Forgetting where I was, I shrieked in pleasure, causing Rhys to jerk his head up and bang it on roost’s roof. “Shh,” he hissed.

A warm flush of embarrassment filled my cheeks. “I’m sorry. It just feels so good,” I whispered.

He grinned. “Normally, I would be all about hearing you, but not right now.”

After I mimed zipping my lips, he rolled his eyes, smiled, and dipped his head. With one hand, I raked my fingers through the strands of his hair while I clapped the other over my mouth to keep my moans and whimpers as quiet as I could. By the time his tongue darted inside me, I had covered the back of my hand in bite marks to keep silent. Just when I was about to come, he pulled away.

“Rhys,” I murmured, my legs scissoring to get both the friction I needed and to keep him locked in place.

“I want to be inside you when you come,” he whispered.

Nodding, I widened my legs for him to ease between them. As the head of his na**d c**k nudged my entrance, I sucked in a breath. Rhys dipped his head to whisper in my ear. “I haven’t been with anyone but you…and I’ve been tested, and I’m clean. I thought with you on the pill…” When I didn’t respond at first, he pulled back to survey me. “Allison, is this okay?”

“Yes, of course it is.”

At his harsh thrust, we both groaned a little too loudly. After he stretched and filled me so completely, he remained stock still for a few seconds. I think we were both silently hoping that Jake didn’t come barging out of the bedroom after our loud groans. When it appeared as though we were in the clear, Rhys slowly pulled out of me. Just the head of his dick remained before he thrust back in. After doing that several more times, he then found his rhythm. My chest began to rise and fall in time with his movements.

Rhys’s warm breath once again hovered over my ear. “Mmm, Allison, you feel so good…so good to be back inside you,” he murmured in my ear as he sped up his pace.

Cupping his face in my hands, I rubbed my thumbs over the stubble dusting his jawline. Tilting my chin, I stared into his eyes. At first, pure lust burned in them. Then the longer I held his gaze, I noticed the change in them. Intensity, not just lust. Intensity shone bright in them. For a moment, I imagined they were illustrating all the things that he wanted to say but couldn’t…or wouldn’t. Wishing for a deeper connection with him caused my chest to tighten in agony. Needing a distraction from my out-of-control emotions, I pulled his mouth down to mine. If I was kissing him, I wouldn’t have to look into his eyes anymore—I wouldn’t have to see the feelings he had for me that he was unable to share.

But Rhys pulled away from my kiss. His h*ps slowed their frantic pace of thrusting. Instead, his intense gaze once again held mine. “I love you, Allison,” he whispered.

My heart shuddered to a stop, causing a slow ache to burn through my chest. Had he really said the words I’d waited so long to hear? As if he sensed my disbelief, Rhys smiled and brushed his hand over my cheek. Then he dipped his head to speak into my ear. “I love you with all my heart and soul. I’m sorry that I waited so long to say it. I know that crammed into this roost isn’t the most romantic place to say it, but I hope you can forgive and believe me.”

Tears stung my eyes. I had to fight not to go off the emotional cliff and begin sobbing so loud I would wake up Jake and Abby. Instead, I bit down on my lip until I could taste a metallic rush on my tongue. Rhys had finally told me he loved me. Of course, in later years, I would have to fudge the details a little for anyone else. It just wouldn’t be the right story to share with our future children about how their father was buried deep inside me during a middle-of-the-night roost sexathon when he finally found the words I’d been longing to hear.

When he pulled back, Rhys’s expression was one of curious concern. “Are you okay?”

Since I didn’t dare trust myself to speak without sobbing, I nodded my head. I cupped his face with my hands and then pulled his head down to mine for a deep kiss. Rhys once again began moving inside me. Instead of speeding up the pace, he kept it slow and steady. It meant more to me than anything in the world because he was truly making love to me.

Although it wouldn’t have mattered to me if I came or not because of what I was feeling emotionally, Rhys helped matters along by dipping his hand between us to rub my clit. His magic, musical fingers once again worked me to an orgasm. He followed soon after me.

Rhys collapsed against me in a tangle of arms and legs. As his chest rose and fell with harsh breaths, I kissed the top of his head and cheeks. He pulled up to smile at me. “I love you,” he said again.

I returned his smile. “You know I love you. I never stopped. I’ll love you until the day I die,” I whispered.

He brought his lips to mine for a passionate kiss. After he pulled away, he eased out of my body and rolled over.

When I started shifting away from him, Rhys grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?” he whispered.

“Bathroom.”

He nodded and lay back against the pillow. Peeling back one side of the curtain, I peered down at Jake and Abby’s bedroom. The door was still closed, and everything seemed to be quiet. Thank God the twins had started sleeping through the night a few weeks back. Pulling on the hem of my T-shirt, I padded bare-assed across the aisle. After using the bathroom and getting cleaned up from my exertions, I tiptoed back to my roost.

My heartbeat began thrumming wildly in my chest when I pulled back the curtain to find Rhys still there. He held out the covers so I could slide inside. Once I was tucked by his side, I felt like my heart would explode right out of my chest. After lying there a few moments, I propped my head up to look at him. “Should you go back to your roost?” I finally whispered.

“Are you trying to get rid of me?”

I smiled up at him. “Never.”

He grinned. “I thought for a minute you’d had your way with me, and now you didn’t need me anymore.”

“I’m pretty sure it was you having your way with me.”

“Whatever. I didn’t take you for a ‘wham, bam, thank you ma’am’ kinda gal.”

“I’m not. I’d love for you to stay the night with me.” Thinking about Jake, I asked, “You think it’ll be okay?”

“Do you have your phone?” When I nodded, he said, “Just set your alarm about thirty minutes before the twins usually get up. We should be fine.”