by Kelly Moore
“Yes, but you can scroll back in time.” He pulls the computer screen toward him. “This button right here allows you to scroll and put multiple frames up at one time.”
I click on it and open up a screen for every camera. Scrolling backward a day, I don’t see anything suspicious. I make sure to focus on the tree as an access point. The leather chair creaks as I lean back. “He’s not been here yet.” I pick up a pencil and anxiously rock it back and forth between my fingers.
“Do you think he was waiting for you?” Jake laces his hands behind his head.
“I think so. He wants all of us here, thinking I can’t protect everyone. We need to take turns watching these monitors. I want one guard out front and one in the back at all times. Matthew told me on the way here that he would have several more agents flown in to help rotate them out.”
“We should probably go let them out of the safe room,” he points out.
“I’ll go, you stay here and keep an eye on things.” I throw the pencil down on the desk and get up. He slides into my chair. “Thank you, for everything you’ve done for them and for stepping in to take care of John.”
“Get out of here. Don’t go getting all mushy on me now.” He waves his hand for me to get away.
I walk through the French doors of the office and hear him call back to me. “John.”
“Yeah,” I look back.
“I love them, and you’re welcome.”
“I know, man.” I take the stairs two at a time. Removing the books, I punch in the code that I saw Brooklyn push. I’m wondering if it’s John’s birthday.
“It’s about time you let us out of here!” Brooklyn is fussing as the door opens. She runs directly into my arms. “Has he been here?”
“No. I think he is waiting on us.” Matthew walks out holding John’s hand. I bend down and scoop him up. “Hi, little guy. Do you want to play? I see some really cool cars over there.” I point to a shelf. He nods his head.
“You two play, I’ll make us all some dinner,” Brooklyn says, kissing both her men on the cheek.
“I have some phone calls I need to make to check on the status of the extra agents’ arrival.” Matthew follows Brooklyn out of the room.
I grab the clear case holding the cars and sit down with him on the floor. A rug with a race track woven into it covers the floor in the middle of the room. I dump out all the cars and put them in front of him. “Do you have a favorite?”
His hair flops in his eyes as he reaches for a big black monster truck.
“Ah, good choice. I would have picked that one too.” He looks at it and then at me. He holds his little hand out to give me the truck. “That’s okay little man, you keep it. I’ll pick another one.”
We play for about an hour before Brooklyn peeks her head around the door with a big smile on her face.
“What?”
“It’s time to eat.” She’s still grinning from ear to ear. She picks him up off the floor and I stand, taking him from her.
“I’m not willing to let him out of my arms yet.” I brush the back of my hand down her cheek. He yawns and lays his head on my shoulder. Kissing the top of his head, I take Brooklyn’s hand in mine and we walk down the stairs to the kitchen. “Damn woman, it smells good in here.”
“Nothing fancy. I put together some homemade pizzas.”
“Pizza.” The little man perks up.
“It’s his favorite.” She takes him from me and sets him in a booster seat strapped to the chair and buckles him in. I sit in the chair next to him.
“Where is everyone?”
“Dad is held up in the office and Jake went home to grab a few things.”
“Did he go by himself?” I ask as she places a plate in front of me.
“No. Some more agents arrived and one of them went with him.” She has a small plate with cut-up pizza on it. She places it in front of John and he digs in with both hands.
“I guess he has his mother’s appetite,” I tease with her. I take a big bite and cheese drips down my chin. “This is really good.”
“Did you doubt me?” She laughs and sits down across from me.
I look over at J-Man and see that he already has pizza sauce in his hair. “How did he do that?” I point.
“Wait until you see him eat spaghetti.”
“This seems so normal. A man could get used to this.” As I polish off the rest of my pizza, Brooklyn’s foot slides up my pant leg.
“I love that you’re finally home. I know you will be a good dad.” She can’t quit smiling at me.
“We’ll have to have a few more of these rug rats.” I look over and J-Man’s face is in his plate. He’s fallen asleep. “Does he do that a lot?” I chuckle.
“You wore him out. I need to give him a bath before I put him to bed.”
“Can I help?”
“Sure you can.” She gets up and takes our plates to the sink. I walk up behind her and place a kiss on her shoulder.
“You cooked, I’ll clean after we get him cleaned up.”
“We’ll worry about them tomorrow. I have other things planned for your first night in our house.”
“Mmm… I like your idea better.”
“Please tell me you left me some food, I’m starving,” Jake’s voice blares from behind us.
“It’s in the oven. Go see if my Dad is off the phone yet so that he can eat too. We’re going upstairs to bathe J-Man. Show my dad where everything is, please.”
I pick him up out of his plate and carry him upstairs to the bathroom. Brooklyn fills the tub with warm water and bubbles. “I wouldn’t mind one of those when he’s in bed.”
“What? A bubble bath?” She laughs.
“I haven’t had one since I was a kid. I bet those jets would make a lot of bubbles.”
“I’ll add that to our plans tonight.” She wakes him and undresses him in my arms. I kneel down by the tub and scoop up a handful of bubbles to blow at her. “You’re such a toddler.”
“Good, then he and I will get along really well.” I splash water at him and he splashes me back. In the end, I end up as wet as he is.
Chapter Eighteen
John
I lift John out of the bathtub while Brooklyn wraps a towel around him. She drains the tub and I follow her into his bedroom, sitting in the middle of the floor to dry him off while she gathers his clothes.
“Here, smear some of this on him. I like him baby fresh,” she says, handing me a bottle of pink baby lotion.
I look at it and scoff. “Why is it pink?”
She shrugs while pulling clothes out of his dresser. “It’s just baby lotion. Pink doesn’t mean it’s only for girls.”
I open the bottle and smell it. “It even smells pink!”
She giggles and holds out her hand for the lotion. I roll my eyes and squirt the lotion into my palm before rubbing him down with it.
When the lotion is on, I wipe my hands down my pants, unable to stand the greasy feeling on my skin. Brooklyn hands me a diaper.
I take it and study it for a minute. I turn it around and back before unfolding it.
“We’re starting to potty-train him but he still needs a diaper at night,” she says, placing her finger in his hand. He giggles and tries chewing on her. “He’s also cutting his molars.”
“I don’t blame him. I’d like to bite you too, just not your finger,” I tease while still trying to figure out the diaper.
She reaches out and takes it from me. “Let me show you.” She takes his ankles in her hands and lifts him up while sliding the diaper under him at the same time. The next thing I know, the diaper is on and he’s sitting up.
“How did you do that so fast?”
She grins. “Lots of practice. This little man used to make a dirty diaper every time he ate. We’ve gone through a ton of diapers.” She pulls his shirt over his head and he slides his arms through.
When he’s dressed, I pick him up and cradle him close to my body. I inhale his scent and kiss his
forehead while rocking him to sleep.
Brooklyn leans against the door frame, shaking her head. “You are going to spoil him,” she practically sings.
“I can’t help it. I don’t want to ever let him go.”
She walks over and kisses his head before kissing my lips. “When you’re done with your bonding, I’ll be in the bedroom.” She walks out quietly, flipping off the light as she walks by.
I hold him a little tighter and rock him a little slower. I look down at him and his eyes lock on mine. He looks so much like the both of us, but his dark eyes are all Brooklyn’s. He raises his hand to my cheek and says, “Dada.”
“That’s right, and I’ll be here with you always, little man,” I whisper as I watch his eyes flutter closed.
A warmth spreads through me, starting at my heart and flowing throughout my whole body. I know it’s the love I already feel for this little guy I helped create. I don’t know how something so perfect came from me, but there is one thing I do know: I would stop at nothing to make sure he is always safe and taken care of.
Just as I go to lie him down, his arms jump and scare him into waking up. He sticks out his bottom lip and starts to whine. I start the rocking process all over while humming the tune to Stand By Me. “One day, I’ll teach you the words to the song,” I whisper.
Before I even hit the chorus, he’s fast asleep. I move a little slower this time to put him in bed. I pull the blanket up around him and back away slowly without ever taking my eyes off him.
I walk into the bedroom and close the door behind me. When I turn around, I expect to find Brooklyn but instead find an empty room. “Brook?” I call out.
“In here,” she says from the bathroom.
I follow the sound of her voice and find her up to her chin in bubbles in the old claw-foot bathtub.
“I know you wanted the jets, but my tub is bigger. Big enough for the two of us. What do ya say?”
I begin pulling off my clothes, hoping that’s enough of an answer.
I slide in behind her and she leans against my chest. “I never thought I would have this.”
“Have what?” I ask.
“Have you, here with our family in this house. I thought you were gone. I wished every time that John did something cute that you could see it. Every night I crawled into bed alone, every morning I woke up alone. You were all I thought about.” She spins around to face me. “And here you are. If I had known…”
“Shh, I know. You couldn’t have known.” I sit up and place my hand on the side of her face. “I thought of you every minute I was locked up. You’re what kept me going.”
She grins.
“What?”
She rolls her eyes. “I was just wondering if you thought of me the same way I thought of you.”
I feel my eyebrows draw together. “What do you mean?”
She leans in, lips grazing my ear as she whispers, “I used to fantasize about you while I touched myself.”
Her words turn me on instantly. “Oh, I thought about it. I just couldn’t do anything about it.” I pull away and see her flushed cheeks. “Are you going to show me?”
Her eyes pop open. “Show you?”
I nod, slowly. “Mm-hmm. I want to see how you touch yourself while you think about me.”
She offers up a shy smile before standing. I watch as the bubbles roll off of her naked body. They glide over the swell of her breasts, down her flat stomach, and over her round ass.
I can’t take my eyes off her as she steps from the tub and covers herself with a towel. I pull the drain from the tub and wrap a towel around my waist before following her back into the bedroom. I stand back, watching as she pulls the blankets back and takes her place on the bed.
Her dark eyes lock onto mine as her hand travels from her breast, down her stomach, and stops at the junction between her legs. Her lips part and a sigh leaves them.
I’m still standing by the bathroom door, unable to move or do anything but watch her. When she lets out a soft moan, a spark shoots directly to my stomach and lights every nerve ending. I’m rock hard from watching her touch herself, and knowing that it’s me she’s thinking about only makes me want to touch her more.
I no longer have control over my body. My feet begin pulling me forward until I find myself crawling onto the bed. I push away her hand and replace it with my mouth.
“I thought you wanted to watch me?” she whispers.
“As sexy as that is, I want to be the one that makes you come. You’re mine.” I double my efforts until she is grasping the sheets and calling my name.
Her sounds, her movements, her taste… it all just makes me that much harder. I can’t wait until I can sink deep inside her.
“My turn to taste you,” she says, pushing me away.
I don’t even have time to decline before she’s sucking me into her mouth. My eyes roll to the back of my head as a groan escapes me. I’m painfully hard and I know it will only be a matter of minutes before I’m spilling every last drop into her hot mouth. “You have to stop, Brook. I don’t want to finish yet.”
As if she hadn’t heard my words at all, she takes me deeper into her mouth. I no longer have control over my voice, I can’t deny her. I place my hand on her shoulder, hoping she backs away so I can take my time with her, but she digs her nails into my thighs. The little bit of pain mixes with the pleasure and I can no longer hold back. I let myself go, spilling into her mouth with a loud moan.
My heart is pounding, my breathing is rapid, and we’re both covered in a light sheen of sweat that glistens under the bedside lamp. Brooklyn lays back against the pillows, parting her legs with me sitting between them.
“Think you can go again?” she asks, sticking out her chest just a bit more.
I feel myself harden from the view of her spread out before me and I move to cover her body with mine.
I kiss her passionately, wanting, needing to feel her. Needing to remind myself that this is real, and this is what the rest of my life could look like. Her hands glide down my biceps as she reaches around me. Her nails bite into my lower back as she lifts her hips toward me.
I pull back only slightly. “Are you in a hurry?” I grin.
She nods. “I want you inside of me now, John.”
My lips crash into hers. As our tongues twist together, I push forward, sliding into her. She’s so hot and tight around me. I pull back, only to thrust back inside her, hitting that little spot that always sends her spiraling.
I feel her tighten around me, almost bringing me over the edge with her, but I hold back. I want so much more.
Her legs wrap around me tightly as her lips find mine. She moans against them while I take everything I want and give everything I am.
When I feel her orgasm end, I let mine go with a powerful growl, pumping into her hard and fast until I can no longer move.
We both collapse, holding on to one another while we try to regulate our erratic breathing.
She trails her nails down my back and up again. “My toes are numb.” She giggles.
“Was that better than what you imagined?” I pull back to study her expression.
“So much better.” Her eyes are so heavy, she can’t hold them open. They flutter closed and I pull out of her. I rest on my side and pull her against my chest. As my breathing and heart rate slow, I drift off to sleep.
“You’ll never get her back,” Miles says as he lands a solid hit to my jaw. “If you know what’s best for you, you’ll take the deal I’m offering.” Another hit to the face.
My eyes start to roll back as unconsciousness threatens to take over.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he says before slapping me across the face.
My head is pounding from the beating it’s already taken, but the slap brings me back. My eyes focus on the short, round man that’s standing in front of me. Anger washes over me and I use it to hang on, to give me the strength I need to survive another beating.
I wake but don’t bother
to open my eyes to the bright room. I can still feel the hits like they just happened. I reach across the bed, hoping to find her. I need her. I need to feel her to confirm that she is here and she is mine, that I’m finally away from Miles and the years of torture I had to endure, but the bed is cold and empty.
I force my eyes open and sit up, looking around the room. I rub the sleep from my eyes before I stand and pull on a pair of sweat pants. I stumble through the brightly lit room toward the kitchen.
Brook is singing and dancing in front of the stove while my little man is clapping and giggling. I lean against the door frame and watch them for a moment. This is the most normal I’ve ever felt in my life, and I know it’s only a matter of time before this is shattered too.
“Good morning,” Brook says, looking up at me without stopping her dancing.
“Good morning.” I lean over and kiss Little Man on the head and close the distance between Brooklyn and me. I pull her against my chest and our eyes meet. “I guess you wore me out last night.”
She blushes under my stare. “If it makes you feel any better, I must have worn myself out too. John woke me up screaming for food.” She turns and looks at him longingly. “He really does take after me.”
I laugh and swat her ass. “Make your men some breakfast, woman.”
Her eyes cut to me. She’s trying to give me a serious look, but I can see her trying to hide the smile that’s trying to form.
I pour myself a cup of coffee and sit down next to John. “How are you today, buddy?”
He smiles and giggles while clapping his hands. “Mom, mom, mom.” He reaches for her.
“Are you trading me in already?” I tease.
Brook turns around. “Ha, he doesn’t want me. He just wants the bacon in my hand. That kid is a bacon eating machine.” She picks up a piece of bacon from the plate and tears off a small bit. He looks ready to attack her as she hands it over. His jaws are chomping before he’s even got the bacon to his mouth.
I laugh. “Yep, he takes after you.”
“Don’t be mean to my nephew. He can’t help it if he got his mom’s eating habits,” Jake says, walking into the kitchen and stealing a piece of bacon.
