LOGINCiara’s POV The stroller wheels clicked over the sidewalk and every sound felt too loud. I kept my sunglasses on even though the day was only partly cloudy. People could still see us. That was the problem.Cain walked beside me with one hand on the stroller handle and the other resting at the small of my back. Rose slept under the shade canopy, one tiny fist curled near her cheek. She looked peaceful. I felt anything but.“You’re gripping that handle like it owes you money,” Cain said, voice low.I loosened my fingers. “I know. I just… it feels like everyone is looking.”“They’re not. And if they are, fuck ’em.” He squeezed my side. “We’re allowed to be out here. You and me and our girl. No one’s taking that away.”I nodded, but my pulse still jumped every time someone passed. Old habits. Old scars. The last time I’d walked in public with a man who was supposed to be mine, it had been a performance. Perfect wife. Perfect smile. Perfect silence. This felt different and somehow more da
Ciara’s POV The baby monitor glowed green in the dark. Three fourteen a.m. Rose’s soft cry cut through the quiet like it always did, that thin, insistent sound that somehow managed to wake every cell in my body even when I felt half-dead.I sat up before Cain could, but his hand was already on my arm. “I got her. Go back to sleep.”“You took the last two,” I whispered, voice rough.“And I’ll take this one too.” He was already out of bed, pulling on a shirt, moving with that same quiet confidence he used on the road. “Stay. Please.”I listened to his footsteps down the hall, the low murmur of his voice as he lifted her. The crying stopped almost immediately. He always managed that. I lay there staring at the ceiling, guilt curling tight in my stomach. The kind that whispered I should be the one who never slept. That real mothers didn’t need this much help.Flashbacks came without warning. Simon’s voice. The cold way he used to look at me when I cried. The nights I spent alone in that
Cain POVThe city lights glittered below like scattered diamonds, but up here on the rooftop terrace it felt like the whole fucking world belonged to just us. I leaned against the railing, beer in hand, watching Ciara move around the small table she’d set up with wine and those little snacks she liked. Rose was sound asleep downstairs with the monitor on full blast and Seraphine on speed dial. For once, the night felt wide open.Ciara had been quieter since the park. Not bad quiet. The kind that meant something big was shifting inside her. I knew better than to push. I’d learned that the hard way in the early days.She came over and slipped her arms around my waist from behind, pressing her cheek to my back. “It’s beautiful up here.”“Yeah.” I set the beer down and turned, pulling her against my chest. “You’re beautiful. Always have been.”She looked up at me, those eyes that used to carry the weight of the whole damn world. Tonight they were softer. Clearer. “I had a moment today. Wh
Ciara’s POV The private park on the edge of our new neighborhood was quiet this time of morning. Tall oaks, winding paths, a handful of joggers who minded their own business. Rose dozed in the stroller, tiny fist curled around the edge of her blanket, cheeks pink from the fresh air. I pushed her with one hand while Cain walked beside me, his arm draped heavy over my shoulders.I felt… different today. Lighter. The kind of bold that had been building slowly since we left the old city. Like the weight of everything I used to carry was finally cracking enough to let some sunlight in.“You’re smiling,” Cain said, glancing down at me. That half-smirk played on his lips. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”“Nothing.” I bumped my hip against his. “Just thinking it’s nice. Normal. Us. Out here like we belong.”He squeezed my shoulder. “You do belong. We all do.”We found a shaded bench near a cluster of thick trees and sat for a while. Rose stirred, made a small fuss, then settled again
Ciara’s POV Sunlight slipped through the half-closed blinds and painted warm stripes across the bed. I woke up slowly to the feeling of a hot mouth between my legs. No words at first. Just Cain’s broad shoulders holding my thighs open, his tongue dragging slow and deliberate through my folds like he had all the time in the world.I gasped, hips twitching. My hand found his hair, fingers curling tight. “Cain… baby’s going to wake up any minute.”He hummed against me, the vibration pulling a shaky moan from my throat. “She just went down. Napping like an angel. Gives me time to eat my breakfast.”His voice was gravel-rough with sleep and hunger. He licked me open, two thick fingers sliding in deep without warning. I arched, biting my lip hard so I wouldn’t cry out. He still worked from home most days, but mornings like this had become our stolen ritual. Quiet house. Baby monitor glowing green on the nightstand. His mouth on me like it was the most natural way to start the day.“Fuck, y
Ciara’s POV The doorbell rang like it had a personal grudge. I was still in one of Cain’s old t-shirts, hair in a messy knot, trying to coax the baby into finishing her bottle when Seraphine barged in without waiting for me to answer. She took one look at me and wrinkled her nose.“Jesus, Ciara. You look like a hot mess who lost a fight with a laundry pile. We’re fixing this. Right now.”I blinked. “Seraphine, I just fed her. I haven’t even showered—”“Exactly.” She plucked the bottle from my hand, set it down, and scooped my daughter up like she’d been doing it for years. “Your man can handle ten minutes of dad duty. Mom makeover day. No arguments. Alice is covering if we run late.”Before I could protest, she was already texting Cain and herding me toward the bedroom. Ten minutes later I was in jeans that actually fit again and a sweater that didn’t smell like spit-up. My body still ached in places that reminded me the birth had only been a few weeks ago. Everything felt… different
Ciara's POV I woke up sore in the best way, every muscle humming with the memory of last night’s claiming. My thighs ached, my core felt tender and swollen, and a deep, satisfied throb pulsed between my legs. Cain was already awake, propped on one elbow beside me, his dark eyes fixed on my face l
CAIN POV From the distance where I'm sitting, I watch Ciara tug a stray red lock behind her ears— the same nervous habit she had seven years ago. Some things about her never changed, not even after marrying my brother. She forces a fake smile as she bends to greet the guests, offering me an e
CIARA'S POV Just when I'm still looking around the dark room and regretting my stupid impulse, he undoes his tie, tossing it aside together with his suit jacket. He strides towards me. He surprises me by sliding one rough palm up my bare thigh fingers trailing until his fingers reach the drench
CIARA'S POV I could tell it was my husband from the way he tilted his head and sharp blue eyes peeked out through the mask and stared intensely at me from across the crowded hall like he wanted to drag me into the nearest dark corner and fuck me against the wall until I forgot my own name. I







