by Ali Parker
The words flew through my mind again and again, so fast that I couldn’t quite catch them to try and decipher what they meant. I understood what each of the words meant individually, but I was still confused.
Hearing them all strung together in that order, and from Tyson Lovett of all people, was what I was having difficulty understanding. Surely, I couldn’t have heard him correctly. “I’m sorry, what?”
“That’s not quite what I wanted to hear, but sure. Okay.” He looked down at me intently, sliding his hand over my cheek and covering it from my jaw to his thumbs brushing the soft skin under my eye. “I love you, Eve. I miss you. I know I was a jerk, but I’m asking you to forgive me.”
My mind spun. After everything my family had done to his, he shouldn’t have been in my house asking for my forgiveness. “Are you sure?”
Tyson cocked an eyebrow, the corners of his lips tilting up into a faint smile. “Am I sure that I love you? Absolutely.”
“But...” I couldn't quite bring myself to ask the most obvious question.
Tyson’s eyes hardened, but his touch remained gentle. “But nothing. What your biological father did has nothing to do with you. You haven’t done anything except to be there for my family. I’m not quite sure how someone like Ken managed to spawn someone like you, but you’re not him. You’re you, and I love you.”
“If you keep saying it, I might end up believing you.” Despite the way he was looking at me, despite feeling his hands on my skin and his body against mine, it was still hard to believe this was really happening. It wasn’t that long ago, he hated me. Now he was here, telling me he loved me.
What a weird, wonderful world. Tyson’s arms circled my body, and he pulled me closer to him. “You better believe it, ‘cause it’s true.”
For the first time in days, I felt my lips twitch toward a smile. “If you love me, are you just going to stand there staring at me, or are you going to kiss me?”
“I didn’t know kissing you was an option.” He lowered his head, his forehead warm where it came to rest against mine. “Can I kiss you now?”
“Yes.” It was barely a whisper, but it was enough for him.
Tyson’s lips touched mine gently at first, tenderly. His kiss was an extension of his apology, a way for him to show me he had really forgiven me and a plea for forgiveness of his own all rolled into one.
The tip of his tongue traced my lips, asking for permission. I parted my lips for him, giving what he was asking for freely.
Our tongues stroked and danced, but they also explored like it was the first kiss we were ever sharing. In a way, I guessed it was. We had never kissed like this before.
This kiss was different because of the emotion we were pouring into it. It wasn’t about lust or showing the other that we cared. It was about reconciliation, forgiveness under circumstances where I didn’t believe either of us thought redemption would ever be possible. It was about love.
I could feel it radiating from his every pore. Somehow, despite everything, this strong, protective, gorgeous alpha male with his lips pressed against mine loved me.
Our kisses deepened, getting wild and messy. I responded passionately. I hadn’t said the words to him yet. I had been in too much shock to articulate too much, but I knew how I felt about him, and I wanted to show him.
My fingers traced the hard lines of his chest through his T-shirt. Moving lower, I caressed his muscled stomach until I found the edge of his shirt.
Tyson was letting me lead, letting me set the pace as he kissed me. Tentatively, afraid of pushing him too far, I reached underneath the fabric and ran my fingers along the waistband of his jeans.
He groaned into my mouth, his hands digging into my hips. I loved that sound; it was music to my ears. Even though it had only been a few days, it felt like I hadn’t heard him make sounds like that in ages.
I needed more of them, so I did it again. Tyson’s hands burrowed into my hair, his fingertips scraping lightly over my scalp. I felt him getting hard against my stomach, relishing the feel of something I hadn’t expected to happen with him again.
My hips rocked of their own volition, the ache between my legs desperate for some friction. Tyson deepened our kiss, his kisses becoming frantic as my hand wiggled its way into his pants. I kept rocking against him as I did it, bursts of pleasure shooting through me at each brush of my crotch against his.
Just as I was about to wrap my hand around his length, he lifted his mouth away from mine. “Enough.”
His voice was low and raspy, commanding. It was too sexy when he spoke in that tone. It made me tingle and pulse. His lips were inches from mine; his pupils dilated with want.
My sex clenched, the ache building between my legs becoming unbearable. He wanted me that badly. Un-fucking-believable.
It wasn’t just that, either; it was that I knew now that he was mine. I’d never known that before because he hadn’t been. Everything was out in the open now, and he was here, and he was mine if I wanted him to be. I wanted, definitely. Very much so, but that also meant I would become his.
I was okay with that. “I’m yours too, Tyson. If you want me.”
“If I want you?” He tilted his head, his hooded eyes dark on mine. “I don’t want you, Eve. I need you. All of you.”
Tipping my head back, I pushed up onto my toes to press our lips pressed together once more. “In that case, you have me. All of me.”
With that, he wrapped his hand around the nape of my neck and crushed his lips to mine. His other arm banded around my waist, holding so tightly that he nearly lifted me off the ground.
I felt every hard muscle in his body against mine, but it wasn’t enough.
It took everything I had in me, but I managed to break off our kiss. “My bedroom’s that way.”
I jerked my head to the short hallway on the left. “Last door.”
“Say no more.” Tyson lifted me into his arms and carried me through my house like I didn’t weigh a thing, his eyes never leaving mine.
Without stopping to take a look around, he deposited me on my bed and crawled over me. He caged me against the bed with his big body, his knees next to my hips and his elbows next to my head.
When he looked down at me, it was like I was a light in the dark, a cool breeze on a hot summer’s day or a work of art. There was magic electricity passing between us, a spark that I recognized even though it was the first time I was feeling it myself. I loved him. He loved me. This was what that felt like.
Tyson kissed me deeply, his weight sinking us deeper into the mattress. When his lips moved away from mine, they didn’t move too far. He kissed a path down my neck to my chest.
He didn’t stop until he was seated between my ankles, kneeling between my feet. The heat in his eyes when he looked into mine fueled that spark I felt until it was raging through me like an inferno.
As he undid the leather straps of my shoes around my ankles, he pressed a kiss to each foot before releasing it. When my shoes hit the floor, he tugged his T-shirt over his head and got rid of his own shoes, dropping it all to the floor.
My body hummed with the need to touch him, to feel him, to taste him. I couldn’t do any of those things, though. I was mesmerized by the way he moved, fascinated by the way he could make me feel loved even without touching me.
My gaze followed his fingers to the button on his jeans. They deftly popped it open. Unzipped his zipper. Keeping his eyes on mine, he dropped the jeans to the floor. My breaths were coming so hard and so fast, I was nearly panting, and he hadn’t even touched me yet.
I felt too hot suddenly, my clothes constricting. Tyson naked was stunning. The hard planes of his body were chiseled and made me want to lick him all over. He was so damn beautiful, and he was also finally ridding me of my clothes.
My skin burned where his fingers made contact with it. He was moving slowly. Too slowly.
I tried to help, but that only caused a devilish, knowing smirk to pull at his lips. “I want to take my time with this, baby
.”
His eyes were still heated on mine, burning away all the lies and bullshit that had been said and happened between us until there was none of it left. It was only us in that moment, with him looking at me like he could see all the way to my soul.
When he finally, finally rolled my skirt and my panties off in one smooth movement, his breath caught. The scent of my arousal hit my nostrils, but while I started blushing in embarrassment, his eyes fluttered closed as he drew in a deep breath.
“God, Eve,” he groaned.
My sex throbbed in response to the low, wanting sound. He reached for my shirt, taking his sweet time about it like he was unwrapping a cherished gift.
I moaned, pressing my legs together in a futile attempt to relieve the pressure that was building there.
“I know, Eve.” His voice sounded strained. “I’m dying to sink into you as much as you’re dying for me to do it, but I want to savor this moment. I wasn’t sure we were ever going to be here again.”
“Me either.” I forced my body to be still. I wanted to savor the moment too. This, what was happening right now, was too important to rush.
It didn’t make waiting for it any easier, though. By the time my shirt hit the ground, liquid heat pooled between my legs. Tyson unhooked my bra, slowly sliding the straps from my shoulders. It followed the rest of my clothes to the floor.
Done undressing me, he seemed to stop breathing as he sat back on his heels and raked his eyes over every inch of my body. “I might be an asshole, but I’m the luckiest asshole who has ever roamed this planet. You’re exquisite, baby.”
“So are you.” I nearly melted at his words.
Unable to wait any longer to touch him, I reached out. He wrapped his arms around me, pressing his warm skin to mine, our hearts beating fast in tune with each other.
Winding my arms around his neck, I kissed him until I was breathless and aching. I moaned into our kiss, my fingernails digging into his shoulders.
As if my moan spurred him into action and finally broke through his determination to take this so freaking slowly, he moved so fast I was on my back before I even realized we were moving. Pinning me to the bed with his hips, his broad tip rested at my entrance.
Anticipation caused a shudder to travel through me. Tyson’s eyes got impossibly darker. “I’m going to make love to you now, okay?” He brought his forehead to mine, his eyes holding mine captive.
“Yes.”
“I love you, Eve. So fucking much.” He didn’t break eye contact as he pushed into me.
We both cried out as he slid home. He still didn’t break eye contact when he started to move with deep, steady strokes that filled me completely.
I arched my back, pressing my breasts to his chest. I held him tighter while he moved harder and faster, knowing exactly what I needed. I moved with him, meeting every thrust. Even as his eyes grew more hooded, they never left mine.
I recognized the expression. He was already getting close. Tension knotted in my stomach. I wasn’t very far behind him at all, but I wanted to see him come apart. I wanted to watch his pleasure overtake him as much as I wanted to feel my own.
He drove into me over and over, sending me higher and bringing me closer with each thrust. I angled my hips until I felt his pubic pone rubbing against my clit, my moans permeating the air around us.
Tyson’s breathing became uneven and ragged. He increased the speed and pressure of his thrusts, both of us breathing erratically as he hit every spot exactly right. He moved faster still, and pleasure spread through from my core.
White light exploded behind my eyelids as my sex pulsed, and I went flying over the edge. My entire existence was reduced to pleasure. It crashed into me and lit up every nerve in my body.
Tyson growled and moved faster, chasing his own release. His thighs trembled, and the muscles in his back rolled and tensed under my fingers. When his moans started running into one, I felt him twitch deep inside me and held on to him as he rode out his own pleasure.
It took a long time before I fully came back to my senses. Tyson rolled onto his back and cradled me to his chest. I finally caught my breath, looking up at him through my lashes. “Hey, Ty?”
“Yeah?” He dropped his sleepy eyes to mine, his thumbs stroking the skin on my hand and my neck.
“I love you too.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Tyson
6 Months Later
Gusts of smoke came off the barbecue, flames licking the bottom of the steaks on top of it whenever a drop of fat fell. I eyed Jeremy, standing with a spatula in his hand. “Are you sure those aren’t burning?”
He rolled his hazel eyes at me, a beer hanging loosely from his fingers in front of his mouth. “I’ve told you three times already, flame grilled tastes better.”
“There is a very fine line between flame grilled and burned.” Marie came up behind her husband, winding her arms around his back. “We’ve experimented with that line a lot. I think he’s finally got it down now.”
Sonny frowned from his perch on the lounger, his arms around Niki’s shoulders and his front pressed tightly to her back. “I’m not sure I trust this now that I know you had to experiment with it. I should take over.”
He made a move to stand, but Niki’s hand on his leg stopped him. “It’s Jeremy’s house, baby. Let him do it.”
“If all else fails, we can order pizza later.” Evan walked up to where we were standing on the patio in Jeremy’s backyard. Emery was holding his one hand and Austin the other. “Who’s up for a game of catch? These two say we’re boring.”
Marie dropped her arms from Jeremy’s waist and turned to stalk toward their little boy; her green eyes lit with mischief. “We’re boring, huh?”
Austin released Evan’s hand and started backing away, giggling nervously. “Only a little bit. We’ve been doing grown-up stuff all day.”
He was so focused on his mom that he didn’t notice Jeremy setting the beer and spatula down and rounding on him from the other side. Suddenly appearing right behind the boy, he yanked him into his arms and shot up. “I’ll show you boring.”
Holding Austin tightly to his chest, he ran in the direction of the sparkling pool in the back corner. It didn’t take a genius to see what he was planning. He was already shirtless and in his shorts from an earlier dip.
Evan caught on around the same time I did, dropping to his haunches beside Emery with a playful grin spreading on his lips. Her pretty blue eyes widened, but she wrapped her arms around his neck willingly. “Okay, we can go swimming. Just don’t jump in the deep end.”
She said the words in a loud whisper, hanging in front of Evan like a koala bear when he pushed to his feet. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. We won’t go jumping in like they do.”
At that moment, a huge splash sent water spraying out of the pool. Jeremy and Austin surfaced, sputtering and laughing. Austin swam over to his stepfather, splashing him before going to cling to his back. “Launch me into the air, Jeremy. Pleeeeasse.”
“Guess I’ll have to do the steaks after all,” Sonny grumbled, planting a quick kiss on Niki’s temple before getting up and walking over to the grill.
“I should go touch up Emery’s sunscreen.” Sadie grabbed the orange bottle standing on the plastic table next to her and jogged to the pool to catch Evan and Emery before they went in the water.
“I can’t wait until we’ve also got one of those.” Charise smiled at the pool, her obvious fondness for both kids shining in her eyes.
Beau stood with his arm around her waist, sipping his beer. “I’m ready whenever you are, wife.”
“I still can’t believe you two just eloped.” Eve shut the book she had been reading on the lounger next to mine, looking up at Charise accusingly. “I had the perfect dress picked out for the wedding.”
“Sorry.” Charise laughed, then shook her head. “Actually, I’m not sorry. We just couldn’t wait any longer.”
“I’m still not sure what differenc
e it makes.” I lifted my beer and pointed from Beau to Charise and back again. “You were already living together.”
“It’s not the same,” Jeremy called from the lawn, on his way back to the patio after his quick swim.
Evan was still in the pool with the kids. They were both strong swimmers, but neither of my brothers ever left them in the pool without supervision. Sadie was sitting on the side, her feet dangling in the water.
Jeremy shot Sonny a look, picked up his beer and held out his hand for the spatula. “You’ll see one day. All the wedding planning starts getting in the way of just wanting to be fucking married. It doesn’t matter what flowers are on the tables at the reception or whether Aunt So-and-so can make it.”
Marie narrowed her eyes before rolling them. “Neither of us had an Aunt So-and-so to make it.”
“Yeah, but we still waited too long. Beau had the right idea.” He took a sip of his beer, then scowled at Beau. “It still would have been nice to be invited.”
“What would have been the point of eloping then?” Beau shrugged his tanned shoulders. After our father passed, we’d started having a cookout or something every Sunday.
With all the time we were spending outside this summer, we were all golden brown. It felt good to get outside often enough to be tanned.
I’d tried canceling once or twice to work, but Eve had shown up at my office and dragged me out. She insisted that family trumped work and wouldn’t hear it when I tried to tell her I had urgent stuff to do.
Eventually, I had stopped arguing with her about it. I preferred to spend my time with her and my family anyway. I finally had my brothers back in a way I never would have expected, and I didn’t want to waste any time with them. Life was too short, as we had all so painfully learned.
Eve had been coming along with me every Sunday. She fit in seamlessly, like she had always meant to be one of us.
Charise’s voice brought me back to the good-natured bickering carrying on around me. “Come on, Sonny. If we had to invite everyone and give everyone enough notice of the date anyway, we might as well have had a reception. We eloped so we didn’t have to wait. It was spontaneous.”
