As September came to an end, the humidity that had become almost unbearable finally began to subside. The summer vacationers started to leave the island, and things were beginning to slow down, finally giving me time to prepare for the arrival of Baby Boy Burnham…or Triple B, as we had been calling him…in less than three months.

A hand splayed on my stomach, caressing me, loving me, supporting me as a low moan escaped Tyler’s mouth. I sighed, losing myself in his warmth. He pulled me closer, his lips feathering kisses across my shoulder blades.

“Morning, Mr. Burnham,” I whispered, not wanting to break our moment. Each day I woke in his arms, I fell for my duplicitous mystery man even more. I fell in love with every inch of him all over again. With his eyes. With his mouth. With his arms. With his heart. It was all mine to possess, and he gave me his love freely with no restraints. Our love was pure, perfect, and finally honest.

“Morning, Miss Delano.” He nuzzled his nose into my hair and inhaled. “Mmmm,” he groaned and I felt him grow rigid against me. “I will never tire of waking up next to you.”

“And I will never tire of feeling your hands on my skin.”

“Is that right?” he asked.

“That’s right.”

He leaned in, his lips roaming my heated flesh. I couldn’t seem to get my fill of him. I wanted him every hour of every day. When we were apart, I ached for him in such a way I didn’t think I would ever survive without his touch.

“Tell me, Mackenzie,” he murmured, his voice husky. “Where do you want my hands?” He clenched his teeth on my neck, sucking lightly. My eyes rolled back into my head, lost in the combination of pain and pleasure. A rush of electricity ran through me, my skin even more sensitive than I imagined. I was in tune to what his simple presence did to me, an ache between my legs growing more and more pronounced with each passing second.

“All over,” I breathed, squirming as I continued to lay on my side. “I need your touch everywhere.”

His fingers grazed across my collarbone, his touch light and perfect. “Tell me where,” he growled and my breath caught at his tone. It was demanding, forceful, harsh, at complete odds with the reverent way he ran his hands over my body, his thumb barely grazing my nipples. I inhaled at the almost contact, my skin on alert. My body was an instrument and he had mastered it. He knew exactly where to touch me to make me hum, vibrate, or sing.

“There,” I whimpered, still feeling the heat of his fingers just shy of where I needed to feel him. This was torture, pure and simple. Waterboarding had nothing on what I was enduring at the moment.

“Where?” He pulled me against him, my back to his front, his motion forceful.

“My nipple,” I answered, exhaling when I finally felt his fingers linger on my breast, gently taking my erect nipple between them.

“Is this how you want it?” His voice was heavy with amusement.

I shook my head. “No. Harder, Tyler,” I begged, writhing against the sheets.

“What was that?”

“You heard me,” I shot back in a firm voice. “Stop teasing me. I want your teeth on me, on my nipples.”

Groaning, he flipped me onto my back and, in a flash, his mouth was clenching onto my nipple, which had become even more sensitive since I became pregnant. I could only explain the sensation streaming through me as a bolt of lightning, an electric current running through my veins. The combination of biting and sucking overwhelmed me and I arched my back, needing more, but not knowing how much more I could take.

He pulled back and his eyes met mine, a wild and untamed look about them. The room was eerily silent, the only sound that of my racing heart and uneven breathing.

“More,” I murmured.

“What?” he asked coyly.

“Tyler…” I ran my hand up and down his arm softly at first before wrapping my fingers around his nape, tugging him down toward me. “I said I want more. Don’t hold back. Give me all of you. Every side of you. I want them all right now.”

“Mackenzie, I…” He tore his eyes from mine, his gaze settling on my stomach.

“Tyler,” I continued, cupping his face in my hands. “I’m not going to break. Just because I’m pregnant doesn’t mean you have to be gentle with me.” Running my fingers through his dark, messy hair, I craned my neck and nibbled on his earlobe. “Sometimes I want it rough. And Tyler?”

He pulled back, staring at me with his mouth slightly agape.

“Right now, I want it rough.”

A small smile spread across my lips when I felt him harden between my legs. He swallowed hard before prying himself from the trap my legs had ensnared him in.

“Flip over,” he ordered, his harsh tone making me almost breathless. “Get on your hands and knees.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, I followed his demand, adjusting my body into the position he requested. His hand traveled across my shoulder blades, his touch light. I shivered, ready to fall apart from the anticipation.

“You said you wanted it rough?”

“Yes, Tyler.”

Before I could wrap my head around what was happening, he was behind me, slamming into me. I screamed out as he groaned, his tempo relentless.

“Is this what you want?” he ground out through his labored breaths.

My legs were already jelly. I leaned my head on the pillow, attempting to steady myself when it felt as if the world was spinning in the most amazing, mind-blowing way.

“Harder,” I bellowed, meeting his pace thrust for thrust. A hard slap resonated against my ass and I screamed out in unyielding pleasure, confident I was going to come from the sharp contact alone.

“Again,” I begged. The combination of intense euphoria from him inside me and that roughness in which he loved me lit me on fire. I needed more, so much more. I needed all of him in ways I never thought possible, my world spinning as I tried to make sense of what was going through my head. I wanted to cry, scream, laugh, yell.

Grunting, Tyler reeled back and landed another blow on my other cheek. I continued to meet his rhythm, my pace only increasing with each punishing slap of his hand. I couldn’t remember ever being so turned on, so ready to fall over the edge with another person. I never let anyone see this side of me before. I never knew I had this side to me before. And that was what love should be. Love was finding that one person who made you laugh, cry, smile, hope, crave, want, lust, and grow. I had that with Tyler and I refused to let it go. I knew I would do everything to keep this man at my side… My beautiful, caring, selfless mystery man.

Sweat prickled my brow as I was lost in the sensation of Tyler’s body giving me exactly what I wanted and needed. Gasping, I fought for air, knowing I was about to unravel. Tyler sensed it, as well, and found my nipple, squeezing it between his fingers, delicately nibbling on my shoulder blade.

“I love you, Serafina,” he whispered in his raspy morning voice, his declaration setting me off.

My screams echoed through the bedroom and I didn’t know how even the thickest of soundproofing could muffle them. Waves of intense pleasure continued to roll through me, my body clenching as Tyler moaned through his own release.

Wrapping his arm around me to support me, he kept me upright when I felt as if I was ready to fall. He trailed a finger down my spine and I giggled.

“Rough is fun,” I commented.

He helped lower me back onto the bed and pulled my body against his. I settled into the crook of his embrace, running my fingers through his chest hair. This moment was perfect as he caressed me, wiping the sweat off my forehead.

“I’m a big fan,” he agreed.

“Oh, yeah?”

“Oh, yeah,” he responded, a devilish grin on his face. “Let’s do more of that.”

“Right now?” I asked in disbelief, shooting out of his embrace to see he was already hard again. He began stroking himself and I shook my head. “You’re an animal.” I leaned in and softly placed my lips on his.