by Heller, JB
“Never,” I swear, and I mean it.
Her legs wrap around my lower back, digging her heels into my arse. Fuck, it feels good. I grind my hips against her clit then pull all the way out, making her whimper, then surge forward again. My hand slides into her hair, locking into a fist as I pound harder, faster, deeper until she cries out in ecstasy, and I follow right after.
We lie there, panting, on my bed, still almost fully clothed. And that’s when I lose it, a giggle erupting from deep in my belly.
Lee rolls to my side, coming to rest on an elbow. “What’s so funny?”
I draw in a deep breath, attempting to calm myself, but it doesn’t work. I wave a hand, fanning my face. “I was—so worried about—you seeing me—naked.” I take another breath, this one doing the trick and slowing my laughter. I start over. “I was so worried about you seeing me naked, but it was all for nothing.” I gesture down my body, still mostly covered by my clothes.
He frowns, sits up, and tugs his cap off his head before tossing it across the room. Then, he reaches behind, hooks his fingers in the collar of his shirt and yanks it off too—it follows the cap. He glances around the room, sees whatever he’s looking for, then removes the spent condom, ties it in a knot, and drops it in the small bin beside my bed.
My gaze stays locked on him as he flattens to his back, lifts his hips, dips his thumbs in the waistband of his jeans, turns his head to look me in the eye, then shoves them down his hips and kicks them off.
I swallow. Holy fudge-nuggets. Lee is D.E.F.I.N.E.D. Defined. Those abs are definitely new. And I like them—a lot.
“Your turn,” he says.
My eyes widen. Umm, what? “Lee, I—”
He shakes his head, props back up on his elbow, and rolls into my side. “Babe, I love you. I love your kids. And I’m going to love whatever you’re worried I’ll find under your clothes too.”
Goddamn. Why does he have to be so sweet? I bite my bottom lip, but he tugs it free.
“Do you want me to help you?” he asks, brushing a soft, sensuous kiss against my throat. I shiver.
“Okay,” I breathe. “But, Lee, I have stretch marks, and I’m just, I’m—”
He silences me with a kiss, sliding his tongue into my mouth as he rolls to his back, taking me with him. He continues kissing me as his hands trail along my sides. He tugs lightly at my cami, drawing it up my body. When it reaches my shoulders, he pauses. “Lift your arms, babe.”
I do as he says, lifting one arm at a time while he tugs my top free, then over my head, and it joins his clothes on the floor. He doesn’t even look before he’s kissing me again. His fingers tangle in my hair, and I sigh contentedly.
After a few minutes, his touch skates down my neck, tracing my spine until he encounters my skirt. His nimble fingers make short work of the zipper then help the fabric over my hips where I wiggle to assist in its removal. I kick it off when it reaches my knees.
Lee never once stops kissing me during all this. My mind is so hazy with lust I don’t even care that I’m virtually naked right now. His hands and mouth have me in a trance. I’m so blissed out on an amazing orgasm and his touch, I could live in this moment forever.
He rolls us again, settling himself between my thighs as his lips move from mine to my jaw then along my throat. I shudder beneath his warm, hard body, curling my hands in his hair when he reaches my breasts, sucking and nibbling them through my strapless lace bra.
I arch my back for him, his hand swiftly taking the invitation to unclasp it and toss it away. Then, his hot, wet mouth sucks my nipple between his lips, and I moan, my fingers locking tight in his hair. “Oh, God, yes,” I whimper.
But then, he’s moving lower, his tongue traveling between my breasts to my belly button where he stops and places gentle kisses on my stretch marks. His eyes lift. “Beautiful. Abso-fucking-lutely beautiful,” he whispers, then, keeping his gaze locked with mine, he journeys farther down my body.
At my hips, he presses his lips to the edge of my panties. He dips his fingers inside and drags them down my legs, leaving me completely exposed.
He sits back on his haunches between my thighs, and I have to fight the urge to cover myself. My hands ball into fists at my sides. He notices and takes them with his, lacing our fingers together and leaning over me. “You’re perfect, Myrtle.”
I cringe at his use of my given name. He smirks, knowing how much I hate it.
“I love everything about you. Even your godawful name,” he says, not an ounce of humour in his tone.
“I love you too,” I admit. “Always have, always will.”
Her words move through me like a tidal wave: all-consuming and devastating.
I’ve ached for her to say it for so long, and hearing it decimates the doubts I had. I’d worried we were moving too fast, but no more.
I lower to her, careful not to crush her with my weight, and graze my lips over hers in a soft, sweet kiss, letting her know how much I cherish the gift of her love. Moments pass and our kiss deepens, our tongues tangle and teeth nip as I roll my hips into her. She responds immediately, arching her pelvis and grinding against me.
Fuck, I love it. I love her.
I want inside her again. Desperately. But ... “Babe, I don’t have another condom,” I tell her. “Do you have some?”
Rolling her lips between her teeth, she shakes her head. “No. Shit. I haven’t needed them, and I didn’t even think to buy any.”
Fuck.
I have no problem going bareback. The idea of making a baby with her makes me ridiculously happy. But she’s made it pretty clear she doesn’t want that.
I have to think fast because she’s squirming with need, and I am not leaving my girl hanging. I drop a quick peck to her lips and whisper, “I’ve got you, babe.” Then, I crawl down her body.
My tongue glides between her folds, and Till’s hands lock in my hair again. I sink my fingers into her thighs and force them farther apart as I delve into her sweet pussy. I could eat her all day long; she tastes so fucking good.
I circle her clit with the tip of my tongue, over and over again, then move to her entrance before licking up her juices. Her legs quake, and I repeat my movements. Circle her clit, lap at her entrance. She’s a shaking, quivering mess by the time I slide two fingers inside and suck hard on her clit.
She explodes. Wetness coats my fingers, and I remove them so I can drink it in.
When I’m done, I sit up, wipe my mouth with the back of my hand, and catch a glimpse of a black smear on my skin as I bring my hand away from my face. I stare at it for a second, then Till yelps. My gaze shoots to her. “What’s wrong?”
She shakes her head and squeezes her eyes closed, mumbling, “Goddamnit, Charlotte.”
My brows shoot up. That is not what I was expecting her to say after I just ate her out. “Babe?”
She squints one eye open then covers her face with her hands.
“Till, babe, talk to me,” I urge, terrified I’ve fucked this up somehow and having no idea why she’d mention her girlfriend right now.
Eventually, she licks her lips and scissors her fingers open just enough to peek through. “You should go have a shower and scrub your face. But whatever you do, don’t look in the mirror.” Then, in a flash, she’s sitting in front of me, her hands curled around my wrists, demanding, “Promise me you’ll not look in the mirror, Lee.”
I start laughing at her ludicrous behaviour.
“This is serious,” she says, her expression flat. “Promise me!”
Chuckling, I shake my head and agree. “Okay, babe. I promise. But you have to tell me why.”
Her eyes widen. “Ah, I think it’s best if we just pretend this part of the evening never happened.”
“No can do, babe. You’re acting like a crazy person.”
“I’m not the crazy one—it’s Charlotte. She’s nuts, and she led me down the path to Crazy Town with her,” she says.
“Umm, okay. I don’t understand a th
ing that’s happening right now, so I’m going to go have a shower, without looking in the mirror, and then we’re going to talk about this.”
Her face crumples. “Do we have to?”
I drop a kiss to the top of her thoroughly fucked hairdo and take her hands in mine. “Oh, yeah. You’re not getting out of this. Now, come shower with me.”
“Okay,” she mumbles, crawling off the bed and following me to the bathroom where I do not look in the mirror.
“It was the most embarrassing moment of my life!” I tell Charlotte and Reagan the next day over coffee at my kitchen table.
Lee is off at a fitting with his future stepfather for their wedding suits, making this the perfect time to get it all off my chest.
Charlotte bursts out laughing, holding her middle then gasping for air. “Don’t make me laugh when I’m surfing the crimson wave!”
Reagan stands, going to retrieve Char’s heat pack from the microwave, and returns with a smile on her face as she hot-potatoes the heat pack from one hand to the other. “Whose idea was that? Permanent marker on your pubes.” She chuckles. “That’s totally something I would do.”
Char arranges the pack and settles back in her seat, propping her feet on another of my dining chairs. “It was a solid idea. How was I to know it wouldn’t maintain its integrity when mixed with bodily fluids?”
“It was all over his chin, Charlotte. I had to fully scrub it with a loofa to get it all off. I swear, I died inside. Everything had been perfect, right up until he sat up with a beard that wasn’t there before he ventured downtown,” I exclaim. “Then, I had to tell him why there was permanent marker on his pretty face. I have never known such bone-deep humiliation.”
“I told you to use the Clitter capsules.” Char shrugs and sips her coffee. “Glitter makes everything better.”
I glare at her.
Reagan’s eyes light with interest. “What are we talking about? You know I love glitter.”
“They’re little capsules you insert inside your vagina that melt and release a flow of non-toxic glitter into your nether regions, making it all shiny and pretty,” Char explains.
“Ohh, I want some of those!” Reagan says, clapping her hands like an excited child. “Rhett would love it.”
I throw my hands in the air. “Am I the only one who has an aversion to glitter-ising the promised land? It’s weird. You guys know that, right? It’s unnatural.”
They both look at me like I’m the weird one here.
Then, Charlotte’s lips twitch with a playful grin. “Says the woman banging her stepbrother.”
My eyes widen, and my jaw drops. “You did not!”
She arches a brow. “I did. So, tell us, does that little hint of taboo make the sex hotter?”
“Oh, yes!” Reagan chimes in. “I’ve heard step-sex is off the charts.”
Char nods her agreement then turns her gaze on me, a pleased smile on her face. “See? So, spill. I want details.”
I roll my neck, loosening my tight muscles, close my eyes, take a deep breath, then give her what she wants. “It was freaking amazing. But not because of the step-sibling thing, you kinky mole. To tell you the truth, the thought never even entered my mind. All I was focused on was him and me—nothing else mattered.”
“That is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” Reagan says, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. “Ugh, look at me getting all emotional. I must be getting hormonal.”
“No,” Char says. “It is beautiful. I’m so happy for you, Tilly. You deserve this.”
I blink back tears of my own. “Oh, you guys.” I sniffle. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“Okay, okay, time for a subject change!” Reagan says, fanning her face.
We spend the next hour chatting about the sex talk with Sailor and how Lee has a way of getting through to Astrid like nobody else has ever been able to.
ONE WEEK LATER …
“Mummy,” Sailor says as he pokes his pointy little finger into my forehead repeatedly. “Mummy, we need to talk.”
I pry one eye open, glance at the clock on my bedside table, then close it again. “Sweet pea, it’s too early. We can talk later when the sun is up, yeah?”
“Nope,” he says and resumes his poking.
Heaving a sigh, I open my eyes and look at my son. He’s smiling a knowing smile. I arch a brow and go to sit, only for a big, muscular arm to tighten over my stomach. Holy fudge-nugget. Lee is still here. In. My. Bed ...
My mind races as the smile on my son’s little face grows. “You had the sex with Lee,” Sailor declares.
“Oh, God,” I mumble, more to myself, but Sailor hears it.
“You said that last night too. Why were you talking to God? You don’t even believe in him.”
“Sailor, honey, how about we take this little chat to the lounge room so we don’t wake up Lee?” I suggest.
He shrugs. “Okay.”
But just as he turns to leave my room, Mr. Pickles dashes in, jumps onto the blanket box at the end of my bed, and lands on the mattress. He squeals happily and trots over to me before flopping on his back for a tummy rub, right on Lee’s head.
Lee swats at Pickles, trying to shove the little pig off. I quickly scoop him up and cuddle him to my chest. Lee props himself on an elbow and stares at me. “Why is there a pig in the bed?”
Sailor giggles uncontrollably from the other side of the room. Lee’s eyes widen, and he rolls over to look at him. “Oh, hey, big guy. I didn’t see you there.”
The giggles just keep coming as Sailor climbs onto the bed with us, causing Pickles to wiggle out of my arms to run to him. He jumps in Sailor’s lap, puts his tiny front legs on Sailor’s chest, and proceeds to nuzzle him into a laughing fit.
That’s when the girls come in.
“What’s going on?” Astrid asks, rubbing her eyes.
Ari just wanders over to the side of the bed and puts her arms up. Lee and I shuffle to sitting against the headboard. Thank God I’m still wearing my nighty. Lee is shirtless, but the kids don’t seem to mind. In fact, they don’t seem to be reacting to the fact that he’s in my bed at all.
This is weird.
Lee scoops Ari up and settles her in the curve of his arm where she snuggles in and promptly goes back to sleep. My heart is a big pile of mush in my chest.
“Come here, sweetheart,” I call to Astrid, who’s still lingering by the door.
She blinks sleepily then crawls onto the end of the bed and over to me. I wrap my arms around her, running my fingers through her silky hair.
A warm hand curls around the back of my neck, and I roll my head to face Lee. His smile is everything as he gazes at me, then my kids, and back to me. “I love you,” he mouths.
“I love you too,” I whisper. My heart may be mush, but it’s also full. So ridiculously full it just might burst.
Then, Sailor announces, “We’re going to have a cousin-brother!”
The kids and I are belting out “Walking on Sunshine” in the lounge room before Curt comes to pick them up for the weekend. It has become my theme song since Lee came back into my life.
Every day is perfect and beautiful with him in it.
He’s basically moved in since the kids found him in my bed last week. And I’m still wrapping my head around them having no reaction to his presence in said bed.
Except, of course, for Sailor being obsessed with acquiring a new cousin-brother, which resulted in a very awkward and uncomfortable conversation about pregnancy prevention.
A knock at the door lets me know Curt has arrived, and I open it for him. “Hey, come in. I’ll just grab the kids’ bags.”
“Thanks,” he says, stepping inside right before the kids swarm him. He lifts Ari and Sailor and spins them around. They squeal and laugh, wrapping their arms around his neck. I love how good he is with them.
Ducking into the hallway, I grab the kids’ backpacks and return to the living room to find the atmosphere has changed dramaticall
y. Lee is standing in the open doorway, his jaw tight as he stares at Curt.
Well, shit.
I knew the first time they saw each other again was going to be intense, but I had hoped they’d have outgrown their issues with each other.
“Hey, you,” I say, approaching Lee and pressing a light kiss on his tense jaw.
His eyes immediately drop to mine, warming instantly. “Hey, babe,” he murmurs, tucking a strand of loose hair behind my ear.
Curt clears his throat. We turn to face him, and he raises a brow. “I was wondering how long it would take you two to pick things back up again,” he says, a warm smile slowly spreading across his face.
My heart stutters. He’s happy for me. Genuinely happy. I rush him, wrapping my arms around his middle. “Thank you,” I whisper.
His arms curl around my waist, and he gives me a gentle squeeze. Then, he pulls away slightly to look at me. “You deserve to be happy, Till. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you. If he’s what gives you that, then so be it.”
A lump forms in my throat. I have to swallow hard to get my next words out. “I want that for you too, Curt. What I have with Lee … I want that for you.”
He shrugs. “I’ll find it one day. But for now, I’ve got everything I need. Happy kids and a happy baby-mumma.” He brushes a kiss to the top of my head, winks and releases me, and turns his attention to Lee. Then, he extends a hand to him, asking, “We good?”
Lee nods, his body loosening as he steps in and accepts Curt’s offered hand. “Yeah, we’re good, man.”
I thought my heart was full before, but this, my whole family in one room with zero tension ... I couldn’t be happier.
TWO WEEKS LATER …
Staring at the calendar app on my phone, I mentally tick off days. This can’t be right. I go over it again, but the results are the same.
I’m late.
Panic rolls through me so hard and fast my head spins. No, no, no!
“You okay, babe?” Lee asks, approaching from behind and resting a hand at the back of my neck.
