by Paige Warren
“So beautiful,” he murmured.
She blushed. “I’m not beautiful.”
“Don’t argue with me.” He kissed her softly. “You’re perfection.”
He knelt before her, wrapping an arm around her waist to draw her closer. His other hand slid up her side, his thumb stroking the underside of her breast. Carson leaned forward and lapped at her nipple through the gauzy material. It hardened from his attention and he gently sucked at the bud. Peaches’ hand cupped the back of his head as she held him to her.
“I feel like I’m on fire for you, Carson.”
She pushed him away and popped the clasp on her bra, letting the garment fall to the floor. Next she kicked off her panties. Standing before him bare, she looked at him with a hunger that matched his own. He made short work of his own clothes, stripping down to the buff before tumbling her onto the bed. His hand smoothed down her creamy stomach and he admired the differences between them. Where she was light and soft, he was hard and dark. The contrast was striking and made him hunger for her all the more.
He dropped to his knees beside the bed, pushing her legs wider apart. Peaches leaned up on her elbows to watch him as he blew a breath across the heated flesh of her pussy. She’d trimmed so that the hair was barely there, and the sight inflamed him all the more. Parting her lips, he leaned forward and dragged his tongue through her folds, gathering her nectar on his tongue and humming in appreciation. Damn, but she tasted good…
“I want you inside of me when I come,” she said, her voice breathy and full of need. A need he fully intended to fill: First with his tongue, and then with his cock.
His gaze burned into hers as he lapped at her, letting her sweet taste explode on his tongue. The more he licked, the wetter she got. His tongue circled the bundle of nerves that was silently begging for his attention and she gasped, her head falling back on her shoulders. Holding it between his teeth, he lashed the nub with his tongue, feeling her body tighten. Her hands clawed the sheets, the thigh muscles tensed. Then she was crying out his name as her pussy gushed its release. Carson groaned and sucked up her juices, wanting all of her. When she lay replete he kissed his way up her body, pulling away only long enough to put on a condom.
“Do you still want me?” he asked.
“God, yes,” she breathed, her hands curling around the back of his neck.
Reaching between their bodies, he dragged his cock up and down the seam of her pussy, soaking himself. She lifted her hips in invitation and he placed the head of his cock at her entrance and slowly sank into her. She was so damn tight. He was afraid he would hurt her, but her nails bit into his skin and she moaned, her hips lifting once more.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” he admitted.
“Don’t stop,” she begged. “Feels so damn good. Nothing’s ever felt this good.”
His cock swelled at her words and he continued to ease inside of her. When he was fully seated, he leaned down to kiss her. She didn’t seem to mind the taste of herself on his lips, as she opened and welcomed him in. His hips withdrew only to plunge forward, sinking into her wet heat once more. Carson started a steady rhythm and she kept up, her hips meeting him thrust for thrust. Balls drawing up tight, he didn’t think he’d last much longer. She felt too damn incredible for him to hang on.
Picking up the pace, he began to slam into her over and over, driving his cock in as far as he could, only to withdraw and do it again. The bed rocked under them and she wrapped her legs around his waist, opening herself to him further.
Peaches moaned. “More, Carson. Harder. Faster.”
He gripped her hips and gave her what she wanted.
“You feel so damn good,” he said. “So hot and tight.”
She arched her back and he felt her body straining beneath his.
“Yes!” she cried. “Yes! Oh, God, yes! Just like that!”
Peaches came apart under him, clawing at his shoulders as she came, and he buried himself inside of her, murmuring words he’d never said to another woman as he came harder than he’d ever come before.
As he withdrew and flopped onto his side, he froze.
Shit! There was a tiny tear at the tip of the condom. She was going to fucking kill him when she realized it. He sighed. Best to get it out of the way now.
“Honey, I’m real sorry, but…”
She cracked her eyes open. “But what?”
“The condom broke.”
She smiled. “I’m on the pill.”
“I’m clean. I swear it.”
“I didn’t trust Robert not to cheat on me, so I made him use condoms and I got tested once a month at the doctor. I’m clean too.”
He nodded. Settling back on the bed, he pulled her into his arms. “Stay here tonight?”
“But Daisy…”
“We’ll crack the door so we’ll hear her if she wakes up. I want to hold you in my arms tonight.” Every night.
She nodded sleepily against him.
Carson got up, disposed of the condom, and cracked the door open, then maneuvered Peaches under the covers before sliding in next to her. He pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes, feeling more relaxed and more right than he ever had before. It was like he’d finally come home.
Chapter Three
A baby crying woke Carson the next morning, just as the sunlight was filtering through the window. It took him a moment, but then he remembered Daisy was sleeping in the other room. He extracted himself from Peaches’ embrace and pulled on a pair of shorts before padding into the spare bedroom. Daisy was standing in the playpen, crocodile tears trickling down her chubby little cheeks. She quieted when she saw him, hiccupping.
“Hey there, squirt,” he said, lifting her from the playpen. The smell of urine assaulted his nostrils and he wrinkled his nose.
“Guess someone needs a change, huh?”
She nodded her head and popped her thumb in her mouth. Carson gathered what he needed and stretched Daisy out on the bed. It took a minute, but then he realized the pull-up came apart on the sides for easy removal and he pulled it away from her. Wiping her off, he put a clean one on her, and then searched for a clean outfit. He found a cute little sundress and slipped it over her head before tweaking her little ‘piggies’ and picking her back up.
She clung to him as he carried her into the kitchen, where he sat her down at the table while he began making breakfast. Daisy watched him with rapt fascination as he popped the bacon in the microwave, laid out biscuits on the cookie sheet and slid them in the oven, and began beating eggs in a mixing bowl.
“What’s wrong, squirt? Never seen a man cook before?”
She shook her head, steadily sucking on her thumb.
Carson smiled at her and finished making breakfast. He figured Peaches was going to be starving when she woke, after burning off so many calories last night. When he was finished cooking, he fixed a plate for Daisy and pulled up a chair next to her. He wasn’t sure if she usually fed herself or not, but she seemed content to let him do it. As he forked bites of scrambled egg into her mouth, Peaches walked into the kitchen, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.
“You should’ve woken me,” she said. “You didn’t have to get up and take care of her.”
He smiled. “I like doing it.”
She came closer and kissed his cheek before fixing herself a plate and pouring a glass of orange juice. She settled in the chair across from him and watched as he fed her daughter. When Daisy pushed his hand away, clearly full, he set her plate by the sink and fixed his own. As he rejoined what he’d already begun thinking of as ‘his girls’ at the kitchen table, everything was right in his world. If only it could have lasted longer.
A glance at the clock told him it was time to get ready for work. He didn’t want to leave them behind, but he didn’t have any choice in the matter. He knew they would be safe in his home, but he didn’t like the idea of Robert strolling around free. The bond office would have been open for a good hour already so if the man was
n’t free yet, it was only a matter of time. He could always request that someone drive by the house every half hour to check on them, but he wasn’t sure if his request would be granted.
He dropped a kiss on Daisy’s head before giving her mother the good morning kiss he’d always dreamed of giving a woman. Then he headed into the bedroom to get ready for work. He showered and dressed quickly, not wanting to be late. No reason to piss off the chief any more than he already was by having Peaches and Daisy in his home. Not that he would trade their presence for anything. He loved having them around.
Carson paused in the living room, watching as Peaches set Daisy up with morning cartoons. When she noticed his presence, she smiled and walked toward him.
“Going to work?” she asked.
“Yeah. I should be home by 4:30, unless I have to stay over for some reason. I got called out twice last night after I’d come home, so I can’t promise I’ll stick around long once I get here.”
She smoothed her hands down the front of his uniform shirt. “What you do is important, Carson. We understand that you can’t be here with us all the time. Just stay safe and come home to us.”
He liked that. Come home to us. He’d love to do that every day for the rest of his life, but he knew it was way too soon to say something. Better to take things one day at a time. He cradled her head in his hands and brushed his lips against hers.
He opened his eyes, as he noticed hers were shiny with unshed tears.
“Come home to me, okay?” she said softly. “Robert will be looking for you, if he’s out. I know I should press charges against him, but I was just so damn scared.”
“I’ll keep you safe,” he promised.
She nodded. “I’ll call once I’ve showered and dressed and ask if they can send an officer by for my statement. I’ll explain I don’t have transportation right now.”
“My brother could bring you and Daisy to the station.”
“I don’t want to trouble anyone.”
Carson smoothed his thumb across her lower lip. “No imposition. He’d be happy to help.”
“All right,” she agreed. “Ask him to pick us up in an hour. Just leave Daisy’s car seat here so she can travel safely.”
He nodded, kissed her once more, said goodbye to Daisy and hurried out the door.
When he got to work fifteen minutes later, Carson did a quick check to make sure his badge and sidearm were where they should be, locked up his truck and headed inside. As usual, the station was loud as he made his way to his desk. He’d gone about halfway when the chief shouted his name.
“Benson! Get your ass in here.”
With a sigh of resignation, he turned and headed into the chief’s office, ready for that ass-chewing.
“Close the door,” the chief barked.
Carson eased the door shut and stood uncertainly near the chief’s desk.
“Now, want to explain to me why two victims are currently residing in your house?” The chief popped two antacid tablets and chewed. “And don’t give me any horse shit about them not having anywhere to go. You know the church would have taken them in.”
“I ain’t gonna lie, Chief. I took them home with me because I wanted to protect them. I can’t explain it, but I felt like they were my responsibility.”
“Your…” the chief said, stabbing a finger his way, “…responsibility ended when the call did.”
“Yes, sir.”
The chief watched him a minute. “You’re not going to take them to the church, are you?”
“No, sir.”
The chief sighed. “Fine. But if this blows up in our faces, it’s your ass on the line. Got it?”
“Yes, sir. I understand, Chief.”
“Get your ass out of my office,” he mumbled.
Carson did an about face and left, heading straight for the coffee pot. Something told him this day was going to require an obscene amount of coffee.
***
Carson went on one call after another all day. He missed Peaches and Daisy visiting the station, but he heard about it. He’d wanted to be there to greet them, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Instead, he’d been on the scene at a house fire, helping the fire department with crowd control. The one bright spot in his day was the news that Robert was still behind bars, and would remain there. His bond had been denied in the face of Peaches’ report.
“Hey, man…that sweet number that was in here earlier belong to you?” Barker asked, propping a hip on Carson’s desk.
“You mean Peaches?”
He grinned. “Yeah.”
“I wouldn’t say she belongs to me, but she’s living with me. She and Daisy.”
“I always figured you’d be a family man. Just didn’t think you had it in you to swoop in and sweep a victim off her feet.”
Carson’s brow furrowed. “What are you trying to say?”
Barker lifted his hands. “Nothing, just…I hope you and Peaches are happy. You’ll be good for her.”
Carson nodded and watched Barker walk away. It was time to clock out and he was more than ready to go home. Filling out the last of his reports, he signed off, dropped his forms in the proper bins, and headed out. He made it home in record time, anxious to see his girls. When he entered the house, the smell of dinner cooking greeted his nose.
Daisy toddled toward him, arms lifted. “Up!”
He smiled and picked her up.
Peaches came out of the kitchen and wrapped her arms around his waist. “We missed you today.”
“I missed y’all too.”
“We should probably talk.”
His brow furrowed. “Everything okay?”
“Fine. I think. Let me just turn dinner down and get Daisy occupied with something.” She took the toddler from him and hurried off. A few minutes later, she led him down the hall toward his bedroom.
He was more than a little surprised when he stepped inside and saw the closet open, with her things hanging inside. Pleasantly so. She noticed the direction of his gaze and blushed.
“I probably should have asked first.”
“No, it’s fine. Really.”
“It’s just…at the station today, when I gave my report, they asked for my address and I told them I was staying with you. I let them think I was something more than just an inhabitant in this house, maybe because I wanted to be more.”
Her hands were fidgeting and he took them in his. “What’s wrong, Peaches?”
“I don’t know what last night meant to you, if anything, but it meant a lot to me. I’ve never felt that way in my whole life. I wanted it to be more than just two consenting adults seeking pleasure from one another.”
“Honey, it was more than that. Last night was better than anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. It meant something to me, and I’m glad to hear it meant something to you too.”
She bit her lip. “It’s just that I was looking around the house this morning after you left and I saw your rodeo pictures. I realized you probably have your choice of women, and compared to some of the buckle bunnies I’ve seen, I’m not much to look at…”
He placed a finger over her lips to silence her. “I never liked the buckle bunnies, and you are far more beautiful than any of them ever could be. I would love nothing more than to call you my own, you and Daisy both. But I don’t want you to rush into something you’ll regret later.”
She smiled, but the smile faded. “What do you want with us, Carson? You’re a kind, attractive man. I find it hard to believe you can’t have your pick of women. Why take on a woman with a child?”
“When I saw you standing in that doorway, I felt like we connected on some level. And when Daisy wrapped her arms around me and asked me to save the two of you, I think my heart melted. I don’t want you to think I’m asking you to be with me out of some misplaced sense of responsibility because of how we met. I want you to be with me because I don’t want to think about my life without the two of you in it.”
“You really want us?
” she asked, seeming hopeful yet hesitant.
He cupped her cheek. “Yes, Peaches. I really want you. Both of you.”
“Then we’re yours.” She placed her hand over his, holding it against her face. “I don’t know how this relationship is going to work, but I’m willing to give it a try.”
“For starters, I want the two of you to stay here with me. But only if you’re comfortable with that. If you want a place of your own, I’ll help you find one.”
She looked around. “I suppose we could stay here for a few weeks, and see how things go. It would give us more time to get to know one another.”
Carson brushed a kiss against her lips. “That sounds like a wonderful idea.”
He kissed her softly again. “One of these days I’m gonna ask you to marry me, Peaches. And I’m hoping your answer will be yes. I want to be a husband to you and a father to Daisy. I know this is fast, that we’re moving faster than the speed of light, but sometimes you just know… ya know?”
“I know.” She smiled. “You’re a wonderful man, Carson. I watched you this morning with Daisy, and last night when you answered the call at our house. Your priority was making sure Daisy was safe. Not many men would do that. I don’t know too many who would take on the burden of another man’s child.”
He caressed her cheek. “Daisy already means a lot to me. She ain’t just another man’s child. She’s your child.”
She kissed him again. “You change, then come to dinner. It will be ready in about a half hour.”
Chapter Four
Carson was responding to a 9-1-1 call three weeks later when he had a flashback of his first night with Peaches. This call was too similar for comfort. A child had called in, claiming his daddy was beating on his mommy. Carson would like to think these types of calls would be few and far between, especially in such a small town, but they happened rather frequently. Maybe he should mention opening a women’s shelter to the mayor the next time he saw him. The church did what it could to ease these women’s suffering, but it could only do so much.
