While Emma and Greyson had an amazing relationship, they each had a best friend that wasn’t each other. They each had someone they confided in, laughed with, and spent time with when they needed a break.
Being married had its own trials and tribulations, so you needed to have someone to have your back when you were angry with your spouse.
Or to talk you down.
Or, in her case, feed you sweets when Greyson wasn’t looking.
Dimitri had been like his brother, and that stung. He’d been his best man in their upcoming wedding.
They were as thick as thieves.
Emma had to draw the line, but before she could, Greyson did it himself.
“He betrayed us to Babylon, and I let it go. He’s made it so hard for us these last three months, and I let it go. He put his hands on me, and I let it go.”
She listened.
“I feel like I have a hole in me.”
She understood.
Emma knew that her husband carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and this was breaking him. Beneath that caveman exterior was a compassionate man who loved his family more than himself.
Here was her proof.
“Let me fix that too.”
“How?” he asked.
She lifted his chin and gave him a kiss on the lips. She knew the way to make him heal was to make him forget. There was only one way to do that.
Pulling him to his feet, she placed his hands on her belly. Their son was swimming around, moving in her body.
Mac was stirred up too.
“Uh, are we going to change his name? The M was for Maximillian. If you need to change it, we can.”
He thought about it.
“No, it stays. Mac is his name. It’s a good name.”
He dropped to his knees and placed his mouth beside her belly button.
“I love you, son. I’m going to make sure you have a wonderful life. Want a pony?” he asked.
It made her laugh.
Where would they put one of them?
In a spare condo?
“You’re a good man, Greyson. This is my proof. You’ve made a miracle, and I’m blessed. Now let me help you. I can make you feel better.”
He had to let her.
Greyson was miserable.
Normally, he was a happy man, but the last three months had been hard. In fact, the last six months had been torture. They’d lost people they loved, and it looked like they were losing another before it was done.
He needed her.
“Please, Emma. Please.”
She understood.
Emma opened her arms to him.
She knew love would help heal, as she rebuilt what had been broken in him.
“I love you, Grey. I’ll never stop loving you, and that’s my vow to you and our son. We will have a beautiful life here or anywhere. If you want to leave so Mac can have a pony, so be it. We’ll go.”
He needed to hear that.
Croft needed her promise.
Emma grounded him.
Knowing she was the way to heal, he moved into her body, so overwhelmed with emotion that he could barely contain it. Maybe he didn’t need another person as a best friend.
He had her.
There was always Emma.
Greyson was sure she’d let him have that role if he needed it in his life. Maybe she could have two best friends.
Pulling her against his body, he brought his lips down to hers. The kiss they shared was filled with so much love, and it brought more tears to both of their eyes.
Greyson had forgotten one important thing.
Through it all, he still had his wife. Emma would always have his back.
She was loyal to her core.
Slowly, Emma moved into him as she enjoyed the way he wrapped himself around her. His big hand was braced at the back of her neck, holding her to his lips. His other hand was on her large baby bump.
It was comforting.
Why?
In that moment, they were all connected.
The child they’d made in love, the couple they’d built because of love, and the team they’d constructed.
They were golden.
Despite it all, they would survive.
Greyson controlled the kiss. He was taking everything he needed to feel alive again. He knew Emma would feed his empty soul and recharge his battery.
Because of her, he’d be able to fight again—and for longer if need be.
“Grey,” she murmured against his mouth as his hand began wandering beneath her shirt. When his hand cupped her breast, she sighed in satisfaction.
These moments were few and far between. Being this pregnant she felt awkward, big, and wobbly.
Greyson always made her feel beautiful.
“My precious Emma,” he whispered. “The mother of my child.”
Her heart skipped.
As of late, he’d calmed down with the sex, putting her first. Greyson knew that this far along nothing was comfortable, so he’d gone without that intimacy for her.
Now, he craved it.
To find himself.
“I need you, Emma. I need to find something to help me hold on,” he admitted.
She understood.
“Take what you need,” Emma offered. “It’s yours, Greyson. I’m yours.”
He needed that too.
There had never been a person who could turn his life upside down like her. There was also never a person who could make him this damn happy.
His wife gave him peace.
His wife gave him hope.
She gave him all.
At that moment, he was no longer thinking about Poppy or Dimitri. He was thinking about their son.
It was a beautiful thing.
More than anything, this family they’d made was lovely and precious to him.
Emma pulled her mouth from his and stared up into his eyes. In them, she saw the makings of peace.
“Whatever you decide, I want you to be in my life forever. Where you go, I go.”
He was overwhelmed by that. She’d followed him to Vegas, and she’d follow him anywhere he went.
It gave him calm.
Greyson wanted to look at her. He wanted to admire her body. His son lived in her, and he could spend hours staring down at the baby moving beneath her skin. In four weeks, they’d have him with them. In four weeks, Mac would be there.
Lovingly, he reached down to pull her shirt from her body. There was something sexy about his pregnant wife. He felt like a total caveman.
HE.
DID.
THIS.
It turned him on, even more, when she was wearing a sexy pair of panties beneath her clothes and nothing else.
Yeah, she distracted him.
And that was a damn good thing today.
“I’m going to make love to my wife,” he whispered, running his lips across one shoulder and then the other. “I can’t wait to feel that pleasure with you,” he admitted. “I need to feel that with you.”
And he did.
To reconnect.
“Yes, Greyson, yes.”
He scooped her up and crawled across their bed to place her gently on the pillows. There was something so sexy about an almost naked, pregnant wife.
Greyson would miss this when she gave birth.
While he knew Emma hated it and felt awkward in her own body, he was in his caveman glory.
She was bearing his child.
She was his goddess of life and fertility.
He honestly wanted to make an altar to worship this miracle of life.
“Your wife can’t wait for you to get undressed and join her,” she replied, watching him teasingly strip out of his clothes to do just that.
Yeah, he was battered and bruised, but he was hers. Emma would take him any way she could get. In the process, she’d heal the emotional wounds.
When he finished, he stood shirtless and so damn happy to be her focus.
Only
her.
“Like what you see so far?” he asked.
Oh, she did.
How could she not?
“Yes, Mr. Croft, I do believe I do. You are a very sexy man, and I’m a very lucky woman to have found you all those years ago in Celestia, or did you find me?”
He didn’t care.
It didn’t matter.
They had this.
The silver in his eyes went molten as emotion showed there for her. She made him feel like a God, warrior, and hero when he knew the opposite was true. Even in his darkest hour, Emma gave him that light to guide him.
As he moved toward her, Emma appreciatively took in every line and indentation.
“Mr. Croft has been working out,” she admitted.
He grinned wickedly as his hand went to the button on his jeans.
“He’s going to work out in a few minutes.”
She found that funny.
Emma knew he’d be nothing but tender and gentle with her and their son.
His eyes were back to that sexy silver that she loved.
Yeah, he’d be okay.
Greyson had bottled it up, vented, and now he’d work through it. He was going to pull through, and she had no doubt they’d be fine.
You couldn’t keep a Croft down.
As he dropped his zipper, he grinned wickedly. It was clear what he was thinking about, and it wasn’t Dimitri.
Sex.
That’s what she meant. He was anything but down.
“Hello, sexy husband. Want to come roll around with your wobbly wife?”
She was all warm and tingly and wanted his hands all over her. This was her favorite part.
The unveiling.
“I like teasing her with slowly unwrapping the package,” he replied, doing just that.
Watching her sexy husband push his jeans down his hips to free himself made her all hot and bothered.
The room got warmer.
Yeah, this was the life.
“What are you thinking about, Mrs. Croft?” he asked, crawling towards her.
“Sex,” she replied.
“Well, then let me make that happen,” he offered. “A happy wife is a happy life.”
She wanted to show him how happy she really was. Words would not be enough.
Again, she tugged him down and the joining of their lips were filled with everything a kiss should be.
Someone moaned.
Fingers traced and explored.
Bodies shook.
Emma rubbed against him, practically purring in pleasure for her husband. He knew every spot and was hitting them all like he always did.
“I love the way you taste, Emma,” he whispered, running his lips lower, past her breasts, to her belly button and around her baby bump.
Mac kicked.
“I’m sorry, son. I’ll pay for your therapist later,” he promised.
It made her laugh.
Yeah, this was her Greyson.
Then she stopped when he headed lower to the wetness he’d caused and had her out of her panties in seconds.
With the quick intake of breath, Greyson knew he hit the right spot.
“Grey,” she moaned as he tormented her body with teeth and tongue. Her hands slid into his wealth of hair and held him to her as he continued his mission to fill her body with pleasure.
She shook, knowing what was coming.
Her.
“Babe,” she murmured as he nipped her lightly and pushed her off the edge into that delicious pleasure.
It was amazing.
The colors cascaded and ecstasy swirled around her like a velvet vice. Emma let it overwhelm her as she languishly drank it all in.
Yeah, this was a good way for both of them to regroup.
Before she could open her eyes, Greyson was already tormenting her as he lured her back into the pleasure.
His mouth continued to plunder as his hands wandered across her silky soft flesh. The way he made her feel when she was beneath him was reminiscent of Heaven and Hell.
This was his gift.
This was why she couldn’t say no to him.
He was bliss and wickedness all rolled into one.
Emma knew that with him, she could get lost in the pleasure, and it would never end.
Greyson continued his mission.
It gave him a distraction, and what an amazing distraction it was. As he shoved her off one more time, his own body shook with need.
He felt like he was going to shatter into a million pieces. His whole body was taut and craving that one thing.
Her.
Greyson had to have her.
He wanted to take her wildly, but instead, he chose not to succumb.
Tonight, he’d give instead of take.
Being focused on her and only her gave him peace. Greyson would regroup as he got lost in her body.
As his mouth devoured her again, Emma’s fingers were twined with his hair.
She was close.
He could tell.
Emma was going to fall again.
“Greyson!”
She came hard.
Greyson stared at her, and he reveled in the miracle that was his life.
Yeah, she was his.
Now, he had to have her.
“My turn, Em,” he said, spreading her legs wide enough that he could fit between them.
Yeah, she was ready.
Nothing in her life had ever felt this good. Emma would give it all up just to have this with him.
Not follow him out of Vegas?
Was he serious?
She’d follow him into the hottest pits of Hell.
“Yes! Grey, yes!” she begged.
That was all he had to hear.
Greyson positioned himself between her thighs and lifted her hips. Since she was so pregnant, he couldn’t lean over her.
He was afraid to squish Mac.
“Now?” he asked.
She nodded.
“Now, Greyson.”
As he filled her, she dropped her head back onto the mattress and enjoyed the feeling of him buried deep within her body.
Greyson filled everything in her.
Perfection was the only word she could think of to describe the moment. Before she knew what was happening, he began to lift her, and then allowed gravity to pull her back into place. Each slide down was quicker and struck the exact right spot time and time again.
He shook in want as she made breathless little gasps at the invasion of his body into hers. Each well-placed stroke swallowed him.
“Oh, Grey,” she moaned as she was pummeled with so much pleasure.
“So perfect, Emma,” he muttered as he loved the depth and feel of his woman wrapped around him. The angle was ideal for both of them.
He was hitting that spot for her, and Greyson could watch his body sliding into hers.
With two more strokes, he knew he wouldn’t last long.
He was sure of it.
It was time.
“Fall for me, honey,” he whispered, staring into her emerald eyes. They were filled with love, as she watched him. He only hoped they mimicked everything that he, too, was feeling.
Emma could feel the oncoming orgasm as her body broke apart. Her body lured him to the edge.
With one last thrust of his hips, he exploded as he buried himself deep within his wife.
Yeah, he felt a whole lot better than he had earlier.
This was cathartic.
Then again, he wasn’t surprised.
Emma had that way about her.
When Greyson pulled out of her body, he moved to spoon her against him. As they cuddled, she ran her fingers up and down his arm.
“I needed that,” he admitted.
Oh, she was aware.
“Thank you.”
She giggled.
“Uh, I came more. I should be thanking you. Trust me. The pleasure was all mine.”
He turned her head so she was staring into his eyes. Thos
e emerald green met his stormy silver.
“I meant what you did in the gym. I know that was hard on you. I know that you love him too.”
She did.
“I don’t love him more than my husband, Greyson. There’s only one person I’d ever turn my back on you for,” she stated.
He was surprised.
“Who?”
She placed his hand on their son.
Greyson got it.
That mother’s love was all encompassing but when it came down to it, don’t get between a momma bear and her cub.
“What do you want to do?” she asked, knowing it had to be his choice.
Greyson contemplated it.
“We need to call a family meeting.”
She understood.
Things were changing.
Soon.
* * * G R E Y S O N C R O F T * * *
Las Vegas
Monday Morning
She was on the way over in her car. On the phone, she was getting her last-minute instructions before she handled the job she was hired to do.
It was a cushy one, and Nikita was looking forward to it. While she’d had plenty of jobs in her years, and she’d played plenty of roles, this was one she was looking forward to.
She’d been watching Greyson Croft for a while—and his family. In Vegas, under Blackhawk’s watchful eyes, his people were on her radar.
She was fascinated.
“What do you want me to do?” she asked.
Ethan Blackhawk knew that sometimes, you had to burn a cover in order to get the job done, and this was one of those times. Nikita was valuable on the ground in Las Vegas, but when it came to helping a friend, sometimes, you had to do what you had to do.
So, he was putting her into play.
Like he’d done with Gamble before her, he’d use one of his undercovers to get it done.
They couldn’t let Vegas fall.
While everyone thought DC was the center of the country, what they didn’t know was how much came in and out of the city. It was a traffic stop for some of the biggest killers, the priciest guns, and the most dangerous people.
It was second only to New Orleans, and they were making sure they had a strongpoint there. With the Hunters doing their thing, he had that under control.
With Croft in Vegas, he had that in play.
With DC under his thumb, he could keep as much of the country safe as possible.
That was his goal.
His ONLY one.
Until he had someone in place to run the city, keeping it in check, he had to ensure its longevity. The new director would be in place shortly, and that was a damn good thing.
No Justice_A Croft Mob Family Book Page 6
