He pulls back and narrows his eyes. It worries me. But then he knocks me out with his smile, reserved only for me. ‘You’ll never have to ask me twice, baby.’ He lowers me to the bed and comes down with me. ‘Get rid of the towel.’

I yank the bath sheet from around his neck and fling it across the room.

‘Put your hands in my hair.’ he orders. I comply immediately, lacing my fingers though his mass of wet, dirty blonde. ‘Pull it.’ He leans down and licks my lips as I tug at his hair on a moan. ‘Kiss me hard, Ava.’ His stern tone just spikes my need further. I tackle his mouth with desperation and conviction. ‘Stop.’ he orders, and I do, even though I really don’t want to. ‘Kiss me softly.’ he whispers, and I sigh, gently sweeping my tongue through his mouth, so very lazily. It’s heaven. ‘Enough.’ he says harshly, and again I stop. He pulls back and drops a loving kiss on my lips. ‘Why can’t you do everything I ask that quickly?’

I grin and pull him in closer, re-claiming his mouth. ‘Because your power hungry persona is rubbing off on your wife.’

He laughs and rolls over so I’m astride his hips. ‘Take the power, baby.’

‘Okay.’ I agree quickly, lifting myself from his groin. He reaches down, and I slap his hand away. ‘Excuse me.’

‘Oh, sorry.’ He grins sheepishly. ‘Don’t fuck about, though, will you?’

‘You’re forgetting, God,’ I grab his erection and guide him to me. ‘You’ve just relinquished the power.’ I lower gently, his grin soon disappearing, being replaced with thorough appreciation.

He moans and grabs the tops of my legs. ‘I might give you the power more often.’

I lift and slowly sink back down, running my hands all over his chest. ‘You like?’

‘Oh, I love.’ He looks up at me and starts smoothing his hands over the tops of my thighs.

‘You’re so handsome.’ I lift and lower gently again on a sigh.

‘I know.’ he says simply.

‘You’re arrogant.’

‘I know. Up you go.’

I raise my eyebrows. ‘Who has the power?’

‘You do, but you won’t for long if you abuse it. Up.’ He’s restraining a smile, and I scowl, but lift myself anyway. ‘Good girl.’ he pants. ‘Faster.’

Sinking back down, I grind gently. ‘But I like it like this.’

‘Faster, Ava.’

‘No. I have the power.’ I work my way back up, but don’t get the chance to tease my way down. I’m flipped onto my back and pinned down.

‘You lost your chance, lady.’ He drives straight in with purpose. ‘I’m taking the power back.’

Bang!

I yell, my legs falling open.

Bang!

‘Fuck!’ I scream as he hits my womb.

‘Mouth!’

Bang!

‘Jesse!’

‘You pushed your luck, baby.’ he grunts, flexing his grip of my wrists and hitting me over and over and over. My eyes close. ‘Eyes!’ I rip them open on a shocked yelp. ‘Better.’ Sweat is pouring down his face, dripping onto my cheeks. I need to hold onto him, scratch him and bite him, but I’m completely powerless, just as he likes me.

‘Let me hold you.’ I cry, pulling at his grip as he thunders on.

‘Who has the power?’

‘You do, you fucking control freak!’

‘Watch,’ Bang! ‘your,’ Bang! ‘mouth!’

I scream.

‘Fuck! he yells. ‘Come for me, Ava!’

I can’t. I’m trying to focus on the climax that’s lingering somewhere deep, but every time I think I’ve captured it, he hits me again with those punishing hips and knocks it back. My eyes close and I can do nothing more than accept the assault my body is under.

‘Jesus, Ava. I’m going to come!’

And with that he shouts, grinds and collapses on top of me, releasing my hands from his fierce grip. His breathing is chaotic, his body twitching and his skin wet. I’m all of those things, too, minus one satisfying climax.

‘You didn’t come.’ he pants into my neck. I can’t talk, so I hum and shake my head, my arms flopped limply at the side of my head. ‘Baby, I’m sorry.’

I hum again and attempt to lift my arms to cuddle him so he knows that I’m fine, but my muscles are on shut down. Our sweaty chests are compressing together and our erratic breathing is the loud. We’re both completely shattered. I want to stay in bed, but then I feel the absence of his weight, and I’m being lifted into his arms. I mumble an audible protest as I’m carried to the bathroom. He turns the spray on, grabs a towel from the shelf and chucks it on the floor of the shower before laying me down on it. I just about muster up the strength to frown up at him as he lowers himself to the floor and spreads my legs.

‘Let’s bring you back to life.’ He flicks the shower to cool and settles between my thighs before really waking me up with a stretched out, agonisingly soft stroke of his tongue, right up the centre of my core.

My back arches, my lifeless arms spring to life and my voice comes back. ‘Ohhhhh Godddd!’ I grab his wet hair and push him further into me, the previously deep, misplaced orgasm now gushing forward. I don’t even try to control it. I start panting, my stomach muscles tensing, my head lifting, as the cool, fresh water rains all over me. He’s everywhere, licking, biting, sucking, trailing kisses down the inside of my thighs and slowly back up again to plunge his tongue in deep.

‘Awake yet?’ he mumbles around my flesh, then bites lightly on my clit.

‘More!’ I demand, yanking at his hair. I hear him laugh a little before he follows through on my order and seals his mouth completely around me and sucks me gently to climax.

I burst. I see stars. I moan and throw my hands over my head. Way too good. Just way way too bloody good. I’m pulsing against him and completely limp. The cool spray is divine, the consistent purring of the shower relaxing. I’m not getting up from this floor—not for anyone or anything. He can put me straight back in bed.

‘I love love love feeling you throb.’ He kisses his way up my body until he finds me lips, giving me more special attention. I only respond with my mouth, unable to convince my muscles to move, and not bothering to make much effort of it either. ‘Am I redeemed?’

I nod against his kiss and he laughs, pulling back to study me. My eyes are still working fine. He’s just beyond fucking beautiful, and he knows it, the big headed arse. ‘I love you.’ I just about manage to squeeze the words past my fitful breaths.

He dazzles me with that smile… my smile. ‘I know you do, baby.’ He gets up, far too spritely for my liking. ‘Come on. Now I’ve fulfilled my Godly obligation, we need to go to The Manor.’ He takes my hand and heaves me up with absolutely no effort at all. And I don’t help. I make myself a deadweight in protest, not that it hampers him.

‘Do I have to come?’ I grumble, as he squirts some shampoo in my hair and starts lathering me up.

‘You never usually complain about coming.’ He grins at me, and I roll my eyes. ‘Yes, you do. We have some time we need to catch up on. Four days’ worth.’ I ignore him and let his big, firm hands massage my head and then rinse me. ‘You’re done, lady. Out.’ He slaps my arse and sends me on my way, while he finishes his shower.

I look longingly at the bed, but as much as it’s calling me, I resist and venture into the colossal walk-in-wardrobe to get ready. We do have time to catch up on, and we have lots of hard to catch up on, too. We’ve broke the back of it, and this is all the more reason for me to remedy the situation that will undoubtedly take me back to being treated like I’m breakable if I remain pregnant.

I walk into the kitchen and find Jesse rummaging frantically through the cupboards. With his arms raised, his broad back is accentuated by the pull of his white polo t-shirt, the vast expanse of firmness making my hands twitch at my sides and my eyes blink to confirm that he’s real. I smile. He’s real all right, and he’s also mine.

‘What are you doing?’ I ask, pulling my hair up into a messy mass of wildness on top of my head.