You Belong with Me

YOU BELONG WITH ME

Three years after the end of Kiss To Belong

ALYSSA

" H ow much longer?" Callie groans, rubbing at her back. "I swear, if this baby doesn't come soon, I'm going to scream."

"It's not going to be that much longer, trust me," I chuckle softly. "You have what? Four more weeks? I promise, once he's here, all you'll want is for time to slow down. Just look at Edie."

My gaze shifts to my daughter, who's standing on her tiptoes in front of the display case. Her tongue peeks out, eyes wide, as she takes in all the cookies that are placed behind the glass. I braided her wild ginger locks this morning before dropping her off at daycare, but a few stubborn strands have slipped out and are now curled around her face.

"I can't believe she's three already. It feels like it was only yesterday that you and Maddox brought her home from the hospital."

"Right?" The corner of my mouth tips upward at the memory of Maddox fighting with the NICU nurses for ‘simply letting us take her home.' "I know these last few weeks are awful, but cherish the moments you have, Cals."

"I know." Callie lets out a sigh and runs her fingers through her honey locks before letting it fall on her large stomach. "I just miss seeing my feet. And I want my back to stop aching so badly. Oh, and I most definitely wish I didn't have to go to the bathroom like every five minutes."

Before I can answer, the guy in front of us moves, and the girl at the register shoots us a smile. "Hey, there. What can I getcha?"

"Can I have your iced tea?" Callie glances at me. "God knows, I'm not going to miss this torture . This girl needs her coffee."

I chuckle at Callie's comment, not the least bit surprised. She was addicted to coffee.

"Sure enough." The girl turns to me. "And you, miss?"

"Ummm…" I bite the inside of my cheek as I look at their menu. I wanted coffee badly, but I already had two this morning. "I'll have the same, thank you." I glance at Edie. "And what do you want, Bug?"

Edie points excitedly at the glass. "Chocolate chip cookie."

"What do we say?"

Edie glances at the girl and smiles. "I want a chocolate chip cookie, please."

"Of course, honey." The girl winks at her.

Edie giggles and rushes toward me so she can hide behind me. I extend my hand and slide my hand over her braids, smoothing some of the runaway strands. As Maddox liked to point out, she was my mini-me, but her smile? It was all her daddy.

"No coffee?" Callie asks as the girl reads off our total, and I pull out my card to pay. "What's up with that? You sick?"

"I'm just not feeling it." I shrug as we move to the side to wait for our drinks.

"Not feeling it, my ass. You're as much of a coffee lover as I am."

I try to hold back my wince.

She had me there.

Thankfully, Edie comes to my rescue.

"Aunt Lee, you said a bad word!" Edie accuses, propping her hands on her little hips.

Callie's eyes widen at the reprimand coming from a three-year-old, and I have to bite back my laughter. Yup, definitely my mini-me.

"I did, didn't I?" Callie tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. "I'm sorry, Edie-Bug. I won't say it again."

"Good." Edie extends her hand. "One dollar."

Sighing, Callie pulls out her wallet and gives her a bill. "There you go."

"Why, thank you." Edie turns to me and gives me the money, so I put it into the bag.

"You've raised a little swear-catching monster."

"Hey, you try raising a kid in a house full of college jocks. I'm still surprised her first words weren't a curse of some sort."

Callie tilts her head to the side. "When you say it like that…"

The barista calls our names, and I go to grab our drinks before we head out toward the park.

"I really miss coffee," Callie sighs longingly. "This just isn't cutting it."

I couldn't even blame her. The tea was nice, sure, but it wasn't what I needed.

"Like forget about jewelry. I had Hayden promise me that the moment I give birth, he'd go and get me the biggest cup of coffee he could find."

This has me laughing out loud. "Why am I not surprised?"

Callie smirks at me. "What can I say? Some things never change."

"No, they don't."

Last year, before I graduated with my master's at Blairwood, Maddox and I were discussing different possibilities for our future, including where we wanted to live. Maddox could work from anywhere, and with Callie and Hayden in Boston, as well as Maddox's parents, it made the most sense to stay in New England. And I was happy we did. It was nice knowing we had friends and family close by. We even bought a house not too far away from Callie and Hayden, so we got to spend a lot of time together.

"Mommy." Edie tugs at my hand the moment we get to the park. "Take this."

"Okay." She starts to turn around, but I quickly grab her hand. "Wait a little bit, missy."

"I wanna play," she whines, turning to look at the empty slide.

"Five seconds."

I quickly put the half-eaten cookie in my bag and pull out the wipes. Edie is barely still long enough for me to clean her hands before she runs toward the slide.

"Hayden home?" I ask Callie as we find an empty bench close enough so I can keep an eye on Edie.

"No." Callie pulls out her phone and checks the screen. "They had an away game, but he should be home later today. He said he'll text me when they land."

"How are you doing with all of it?"

"Stressed." Shaking her head, she puts her phone away. "I was hoping we'd be able to get pregnant sooner so I could give birth while it was the off-season, but of course, things didn't play out the way I wanted them to. And now, not only is this baby coming in the middle of the football season, but my due date is also the day Hayden will be out of town."

"He'll come back home."

Callie nods. "I know. It just sucks."

"I know." I place my hand over hers. "And if he by some chance doesn't make it on time, you know we're one phone call away, right? You're not alone in this." I quirk my brow at her. "Didn't you tell me that when I was pregnant?"

Callie relaxes a little bit. "I did, didn't I?"

We exchange a knowing look before I pull her into a hug. "You've got this, Cals."

I meant it too. Callie was one of the strongest people I knew. She would be okay either way. And knowing Hayden, he'd move heaven and earth to be there with her.

"Daddy!"

Letting go of Callie, I turn around just in time to see Edie running across the playground. My heart sinks into my stomach when she trips. My brain already sees her sprawled on the ground, but strong hands grab her by the waist and lift her up at the very last moment. Edie giggles as Maddox lifts her into the air before pulling her to him. Her little arms and legs wrap around him. She's like a little monkey, and it's adorable.

A big smile is spread on Maddox's lips as he buries his head into the crook of her neck and blows a raspberry onto her skin, making her laugh.

My heart squeezes at the sight of the two people I love the most in the world.

The bond they shared was unlike anything I'd ever thought was possible. Edie was a daddy's girl through and through, and there wasn't anything Maddox wouldn't do to make her happy.

Maddox nods at whatever Edie tells him and kisses the top of her head before slowly lowering her to her feet as he murmurs something, and Edie dashes toward the playground.

Straightening, those dark eyes find mine, and I can feel a shudder go through me when he slowly runs his gaze over my body.

"Ladies," Maddox moves closer, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Fancy seeing you here."

My brow quirks up. "I could say the same. Weren't you supposed to have a full day of meetings?"

"I was supposed to, but the last one was canceled. So I figured I'd go home early to see my girls and take them out, but I guess I was too late."

I tilt my head as if I'm thinking. "I guess we can take one more person in our little group."

"Yeah?" His hand lands on my waist, his thumb rubbing in slow circles. Even with my shirt separating us, I can feel the burn of his touch.

"Mhmmm…"

My legs part slightly as he slips between them, one palm resting against the bench as his mouth finds mine. The kiss is soft, barely a brush of his mouth against mine, and it makes me crave so much more.

"I missed you," Maddox whispers, breaking the kiss. "How are you feeling?"

I blink my eyes open. My heart is beating rapidly against my chest, the sound of it echoing in my eardrums. After all these years, Maddox still has my head spinning the moment he touches me.

I tuck a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Good."

Maddox's dark gaze bores into mine. I bite the inside of my cheek, wishing we were alone so I could drag him into our room and—

"Daddy!" The sound of our daughter's voice is like a cold shower, reminding me we're most definitely not alone. "Let's go." Edie tugs at his arm. "Swing. You promised."

"I'm coming, I'm coming." Leaning down, Maddox presses a kiss to the top of my head, his palm sliding over my stomach as he straightens to his full height. "I've been summoned."

The corner of my mouth twitches upward. "We can't have the princess waiting."

Maddox shakes his head and lets Edie drag him toward the swings.

"Holy shit!"

Confused, I turn toward Callie, who's watching me with wide eyes.

"What?"

"You're pregnant."

"W-What?" I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "What are you talking about?" I shake my head. "You're crazy."

My gaze darts to my family just as Maddox gives Edie a push. Her little fists are clutching the metal strings tightly, a beaming smile on her face as her long ginger braids fly behind her, more wild curls slipping out and curling around her face.

"Don't you even try to pretend it's not true." Callie nudges me with her hand, a knowing smirk on her lips. "I saw you the other day running to the bathroom at work. And then today, you didn't want to have coffee, and now Maddox."

"What about Maddox?"

"Oh, please." Callie rolls her eyes. "He's being extra sweet and caring, and that's saying something since this is Maddox we're talking about. That man was born a sweetheart. But there is also something else. Just a bit of swagger in his step. So?" She wiggles her brows. "How far along are you?"

Dang it.

"Six weeks," I admit in defeat.

Callie grins. "I knew it! Cong—"

"Shh!" I give her a warning look. "We didn't want to tell anybody. Not until we're further along. Not even Edie knows. Just… let this stay between us?"

Callie makes a zipping motion over her mouth, but she's bouncing in her seat. "I'm so happy for you guys. Maddox was born to be a dad."

My gaze darts to Maddox who's pushing the swing and making our daughter squeal with laughter. His complete focus is on her. The love he has for that little girl shines on his face.

"I know. He's so good with her."

Maddox was everything that a dad should be. He was loving and protective of our little girl. If you didn't know he wasn't her biological father, you would have never guessed otherwise. She was his in all the ways that mattered. They might not share the same blood, but he loved her with his whole being. She was the center of his world and he the center of hers, and there was nothing more beautiful than to watch the two of them together.

"I swear I fall in love with him a little bit more every time I see them together."

There was just something special about watching the man you love being a dad.

"I can't believe we'll be raising our kids together! It's a whole new era."

It was. Our lives were changing fast, and I couldn't wait to see what life would bring for all of us.

"Soon, we'll be doing group family trips to Disney and whatnot."

"We should totally do that. Go and visit Yas and Nixon down in Florida."

We continue chatting for a little while longer as we watch Edie and Maddox play. Once she gets bored with the swings, she goes to the slide and then, finally, the monkey bars. As always, my heart gets stuck in my throat as I watch her small fingers grip the bars.

"I've gotta go." Callie types something into her phone before she slides it into her bag. "Hayden just texted me they landed, so he'll be home soon."

"You want me to drive you?" I ask as we get to our feet, but Callie waves me off. "Nah, I'll be good. It's not that far from here. Besides, maybe if I push myself, I'll go into labor early; it's worth a try."

"You're crazy."

Callie pulls me in a hug. "Hey, when your husband is a professional athlete, you have to do what you have to do."

"I heard sex helps too." I wink at her playfully.

Callie laughs and lifts her hand in a wave. "Later."

Turning around, I find Edie holding onto the highest bar while Maddox holds her waist to keep her steady.

"This kid." I shake my head and walk to the monkey bars.

Edie spots me first and grins widely. "Mommy, look! I'm so high!"

"I can see that. Hold on tight, okay?"

"I am! Can you be this high?"

"I don't believe so. Mommy doesn't like heights. Why don't you get down, and we'll go home? We still have to make dinner."

"No," Edie groans. "A little more. I wanna go to the slide again."

Maddox lowers her down to the ground. "How about two more slide rides, and then we're going home?"

"Five."

"Three. Last offer, Princess."

"Fine," Edie sighs and runs off.

Maddox's arms wrap around me, pulling me into his chest, his clean, citrusy scent filling my lungs. "Callie left?"

"Mhmm…" I tilt my head back to find him watching me, a strand of hair falling in his face. "Hayden is coming home, so she's excited to see him."

"What about you, Mrs. Anderson? You happy to see me?"

Raising my hand, I brush it away and fix his glasses. "Always."

MADDOX

After rinsing the last plate, I put it in the dishwasher and wipe the counter before going in search of my girls. Once we finished dinner, Aly took Edie up to get her ready for bed, but she was nowhere to be found.

One lone lamp is turned on in the living room, so I turn it off, making sure all the doors are closed as I make my way up the stairs to be greeted by more silence.

Edie's bedroom door is open, soft light illuminating the hallway. I move closer, only to come to a stop in the doorway. My heart squeezes inside my chest at the sight of them curled together, fast asleep.

My girls.

Edie is curled over one side of the bed, clutching the stuffed bunny in her arms. It was the same bunny I bought for her the day we found out Aly was expecting a girl, and even after all these years, it was still her favorite. Her wild curls are sprawled on the pink pillow, lips slightly parted. Aly, on the other hand, is sitting next to her, her back resting against the wall, head tilted to the side, an open book lying on her lap.

I enter the room quietly so as not to wake them. Pulling the book out of Aly's hands, I place it on the nightstand. Edie murmurs something in her sleep. Playing in the park must have wiped her out more than she let on. Gently, I brush Edie's wild curls out of her face and tuck her in before wrapping my arms around my wife and pulling her into my arms.

Aly blinks her eyes open. "W-what happened? Where—"

"You fell asleep." I pull Edie's door closed for the most part before making my way across the hallway and into our bedroom.

"You should have woken me up." Aly rubs at her eyes. "God, I forgot how exhausting these first weeks are."

"And that's why I didn't wake you up. You're growing a human; you deserve to get some rest." Gently, I place her on the bed, my knee digging into the mattress as I brush her hair back. "Besides, you look so cute when you're sleeping."

"I look like a hot mess."

"You look hot, period." My hand slides to her nape, rubbing at the tense muscles, my forehead pressing into hers. "Some days, I still can't believe this is my life. That you're mine." I rest my hand against her stomach. It was still flat, but soon enough, it would grow, and I couldn't wait for it. I wanted to be there for every single second of this pregnancy. "And that we have a beautiful daughter and another on the way. How the hell did I get so lucky?"

Aly wraps her arms around my shoulders, her fingers running through my hair. "We don't know if it's a girl yet."

The corner of my mouth tips upward. "I was right the first time around, wasn't I?"

Aly rolls her eyes. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?"

"Not a chance." I press my mouth against hers teasingly before getting down on my knees so I'm on the same level as her belly. "This baby right here? It's a girl."

I lift her shirt and press my mouth against her stomach. "Tell your mommy Daddy knows best."

Aly's hands sink into my hair, her fingers running through my strands. I look up to find her heated gaze on me. Her cheeks are flushed, lips slightly parted as she watches me.

She tightens her grip on me, and I can feel tingles run down my spine. "I need you, Maddox," Aly pleads softly.

She doesn't need to ask me twice.

Raising my shirt over my head, I toss it to the side before pressing my mouth against hers in a hard kiss. My hands roam her body, taking off her PJs and my pants, until there is nothing between us—only skin on naked skin, and our two hearts beating in tandem as I worship every inch of her body.

My fingers and mouth roam her heated skin, the goosebumps rising in the wake of my touch.

"Maddox, stop teasing me," Aly breathes as I sink my fingers into her, testing her wetness. "I need you inside me."

"Patience," I chuckle, leaving kisses down her belly and spreading her legs wider. "First, I want to feel you come on my tongue."

It's the only warning I give her before my tongue laps at her pussy. Aly sucks in a breath, her legs tightening around my head as my tongue sinks into her.

" Shit , baby…"

Pulling back, I flick at her clit, before sucking it into my mouth.

The first orgasm slams into her out of nowhere. Not that I'm surprised. Aly has been extremely sensitive since she got pregnant, her body reacting to the smallest of touches.

Kissing her inner thigh, I move up, capturing her mouth in a kiss and letting her taste herself on my tongue as my hard dick brushes against her lower belly.

She pulls me closer, her legs falling open and hooking around my hips. "Don't make me beg."

Before she can even finish, I slide inside her in one long thrust, her velvet heat wrapping around me like a glove. "Never, baby." I brush her hair back, kissing the side of her neck. Pulling back, I slide back inside. "Perfect," I whisper, nibbling at the soft skin. "So fucking perfect for me."

We start moving together slowly—two bodies, one soul.

It's like she knew exactly what I needed and how I needed it.

Her fingers grip the back of my neck, nails grazing my skin. "I love you so much, Maddox."

"Not as much as I love you." Intertwining our fingers, I sink in deeper. "You belong with me, Aly. Say it. Say you're mine."

My best friend.

My wife.

My soulmate.

"Yours. Always yours."

"Damn right."

I press my mouth against hers to stifle our moans as we come together, the climax rocking our bodies to our very core.

Turning on my back, I pull Aly over me so I don't squish her, her head resting against my chest as a content smile plays on her lips. I gently brush her hair back. "Thank you."

Aly glances up, a confused expression crossing her face. "Why?"

"For making me the happiest man on this planet."

And this?

This was just the beginning…