Chapter 87

With the both of us floating on air after the baby appointment, Derek brings me back to his apartment. For the first time in our relationship, we move toward the bedroom.

I can’t help but be nervous. I haven’t slept with too many people outside of Ryan in my adulthood. And being in my second trimester doesn’t exactly make me feel sexy.

Derek leans down to kiss me but stops abruptly. “What’s wrong?”

I feel my cheeks warm. “Nothing.”

“Esme, I can read your face better than any book. You’re panicking about something. What?”

I push some blonde hair behind my ears. “I just…don’t know how sexy you’ll find me at this point in my pregnancy.”

The taller man moves his hand to my cheek. I can’t help but fall into his touch with utter ease. “I can promise you that you are the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. I don’t care how pregnant you are. I’ve been wanting this moment with you for a long time.”

My heart rate increases frantically, and standing on my toes, I reach up and take Derek’s face in my hands, kissing him like I need his lips to survive.

We’re quick to undress and fall to the bed. With the apartment empty, I don’t hold back on anything. Derek’s hands and his dick—much bigger than I anticipated—are like magical wonders.

He enters me with a quick thrust, and I cry out his name with absolutely no shame. Moving in synch together, we breathe quickly as he works our bodies into a sweaty, tangled mess.

It only takes us a few minutes before we’re panting loudly.

“Fuck, baby,” Derek struggles to say. “You feel so good. Fuck, you are insane, you’re so fucking beautiful. Don’t stop, baby. I’m going to come inside of you.”

His words are like honey, bringing me towards the edge so abruptly. “Derek, holy shit, I’m coming, I’m coming!”

He picks up the pace, and it’s like a waterfall crashes down on us as we finish at exactly the same time. We shout out into the air, the two of us groaning and moaning with utter delight.

But even as we both come, we keep rocking our hips over and over.

It’s like we both don’t want any of this to stop. Like it’s all gone way too fast.

Slowly, we melt onto one another and the sheets, tangled up and trying to catch our breath.

It was a quick first time, but that doesn’t bother me. I’ve been so horny these past few months that all I’ve wanted was to feel Derek inside of me. I’m not looking to complain.

If anything, I want to go again.

My boyfriend pulls me in closer, squeezing me tight to his skin. I can’t remember the last time I laid so still against someone. His chest rises and falls rhythmically.

“Wow,” he finally whispers.

“Wow in a good way or a bad way?” I ask, slightly teasing.

“Oh, good way, obviously.”

I giggle, leaning up to kiss his cheek.

“Where did you learn those moves?” He questions.

“I was born with them, duh.”

He breathes out as a laugh. “Sure, sure, of course.”

We’re silent for a minute, enjoying each other’s company and touch. It’s so nice to just breathe with Derek, not rushing to impress him or act like my feelings for him aren’t shoving their way to the surface.

“Are you happy? With knowing the baby’s gender.”

The question is unexpected.

“Why?”

He shrugs. “Just felt like I was being pushy.”

“Oh, no, you were. But I am happy. With the man in my life and his two beautiful daughters. Having great friends. The baby being healthy. And yes, with knowing she’s a girl. I’m so happy, I don’t even know how to explain it.”

He kisses my forehead gingerly. “Good. I’m happy, too. More than I think you know.”

We lie together for another hour before we get up, having to get cleaned up before the girls come home. I rush home to change my clothes and fix my hair but come right back over so I can greet Bea and Tris first thing.

“Esme!” Tris notices me first, rushing past her dad to give me a hug. I’ve told them that they don’t need to say “miss” anymore. I take the young girl in my arms and squeeze her tight.

“Hey girly,” I whisper in her ear.

Bea hugs her dad first, then gets one from me, too.

Sadie, however, is standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

“You’re back.”

Seems like she’s not hiding her contempt any longer.

“She’s my girlfriend, Sadie. Of course she’s here.”

The redhead rolls her eyes. “Ridiculous. I have to beg to see my kids, but she can come over whenever she wants and take them away.”

Bea, who’s still next to me, seems to retreat behind me slightly. I notice this, raising an eyebrow.

“Why is it whenever I’m with them, they just want you?” Sadie spits at Derek. “It’s always ‘Daddy’ this and ‘Daddy’ that. Tris fell on the playground today and instead of coming to me, her own mother, she called out for you.”

Derek takes a step toward his ex-wife. “That’s because I raised them. Tris doesn’t have enough memories with you, Sadie. You just came back into her life six weeks ago.”

“I’m her mother. There shouldn’t be a learning curve with my daughter.”

I hear the jealousy coming from the other woman.

“It’ll take time,” he reassures her.

“And what about her?” She jabs a finger at me. “When I was trying to talk with Bea, all she did was talk about Esme. They look for your slut of a girlfriend before me.”

Derek lets out a low growl, moving Tris closer to his side. “Don’t you dare talk about any of these women like that. Not my daughters. Not my girlfriend. You don’t have the right to say anything.”

The girl’s mother shakes her head. “You really want me to be the bad guy here?” She snaps.

“You have been the bad guy since you left, Sadie. Why are you even here?” Derek’s teeth are literally out, as though a dog is protecting his owner. “I’ve held my tongue because the girls deserve a mother and a father. But all I’ve heard is complaint after complaint. Want to do you want?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I want to be their mother! I want to be a better wife! But you’re making it utterly impossible for me to be better!”

I’m stunned by this confession, even though this isn’t news to me. Maybe I just didn’t expect Sadie to be outright with her family.

Bea has completely moved behind me, shivering in what I can only assume to be fear. Tris is asking to be picked up by Derek, who does so without a second thought.

The girl’s father shakes his head. “You aren’t my wife anymore. I divorced you, I won the custody. I will deny you as my wife for the rest of my life. You want to be there for your daughters? Great. But I’ll never have feelings for you ever again, Sadie. That’s over with. You lost your chance to be the perfect woman for me.” Vehemently rejecting the redhead brings some sense of pride.

Take that, Sadie.

“Why, because I’m not tending to your every need?” She snaps back.

“Because you left your girls! You thought everything was too hard, so you walked away. That’s not what a good mother does!”

Sadie seems to be turning red. “How dare you! I am a great mother to these two! I came back to give them the experience of being a mom, and you sit here and try to poison me against them!”

“In no world do I have to attempt to do anything. You are doing a great job all on your own, Sadie.”

Sadie takes several steps before she’s in Derek’s face. “I’m suing you for shared custody,” she growls at him. Then she looks at me with a spiteful look. “You can play pretend with them, but at the end of the day, they will always be my daughters!”

“Never threaten any of us again,” Derek demands, shoving Sadie away from me with his body. “We are not your play toys; do you understand me? And no judge will sign off on any custody for you. You ran away and left them for years. Who’s to say you won’t do it again?”

Sadie’s fists are turning white-knuckled.

“This isn’t where things end,” she hisses. “I’m not giving up that easily.”

“Then I guess I’ll see you in court,” Derek deadpans. “Until then, get the fuck out of my house and away from my three women.”

That’s it. That’s where the conversation ends. The redheaded woman gives us all a death stare, but says no words to us. Her nostrils flare, and her body shakes with rage.

She shakes her head once again, then she retreats out the door and away from the apartment.

“Mommy can be scary,” Tris voices into the silence.

We both can’t help but laugh slightly.

“Yes, she can be,” Derek tells his youngest. “But now, it’s time for some fun.”