CHAPTER 219: CHAPTER 219 CLAIM ME AGAIN

Serena’s POV

I gazed into Ryan’s intense eyes as his lips pressed against my fingers. My heart raced faster when he said those words—"I’d do anything to make you happy. Anything at all."

"Ryan..." I whispered, feeling the tension shift between us.

He pulled me closer, his hand sliding to the small of my back. "You know what terrifies me most, Serena?" His voice was barely audible, vulnerable in a way I rarely heard from him.

"What?" I asked, noticing how his eyes darkened with emotion.

"That if you really are who Ethan says you are—a Quinn—you might choose to leave all this behind. Leave America. Leave..." He swallowed hard. "Leave me."

The admission hung in the air between us. Ryan Blackwood, the powerful, confident CEO who commanded respect everywhere he went, was afraid of losing me.

"Is that why you didn’t tell me about your conversation with Ethan?" I asked softly, touching his face.

He nodded slightly. "Selfish, I know."

Without another thought, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed my lips against his. The kiss started gentle but quickly deepened as his arms tightened around me.

When we finally broke apart, breathless, I rested my forehead against his. "Ryan, listen to me. No matter who I was before—Quinn or anyone else—you’re my family now." I guided his hand to my swollen belly. "We’re your family."

His eyes blazed with something primal. "Then stay. Give me a reason to keep you here."

I raised an eyebrow, a smile playing on my lips. "You’ll have to work for it, Mr. Blackwood."

Ryan growled low in his throat, lifting me effortlessly into his arms. "Challenge accepted."

He carried me to the private bathroom connected to his office, kicking the door closed behind us. My back pressed against the cool marble wall as his mouth claimed mine again, hungrier this time.

"Ryan," I gasped as his lips trailed down my neck. "The door—"

"Already locked when Simon left," he murmured against my skin. "No interruptions."

His hands slipped under my blouse, fingers tracing patterns on my sensitive skin. I shivered despite the heat building between us.

"You’re mine, Serena," he whispered, helping me out of my top. "Not Quinn’s, not anyone else’s."

I moaned softly as his hands caressed my swollen breasts, now much more sensitive with pregnancy. "Yours," I agreed, working on his shirt buttons.

Ryan’s eyes darkened with desire as he looked at me. "I can’t wait until after the baby is born to marry you," he confessed, his voice rough with emotion. "I need everyone to know you’re my wife. Not my ex-wife, not just the mother of my child—my wife."

The intensity in his voice made me tremble. "Then don’t wait," I challenged, unbuckling his belt.

He lifted me carefully, mindful of my pregnant state, setting me on the marble countertop. His hands roamed up my thighs, pushing my skirt higher.

"Ryan," I breathed, my head falling back as his fingers found their target.

"Look at me," he commanded softly. When I met his gaze, he continued, "I want to see your face when you fall apart for me."

My fingers clutched his shoulders as he worked magic with his hands, bringing me closer to the edge. The pressure built quickly—everything was more intense during pregnancy.

"That’s it," he encouraged, his voice tight with restraint. "Let go, Serena."

I came undone with his name on my lips, clinging to him as waves of pleasure washed over me. Before I could recover, Ryan had positioned himself between my legs.

"Tell me if I need to stop," he said, his control visibly strained.

"Don’t you dare," I warned, pulling him closer.

We moved together in perfect rhythm, the bathroom filling with our mingled breaths and soft moans. Ryan whispered promises against my skin—promises of protection, devotion, and a lifetime together.

"Mine," he growled as he approached his release. "Say it again."

"I’m yours," I gasped, feeling another climax building. "And you’re mine."

Those words pushed him over the edge, and I followed right after, clinging to him as we rode out the pleasure together.

Afterward, he held me close, one hand protectively cradling my belly where our daughter was growing.

"I meant what I said," Ryan murmured, pressing a kiss to my temple. "I want to marry you before she’s born. I want our daughter to have my name from her first breath."

I smiled against his chest. "Then we’d better start planning, Mr. Blackwood."

His lips found mine again, gentle this time. "Already have. Simon’s arranged for the best wedding planner in the city to meet us tomorrow."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Of course he has."

Ryan’s expression turned serious. "I lost you once through my own stupidity, Serena. I won’t risk losing you again."

I looked up at him, seeing all the emotions he usually kept hidden—fear, hope, and something that looked a lot like love.

"You won’t lose me," I promised, sealing it with a kiss. "You’re stuck with me now, Ryan Blackwood. For better or worse."

His answering smile was brighter than I’d ever seen. "I wouldn’t have it any other way."