Storm reached over then and did the same thing, “Just think, this time next year, we’re going to have double the presents.”

I smiled wide at him, just in time for our front door to open as Raine walked in, well, more like waddled in with Tank at her back with Elijah riding piggyback.

She was due any day now and I couldn’t wait to meet Saylah. But I sent out another prayer to the baby they lost.

“Mom, if you can, wrap Peanut in your arms and keep him smiling until we make it up there to y’all.”