Against the Odds

When Harry woke up the next morning after the story that Alex’s former husband was still alive had gone crashing to the ground, it felt like he had slept for days. He had gotten no sleep for two days and so it wouldn’t have surprised him if he had made up for it after him and Alex had finally gone to bed the night before. But judging by the light coming through the curtains, it seemed like it was probably just late morning and a quick glance to the alarm clock on his bedside table confirmed that for him.

Alex’s side of the bed was empty, the covers thrown back haphazardly. Her robe was missing from its usual spot – thrown over the chair nearest to the bed – and with a chuckle Harry rolled from the bed, pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, and left the room in search for her.

He found her in the kitchen with Emma and he couldn’t help the smile that broke over his face. Emma was home from her two nights spent at Will and Kate’s and was chattering on at Alex about all the things they had done together. Alex was listening while she worked on breakfast – pancakes by the look of it; smiling and laughing as Emma weaved her tales.

And his heart swelled as he watched the two of them quietly.

His family.

“Good morning, ladies,” he said with a wide smile as he stepped into the room. Both of their heads turned towards him and near identical grins appeared on their faces.

“Daddy!” Emma squealed. She hopped down from her stool and came running over to him. “I was waiting for you to get up!” she sang out as she flung herself into his arms, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. “I missed you!”

“Ah, my little girl, I missed you so much more,” he said as he squeezed her tight.

“Nu uh!” Emma giggled, pulling back to look at him.

“Uh huh!” Harry laughed. He pressed a quick kiss to her nose and then set her back on her feet. He moved to kiss Alex good morning; a soft, sweet kiss followed by a quick look of love between them, and then he turned back to Emma who was climbing back on her stool. “How was your visit with Uncle Will, Aunt Kate, and Henry?”

“Sooooo much fun,” Emma sighed. “Aunt Kate and I had a fashion show and she let me wear some of her really fancy dresses and Uncle Will was the judge. He’s really, really funny.”

“Oh no, Em,” Harry shook his head and laughed as he poured himself a cup of coffee. “We don’t ever tell Uncle Will that he’s funny.”

“Yeah, he told me you would say that,” Emma giggled, bringing a shout of laughter from Alex.

“Right,” Harry chuckled and rolled his eyes as he moved to sit on the stool next to Emma. “Of course he did.”

***************

“Mummy, what are we going to do today? Can we watch Frozen again?” Emma asked just as they were all finishing up breakfast.

“Sure Em,” Alex nodded. “But first, I was hoping we could go visit Granny.” Her eyes slid to Harry and he swallowed and nodded slowly. He knew she was about to tell Emma about what had happened over the past couple of days.

“Okay,” Emma nodded, her eyes lighting up. “We can watch Frozen with Granny!”

“Actually,” Alex took a deep breath and Harry’s heart broke all over again as he watched the smile on her face waver. “Baby, we’re going to Granny’s because something happened this weekend and she’s been sad. Actually, Harry and I were sad as well.”

“Sad?” Emma asked quietly, concern crossing her face. “Why?”

“Well…” Alex began, already blinking at the tears in her eyes. “The day we got back from Texas, a news story came out and it seemed that…” She stopped and swallowed, finding it harder than she thought to say the words to her daughter. She turned to Harry with wide eyes and he offered her a soft smile and reached out to cover her hand with his before he turned back to Emma.

“Someone was claiming to be your father, Emma,” Harry finished for Alex, his voice low and soft. “Your real father. He was saying that he was your father and that he had never died.”

“I don’t understand,” Emma said, everything about her looking startled; confused. Her eyes flashed from Harry to Alex. “My dad is still alive? He didn’t want me?”

“Oh baby,” Alex whispered brokenly. She stood up and moved over to Emma’s chair, lifting her daughter from the chair and moving into it herself, pulling Emma onto her lap. “No. No Emma, that’s not it at all. Your dad is not alive. It was someone pretending to be him to get attention. He was lying.”

Emma’s lip pulled between her teeth and Harry fought his own tears as he saw tears appear in his daughter’s eyes.

“But why would he do that? That’s mean,” Emma whispered.

“It’s very mean,” Harry agreed in a soft voice. He leaned over and brushed a piece of hair from her face and her big blue eyes turned towards him. “The man who did this knew and worked with your father. He was injured very badly at the same time that your dad died. He made up a story and said that he was really John Morgan and the Army made a mistake when they said he died.”

“Did he look like my dad?” Emma asked.

“No,” Alex shook her head. “But he was burned very badly on his face when he was injured and so it was almost impossible to tell. They had to do a blood test to find out he was lying.”

“And he made you and Daddy and Granny sad, didn’t he? When he lied and said he was my dad?” Emma asked. Her lips quivered and tears spilled from her eyes and Harry couldn’t help the anger that surged inside of him. This guy had caused so many tears in the lives of people he loved.

“He did,” Alex nodded. “That’s why we had you state at Will and Kate’s for a couple of days. It was sad and uncertain around here and we didn’t want you to worry.”

“What do you mean by uncertain, Mummy?”

“It means that because we weren’t sure if it was really your dad, we didn’t know what it would mean for all of the big things in our lives.”

“Like what?” Emma pressed and they both smiled at her curiosity.

“Like me and Harry getting married; or Harry being able to adopt you,” Alex said gently.

“It could have messed all that up?” Emma’s face scrunched up. “Harry might not have been able to be my Daddy?”

“Hey Emma,” Harry reached out and stroked her hair and brought her attention to him. “We just didn’t know and we didn’t want to make you sad too. And I don’t want you to be sad now, okay? Everything is fine. Your mum and I are still getting married and you, my little princess, are absolutely my daughter. As a matter-of-fact, the papers to make it official came in last night to be signed.”

“They did?” Emma’s face brightened. “Do I get to sign too?”

Harry’s eyes flashed to Alex’s and her eyes widened a bit, not knowing what to say. But Harry just grinned and leaned in to pinch Emma’s nose. “You know what? I think you do. Why don’t you go with your Mummy to your Granny’s and tonight when you get home, you can sign papers too.”

************

Harry tried to fight the anger off, he really did. He tried to tell himself that everything was okay, that he still had his family and that his life was still intact. But after Alex and Emma had left for Molly’s and Harry had allowed the conversation that they’d had with Emma that morning to run through his head, it became near impossible to not let it get to him.

The man who had tried to say he was John, Paul David Wilson, had caused so much heartache in the lives of three women he held so incredibly dear to him. Molly, Alex, and Emma had already been through enough over the years in regards to John’s death; they didn’t deserve any of what happened.

He knew he should let it pass. He knew he should just be happy that he wasn’t losing everything. He knew he should just let the Army investigators and mental health professionals and his lawyers handle Paul David Wilson from here on out.

But in the end, he also knew he couldn’t do that. And that’s why he finally gave up the internal battle. With firm resolution and a deep breath, he swiped the screen, scrolled through his contacts, found the number he was looking for, and dialed.

“Colonel Williams, yes sir Captain Wales here. Yes…yes sir, I need your help to set up a meeting. Yes…today if possible. With Paul David Wilson.”

*************

When Harry stepped into the room and Paul David Wilson came into view, he couldn’t help the anger that surged inside of him. He couldn’t help the way his fingers curled into fists at his sides and the way he jaw clenched at just the sight of the man who had sent his life and the life of the two people he loved most in the world into turmoil for two days. He took a deep breath as he stepped forward, trying to calm himself before he said anything to the man sitting at the table, a look of clear disdain and indifference on his disfigured face as he looked at Harry.

“Your Royal Highness,” Paul smirked, leaning back in his chair.

Harry’s eyes narrowed. He squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and ran his hand over his tie, smoothing it down before he stepped forward again, moving up to the table. “It appears that you aren’t a bit contrite about what you tried to pull,” Harry said, his voice low and cold.

“Why should I be?” Paul scoffed. “It’s not like it did any harm.”

Harry’s face reddened and his eyes narrowed dangerously. “I’m sorry. Did you say it did no harm?”

“It didn’t even touch you,” Paul sneered. “Everyone feels so sorry for you. You – the Prince who has everything – they feel sorry for you. And here, locked up in a mental health ward because I dared to try to get a little something for myself after everything I’ve…”

Harry’s hands slammed down on the table, startling Paul, cutting off his words as his eyes flashed wide up to the imposing man who stood before him. “Let’s get one thing fucking clear, buddy,” Harry shouted, his voice echoing off the walls. “You think there was no harm done? You tried to take away my family. My family. You think I have everything? It would all be nothing if I lost them. No harm done? Fuck. You.”

Paul swallowed hard, his Adam’s Apple bobbing in his throat. “It’s not like I was ever going to get away with it,” he chuckled nervously, trying in vain to lighten the situation.

But it only infuriated Harry that much more. He leaned further over the table, his cheeks flaming red and his breathing heavy with how hard he was holding back from clocking the asshole in front of him right in the jaw. “Then why the fuck did you do it? If you knew it wasn’t going to go anywhere, if you know in the end you’d be found out, why in the hell did you decide to put my family through that?”

“I don’t have to answer that,” Paul responded defensively, trying in vain to pull himself together, to gain some of kind of advantage in the conversation.

“No, you don’t,” Harry said quietly – too quietly. He stood up and slid his jacket off, a picture of calm on the outside as he hung it over the chair that sat on the side of the table he was on. But he was anything but calm on the inside. And as he loosened his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his shirt on his arms, he could sense the shift in the man sitting at the table, he could sense the fight leave him, he could sense him deflate.

And when his eyes lifted to him, he saw he was right.

“Fine!” Paul shouted, flinching even at his own voice, already scared that the tall, angry man in the room with him was preparing to wail on him. “I’m sorry! Is that what you wanted to hear from me?”

“You think that I came all the way down here for an apology?” Harry chuckled bitterly. “I don’t want a fucking apology, Wilson.”

“When what the hell are you doing here?” Paul yelled, frustrated and confused and more than a little mad that the Prince in front of him had gotten the best of him.

“I want to know why,” Harry said in a low voice as he lowered himself into the chair across from Paul. “I want to know why you did this.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed. “My lawyers…”

“I don’t give a shit about lawyers,” Harry cut him off. “I’m not here to try and wrangle information out of you for legal purposes. I have better things to do with my time than that. This is for my personal knowledge. “His eyes narrowed and he leaned forward. “But if you choose not to talk, I can certainly assure you that whatever legal actions stem from all of this are much bigger than they probably would be otherwise.”

“Is that a threat?”

Harry’s voice was cold when he spoke, “It’s a promise.”

Paul’s eyes narrowed and then with a sick, twisted smile he shook his head. “Fuck you.”

It took every ounce of willpower that Harry had not to reach out and clock Paul across the face. His jaw clenched and his hands flexed and he leaned forward, very aware that he couldn’t do anything about it if the asshole refused to talk except for what he had just promised to do, make his life a living hell through his lawyers.

And that’s exactly what he would do.

“I know you think you’re beating me at my own game here,” Harry finally said after a long, tense moment. “And that’s fine, you can think that. But your intentions are misguided. I suspect your initial purpose behind this had everything to do with getting attention for yourself and now – you smug piece of shit – I think you’re a bit satisfied that you think someone else is feeling as sad about life as you are.”

“You don’t know shit,” Paul laughed, although there was nothing good about the sound when it came from his mouth.

“I don’t know much,” Harry agreed quietly. “But I do know this; I’m a soldier. I’ve been to war, I’ve seen tragedy, and when I got home I hurt the people I loved the most because I didn’t deal with the pain. I’m sorry you obviously didn’t have people around you that loved you enough to help you do to get past that, but you don’t get to the hurt the people in my life who did that for me because of that. I hope you get the help you need in here,” Harry said as he moved from the chair and lifted his coat from it.

“That’s all you’ve got for me?” Paul asked, another round of chilling laughter leaving his lips as he watched Harry walk to the door.

“Well, if I gave you what I really wanted,” Harry turned with a cold smile. “I’d probably kill you. So consider this your lucky day.”

And with that, Harry was gone.

*************

The house was quiet when Harry got home. He knew Emma would have already gone to bed and he was sorry to have missed tucking her in and reading her a bedtime story and giving her the special papers he’d had drawn up for her to sign for the adoption, especially after the last three days had been. But he knew that he couldn't have been able to rest until he gone and given that asshole a piece of his mind.

Stopping to give Gus a quick scratch, he made his way through the house to the kitchen, intending to make himself a drink and then go find Alex.

But when he rounded the corner into the kitchen he stopped in his tracks, his entire body softening as he saw the lights on and saw his fiancée sitting at the breakfast bar. She was on her laptop, and whatever she was looking at she was really concentrating on it. There was a wine glass next to her with just a sip or two left, next to that sat an open package of cookies and it made him smile.

"You know," he said, stepping into the room and bringing her eyes swinging to him. "You can use my office."

"I know," she smiled, her attention pulled away from what she was doing and completely to him. "I just ended up in here because this is where the cookies were."

Harry's lips tilted up into a small smile, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Alex caught it right away.

"Wanna tell me where you've been, Harry?" she asked softly, her head tilting to the side.

"I went to...visit Paul Wilson," he said quietly, his jaw ticking as he said the name.

"Ahhhh..." Alex nodded slowly and then took a deep breath, sensing his lingering anger. "Why?"

"You know why."

Alex lifted a brow. "Why don't you tell me anyway?"

Harry ran his hand through his hair and then moved to rub the back of his neck. "I needed to take care of a few things with him."

"And did one of those things include putting your fist in his face?" Alex asked, her own anger rising to the surface for a moment.

“No,” Harry replied dryly, though his lips twitched and little bit of humor sparked in his eyes. “But that can absolutely be arranged if you’d like.”

“No,” she sighed. She reached for her glass of wine and took the last few sips down. “It won’t change anything.”

“I had to tell myself that very thing to keep from decking him,” Harry said, moving closer to her. His hands moved to her, running over her shoulders, down her arms, and resting on her hips.

“Want to hear a secret?” Alex asked softly as she reached out for his tie and ran it through her fingers.

“A secret?” his lips twitched. “Sure.”

“It’s kind of sexy.”

“Sexy?” Harry chuckled, his eyes widening a bit. “When I want to deck someone?”

“When you get angry in defense of me and Emma,” she corrected, her lips curving up at the sides. Her fingers traveled higher on his tie, she tugged him closer to her, and her voice dropped as she spoke, “You exude this raw…primal energy.”

“Alex,” he warned, his blood warming as he took in her words and the way she looked up at him with those wide, innocent blue eyes of hers.

“You do,” she nodded slow, ignoring his warning. “It reminds me of how powerful you are, of how much you can do, of all the things you can just make happen.” Her lip pulled between her teeth and she sighed. “It just…turns me on.”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to do to me,” Harry breathed. He was incredibly turned on by her words and by the way she was looking up at him, all sultry eyes and full, parted lips.

“Yes you do,” she said in a low voice. Her fingers inched up to the knot of his tie and she pulled him closer. “I want you to use your powers for good instead of evil.”

He grinned at her words and shook his head slowly. “You want to know all the things I can…make happen?”

“Mmmm…” she moaned lightly, her eyes sliding closed for a moment before flashing heat and lust back up to his. “I want that, Harry. Be powerful, show me what you can do, all the things you can make me do.”

“Jesus Christ,” Harry groaned. His hands tightened on her hips and he stepped closer, his head tilting over hers. He pressed a soft kiss to her lips and then he leaned in further so his lips were right against her ear and he whispered, “Alexandra Mae, I’m going to give you a fifteen second head start to get upstairs…and then I’m coming after you.”

Alex’s eyes widened a bit and with a big smile and a squeal of delight she jumped from the stool. Harry stood back and she bolted from the room, leaving him standing there, smiling as he listened to her giggles as she ran through the house towards the stairs.

He could barely wait through the entire fifteen seconds before he went after her; not after the way she had driven him mad with the way she had spoken to him and looked at him and the promise of what was going to happen once he got behind closed doors with her.

And just as he heard her feet hit the landing at the top of the stairs he moved from the kitchen with a grin on his face, making it to the stairs and up them in record time. When he got to their room and pushed open the door, he didn’t think it was possible to be more turned on, to be any harder in his pants than he already was. But then he saw her; he saw her standing there in the middle of their room just her black lacy bra and panties, having shed the rest of her clothes already in the time it took him to get to the room. Her eyes were wide and her lip was pulled between her teeth and Harry almost lost it.

He took a deep breath to steady himself, to remind himself that she wanted this, that she had started this, and then he shut the door behind him. The sound of it clicking shut sounded loud in the silence of the room and somehow, it turned both of them on even more.

“Alexandra,” he said, his voice low and soft as he moved to her. He gathered her face in his hands and his eyes found hers. “I love you. I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she responded, her voice not much above a whisper.

“Good,” he breathed. His hands ran down her neck and to her shoulders, his thumbs running soft, erotic circles against her skin. “Now turn around and close your eyes.”

With eyes that were brimming excitement and a bite to her lips, Alex did as Harry asked and turned around slowly, facing away from him and closing her eyes. The sound of his jacket sliding from his shoulders and hitting the ground filled the air around her and heightened her arousal even more.

"Harry..." she whispered pleadingly. She was dying for him to touch her, to take her down into this pool of passion they shared.

"Shhh," he whispered in return. His hands moved to her, soft and slow as they smoothed over the skin of her shoulders to her neck, rubbing light circles against her skin. "I've got you, baby." He lifted her hair with one hand, pulled it to the side and over her shoulder, and then leaned in and pressed a hot kiss to the back of her neck. She moaned low and her knees went a bit weak and Harry couldn't help the smirk that tilted his lips. "Alex?" He called out to her.

"Hmm?"

"Do you trust me?"

Her eyes slid open and her breath came up shorter, heavier. She turned to look at him then, their eyes meeting hotly. "Yes," she replied without any hesitation, without having to think about it, without having to ask why.

"Good," he breathed, his eyes darkening. He leaned forward and captured her mouth, his tongue pushing in between her lips in a deep, hot kiss. His hands moved down her back to the clasp of her bra and he flicked it open. Alex sighed into his mouth when he pulled it from her body and when his hands moved back to her, when his palms made a few light passes over her breasts, she gasped, stunned at how hard and sensitive they were.

"No, please!" she cried out when his hands fell away from her body.

"Turn around, Alex," Harry commanded gently. "And close your eyes."

She whimpered but complied again, desperate to do anything that would make him touch her, to help relieve the ache within her.

"Don't worry, Alexandra, I'm going to touch you," he assured. "But first..." His hands were back on her then, firmer this time as he ran them from her shoulders and down her arms to her wrists. Then, surprising Alex and sending her flying further into the dark pool of desire, he pulled her hands behind her back, wrapped the length of his tie around her wrists several times and then knotted it, securing them firmly but gently at the small of her back.

Before she could react he was turning her around and pulling her body against his. His bare chest met hers - when had he even taken his shirt off? She had no idea. His hands shoved back into her hair and then he was kissing her.

His mouth opened over hers and his arms crashed around her, holding her close and tight as his mouth ravaged hers. It was heady, having him hold her and kiss her like that when she wasn't able to use her hands. She had no choice but to let him lead, to let him control everything about the moment.

When his mouth tore from hers she took a deep breath and opened her mouth to beg for me, to beg him to touch her. But no sooner had the words formed on her lips than his mouth was moving a hot, wet path down her neck to her chest and his hands were sliding around to her front.

"Oh God!" Alex moaned as his lips captured one nipple and his fingers captured the other. His tongue circled, his teeth scraped, and his fingers pinched and twisted. Alex squirmed against him as she desperately tried to get him to move lower, towards the heavy wetness between her thighs.

"Hold still, baby," he murmured, his lips lifting from hers and leaving a wet trail in their wake.

"I can’t," she shook her head as she looked down on him, her eyes wide and wild.

"You can't?" His smile was smug and if her hands were tied up she might have been tempted to slap it off his face.

"I'm too..." She whimpered. "I need..."

"You're too what?" He prodded. "Too turned on? Too wet?"

"Yes," she nodded and her hips arched towards him. "Yes..."

His cock surged in his pants and a harsh breath pulled from his lips. He leaned forward, captured a nipple between his teeth, and bit softly, bringing a cry from her. And then he was moving down, kissing and licking down her flat stomach until he reached the band of her panties. His hands slid to her hips and he moved to his knees and unable to help himself, he pulled her to him. He pressed a wet, open mouthed kiss over her and she jerked at the sensation and he groaned at just how wet she was, her panties soaked long before his tongue lapped out against her.

Her knees went weak and without her arms to balance herself or grab on to him, she was sure she was about to hit the floor. But he wasn’t going to let her go anywhere; his hands were steady at her hips, holding her up while he teased and tormented her with his amazing mouth.

“God Alex,” he groaned against her. “You’re so wet, baby. I love that I do this to you, that I have this effect on you.” He leaned back in and his tongue pressed firm against her, circling a delicious, mind-numbing pattern and even through the lace of her panties, Alex was pulled right to the edge.

“Oh! Harry...” she moaned. Her head tipped back and her thighs began to tremble and she was so close, so fucking close.

And then he stopped. His mouth lifted from her and Alex’s head snapped forward, her eyes wide and scattered.

“No!” she cried, struggling to control her erratic breaths. “You can’t do that to me…”

His lips turned up at the corners and he leaned in again. He pressed another warm, full kiss against her and then his mouth opened wider over her and he scraped his teeth over her lace covered sex just lightly. Alex jerked at the sensation, at how incredibly erotic it felt. And suddenly he pulling away from her again and she wanted to cry.

His fingers curled into the lace at her hips and he pulled, slowly sliding them down over her hips and her thighs until they were off and he tossed them to this side without a thought, his eyes focused solely on the beautiful, naked woman before him. Then he was rising to his feet, his hands trailing electricity along her body as he did, until she was looking up at him again.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his hands rubbing love and warmth into her arms. He knew he was being a bit rough and demanding and he only wanted to continue if that’s what she wanted – if she was still okay with everything they were doing.

“Yes,” Alex nodded slowly, her breathing labored and her eyes wide as she looked up at him.

“I’m very glad to hear that.” He held her eyes as he stepped back from her and reached for the button and zipper on his pants. He undid then quickly and pushed them down over his hips, watching as her eyes flickered down and her tongue tipped out against her lips when his cock sprang free, hard and standing at attention.

“You see something you like, Alexandra?” He wrapped his hand around his length and he ran a firm stroke over it. Her eyes flashed up to his and he almost lost it at the look in her eyes.

“You want me…” she said softly, he bottom lip pulling between her teeth.

“I always want you…” he nodded as he stepped closer to her and pressed his body against hers. She groaned at the feel of him, hot and hard against her stomach. His hands slid to her waist and all of the sudden her was lifting her into his arms. She gasped in surprise but her legs moved instantly around his as he held her tight and turned them around toward the bed. “I can’t fucking get enough of you,” he continued, his voice rough and utterly sexy. He put a knee on the bed and moved them onto it, his eyes locked intensely with hers. “You’re so fucking sexy, Alex. The way you look at me, the way you talk to me, the way you just…let me tie you up like this and put your trust in me. I won’t ever get enough of you.”

His words made her ache with want, more than she already was. She whimpered and struggled against the tie wrapped around her wrists, her desire to be able to push him back on the bed and take him almost overwhelming her.

“Henry Charles,” she said slowly, her eyes narrowing even as her body arched towards his. “If you don’t fuck me right now…”

Harry couldn’t help the groan of a laugh that fell from his lips. He moved backwards, settling back onto the bed and situating her so that she was sitting up on her knees over his lap. “God, I love it when you talk dirty.”

“I love it when you give me what I want,” she responded, her eyes holding a silent dare.

Propelled by her words, he sat forward and wrapped an arm around her. His fingers found the knot he had tied in the tie and wrapped around it, pulling her arms tighter behind her. Then, with his other hand he reached between them and guided himself up to her, just barely pressing into her folds. He let out a harsh breath at the contact and she moaned, her fingers clenching at the material of the tie. She adjusted her knees, trying to take him in further, needing the fullness that came with him being inside of her.

“Stop,” he said low and firm, his hands moving to her hips and stalling her movement.

“Harry…please…” she whispered, shaking her head frantically. “Please let me…”

“Stay right there,” he commanded. “Don't go down any further…not until I tell you.”

“Harry Wales, you are being…mean and…”

He grinned and trailed one of his hands down her flat stomach to her hot, slick center. His fingers slid into the wetness, he found her swollen nub, and began to stroke her there slowly.

“Fuck!” she called out, her body shuddering at the feeling. He was driving her unbelievably mad. She was so worked up and so turned on that she knew it wasn’t going to take much to get her there. She knew it would only take just a few more passes of his thumb around her clit, just a bit more pressure…

And she couldn’t help herself, her need for release, her need for him took over and she let herself slip down on him, groaning at the fullness as he went further into her before he caught her, before his fingers pulled away from her pulsing center and caught her hips, stopping her just as she had taken almost half of him in.

“No!” she cried, her eyes pulling open to find his, pleading for more.

“Tsk tsk, Alexandra,” he breathed, although he was barely hanging onto control himself. She was so hot and it took everything he had not to thrust himself up inside of her. But she had asked for this. She had wanted him to be powerful and demanding and as he was with everything else, he was going to be thorough. Just as she had known he would be.

“I hate you…” she sighed, her lips parted to allow her heavy breaths in and out.

He shook his head and smiled softly. “You love me. You love this…”

“God,” she breathed when his fingers returned to her. And when she clenched at the feeling, at the pleasure of it all as it coursed through her damp, flushed body, she felt him pulse inside of her and she couldn’t help but laugh. “I really do."

He grinned up at her and their eyes met, sharing a moment of hot passion and the deep, intense love between them. Then, keeping the fingers of one had stroking at her center, his other hand slid up over her chest to her neck, sliding into her hair and tugging her down – bringing her hot lips right to his.

He kissed her deep and slow while he stroked at her. He pushed her to the edge and brought her back, only to do it again once more. But when her thighs started to shake from holding back, when her pleas and whimpers grew more intense, he knew he just simply couldn’t take it any longer. He had to be inside of her – as deep as he could be. She was so wet, so hot, and he just couldn’t resist her anymore.

He pulled his lips from hers just slightly, their heavy breaths mingling together. Her eyes were dark and heavy and clouded with lust. And with a deep breath in, he spoke, “Now, Alexandra.”

The primal cry of pleasure and relief that left her lips when she sank down on him nearly took him down. And when she began to rock on his lap, against his still stroking fingers he had to grit his teeth against everything in his body that was screaming for release.

“Alex…Alex…” he panted. His free arm moved around her and his fingers went straight for the knot, pulling at it. “Look at me.”

“Harry…I’m so close…please...please don’t make me stop…” she begged, her eyes big pools of blue that he couldn’t have said no to in a million years.

“No…” he gasped, his fingers finally freeing the knot on the tie and freeing her wrists from their confines. She moaned and her arms immediately moved up and around his neck, her hands burying themselves in his hair. “Don’t stop, Alex…keep going, baby.”

And she did. Alex took control of the movement, the pace, the depth. She rocked fast and hard over him, cries and moans falling from her lips and groans falling from his as she did. It didn’t take long – they both knew that it wouldn’t. Harry’s fingers stroked her and his cock hit all the places inside of her that only he could reach. And before Alex could even gasp that she was about to come, it exploded inside of her so big and so hard that all she could do was throw her head back and close her eyes as she came undone, Harry following right after and pulsing everything he had up into her with a wild, animalistic groan.

“Oh my God,” Alex sighed once her breathing returned to normal, once she was able to form words with her mouth again.

“I know,” Harry nodded against her the crook of her neck. He drew a deep breath and pulled up to look at her, his lips quirking up at the side as her took her in, all flushed cheeks, wild hair, and shining eyes. “Are you okay?”

“You know the answer to that,” she laughed. Her hands moved to her face and she held his cheeks while she pressed a warm kiss to his lips.

“Mmhmm,” he smiled against her lips and then as much as he didn’t want to, he shifted them and slid from her body as he moved them back onto the bed. He groaned and she moaned at the loss but he was quick to pull the covers up around them and tuck her into his side, cuddling her as close as possible. “Sorry I missed tucking in Emma tonight.”

“Ah, well…you’re going to have to read her two stories tomorrow to make up for it,” Alex said softly as she snuggled into his chest.

“I think I’ve got something better.” He kissed the top of her head and then smiled when she turned to look up at him.

“Better?”

“I had Charlotte draw up ‘papers’ for Emma to sign for her adoption. They aren’t legally binding or anything, but we told her she could sign and I wanted it to be something more than just making some place for her to sign on our papers that didn’t really mean anything to anyone.”

“Awww, Harry,” Alex sighed, everything about her falling even more in love in love with the handsome man who had her tucked up in his arms. “That’s amazing. I can’t wait to show her. Tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” Harry nodded with a smile.

“I have an idea on how to do this with Emma,” Alex said a bit slyly. “Something she would absolutely love.”

Harry couldn’t help but feel a bit conspiratorial as he leaned in to listen to her, but only in the best way possible. And snuggled up together and with laughter and giggles passing between them, they came up with a plan.

*************

“This is a genius idea,” Harry grinned at Alex as he balanced a tray loaded full of breakfast items while navigating the stairs as they made their way up to Emma’s room.

Alex smiled wide and laughed lightly as she looked over at her fiance, looking adorable with a big feather wrapped around him and a plastic tiara on his head. “Well, there is a reason why you’re marrying me,” she said with a wink at they came to the stop of the stairs.

“Because you come up with genius ideas?”

“That and the fact that I look amazing in this tiara,” she teased, gesturing to the tiara balanced on her own head.

Harry laughed and shook his head. “Well, you were wearing one when I proposed.”

“This very one,” Alex grinned.

His smile grew softer. “And you’ll be wearing one when I marry you.”

“This very one?” she teased, although her eyes softened at the very thought of marrying him – with or without a tiara.

“Hmmm, I don’t think so love,” he chuckled as they reached Emma’s door. “You’ve got the papers?”

“Got ‘em,” she grinned, holding up the envelope holding the papers Harry had gotten drawn up for Emma to sign for the adoption – a symbolic gesture but an important one.

“Alright then, let’s go wake this princess up,” Harry said, excitement at their surprise for Emma written all over his face.

Alex pushed open the door quietly and they stepped into the room. It was still early and the light was just streaming through the curtains. Emma, as usual, was sprawled out under her covers, arms flung wide and wild blonde hair sticking out in every direction. Harry set the tray down quietly on Emma’s beside table and Alex slid the folder in next to it. Then, with wide grins they both moved in, jumping onto Emma’s bed.

“Emma! Wake up!” Alex sang out, reaching out to tickle her daughter just as her eyes snapped open in surprise.

“Good morning, Emma!” Harry called out, laughing as his fingers snaked out join Alex’s in tickling their daughter.

“Eeeee!” Emma squealed in surprise, giggles immediately falling from her lips at being woken up like this and at the fingers that tickled her. “Mummy! Daddy! You guys are craaaazy,” she giggled as she squirmed away from them. “Why are you wearing my tiaras and feather boas?”

Harry’s face brightened at her question and he reached out to ruffle her hair as she sat up in the bed. Alex moved to wrap her arms around Emma and cuddle her close while Harry stood from the bed to present their surprise.

“Well, Princess Emma, we decided we should all have breakfast in bed this morning – jammies and tiaras required. So…” He took a few steps and plucked one of Emma’s plastic tiaras from her shelf. “You are to wear this…” He handed the tiara off to Alex who put it on a delighted Emma’s head. “And this…” he pulled one of her feather boas from her play area and leaned over to place it over her shoulders.

“Breakfast in bed!” Emma clapped her hands in delight. “I must have done something good to deserve all this,” she said with a sigh and a smile.

“Ha!” Harry’s head tipped back with laughter. “Very good in fact,” Harry nodded as he slid onto the bed. “So tell me, Em…would you like to sign your adoption papers before or after breakfast?” he asked with a wink as he pulled the folder from the bedside table and held it up.

Emma’s entire face lit up and Alex winked at Harry, knowing that this was the absolute best idea for them to surprise her like this.

“I want to sign first!” Emma called out. “Please?”

“Absolutely,” Alex nodded with a laugh. “You sign, and then we all get to enjoy breakfast in bed. Sound good?”

“It sounds perfect!” Emma nodded, clapping her hands together.

Harry grinned and nodded his head in agreement. “Perfect.”

And it was.