The MC President's Forsaken Wife (Zara and Knox) novel Chapter 353

Chapter 173-3

+25 Points

“Baby,” he says, his voice thick and rough as he closes the distance between us in two long strides. He doesn’t care who’s watching, he sets the drinks down on a high ledge and wraps his arms around me, pulling me against his chest.

“I’m okay,” I mumble into his shirt. “I’m alright, Locke.”

“You’re shaking,” he growls softly against my hat his hands running up and down my back in long, desperate strokes. “Fuck, Zara. I shouldn’t have brought you, I shouldn’t have asked you to fly out to Maine when you’re still in the first trimester. We can cancel the trip right now. We’ll go home and I’ll put you straight back to bed.”

I pull back just enough to look up into his face. His jaw is tight, his brow furrowed with deep lines of worry.

“Locke, look at me,” I say firmly, taking his large, calloused hands in mine. “Stop. This isn’t your fault.”

“I dragged you to an airport at five in the morning -”

“You didn’t drag me anywhere,” I cut him off. “I wanted to come. I want to be with you. This is just morning sickness. It happens.”

“It doesn’t mean I have to like seeing you suffer,” he mutters, though his thumb gently wipes away a stray lash from under my eye.

“I’m not suffering,” I say. “It passed. I promise you, I feel so much better already. Now… is one of those cold drinks for me?”

Locke lets out a long, heavy breath, the tension in his broad shoulders slowly releasing. He grabs the bottle of cold water, twists the cap off for me, and hands it over. “Small sips, baby.”

I take a tiny sip of the cool water, feeling it immediately soothe my raw throat. “See? Perfect.”

He looks at me for a long moment, his eyes searchingly tender, before he reaches down and scoops up my purse, hanging it over his shoulder along with our heavy carry-ons.

“Come on,” he says, tucking his arm firmly around my waist so I can lean my weight against him as we walk. “Our flight is starting to board.”

By the time we navigate the gate and make our way down the jet bridge, the cold morning air sweeps through the accordion tunnel, making me shiver. Locke notices instantly. The second we step onto the plane, he guides me into our seats in the third row.

Before I can even sit down properly, he unzips his heavy leather jacket, slips it off, and wraps it around my shoulders. It’s warm from his body heat and heavy enough to feel like a permanent hug.

“Locke, you’ll be cold,” I protest weakly, swaddling myself in the dark leather anyway.

“I’m fine,” he says simply, buckling my seatbelt for me before sitting down in the cramped seat next to mine. He’s far too big for airline seats, his knees practically touching the seat in front of him, but he doesn’t complain once.

As the plane engines roar to life and the aircraft begins to taxi down the runway, Locke reaches over and

1.2

Chapter 1733

• 25 Points

takes my hand. He weaves his thick fingers through mine, bringing my hand to his mouth to press a soft, lingering kiss to my fingers. Then, without a word, he rests his free hand flat against my lower stomach, over the thick leather of his coat.

“You doing alright?” he asks,

“I’m wonderful,” I say softly, resting my head against his shoulder as the ground drops away beneath us. “We’re going to Maine for Christmas, to meet one of the most important people in your life.”

“Yeah, baby,” Locke says, his hand staying warm and protective over our growing secret as we soar up into the clouds. “We’re doing exactly that.”

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