Chapter 18 — Baby Names

Brooke:

Waking up in Landon’s arms is as amazing as a warm beach and how chocolate sounds. My back is pressed to his chest. One of his arms is under my neck, supporting my head, and the other is wrapped protectively over my protruding belly. One of his legs is pushed between my thighs, causing me to tingle in certain areas.

Landon shifts in his sleep, pushing his leg up higher. I suck in a breath at the delicious pleasure that rushes up to my spine. I have been incredibly horny since my third trimester started. Unable to help myself, I push back on Landon’s leg and groan. Landon shifts again, pushing back up. He nuzzles my neck, sinking his nose into my hair. He inhales deeply as I begin to rock back and forth.

Landon:

Holding Brooke is the best feeling in the world. I clutched her tightly to me all night.

I can tell when she is awake because her breathing pattern quickened slightly. Her body stiffens for a half-minute before she relaxes back into the mattress. I shift, getting ready to let Brooke know I am awake when she let out the tiniest moan. I freeze, and to my utter astonishment, I feel Brooke push back.

I drag my nose up the length of Brooke's neck, burying my nose in her hair, inhaling her scent. Knowing it is a risk, I push my leg against Brooke again. I am rewarded with a groan. All of Brooke's freak-outs have in the past usually happened during intimate moments. So, I choose not to speak. Brooke begins rocking against me. My cock throbs as her pace speeds up. My hand that was resting on her stomach slowly slides down to her hips.

Gripping the gentle curve, I help her quicken her pace even more. Unable to help myself, my hips start to push against her ass, grinding my cock into her ample flesh. I start dragging open-mouthed kisses along her neck. Brooke pants and moans as we frantically move.

Brooke:

Loud moans fill the room, and it takes me a minute to realize they are coming from me. I am panting for breath as Landon grinds against my ass. His hand on my hip gently encourages me as I unabashedly grind myself onto his leg. Landon changes from open-mouthed kisses to sucking on the sensitive skin where my shoulder and neck connect. My eyes roll back into my head at the intense pleasure. What is wrong with you? You're rubbing yourself on Landon’s leg! I ignore the voice in my head as the peak of my pleasure draws closer. I am so close. Right on edge. I just needed…something.

“I…need…” I pant.

“What do you need, baby?” Landon’s voice is thick and gruff. “I’ll give you whatever you need, baby,” he encourages.

“More…Landon… I need more,” my voice whines. Landon moves his hand from my hip and skims it over the top of my pajama pants, lightly teasing the skin that is bare due to my shirt riding up.

Then his hand slides under the material. He lightly circles my clit but does not touch it. My entire focus is on those slow, gentle fingers doing the opposite movement of his rough hips.

“Please. Please. Please,” I beg. Landon takes his other hand and snakes it under my shirt to my breast. He starts toying with my nipple, rubbing his thumb over it. He shifts us then, so he is more on his back, and I am practically on top of him. His pace becomes impossibly faster. His kisses more like bites now.

“Are you close, baby?” Landon pants. “Are you going to come for me?” I nod my head frantically.

“I’m so close. I just need—”

“I know what you need, baby. I am going to give it to you, I promise. Are you ready?” His fingers begin circling my clit faster.

“I’m ready! I’m ready!” I chant. Landon pushes his middle finger inside me at the same time he pushes my engorged clit down with his thumb.

“Come,” he demands. I scream his name and grind myself harder against him as I come.

It is so much. Too much. The sensation of the release makes me dizzy, and my hips cannot stop rocking. Landon rocks with me the whole time. I chant his name in a plea, begging him for something I do not know.

“Shh. It is okay, beagchaithnini sneachta. I got you. It’s okay,” he coos in my ear as his thrusting finger gradually slows with his hips. The hand on my breast moves to my hips, forcing them to match his slow pace.

Eventually, my heart rate slows, and my breathing evens out. “That’s right, baby.” Landon places soft kisses along my hairline. His movements stop, but he leaves his hands where they are.

We just lay there silently for a few minutes before Landon speaks. “That was amazing.” I hum in assent. I can feel Landon’s erection pushing against me. I wonder if he wants me to reciprocate, but I feel too lazy to speak, let alone move.

The hand on my hip moves to my belly. Pushing my shirt out of the way, he starts drawing lazy circles. My eyes begin to droop from the sensation. I feel like I can take a five-hour nap.

"Have you thought about names at all?" Landon asks. My eyes pop back open in surprise. We always fight when we talk about the baby, so I think of my response carefully.

"I figure you would want to name him after you. Isn’t there an Irish name that gets passed down in men?"

He grunts. “Yeah. Traditionally, the eldest son is named after the paternal grandfather. So Cahal would be his name. In English, it's Charles. Charles sounds too grandfatherly. I think we should keep the Irish name.” I test the sound of the name Cahal and give a content smile. Landon presses a kiss to my temple.

“And what if it’s a girl?” he asks.

“I had an appointment to find out the sex when you were gone,” I say guiltily. Landon’s fingers stop their movement on my stomach. He gently rolls me so I am facing him.

“And?” He raises his eyebrow. And I could not do it because knowing will make it harder for me to say goodbye. I shrug.

“I asked them to put the answer in a sealed envelope. I didn’t want to know,” I whisper.

Landon pushes up on his elbow, so he is a little higher than me. “Why did you put it in an envelope?”

“In case you wanted to know. I should have told you sooner. I am sorry. I just…couldn’t…” I trail off, not really knowing why I kept it from him.

“Why don’t you want to know?” I shrug.

“If it is one, it changes things, but if the other, it does not. But it doesn’t make a difference either way. At least not to me. Not in my heart. It’s so confusing.” I mumble the last part.

Landon brushes a stray hair out of my face. “Forget the contract, forget our marriage. It does not exist. What do you want then?” His voice is soft and quiet.

"Either one. I’d love him or her either way,” I answer without hesitation. Landon smiles.

“I would too, but I want a girl. I want her to be small and petite, with long dark brown hair that curls in unruly masses. With chocolate brown eyes and fair skin. I want to name her Marie Eira Campbell.”

I gasp at his revelation. Then cry when my middle name, Marie, passes through his perfect lips.

“Why?” My voice is faint. He gives me a teasing smile.

“Why what?”

“Why do you want those things?” Landon sits up and drags me up. His eyes pierce mine as he speaks in earnest.

“Because I want our daughter to be every bit as kind, beautiful, and strong as you. I want her to have your innocence and bravery. You have had an awful father and a horrid husband. But even after all of that, you remain the most caring and loving person, and I am honored to call you my wife.”

Tears stream down my face uncontrollably now. I thought the nicest thing ever said to me was why he called me beagchaithnini sneachta. “Why are you crying?” he implores. I rub at my eyes, which are super irritated.

“I’m not. I just slept with my contacts in,” I lie. Landon chuckles and hands me a tissue from the nightstand. “What’s the significance of Eira?” I ask, trying to help distract myself from crying.

“It’s a Welsh word. It means snow.” Not crying is a lost cause.

After I finally settle down, I go to take a shower while Landon goes to fix breakfast. My eyes feel so crusty from crying as well as from sleeping in my contacts. I just got a new box with a higher prescription, but I feel like I need to get my eyes rechecked for another new prescription.

I slide on my glasses, a pair of leggings, and one of Landon’s long sleeve shirts. Wearing it gives me a burst of giddiness, and I allow myself a minute to smell it. Last night and this morning have been the best day of my life. I am hoping for this euphoric feeling to continue. I know it is not fair to allow Landon to develop feelings or different feelings than the ones he has. Not when I am still leaving after the baby is born. But I am selfish and want to live out my short time left in this marriage and life feeling this way. I slip into my room to grab something, then head downstairs to Landon.