by Kaylee Ryan
“Wh-What’s wrong? Why did you stop?” Layla asks, pulling her lips from mine.
“I need a minute, baby.”
“What did I do?” she asks, her voice small.
I can’t help but laugh. “You’re breathing, Layla. That’s all it takes for me to want you. I’m close, baby. I just need a minute to get it under control.”
“You can do that?”
“Sometimes, but if you keep lifting your hips like that, I’m not going to be able to.”
“You mean like this?” she asks, lifting her hips, and I slide a little deeper, something I didn’t think was possible.
“Fuck me,” I murmur.
“I thought that’s what we were trying to do?” she sasses.
“We might be fucking, Layla, but there will always be love in our bed. Tell me that you know that.”
“Yeah,” she agrees softly. “I love you too, but can we get back to the… you know…” she asks, her voice trailing off.
“Say it, Lay. What do you want to do?”
“Move. I want you to move.”
“Like this?” I roll my hips and pull out, pushing back inside her.
“Oh.” Her eyes roll back in her head. “That works,” she pants.
I freeze, and her eyes pop open. “I need you to say it, Lay. Tell me you want me to fuck you.”
She licks her lips, and I see not only need but determination in her eyes. “I want you to fuck me, Owen.”
“This is going to be fast.” I pull out and push back in, finding a steady rhythm. “You good?”
“So good,” she pants.
Moving my weight to my forearm that’s resting beside her head, I slide my hand between us and begin to circle her clit with my thumb. “I need you to come for me, baby.” My voice is a caress in her ear.
“Th-There, don’t stop. There,” she says again. Her eyes fall closed, and her head tilts back further into the pillow. I feel her walls begin to squeeze my cock like a vise.
“I love you, Layla. Come for me,” I whisper as she detonates around me. I follow her over the edge of ecstasy in the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had in my entire life. Everything is better with her, kissing, work, Sunday dinners, sex, all of it.
Life is better with Layla.
Mindful of my weight, I move to lie next to her, holding her in my arms. We’re both struggling to pull air into our lungs as we bask in the glow of our lovemaking. Our bodies are drenched with sweat, but I couldn’t care less. I need to hold her.
“Owen?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“When can we do that again?” she asks.
My laughter fills the room. I’ve never been able to laugh and love during sex. It was always a means to an end. That changed today. “You’re going to be sore,” I tell her.
“I’m okay.” She turns in my arms to look at me. “Promise.”
“You have a girls’ night to get ready for, remember?”
“That’s tonight.”
“We need to shower, and then I’m taking you to the store to get whatever you want for tonight, and I’m going to help you do whatever it is that we need to do to get ready. Then I’m going to disappear for a few hours. I’ll probably go see one of my brothers or maybe see if they want to meet up for a beer.”
“You don’t have to leave.”
“I know that, but it’s girls’ night. This is your home, Layla. I want you to be able to do whatever it is you women do on girls’ night without worrying about me lingering.”
“I don’t really know. I’ve never had one.”
“Come on, we’re going to shower, and then you’re going to call Sawyer, and then we’re going to the store. In that order.” I kiss her nose and climb out of bed, holding my hand out for her.
“What about that?” She nods to my still semi-hard cock and the condom.
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Is it uncomfortable?”
“It’s fine. Come on.” I lead her to the bathroom.
“We don’t have to use them. Condoms, I mean. I’m on the pill, have been for the last couple of years. It helps with some female issues.”
“That’s your choice, babe.”
She bites down on her lip. “I want to know what it feels like. Just you, nothing between us.”
“Fuck, are you trying to kill me?” I ask her, reaching and turning on the shower. I turn back to find her watching me curiously. Reaching down, I rid myself of the condom, and stroke my cock that’s ready to go again. “This, Layla. I can’t have you again so soon, and now look.”
“I can help with that.” She reaches for me, and even though I know that I should stop her, I don’t.
“Shower,” I croak. She steps under the spray, with me following along behind her. She then proceeds to help me with my hard cock. What she doesn’t realize is now that I’ve had her, now that I know what it feels like to lose myself inside her, I’m going to walk around like this all the damn time.
Chapter 18
Layla
“This is so good,” Sam says, holding her hand over her mouth. She’s just taken a bite of my German chocolate cake I made when Owen and I got back from the store earlier this afternoon.
“Thanks. It’s actually a recipe I got from the hotel restaurant where I used to work.”
“Will you get in trouble for making it?” Sawyer asks, taking a bite. She moans and closes her eyes. “I don’t care if you do. I have bail money. I’ll make sure the boys spring you from the pen. This is delicious,” she says, making us laugh.
“No. The managers and I were close. It’s an old family recipe of theirs. So technically, it’s not even the hotel’s.”
“Can you make wedding cakes?” Sawyer asks, taking another huge bite.
“Um, I don’t think so.” I laugh.
“How are the wedding plans coming along?” Sam asks.
“They’re not. Not really. The only thing I know for certain is that I want it to be at the lake.”
“It’s beautiful there. Summer? Fall?” I ask, taking a bite of my own piece of cake.
“I kind of want it to be winter. I know that sounds crazy, but it was cold out when he proposed, and it might be sentimental of me, but that’s what I want.”
“Not at all. Get some outdoor heaters, and they have tents that you can rent with sides and all that. I’m sure you can make it happen.”
“What does Royce think?” Sam asks.
“I haven’t really told him yet.”
“Ah, that explains the broodiness.” Sam chuckles.
“Maybe. He wants to get married now. He doesn’t want to wait, so telling him he has to wait until late November or early December is going to send him into orbit.”
“Pfft, you’re kidding, right? That man would give you the moon if he could. Just tell him what you’re thinking.”
“Yeah, what if he assumes you not wanting to commit to a date means you’re having second thoughts?” I ask her.
“I never thought about it like that,” Sawyer confesses.
Aria begins to fuss, and Sawyer jumps into action, setting her plate with her half-eaten piece of cake on the table and grabs the baby from her Pack ’N Play. “Hello, sweet girl,” she coos to the baby.
“Besides,” Sam looks at me and winks, “you need to get on that wedding planning so you can get you one of those. Aria needs some cousins to play with.”
“She has cousins, and pseudo cousins.” Sawyer laughs.
“Yeah, but she needs more. Besides…” Sam chuckles.
“Is this pick on Sawyer night?” she asks. “They’re mean to Aunt Sawyer, aren’t they, baby girl?” she asks Aria.
“Fine.” Sam rolls her eyes dramatically. “Layla, how are things with Owen?”
“Great.” I smile at her.
“Oh, I know that smile.” She grins.
“Does this have anything to do with the fact that you left the office before noon today?”
“Owen left early? And it wasn’t f
or work?” Sam asks in disbelief.
“Yep. He also instructed me that everything could wait until tomorrow. He didn’t want to be interrupted.”
“Traitor,” I say, trying to sound offended, but my smile shines through my voice. I can’t help it. Today was incredible. Better than I ever could have imagined it could be.
“I’ve seen a change in him, and we have you to thank for that.”
“Wait, is this déjà vu?” Sam asks. “Didn’t I tell you the same thing when it came to you and Royce?”
“Similar,” Sawyer agrees. “It’s true, though. We all see it. You’re good for him.”
“He’s good for me.” I don’t tell them that life for me before Owen was dull and void. I know they know my story. There is no use in bringing up the bad when there is so much good to talk about and celebrate. “All right, baby hog. Hand her over,” I say, setting my now empty plate on the table and holding my hands out for the baby. These women, they accept me, and make me feel like we’ve all been friends forever. I can’t believe I almost didn’t come to Nashville. That would have been the biggest mistake of my life.
“Aw, do I have to?” Sawyer says, her eyes shining with mischief.
“Yes, now hand her over.” I reach for Aria, and she comes to me with ease. “Hello, beautiful,” I coo at her. She’s such a gorgeous baby. She has her daddy’s blue eyes and her mommy’s dark brown hair.
“I’m telling you, Sawyer, you need one.” Sam points at Aria. “You both do.”
“Someday,” I admit. “Everything is still so new for us.”
“Love is love, Layla. The only timeline you’re on is set by you,” Sawyer tells me.
“Royce told you that, didn’t he?” I ask her.
“Possibly.” She shrugs.
“Owen said something very similar to me.”
“Let’s not talk about timelines. Jase and I broke records.” Sam laughs.
The sound of the front door opening catches our attention. “Well, they held out longer than I thought they would,” Sam jokes.
“There’s my girl.” Jase leans down and kisses Aria on the head, where I’m holding her in my lap, before heading toward the chair that Sam is sitting in. Without a word, he takes her hand, pulls her from the chair and takes her seat, pulling her down onto his lap.
“You ladies have a good time?” Royce asks, sitting on the loveseat next to Sawyer, kissing her temple.
“Girls’ Night, Riggins,” she answers.
“Hey, it wasn’t just me this time. These two jokers couldn’t stand to be away either.”
I feel the couch dip, and I turn to look at Owen. Aria reaches out and latches onto his beard, and he chuckles. Carefully, he removes her hand from his beard and takes her from my arms. I watch in fascination as he leans in and blows raspberries on her chubby cheeks, making her giggle.
“We need one of those.” I hear Royce say, his voice low. I don’t hear Sawyer’s reply, but I don’t need to. It looks like baby Aria took the broody right out of her uncle Royce.
“You both need one,” Jase chimes in. “It’s the best, man. I’m telling you.”
Owen looks at Jase, then turns his gaze toward me. “We do have some bedrooms to fill.” My heart trips over in my chest, and an emotion that I’ve come to associate with Owen clogs my throat.
Happiness.
I wasn’t sure I would ever find it, but this man sitting next to me… he is my happiness. And those bedrooms he says we need to fill. I can see it. Our kids running and playing in the backyard. Maybe a big swing set. I know that we’re nowhere near ready for that, but I want to be. Someday I want that vision to be our truth.
“Damnit, Sawyer,” Royce pouts. “We either need to start trying without a date or set a wedding date,” he tells her.
“I want to get married at the lake,” Sawyer blurts.
“I know that. I told you I don’t care where it is as long as the end result is that you’re a Riggins.”
Sawyer looks at Sam, then over at me. We both give her nods of encouragement. “I want it to be winter, around Thanksgiving, but before Christmas, just like our proposal.”
“Done.”
“Wait? What?” she asks, surprised.
“I told you I want it to be a day you’ve always dreamed of, one we will always remember and can tell our kids about one day. You want to recreate that night, and I’m going to make it happen.”
“I thought you would fight me on it. It’s a few months away.”
“Four to be exact, and I’m not waiting a minute longer. I’m ready for you to be my wife,” he says, leaning in and kissing her. “And you two—” He points to Owen and me. “We get to have the first Riggins grandchild. I am the oldest, after all.” He smirks.
“Is that a challenge, big brother?” Owen asks.
“Oh, Lord, just wait until the other three hear about this. They’re all going to be trying to knock up the town just to rise to the challenge.”
“Nah, Con and Marsh are still sowing their wild oats, and Grant, he’s too level-headed for that.”
“I would have said the same for you.” Sam laughs.
“I didn’t accept the challenge. Not my fault, this guy is a Neanderthal and wants to knock up his fiancée.”
“Hey!” Sawyer laughs.
“You did say that you have bedrooms to fill,” Jase chimes in.
“Heard that did you?” Owen smirks.
Aria begins to fuss, and Jase is lifting Sam off his lap, and rushing to Owen to take her. “Hey, baby girl. You missed your daddy, huh?” he asks as she coos up at him, no longer fussing.
“You’ve got her spoiled,” Sawyer comments.
“Of course I do. I spoil both of my girls,” Jase replies.
“We should probably be getting her home,” Sam says, looking at Jase and Aria with so much love in her eyes.
“Us too. Thanks for having us. Our place next time.”
“Next time?” Royce asks.
“Yep. This is going to be our new thing. Girls’ night.” She looks at me and then at Sam, and we both nod.
“As long as Layla makes this cake.”
“Cake?” Jase asks. “I want cake.”
“Layla, you’ve been holding out on us,” Royce says, pretending to pout.
“I’ll go cut a few slices for each of you to take home. We can’t eat it all anyway.” I go to the kitchen and dig in the cabinets until I find two containers and add two pieces of cake to each.
“You saving me some of that?” Owen asks.
“Yes. There are two pieces left,” I say, placing the lids on the containers. Together, we walk back to the living room, so I can pass out the to-go containers. After a round of hugs, and a kiss on the cheek for baby Aria, we’re alone again.
“Don’t look at me like that, Layla. It’s too soon.”
“I feel fine.”
“Sleep, beautiful. We need to sleep. It’s been a long day.”
“Fine.” I roll my eyes, and he smacks me on the ass.
“I’m going to have me a piece of cake first and lock up.”
“Okay. I need to fold the load of laundry from earlier.”
“I’ll help.” He starts to follow me.
“No. I’ve got it. Go enjoy your cake.” I stand on my toes to kiss the corner of his mouth and head toward the laundry room.
Fifteen minutes later, we’re snuggled up in bed. We’ve easily fallen into a routine, one I hope lasts us a lifetime.
* * *
“I’m so glad you came,” I tell Sam, giving her a hug.
“Logan has Aria for a few hours. After last night, I decided we needed a break. It was hard to get Jase to agree, but I have my ways.”
“Oh, I bet you do.” We share a laugh. “Just think, you get to be witness to my epic fail on the skis.”
“First time?” she asks.
“Yep.”
“Hot damn!” Jase claps his hands and rubs them together. “This is going to be fun.”
“
What did we miss?” Royce asks, joining us with his hand tightly clasped around Sawyer’s.
“Layla’s a first-timer.” Jase grins.
“Don’t worry, beautiful. I’ll be there to catch you,” Marshall says, stepping up next to me and slinging an arm around my shoulders.
“I thought I told you to get your own?” Owen’s deep voice comes from behind us.
“I did. O, meet Layla. Lay, meet my brother Owen,” Marshall quips.
“Fuck off.” Owen shakes his head, a smile playing on his lips. He pulls me from Marshall’s arms and into his.
“O, what have I told you about having your hands on my girl?” Conrad says, joining our circle, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Are you trying to be me?” Owen asks over a splutter of laughter.
“What? I don’t do a good Owen?” He makes a face I’ve never seen Owen make, and we all throw our heads back in laughter.
“Idiots, the lot of you. Everyone knows Layla’s my girl,” Grant says as he walks past us with a cooler in his hands.
“What the fuck? Did they do this to you?” Owen asks Royce.
“They tried.”
“Sawyer knows when she’s ready for the sexy Riggins brother to call me,” Conrad says, pretending to hold his phone to his ear. Royce reaches out and smacks him on the back of the head.
“Pfft, he whines too damn much. We know you can take it, O.” Marshall grins.
“Besides, we all know Layla’s your girl,” Conrad says soothingly. “She turned us all down,” he says, then turns and runs, his laughter trailing behind him.
“You better run, fucker!” Owen calls after him, making no effort to chase him.
“You’ll get your chance for payback,” Royce tells Owen. “Just wait. Someone is going to come along for each of them and knock them on their ass. I’m taking notes, brother, as should you.”
I love the dynamic between Owen and his brothers. I love that they can laugh and joke, but I know if any one of them needed something, the others would be there, no questions asked. I’ve never known this kind of family dynamic, and I’m thrilled I can be a witness to it. That I get to be a part of it, even for a little while.
