by Cora Kenborn
Shoving his jeans and boxer-briefs down his hips, I reached out and wrapped my fingers around his hard shaft, giving it a rough squeeze. Pope grunted, but pushed further into my hand, silently asking for more. His lips moved across my cheek and to the overly heated skin of my neck as I continued to work him, sweeping my thumb over the head on every upstroke.
The heat pulsing between my legs became unbearable, and I tried to hook a leg around his hip in an attempt to get some much-needed friction, but the small space wouldn’t allow it. Sensing my frustration, Pope grabbed hold of my hips and twisted us both so my back was to the vanity.
Gripping the backs of my thighs, he hoisted me up, causing me to smack my head on the light. Immediately, he lowered me, my ass sliding right into the sink.
“Shit!” I hissed, my arms flailing in an effort to unstick my ass from the tiny metal bowl.
Pope let out a growl of frustration as he lifted me up once more and placed me on my feet before spinning me around to face the vanity. Our eyes locked in the mirror, his icy blue gaze holding mine as he bent down and trailed a series of suctioning kisses down my neck and over my shoulder. His mouth was hot and wet, and the feeling of his lips gliding across my skin had me shaking, growing the desperately aching need inside me.
We never broke eye contact as he lifted my right leg to rest on the lid of the toilet and tilted my hips to align with his. The sting of his teeth sinking into the flesh of my shoulder as he pushed into me tore a moan from my lips that I was helpless to stifle. Pope didn’t seem to mind because he didn’t even pause. He drew out almost completely each time and surged forward with such force my hips smacked against the counter. I had to brace my hands on the wall to prevent my forehead from cracking into the mirror.
He snaked a hand up the smooth skin of my thigh, his fingers coming to rest on either side of my slick skin where he was fucking me with strong and steady rhythm. “Fuck, I’ve missed this,” he whispered, teeth nipping at my ear.
I felt his words all the way down to my core, and it made my knees wobble, but the hand that wasn’t busy between my legs held firm on my waist, securing my position. He wouldn’t let me fall, not that there was any place to go in the tight space. However, something about the intensity of that moment and all that had led up to it solidified in my mind that Pope was mine, and he’d never let me go.
His fingers slipped through my desire and found my clit. Rubbing in tight circles, he coaxed my body to climb higher and higher until he was all my brain could register. His breath was on my neck, the heat from his hard chest warmed my back, his fingers played me expertly, and his hard length hit every one of my favorite spots. Just as his rhythm began to grow erratic, I tipped over the edge, and my body seized, clamping down on every inch of him as I spiraled into the abyss of pleasure.
We tried haphazardly to clean up, his long limbs not giving much in the way of room. My panties had been reduced to shreds, but when I tried to stuff them into the garbage, Pope snatched them up and stuffed the destroyed fabric into his front pocket.
Kinky little fuck.
I glanced in the mirror and tried to smooth my wild hair, although there was nothing to be done about my overly flushed cheeks and the bite mark on my shoulder. When I looked mostly put back together, I slipped out of the bathroom and into the aisle. Thankfully, nobody paid attention to us due to a rather loud passenger a few rows ahead of our seats who argued with the flight attendants about how the bottles of booze seemed to have gotten smaller since the last time he’d flown. I hurried up the aisle and slipped quietly into my seat next to Babs.
Pope followed a minute later, his shit-eating grin doing nothing to hide what we’d just done. It didn’t seem to matter, though, since none of the other passengers even glanced our way.
Holy shit, we just had sex in an airplane bathroom and totally got away with it.
“Close mouth. You have dick breath,” Babs muttered, breaking me out of my internal celebration.
My head swiveled around to look at her, and I felt Pope do the same beside me. “What? I didn’t—” My protest didn’t matter, she just threw her head back and cackled.
“Why is my baby wearing a leather vest?” I asked, looking from Kevin to my giant of a cousin.
Bam-Bam cocked his head to the side and gave me a curious look as if the answer were obvious. “It’s bad ass.”
I rubbed my forehead. Aside from the mind-blowing airplane sex, the insanity of the day was starting to take a toll on me. “Whatever. Was he good?” I scooped Kevin up in my arms and snuggled him close. He sniffed and snuffled my hair, burrowing his face into my neck.
Bam shrugged. “He ruined a pair of Duck’s work boots, but other than that, he was fine. He really likes pork rinds. Did you know that?”
I gasped and covered Kevin’s ears. “You fed him pork rinds? Are you insane?”
“What’s wrong with that? They’re delicious!”
“They’re pig skins! He’s a pig! You just turned my baby into a cannibal!” I hissed.
He waved me off and collapsed onto his worn leather couch—a hand-me-down from Zep. When he and Addie finally agreed to take the plunge and move in together, the only thing she allowed him to keep was his TV. Everything else had to go.
“He’s fine. Pigs will eat anything. Stop fussing.”
Arguing with Bam-Bam was of no use. He didn’t get riled up easily, and he’d never see things my way, so I dropped it. Best to save myself the headache. “All right, well thank you for watching him. I appreciate it.”
“Anytime, cuz. That lil’ guy is a chick magnet. I took him out on Bourbon, and I swear to God, the ladies stood in line to talk to us. I got sixteen numbers in one night—ten of them I’d actually call.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re such a pig. One of these days a woman is going to knock you on your ass and have you eating out of the palm of her hand.”
Bam-Bam laughed and flicked on the TV. “You’re probably right about that, but until that day comes, I’m going to enjoy playing the field.
There was nothing else to say, so I left him chuckling to himself and headed out to the curb where Pope’s Jeep was idling.
While my cousin was always sweet and treated women with respect, he wasn’t one to settle down for just anyone. It would take someone truly remarkable to get him to hang up his manwhore ways.
64
Pillow Talk
Adelaide
Las Vegas, Nevada
My eyes fluttered open, and I immediately squinted against the bright light flooding the room. How the hell could it already be morning? I couldn’t have gotten more than a couple of hours of sleep considering Charlie kicked field goals to my ribcage all night.
Hoping for some extra moments of rest, I squeezed my eyes closed and blocked out the incessant light pouring in from the open window. I’d barely turned my head against the pillow when a pain shot down my neck, making me see stars.
Holy shit, it feels like I’ve been hit by a caravan of eighteen-wheelers.
Everything felt twisted as if I’d slept twisted in some god awful pretzel position, which wasn’t surprising considering the complete shitstorm of insanity of the day before. If someone would’ve told me I was in store for a day like the last twenty-four hours, I would’ve called bullshit. I mean, when you add up Savannah’s less than moral friend kidnapping Patrick, Zep and Pope showing up in Las Vegas, and Babs almost getting thrown in jail for card counting, it sounded like some cheesy Lifetime movie on steroids.
And the worst part of it all? After Pope, Savannah, and Babs left for the airport, the craziness of everything drained me to the point of exhaustion. I was already half-asleep by the time Zep and I got back to the hotel room, and almost comatose when he pulled the blanket up to my chin and kissed me goodnight.
That’s right, no one got lucky.
Stifling a yawn, I stole a quick glance at the alarm clock, shocked to see it was already well past ten o’clock. With mandatory check-out at eleven, we’d
barely have time to pack up our things before they kicked us out of the room. I was mentally chastising myself for sleeping so late when feather-light brushes against my bare belly and the rumble of a deep voice caught my attention.
“Okay, son, you and I need to talk.”
Quickly closing all but one slightly cracked eye, I bit my lip to stop a smile from spreading across my face. I’d been so preoccupied with oversleeping that I hadn’t noticed the blanket pooled at my feet or the nightgown unceremoniously shoved against my ribcage. Zep hovered over me, perched on his knees while straddling my thighs.
His lips moved across my belly as he cradled it in his hands, his beard tickling my stretched skin. “This seems weird. I’m not even sure you can hear me, but I wanted to talk with you. You know, man to baby man.”
I risked taking an incredibly deep breath in order to hold in the laugh that bubbled at the base of my throat. Zep wasn’t one to do things that made him seem foolish, and having a one-sided conversation with our unborn son would probably mortify him if he knew I was listening. So, instead, I pretended to be asleep.
“First of all,” he continued, oblivious to his secret audience, “not cool with the cockblock last night, little man. I know there was a lot of excitement, but knocking your mom out while I’m trying to get it in isn’t starting off on the right foot.”
I involuntarily quirked an eyebrow, choosing to ignore the fact that he’d just talked about our sex life with a fetus. If I wasn’t dying to hear the rest of the conversation, I would’ve kicked his ass for that alone.
“It’s a good thing your mom is asleep because she’d probably have my ass for talking to you like this.”
Another smile broke through my pseudo-slumber. He knew me too well.
“But, between you and me, after a few minutes around your great grandmother, I think anything I say is gonna sound tame.”
I couldn’t argue with logic. He was right, which made me think about Charlie as an innocent little boy visiting Babs. I loved my grandmother, but at the ripe old age of five, she’d taken me gator hunting down at the swamp on her property. Three hours later, I came home with a healthy fear of guns and a brand-new vocabulary that earned me a mouth full of soap from Mama.
Tightening his hold, Zep laughed to himself, the sound vibrating against my bare skin. “Besides, she doesn’t have to know everything, right? I mean, you and me? We’re in this together. You might not know it, Charlie, but we have a lot in common already. Your mom wasn’t expecting either one of us to be in her life.”
Ouch.
Defensiveness tightened in my chest. I couldn’t exactly argue with Zep’s statement, but what he didn’t understand was that while they were unexpected, they weren’t unwelcome. On the contrary, I couldn’t imagine life without either one of them.
“Not that she doesn’t love you,” he quickly corrected, easing the tension that had gathered in my shoulders. “Trust me, she does, and even if she won’t admit it, she loves me too. But she gets spooked sometimes, so it’s gonna be up to us to remind her that she’s right where she’s always belonged. Regardless of what she thinks, your mom has always been mine.”
He quietened and thinking his confession was complete, I’d just cracked open an eyelid when he took a deep breath and shattered my heart.
“Here’s another secret. I would’ve waited another thirteen years for her if that’s what it took.”
Forgetting I was supposed to be asleep, I opened my eyes and lifted onto my elbows. I didn’t know if I wanted to crawl to my knees and kiss him or throw up from fear, but my mouth moved before I could figure it out.
“Do you mean that?”
Zep grinned, the dimples buried under his thick beard making a rare appearance. “I would hope so. Otherwise, I was laying it on pretty thick.”
“You knew I was faking it?”
“Don’t tell me you fake it,” he said, feigning shock. “You may kill my self-esteem, baby.”
“Zep, I’m serious.” Balancing on one elbow, I lightly slapped his arm and fought a smile as his eyes lit up.
“Yeah, I knew, but only halfway through the father/son conversation you eavesdropped on.” Clearly amused with himself, he crawled up my body and tapped the end of my nose with his finger. “People who are asleep don’t chew their lips off to keep from laughing. Don’t ever gamble, Addie. Your poker face sucks.”
I smiled, raw emotion forcing the question from my lips. “Would you have really waited thirteen more years for me?”
His strong hand cupped my chin and forced my eyes on his. “Yeah. Yeah, I would’ve.”
“But why? I was married, Zep. Why would you put your life on hold for someone who walked away from you?” The concept baffled me. I’d shut the door on anything we could’ve had when I ran away to Shreveport, giving him no reason to hold onto me.
“That’s the thing, Addie, you just think you walked away.” Zep leaned over me and slid the hand resting on my belly up my chest and between my breasts, finally settling it over my heart. “In here, you never left.”
His words got to me, triggering memories and accessing that part of me I’d pushed away years ago. Trying like hell to swallow the lump lodged in my throat, I swore I stopped breathing when he took my hand and placed it on his bare chest over his own racing heart.
“What you never realized is that even though you married someone else, there’s never been any room in here for anyone else.”
After his confession, I couldn’t get close enough. Sliding my hand from his chest to his cheek, I cradled his face and pushed off my elbow, meeting him a sitting position. He barely had time to react before I was on him, teasing him with a few gentle licks against his lips then diving in with deep, impatient kisses that quickly turned deadly. I started this, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think I’d remain in control. Weaving an insistent hand in my hair, Zep wrapped the other underneath my ass, crushing his mouth into mine with a ferocity I craved.
I wanted it. I wanted him. I wanted everything.
Unfortunately, just as I reached for Zep’s boxer shorts, he stopped me. Confused, I pulled back to see a cocky grin spread across his face.
“What…”
Before I could protest, he slapped my ass and dove in for one last kiss. “As much as I’d love to spend the morning proving it to you, it’s time for you to get up and shower.”
“Why?”
“We’re leaving this afternoon, and I want to show you in the city.”
I pulled away, raising a surprised eyebrow. “Sightseeing?”
“You act like that’s a bad thing.”
“No, I just didn’t take you for the touristy type.”
Zep’s laugh was mysteriously sexy, leaving me to wonder what the hell he could’ve planned in between Patrick climbing out of the liftgate and Babs getting arrested. “I still have a few surprises left in me, Dubois. Now get up and get in the shower before I tear that nightgown off with my teeth.”
“Promises, promises.” I called over my shoulder as I made my way toward the bathroom.
The water from the hotel shower was lukewarm at best, and honestly a little cramped for my pregnant self to maneuver. Grabbing the body wash, I squirted it into the washcloth and tossed the bottle to the floor in a huff. Although it was sweet of Zep to want to show me the sights of Vegas, I was a little miffed about being shut down. Nothing makes a pregnant woman more self-conscious about her sexuality than propositioning her man and being rejected.
That was the thing about Zep and me, we were a constant push and pull of confusion. Just when I thought I had him figured out, he did something to blindside me like fly cross country on a whim out of insecurity. Or have a private conversation with our son about his feelings. Not that I was the pinnacle of stability, but it just proved my point that Zep and I were nowhere near where Pope and Savannah were in their relationship. I had no doubt he loved me, something I don’t think Roland ever did, but I wouldn’t rush into something just because of a few word
s. When I made a commitment again, it’d be the last time, and there’d be no doubts.
“Am I too late?”
I almost dropped the shampoo bottle as the shower door opened and a very naked Zep slipped in behind me. It took me a few minutes to find my voice, my thoughts scattered as he pressed up behind me.
“Too late for what?” I whispered, watching breathlessly as he took the bottle out of my hands. I couldn’t help but flinch when he flipped the top and squirted shampoo in his hands. Dropping the bottle, he laughed a sexy little laugh low in his throat before weaving his hands in my drenched hair, lathering each strand as his fingers massaged my scalp.
“Helping you get clean. What else would I be doing in here?”
“Driving me insane?”
“I’ve always loved your hair,” he groaned, running a hand down the length of my soapy locks while grinding his impressive erection into my ass. “The color, the length, fucking everything. I’ve never been able to date anyone with this hair color without comparing her to you. Hell, I’ve never been able to date anyone without comparing them to you.”
“Zep…” I closed my eyes, his words re-igniting a fire inside me that had never stopped burning.
Moving his hands from my hair, he slid them down my arms to my hands. “And all while I was comparing them to you, do you know what I kept imagining, Addie?”
“What?”
“I kept imagining this. You naked, and me hard and behind you. You being as wet for me as I know you are right now.” Clasping our fingers together, he brought them against the shower wall in front of me and placed my palms flat against it. “I imagined taking you like this. Tell me you want me, Addie.”
There was no hesitation. “I want you.”
I let out a gasp as Zep nudged my legs apart and thrust once. The impact took my breath away, and my knees buckled. As if in tune with my every move, he snaked an arm around my breasts, and held me up one-handed while driving into me from behind.
