CHAPTER 68: CHAPTER 68 GIVE HIM A CHANCE

Serena’s POV

That night, we didn’t make it back to our separate rooms.

The kiss on the terrace had melted something inside me—a wall I’d built to protect myself from Ryan and the heartbreak he could cause.

His lips, gentle at first, became more insistent as I responded, my body remembering what my mind had tried so hard to forget.

"Are you sure?" Ryan whispered against my mouth, his hands cradling my face with a tenderness that made my heart ache. "We can stop."

I answered by taking his hand and leading him to my suite, my heart hammering against my ribs. The ocean breeze followed us through the open French doors, billowing the sheer curtains like ghosts dancing in the moonlight.

"It’s been so long," I murmured as Ryan’s fingers traced the curve of my cheek, down my neck, hovering at the strap of my sundress. His eyes asked permission, and I nodded, suddenly shy despite our history.

"You’re even more beautiful now," he said, his voice rough with emotion as the dress slipped from my shoulders. I resisted the urge to cover my changed body—the fuller breasts, the rounded belly where our child grew.

Ryan knelt before me, pressing his lips to my stomach with such reverence that tears sprang to my eyes. "Our miracle," he whispered.

"I’m... different now," I said, gesturing vaguely at my body.

Ryan looked up at me, his eyes darkening. "You’re perfect. You’ve always been perfect."

He stood slowly, his hands carefully exploring every new curve, every change. When he lifted me onto the bed, I laughed softly.

"Careful, I’m heavier than I look."

"I could carry you forever," he answered simply.

The moonlight painted silver streaks across the bed,Ryan undressed, his eyes never leaving mine. The familiar planes of his body made my breath catch—he was still the most beautiful man I’d ever seen.

Then he kneeling at my feet. His fingers found the hem of my loose sundress, sliding it slowly up my thighs. I trembled as cool air met my heated skin.

"Is this okay?" he asked, his thumbs tracing circles on my inner thighs.

I nodded, unable to form words as he pushed my dress higher, exposing the delicate lace of my underwear. When his lips pressed against my inner thigh, I gasped.

"Ryan..."

"I want to taste you," he said, hooking his fingers into the waistband of my underwear and drawing them down my legs. "I need to remind you what we had... what we can have again."

My pregnancy had heightened every sensation. When his mouth finally found me, I cried out, fingers clutching the bedsheets. He worked with focused determination, his tongue exploring me with devastating precision.

"Oh God," I moaned, back arching slightly. Ryan’s strong hands steadied my hips as he continued his relentless attention.

I felt myself approaching the edge embarrassingly quickly. "Ryan, I’m going to—"

"Let go," he commanded, intensifying his efforts. "Give yourself to me."

My release crashed through me like a tidal wave, leaving me trembling and breathless. Before I could recover, Ryan was moving up my body, carefully positioning himself beside me.

His fingers replaced his mouth, drawing out my pleasure until I was whimpering his name.

"You’re so responsive," he murmured, pressing kisses to my neck. "Even more than before."

I reached for him, finding him hard and ready through his trousers. "I want you inside me."

Ryan shook his head, taking my hand and placing it back on the bed. "Not yet. Tonight is about you."

He helped me out of my dress completely, his eyes darkening at the sight of my naked body.

My breasts were fuller now, sensitive to the slightest touch. When he took one nipple into his mouth, I nearly came undone again.

"Careful," I whispered. "They’re sensitive."

He lightened his touch immediately, using just his tongue to circle each peak with agonizing gentleness. "Better?"

"Perfect," I breathed.

Ryan took his time exploring my changed body, paying special attention to my rounded belly. When he pressed a reverent kiss just below my navel, tears sprang to my eyes.

"You’re carrying my child," he said, his voice full of wonder. "Do you have any idea how incredible that is? How much I love seeing you like this?"

His words unlocked something inside me. Suddenly, I needed him with an urgency that bordered on desperation.

"Ryan, please," I begged, reaching for him again. "I need you now."

This time, he didn’t resist. He stripped quickly, his muscled body even more impressive than I remembered. When he returned to me, he positioned himself carefully.

"Tell me if anything hurts," he instructed, serious despite his obvious desire. "We’ll go slow."

When he finally pushed inside me, we both moaned at the sensation. He moved with careful restraint, supporting his weight on his forearms.

"Is this okay?" he asked, studying my face for any sign of discomfort.

"More than okay," I whispered, wrapping my legs around him to draw him deeper. "Don’t stop."

Our lovemaking was nothing like before. This wasn’t the cold, detached coupling of our marriage, nor was it the desperate reunion I’d imagined in my weaker moments.

This was something entirely new—tender yet passionate, careful yet consuming.

Ryan maintained his control throughout, placing my pleasure above his own. When I climaxed for the second time, he followed shortly after, his body tensing as he called my name.

Afterwards, he held me against his chest, one hand protectively cradling my belly. Our child kicked against his palm, making him smile with wonder.

"I want us to be a family," he whispered against my hair. "A real one this time."

I closed my eyes, allowing myself to imagine it—the future I’d given up on months ago suddenly possible again.

"I’m not the same person I was," I warned him, needing him to understand. "I won’t ever be that girl again."

Ryan’s arms tightened around me.

"I don’t want her back. I want you—exactly as you are now. Strong, independent, brilliant. The woman who built an empire from nothing.The mother of my child."

He pressed a kiss to my shoulder. "I was a fool before. I was looking for something that didn’t exist, living in a past that wasn’t even real. You were right in front of me all along, and I couldn’t see it."

I turned to face him, studying the sincerity in his eyes. "How do I know you won’t change your mind? That you won’t wake up one day and realize I’m still not her?"

"Because I don’t want her anymore," he said simply. "I want you. Only you. Forever."

As the ocean waves crashed outside our window, I made my decision.

This time, I’d enter our relationship with my eyes wide open—no illusions, no fairy tales. Just two people who’d found their way back to each other, ready to build something stronger than before.

"Okay," I whispered, pressing my lips to his. "Let’s try again."

His smile was like sunrise breaking across the horizon—brilliant, warm, full of promise. As he pulled me back into his arms, I knew that whatever happened next, we would face it together.