Broad Daylight

by A. M. Wilson

His arms move from around me, and he gently grabs my waist. Moving me back a foot, he drops his eyes to my stomach.

  “You’re carrying my baby?” he asks, his voice full of wonder.

  “Yes. I’m ten weeks along..”

  His eyes fly to mine, and he frowns. “Were you going to tell me?”

  My chest aches at the pain I hear in his voice.

  “Yes,” I say quietly. “I would have never kept this child from you, Reece.”

  His eyes slide closed with his nod before he opens them again.

  “I need you to know, Reece, that as horrible as what Bolt did to us, what she made us do to each other, I don’t blame you for a second. For any of it. The intimate moments we shared may have been forced and not something either of us would have chosen at the time, but we can’t let them control our emotions.” I set my hand on the back of his that’s resting on my stomach. “We made something beautiful out of something vile. As insane as it may sound, I can’t regret it.”

  “I love you, Danica Lawrence,” he says huskily. “I don’t deserve what you’ve just given me, but I’m going to take it anyway because the alternative isn’t something I can bear to think about, let alone let happen.”

  “I love you too, Reece James.”

  Sliding my hand up the back of his head, I gently grip a handful of strands and pull him toward me. When our lips meet, the kiss starts out slow and sweet, both of us relishing the feel of the other.

  It only takes seconds before we’re clutching each other, scared one might disappear as if all of this is just a dream. Reece’s hands slide down my backside, and I lock my arms around his neck when he lifts me off my feet. With my legs hugging his hips, he carries me to the bed.

  He puts me down, and I immediately reach for the bottom of his shirt. He helps by reaching back and gripping the cotton material between his shoulder blades. While in Bolt’s captivity, we both lost weight, but as I rake my eyes over Reece’s chest, I’m pleased to see he’s regained a few of the pounds he lost.

  “Your turn,” he grunts gruffly.

  My hoodie gets tossed to the floor, and my shirt is yanked off next. Since I’ve already had my shower this evening, I didn’t put a bra back on, so my bare breasts are on display for Reece. And boy does he take advantage. I can practically feel the heat of his gaze as he runs his eyes over my flesh. My nipples pebble into hard little points, and my breasts tremble as my breathing becomes choppy.

  “Damn, but I’ve missed these,” Reece says lowly and reaches out to plump the mounds. Using his thumbs and pointer fingers, he tweaks the tips. “You used to drive me crazy with your gorgeous tits. You remember that?” He looks down at me with blazing eyes.

  “I remember,” I whisper on a moan.

  Reece was a boobs man back in high school, and apparently, he still is. It worked for me back then because they were always really sensitive, but it’s even better now because my hormones are out of whack from being pregnant, and my breasts are even more sensitive.

  Dipping his head, he pulls one nipple between his lips. I toss my head back and release a low cry of pleasure. Digging my fingers in his hair, I tug him closer, needing more. He releases my nipple with a pop and spends the next couple of minutes paying homage to the other.

  I’m a quivering mess, and my body is on fire by the time he’s done.

  I press my legs together in a useless attempt to relieve the tormenting ache building between my legs. “Please, Reece. I can’t wait anymore.”

  He grips my hair in the back and gently tugs my head back. “I know, baby. Me neither.”

  Letting me go, his hands move to the waistband of my sleep shorts, and mine move to the snap on his jeans. With a tug from both of us, our bottoms fall to the floor. As soon as I step out of mine, he’s gently laying me back on the bed and following me down, settling his hips between my spread legs. His eyes move to the scar on my shoulder, and a look of concern dims some of the desire.

  “How’s your shoulder?”

  I smile and use my injured arm to lift a hand to soothe away the frown marring his face. “It’s getting better.”

  “Does it still hurt?”

  “At times, but the pain is fading pretty fast. My doctors are impressed with how fast it’s healing.”

  “Does it hurt now?”

  There’s a small ache, but I don’t tell him that. I don’t want anything to get in the way of us making love. I shake my head. “No.”

  He nods, satisfied with my answer.

  Dropping his head, he gives me a slow but heated kiss. I lift my legs and lock them around his waist. He swallows my low moan when the steely head of his shaft bumps against my center. Tightening my legs, I lift my hips, desperate for him to fill me up.

  “Now, Reece. Make love to me.”

  He pulls his head back an inch, his eyes moving back and forth between mine. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes. I have never been more sure of anything.”

  Propping himself up on one arm, he reaches between us to grip the root of his cock. I almost cry in relief when the head notches against my opening. Utter bliss, that’s the only way to describe it, fills me when he slowly slides inside. He doesn’t stop until he’s all the way in, and I feel him at my cervix.

  “Shit, magnet. You feel so goddamn good.”

  Unable to talk, all I can do is nod. Sex with Reece was always phenomenal. Even the times in the basement, as crazy as it sounds and as horrible as our situation was, was better than any of the other men I had been with over the years. Now though, without the threat of Bolt and her dirty eyes—not to mention the eyes of the other people watching we didn’t know about—I’ve never felt anything more beautiful.

  Reece’s movements start slow, and I know he’s doing it for my benefit. Seeing the strain on his face, coupled with the bulging veins in his neck, I reach down and grab two handfuls of his magnificent ass, jerking his hips hard into mine. Just to tempt him further, I squeeze my walls around him.

  “Jesus, baby, you can’t do that,” he groans between clenched teeth. “Slow and easy. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t want slow and easy,” I pant. “We can do that later. Right now, I need you to fuck me hard and fast, Reece.”

  “Fuck,” he hisses. Straightening his arms, he lifts off me a couple of inches. Grabbing the back of my thigh, he hikes it higher up his waist. With his frenzied gaze on me, he growls. “Hold on to me, Dani. You want hard and fast? You’re about to get exactly that.”

  His hips slam forward with so much force, a loud cry is yanked from me. Before I have a chance to recover from the intense feeling, he’s pulled back and is thrusting forward. Over and over again, he fucks me just like I wanted. Hard and fast, and it feels glorious.

  All too soon, I feel the beginnings of an orgasm approaching. I want to change my mind and tell Reece to slow down, not wanting this to be over. But we have time, all the time in the world.

  Reece grunts and groans as he continues his sensuous assault on my body. Watching the expressions on his face feels nearly as good as what he’s making my body feel.

  Just as my peak hits and I’m thrust into a euphoric prism of bright colors and sparks of fire, Reece stiffens above me. With eyes slanted nearly shut, I watch with rapt attention as he falls over the edge with me.

  I sag into the mattress, my body pleasantly sated for the moment, and stare up at the man I’ve loved more than half my life. A bead of sweat trickles down his cheek, then splashes onto my chest. Leaning down, Reece presses a kiss against the hollow of my throat. When he lifts his head again, I know with certainty that I made the right choice when I chose to give us a chance. The unmistakable love I see shining in his eyes reassures me. Someone who’s looking at me the way he is right now would never purposely hurt the ones he loves.

  I rest my hand against his cheek, the little prickles from his unshaven face scratching my palm. “Thank you for coming for me,” I whisper into the room.

  His eyes soften, and he
drops a single kiss against my lips. “I’ll always come for you. No matter where you go. You’re mine, Dani.”

  I nod. “I’m yours.” My lips tip up into a smile. “And you’re mine.”

  “I always have been. Even when we weren’t together, I was yours.”

  It’s no wonder why I fell in love with this man, and why that feeling never went away, despite what happened between us all those years ago

  I was born to love him, just as he was born to love me. And if God wills it, many years from now, we’ll both die with that love just as strong.

  33

  Reece

  “Just remember you’re always welcome here.”

  Decker clasps both Dani’s cheeks in his palms. I swear she can feel the vibration of my grumble behind her. The fact he has a dick between his legs makes me want to rip his arms off, regardless of his sexual preferences.

  “I know. And thank you. For this.” Dani waves her hand around to gesture at the beautiful home and views surrounding us. “For everything.”

  He yanks her into another tight hug. “Don’t make me wait a few years before dropping by again, okay? Bennett and I will have to take a trip out to you next time.”

  “I think you might want to avoid Westbridge for a while,” she says. I actually agree. That town has some seriously bad vibes, something I plan to carefully discuss with Dani later.

  The moment she’s released, Bennett swoops in and gathers her into his tattooed chest. “Take care, sweetheart.”

  “You too. Don’t let Decker drive you too crazy.” They pull back to arm’s length.

  “Girl, that’s my favorite part,” he whispers and winks. Dani’s soft laugh is cut short by me tucking her beneath my arm. I’ve had enough watching her touch other men. I hold out my hand for the two guys to shake.

  “You sure you don’t want to hit the other cheek as a parting gift? I’ll even hold still so you don’t miss.” Decker angles his face to the side not sporting a yellowing bruise. This time, it’s Bennett who growls.

  “I’m not the type of guy to issue more than one apology, but in this case, I truly am sorry.” I shake Decker’s hand before moving to Bennett’s.

  “You are forgiven. If I walked up to my woman living with a man as fine as myself, I would have reacted the same.”

  “Wrong,” Bennett butts in. “I would have reacted the same. You would have started a screaming match.”

  Decker huffs. “I always say fight with your words, not with your hands.” His fingers mimic claws as he swipes at the air.

  His comment chases away a bit of the lingering sadness. The circumstances for Dani’s trip to the mountains won’t ever be repeated if I have anything to say about it, but I know she enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with her friends. Unfortunately, it’s time I take my woman home where she belongs. I would have run us out of here the minute I arrived four days ago, but I needed a few days to recover for the drive back home.

  “We’ll see you soon,” I bid the men, eager to get on the road. Our trip is a day’s worth of driving back to Ohio. Dani turns in my arms, tipping her face to mine. The shadow cast beside her nose looks like a dirty smudge. For a moment, I’m transported back to the basement.

  “We will?” Her question shakes the memories free. I offer a gentle smile.

  “Our baby is going to need godparents, and I can’t think of anyone better than the men who took care of their mother during a hard time.”

  Dani’s warm palm settles on my stubbled cheek.

  “You’re a good man, Reece James.”

  I turn my head and kiss her palm, allowing myself to feel the warmth in my chest. Her simple touch chases away years of cold.

  “You bring it out of me.”

  With teary waves from Dani and the guys, I load my woman into my truck and set us on our course home. The first hundred miles are stilted. The only comfort comes from resting my palm on her thigh. She absentmindedly plays with my fingers as the tires eat up the miles on our way home. Our future is still immensely unknown. From our living arrangements to work schedules and relationship boundaries, which I hope there are none, we have a lot to discuss. And as much as I’d like to wait and not push her, some things can’t go on much longer.

  I reach over and turn down the radio dial. “How long is your leave of absence?”

  “Captain said we could evaluate at three months. I haven’t told him I’m pregnant, though.”

  “And what do you want to do?”

  Her pants rustle against the seat as she turns more fully toward me. “What’s going on, Reece?”

  “Clearly, I’m failing at being subtle.” I lift my mouth in a lazy grin. “I want to know if we’re staying in Westbridge.”

  “I haven’t thought about it fully yet. Though I can tell you my answer is different knowing we’re together again.”

  “Really?”

  From the corner of my eye, I see her nod.

  “If you hadn’t come for me, I might not have returned for a while. With the help Madison hired for Mom and Dad, they don’t need me like I thought they did. At first, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel living there alone after what we went through. ”

  My chest constricts under the weight of her honesty. I never seriously considered moving myself, but I also had the pleasure of choking the life out of that bitch with my bare hands. I don’t doubt for a second that she’s dead and we’re safe again.

  “And now?” I lick my dry lips in anticipation.

  “There’s not a doubt in my mind that I’m safe with you.”

  “So you want to stay.”

  She threads her warm fingers through the back of mine and pulls my hand from the steering wheel. “It’s where we started.”

  I flip our joined hands and brush my lips against the back of hers.

  “Then you’ll move in with me.”

  “Reece—”

  I cut her off. “Don’t argue with me. ”

  She retrieves her hand and rests it on her thigh. “I was going to say you don’t have to ask twice,” she grumbles. I cover her hand with mine.

  “I’m glad we’re on the same page, sweetheart.”

  “I don’t remember you being this bossy.”

  I can’t hide the chuckle her words bring out of me after months of austerity. “You better get used to it.”

  As she flicks her gaze out the window at the passing trees, I don’t miss her smirk.

  Dani sleeps off and on throughout our trip, mostly due to early pregnancy exhaustion. Or so she said after waking from her first nap. We stop every couple of hours for bathroom breaks and water refills. After thirteen hours of driving, I finally drag us off the interstate somewhere near Minneapolis, Minnesota, to find a hotel for the night. I leave Dani asleep in the truck while I secure a room and don’t bother waking her until I’m parked in the lot.

  “Should I carry you up to our room?”

  An adorable smile stretches across her sleepy face. Long, black eyelashes flutter rapidly against her cheeks. “That might look suspicious.”

  “Might not be as suspicious as you looking dead on your feet.”

  “I’m okay.” She thrusts her arms in front of her. “Though I’m looking forward to stretching out on a bed.”

  “Me too.”

  I snag each of our bags from the back while Dani grabs some of our leftover drinks and snacks. I make a mental note to find somewhere to grab breakfast before we hit the road in the morning. There’s still about half a day’s worth of driving until we reach Ohio, and I want to get started early. The moment we reach our room, we drop our things just inside the threshold. Dani kicks off her shoes and flops heavily onto the bed.

  “Our first night in a hotel together, and all I can think about is sleep,” she mutters in a thick voice.

  “That’s fine by me. I just want to hold you.” Grasping my thermal Henley at the back of my neck, I yank it over my head. With the same hurriedness, I shuck my jeans to the floor. Dani rakes her appreciative gaze
over my nearly naked body as I stalk to the bed in nothing but my boxer briefs.

  “It’s crazy to me all the ways you’ve changed.”

  I crawl up the bed until we’re in mirroring positions on our sides.

  “Bad crazy?”

  “Definitely not.” She shakes her head. “All my daydreams of an adult Reece didn’t do you enough justice.”

  I settle my palm on the curve of her hip, thankful she’s still wearing her clothes, or we wouldn’t get any rest. The dark circles under her eyes are more than enough of a reason to keep my hands in safe territory. She mimics my position and places her hot palm on my bare waist.

  “You’re better than any dream I’ve ever had too.”

  Our lips meet in a soft, exploring kiss.

  “I’m going to get changed so we can sleep.”

  With a reluctant squeeze, I let her go. I track her with my eyes until she disappears around the corner to the bathroom. While I wait for her to return, I drop my cheek to the pillow and lie on my stomach. I’m no stranger to long days of work, but thirteen hours of driving has drained my tank.

  It might also have something to do with the relief of having Dani by my side at last. Since I found her in Montana, I feel like I can sleep peacefully again for the first time in months. Maybe for the first time in years.

  Her soft footsteps on the carpet announce her return, though it’s her startled intake of breath that has me turning.

  “Wait.” Her warm hand forces my shoulder back down. She stands beside the bed, looming over my naked back.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I haven’t seen it since-since…. God, I’m sorry.” Her words clog in her tightening throat. Before I can turn, her index finger traces the large D on my left shoulder blade. I stiffen at the realization. This time, I roll fully straight through her resistance. I wrap my fingers tightly around her wrist and yank her down into my chest. Once secured, I roll us back to our previous positions on our sides.

  “Don’t you dare,” I growl in warning, unable to contain the frustration in my tone.

  “I did that to you,” she whispers.