The Rejected Wife: Chapter 45

Wet inside and out. The slide of my fingers through his hair. The sound of skin slapping against skin. The sound of our fucking. Our moans. His grunts as he tunnels into me, trying to get in so deep, it feels like he’s blasting through any barriers I may have thrown up against the world, burrowing his way under my skin. He’s occupying every part of me. Imprinting himself into my cells, until everything in me is tuned into him. Until I know I belong to him. Something I knew from the moment I met him.

And now… It feels fated. It feels real. It feels so right. And when he pulls out and lunges up and into me and hits my G-spot, I shatter. The noises which emerge from my throat feel more animalistic than human. And so raw. And then, he follows me and, with a rough groan, empties himself inside me. My body shudders with aftershocks, as does his.

His cock pulses inside me, reminding me how thoroughly he’s ravaged me. He reaches out and flicks off the shower, and the sound of water cuts out.

I slowly raise my head and look into his eyes. ‘Wow. That was—’ I shake my head. ‘Something.’

A pleased smirk plays around his lips. ‘Yeah?’

I resist the urge to roll my eyes. There’s a reason this man’s ego is bigger than any room he walks into. And after that orgasm—correction, multiple orgasms over the past few hours—I feel more than kindly disposed toward him. ‘Yeah, and you know it.’

The skin around his eyes relaxes. The look in his eyes is tender, protective. It’s like how he regards Serene—but there’s something else layered beneath it. Possessiveness. Hunger, held in check. As if I’m his, and he knows it. And the way that makes me feel… It’s too much. Like I matter in a way no one else ever has.

I lean in and kiss him hard. ‘Thanks.’

‘For what?’

‘Everything. For bringing me here. For letting me be part of Serene’s life. For allowing me back into both of your lives.’

His expression grows serious. ‘There was never anyone other than you who could have played this role in her life. I was wrong’—his throat moves as he swallows—’wrong to push you away.’

Something inside me settles at his apology. He hasn’t said those three words… But this makes up for it in a big way.

He kisses me hard, and soon, we are panting. I feel him thicken inside me, and when we break apart, I stare at him. ‘Again? So soon?’

“Mama!”

Serene darts toward us, all windblown hair and sunshine, and launches herself into my arms. I catch her with a soft grunt—she’s heavier than I remember. Denser. Like childhood is slowly giving way to something else. Something taller, bolder, more her. She’s growing, in front of my eyes. And I get to witness all of it.

The ache in my chest is fierce and golden.

“Hey, honey. Did you have fun?” I press a kiss to her cheek, breathing in the warmth of her.

She nods, breathless. “I played with Matty. Pirates and Cowgirls. I beat him.”

“You did?” I look past her to where Matty stands, flanked by his parents, arms folded across his chest like he’s thoroughly unimpressed. But there’s a softness tucked in the corners of his eyes that gives him away.

“She was better than me.” His tone is matter of fact.

Sinclair ruffles his son’s hair. “Proud of you, Son. Takes a man to give credit where it’s due.”

Beside me, Tyler lifts his brows. “My own daughter forgets I exist.”

I turn to him quickly. “Oh, no. Serene would never—she’s just still finding her footing with me in the picture, and⁠—”

I take in the teasing glint in his eyes and relax. Love isn’t about losing yourself in someone else; it’s about discovering the parts of you that were always meant to shine.

I’m not sure which self-help book I read that in, but it strikes a chord. This man seems to bring out the best parts of me, with very little effort.

Then, Serene backs me up by taking a flying leap into his arms. It’s how she landed in mine that day when I turned up at Tyler’s doorstep. And my, how things have changed since then. I shake my head. If I hadn’t lived through it and found myself here, married to Tyler and on my honeymoon, I wouldn’t have believed it.

Serene hugs her father and kisses his cheek. ‘Missed you, Papa.’

‘Missed you too, honey.’

She looks at him with those big melting eyes. I can see Tyler’s entire body relax as he smiles at her. ‘Can I stay the night with Matty and his parents?’

Tyler turns to me, a what-do-you-think expression on his face.

The fact that he consults me when it’s something to do with Serene when, really, he could have decided for both of us, turns my pathetic heart to Jell-O. I feel a familiar ball of emotion in my throat and swallow it down.

‘Oh no, honey”—I touch her cheek—“we can’t be bothering Matty’s parents like that.’

‘But you’re newlyweds; you need alone time,’ Matty says in that grown-up voice which should sound incongruous but coming from him—and despite my suspicion that he’s simply repeating what he heard his parents say—it doesn’t seem wrong at all.

Tyler’s expression turns almost pleading. The weight of his attention sends a flicker of heat low in my belly. I look away and shake my head at Matty. “We can’t impose on your parents⁠—”

‘Yes, you can.’ Summer flashes us her trademark, sunny smile, and bounces toward us with a spring in her step. ‘And Matty’s right. You guys need, at least, one night on your own. And we enjoy having Serene with us.’ She holds out her arms, and Serene goes to her right away.

‘Are you sure?’ I look from Serene’s smiling face to Summer’s. Serene definitely is very comfortable with them.

‘Absolutely.’

Serene wriggles to be let down. Tyler obliges. As soon as her feet touch the ground, Matty walks over and takes her hand in his. ‘Do you want to play football?’

She makes a face. ‘I’m a girl.’

‘So? Girls play footie too.’ Matty scowls.

‘Oh.’ Serene thinks about it, then nods. ‘Okay, but you’ll have to teach me.’

Matty leads her to Sinclair. ‘Dad, will you set out the practice cones for us?’

“Yes, but tomorrow.’

‘But D-a-d,’ Matty begins to protest, but Sinclair shakes his head.

‘It’s dinnertime. You two need to eat and then have your baths.”

‘Eww.’ Matty makes a face and, suddenly, he looks like the five-year-old boy he is.

‘And once you’re both tucked into your beds, I’ll tell you the new story I made up.’

‘I prefer to listen to my audiobook.’ Matty sniffs.

Sinclair looks at Summer with a ‘can you believe this boy?’ look on his face.

Summer laughs. ‘Better go rescue my husband before our five-year-old gets the better of him. See you two tomorrow, post brunch.’

The four of them troop off in the direction of the restaurant.

‘That was unexpected.’ I turn to Tyler. His expression tells me he’s not surprised.

‘You planned this, didn’t you?’ I ask with sudden insight.

‘Did I?’ He smirks.

‘Why do I bother asking?’

He scoops me up in his arms. I flush, glancing around to see if anyone’s watching us, but there are no guests in the lobby, and the receptionist is looking at her computer screen.

‘What are you doing?’ I hiss.

He heads to the steps leading down from the reception area and toward the path that takes us to our villa.

‘Taking my wife back to our room so I can make love to her again.’