LOGINJuneMy hand twitches across the mattress.It's empty.June isn’t there.My eyes snap open.She said she was going to pee. Why wasn't she back?Cold crawls up my spine.Did something happen to her. Did she collapse in the bathroom?I’m out of bed before I even think, heart hammering like it knows something I don’t.“June. June, June—” I knock once, then shove the bathroom door open.Nothing.“June.”The room is empty. Sink dry. No light. No sound.Fuck.Calm down. Just—calm down.I stagger back into the bedroom, grab my phone off the table. Maybe she stepped outside. Maybe she told me and I slept through it.Why did I sleep that deep?I drag my hands down my face. My chest feels too tight.I haven’t slept like that in months. Not since I lost her. Not since everything broke. And now that she’s here again—now that she’s finally mine—she’s gone.I call her.No connection.We’re supposed to get married today.The thought hits me like a blow.Did she run?Does she not want this?Was I too
JuneThe next day—after rounds and rounds of lovemaking that left my body soft and aching in the sweetest way—I lie on my back, staring at the ceiling while Hermes is curled against me, warm and heavy, like he belongs there.The room is dim, curtains still drawn, the early morning light barely slipping through. I run my fingers through his hair, slow and careful, counting in my head.Twenty-four… twenty-three… twenty-two… twenty-one… nineteen…“Ugh. Shifty bastard,” I breathe under my nose.Hermes shifts, his face pressing deeper into my shoulder. “Do you want something?” he mumbles, voice thick with sleep.“Don’t worry, love,” I whisper, still stroking his hair. “Sleep.”My lips press together.We promised we’d get married today.A promise born half out of love and half out of wrecked, breathless pleasure.But I’m not ready.Not yet.There is too much between us that hasn’t been said. Too much blood. Too much pain. Too much truth that’s been sitting in my chest, waiting to be acknowl
~Hermes~A low growl rumbled in my throat. I knelt in front of her, hands immediately covering her breasts, palms warm against her soft skin. I rolled her nipples gently between my thumbs and forefingers, watching her breath hitch, her back arching to push them harder into my touch.“Like this, wife?” I murmured, voice rough. I tugged lightly, then twisted—just enough to make her gasp—before soothing the sting with slow circles. Her nipples darkened under my attention, swelling even more, so sensitive from the pregnancy that every pinch drew a soft whimper from her lips.“Harder,” she breathed, eyes fluttering shut. “Make them ache for you.”I pinched sharper, rolling the tight buds firmly, pulling them away from her body until she moaned, head falling back. Then I leaned in, tongue flicking one stiff peak before sucking it deep into my mouth—hot, wet suction, teeth grazing just enough to make her tremble.I switched to the other, lavishing the same attention, alternating between gent
JuneA low moan escaped my lips as Hermes knelt in front of me, his large hands covering my breasts, palms scorching hot against my sensitive skin. His thumbs and forefingers rolled my nipples with deliberate gentleness at first, sending sparks straight to my core. My breath caught, back arching instinctively, pushing myself harder into his touch, silently begging for more.“Like this, wife?” he murmured, voice gravel-rough, sending shivers down my spine. He tugged lightly, then twisted—sharp enough to make me gasp—before soothing the delicious sting with slow, maddening circles. Pregnancy had turned my nipples into live wires; every pinch, every roll made them swell darker, tighter, drawing helpless whimpers from deep in my throat.“Harder,” I breathed, eyes fluttering shut as heat pooled low in my belly. “Make them ache for you.”He didn’t hesitate. The pinches sharpened, rolling the tight buds firmly, pulling them outward until pleasure bordered on pain and I moaned, head falling b
~Hermes~With a satisfied sigh, I scooped June up in my arms, her naked body light and warm against mine, the linen sheet draped loosely over us as I carried her from the beach. The sand crunched under my feet, giving way to the cool grass of the path leading to the villa—her villa, the one I'd eyed for months, dreaming of buying it to whisk her away here. But she'd beaten me to it, that bold, independent streak of hers shining through, and damn if it didn't make me respect her even more. She nestled her head against my chest, her short blonde hair tickling my skin, as we slipped through the doors into the bedroom.“I’m hungry,” she mumbled, her voice soft and sleepy as I laid her gently on the king-sized bed, the sheets rumpled from our earlier haste.“Wait right here, sweetheart,” I said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. “I’ll whip up something special.” I tugged on my pants, and headed downstairs to the kitchen, my mind racing with gratitude that we were here, together, afte
JuneThe first thing I feel is the breeze.Soft, salty and cool against my skin, then the sound of the sea — slow, patient waves brushing against the shore like nothing in the world is in a hurry anymore.When I open my eyes, light spills across everything in gold and pale pink. The sun is just beginning to rise, low and gentle, not burning yet. It paints the water like melted glass.I’m lying on a beach bed beside my villa.For a second I panic — hospital, blood, fear — but then I turn my head.Hermes is there, sitting on the sand beside me, barefoot, one arm resting on the edge of the bed like he’s been guarding me all night. His hair is a little messy from the wind, his eyes fixed on the horizon, but the moment I move, he looks down at me.I’m not hooked to anything. No machines. No IVs. Just the ocean, the morning, and him.“How long have I been out?” I murmur, my voice rough from sleep.“Not long,” he says softly. “I just didn’t want to wake you.”I shift slightly, feeling the fa







