by Lainey Reese
For hours they all took their turns, trying to talk sense into her. Arguing the pros of finishing school and how she would only be stronger for it. She came back with the cons of wasting all the time and money on an education she would never put to use. “Besides,” she told them, “some of the classes had wait lists, and it would be unfair to take up a place that could be filled by someone who deserved and wanted to be there.”
All the while he sat back and watched her. Looking closely at her expressions, he realized something. “You don’t disagree with us at all, do you, darlin’?” Gage set his glass down and pushed up from the barstool. “I’ve been watching you, and I’m starting to see that you really think everything that’s being said is right.” He fixed her with a piercing stare, and wouldn’t let her look away. “Don’t you?”
“Yes.” Her agreement was grudging.
“Then what is it that you are fighting, exactly?” He could see that she wasn’t going to talk, and firmed his resolve. He gave her his best Dom look and stood in front of her with arms crossed and feet spread. “You will tell me, darlin’. Complete honesty. That’s the start of what we have between us, if it’s not there, we got nothing.”
Her eyes filled and the chin started quivering again. Lord almighty, if she kept this up, he was going to crack. He didn’t think there was a Dom in the world that could stand firm against that.
“I don’t want to go to school because…” She looked down and two fat tears plopped onto her clasped hands. “Because if I do, then I won’t be what you want me to be.”
“What?” He gave up all pretenses and crouched down in front of her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“You told me,” she said, clearly dejected. “You told me what you wanted. A full-time slave. Don’t you see? If I go back to school and keep living at home, you’ll be giving up on what you want.”
“Darlin’,” Gage said, cupping her cheeks. “I already told you. You changed what I wanted. You redefined what I want out of my life. I want you. Exactly who and how you are.”
“You say that now.” Her hands covered his where they held her. “But what about later? When I’m not there in between meetings at work, or all those long weeks while I’m at school? All those nights? What am I supposed to do, if one day you resent me for not being there and you find a girl who is?”
“Ah, so there it is at last.” Gage shook her face a little, and tugged her close so he could kiss her forehead. “You think you’re the only one who can wait for the person they love?” He raised an eyebrow at her. “You think my love for you is a weak or fickle thing? That I’m gonna get an itch awhile down the road, and let just any girl scratch it?”
“Well, no.” She blushed and looked abashed. “But you want a slave. What if I finish school and want to be a vet after all? Then what?”
“Then you damn well better make sure the office at your clinic has a locking door.” His hand slipped behind her neck, and he shook her there, hoping he could shake some sense into her. “I keep telling you, darlin’, it’s you. You, whatever you decide to become, is what I want now. During school, I’ll see you as often as I can steal you away. After school? You decide you want to be a vet, I’ll build you the best state-of-the-art animal clinic you ever saw. You decide you want to stay home and have my babies and be at my beck and call? Great. Grandpa will do backflips. He’s been after me for babies since I hit twenty-five.”
He stood and pulled her to her feet with him. “Thing is. As long as it’s you, I’m good. I’m going to say this one more time and I want you to listen close. I love you. Love that goes beyond the bedroom, and is more about making you so happy and satisfied that you don’t wake up one day and wonder what the hell you’re doing with an old man like me.” When he pulled her close and kissed her, he heard Riley burst into tears. He ended the kiss but kept their faces close, with his forehead touching hers and their eyes locked. “Okay? We clear now? You and me? That’s forever. The rest is just details, darlin’. It’s all just details.”
“Okay.” She sniffled and kissed him again. Then, “Okay. Just details. I love you. I love you so much. And, Gage? I think I do wanna be a vet.” Her smile was watery and bright at the same time.
“I know, darlin’.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I know.” He took her hand and turned to face her family. “Now, someone want to tell us why Riley is bawling?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Surprise! Merry Christmas!” Zoe let herself into the townhouse and dropped her bags on the floor, and Gage came barreling out of the home office and right toward her.
“What the hell are you doing here?” The question was boomed at her with a delighted smile on his face, so she took no offense and launched herself into his arms. God, he felt so good. She squeezed her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, while he squeezed all the air out of her lungs. Oh well, she thought, who needs to breathe when the man you love is kissing you like he’s going to die if he stops?
“Hey! Oops is here!”
Zoe thought that might be her brother talking, but at the moment she didn’t care. She hadn’t seen Gage since Thanksgiving. Weeks of emails, phone calls, texts and three very steamy cyber dates that made her blush every time she thought about them were all she’d been surviving on. She hadn’t been able to touch him for almost a whole month, so she was going to savor this moment.
Gage ended the kiss with a smack, and pulled his head back to grin at her. He didn’t put her down though. She grinned back. Looked like he missed her touch as much as she missed his.
“How’d this happen? You weren’t due in for two more days.”
“I wanted to surprise everybody. I finished up all my finals early and here I am.”
“Welcome home, darlin’.” One more kiss and squeeze, and he put her down. Since he took hold of her hand once he did, she didn’t complain.
“Oh, Gage.” She breathed once she got a chance to look around. “The house looks amazing. Did you do all this yourself?” There were Christmas decorations everywhere. Lighted pine garland with pine cones and berries lined the ceiling and wound up the banister. There was a huge tree decked out with multicolored lights and ornaments galore. The end tables even had decorations on them.
“Don’t give me too much credit. Terryn has been over here every day for a week.”
“And every day, I’ve brought something new,” Terryn said, then gave her a warm and welcome hug. “Glad you’re here. We need all the help we can get.”
“Is it that bad?” Zoe asked, biting her lip and hoping her fear didn’t show.
“It’s worse,” Brice answered, then leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Your timing couldn’t have been better.”
“Or worse, as the case may be.”
“Cade!” Zoe ran over and hugged first him, then Trevor when he stepped up behind him.
“Hiya, Oops,” Trevor said as he stepped back. “I hope you aren’t planning a lot of sightseeing on your winter break, because we are calling dibs.”
“You can’t call dibs,” Gage said as he walked up behind her and pulled her in close.
“Why not?” Trevor asked.
“Because I got dibs first.”
“Did you call it?” Trevor asked, “‘Cuz I didn’t hear you call it, and if you didn’t call it, then you don’t get it.” Zoe kicked him in the shin. “Ow. Her. I meant dibs on her.”
“Gah,” Zoe said in amused frustration. “And you all think I’m immature. Which room is she in?”
“Don’t go in there, darlin’.” Gage tightened his hold, and his voice got comically desperate. “You just got here. Give me an hour or two first. If you go in there now, that’ll be it. I’ll never see you again.”
Zoe laughed, kissed his cheek and said, “It’s a chance I’ll have to take, my Sir. We all have to make sacrifices for the cause.”
She marched into what used to be the media room, and there was Riley. The room was a magical Christmas wonderland, with a beautif
ully dressed bed in the center. Riley was on her side in the middle, buried under a mound of blankets and sleeping like the dead.
“How long has she been asleep?” she whispered.
“She was awake just before you got here.” Gage was behind her again, and he shook his head with a quiet chuckle. “This bedrest is making her batty. She’s going to love having some fresh company.”
“Okay, Cade?” Zoe asked when the man stepped up and leaned a shoulder on the frame to smile indulgently at his wife. “Tell me the rules so I don’t let her up for too long like Terryn did.”
“Hey!” Terryn’s indignation was loud and clear even in a whisper. “She tricked me. She told me the doctor told her she could be up as long as she took it easy.”
“Easy there, Red,” Brice said when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Everyone knows that. No harm, no foul.”
Trevor spoke from behind them as he tried to see over everyone’s head. “She was doing fine once we got past the first trimester, then this crap happened. It would make anybody nuts if they had to lie in bed on their side day after day.”
It was true. Riley had gotten over the nausea almost magically after the first trimester, and everyone had assumed the remainder of the pregnancy would be a breeze for her. She’d been glowing and robust and cute as a roly-poly puppy once her tummy started growing. Her men had been like a couple of strutting roosters.
Then, ten days ago at her regular check up, the doctor had discovered something that concerned him. Her blood pressure had gone up substantially during this last month, and she had started to retain water. The doctor had assured them all that it wasn’t all that uncommon and with bedrest, both Riley and the baby would be just fine. Only problem was Riley was going insane from boredom and she was taking the whole family with her.
Trevor shouldered past them and opened the armoire. “Every board game you could imagine is in here, as well as word puzzles and all her favorite movies. She wanted to try knitting the baby a blanket, so there’s a bunch of yarn and stuff. She gave up, though, because it’s a bitch to learn when you have to stay on your side all the time.”
“Trevor and I are in and out all day,” Cade said. “But if there’s an emergency, call Trev because the rec centers are closer than the restaurant.”
“We’re closer too,” Brice piped in. “So, if you can’t get either of them—”
“Sheesh. I know where you live, big brother,” Zoe said, exasperated. “Guys, I know all this stuff.” She held out her hands and motioned like she was calming a crowd. “You all need to relax. She’s going to be fine.” She would have laughed if they all hadn’t looked so worried.
“Yes, relax.” Riley’s voice floated up from the mound of blankets. “I will be fine. The baby will be fine. Everything will be fine. If I manage not to die of boredom, then everything will be just fine.”
Everyone laughed, and Zoe hurried over to the bed and hugged Riley as best as she could manage with a reclining pregnant woman.
“Hey there, invalid,” Zoe teased. “Or is wilting flower more like it?”
“Reigning terror is closer to the truth.” Brice mumbled it, but the terror heard and chucked a pillow at his head.
“You try getting stuck in bed and see how gentle and sweet your disposition is. You’d be a lot more grouchy than I have been, I bet.”
Brice smiled and kissed her cheek. “Oh beautiful, I was bedridden for six weeks when I broke my leg back in high school. I was way worse to deal with.”
This was met with a chorus of agreement that seemed to appease her.
Zoe smiled and started to sit in the chair closest to Riley. Gage grabbed her and hauled her back.
“Oh, no, you don’t. You’re coming with me.” He began to drag her away.
“But, but, Gage.” Zoe dug in her heels and tried to tug her arm free. She got nowhere. “I barely got to say hi, and—”
“Darlin’,” Gage interrupted as he kept going. “You are going to be sitting with her for hours tomorrow when everyone goes to work. You should save all your chatting for then. Right now, the house is lousy with people to keep her company. Brice even drafted his partner, Kent, into the action. Him and Angie are gonna be here any minute.” He shouted back to the others as he snagged his coat and opened the front door. “We’re headed to the penthouse. I’ll have her back in the morning.”
“Auugh!” The cry stopped them both in their tracks.
“Was that you, Ry?” Gage called. He was already changing his direction and dragging Zoe back that way, when they heard her cry out again.
“Oh no.” Riley moaned. “Either my water just broke, or I just wet the bed.”
Pandemonium broke loose. Cade and Trevor whipped the covers back, while Terryn rushed from the room, shouting about getting coats, and Brice had his phone to his ear already calling the hospital.
“Here comes another one!”
Riley was sweaty and flushed, yet Zoe was amazed that she was somehow still beautiful. The room was full of family and friends waiting with her through these first stages of labor. Cade and Trevor were on either side of her bed, holding her hands and murmuring to her to help her through the pain.
“That was a strong one.” Cade kissed her forehead and brushed the hair back from her face once the contraction had passed.
“Yeah,” Trevor agreed, and brought her hand to his mouth to brush his lips across her knuckles. “They’re getting closer together too. It won’t be long now, little one. You’re doing great.”
And she was. She panted and groaned during the contractions and made jokes and small talk in between. For four hours, they’d been doing this, and the doctor told them it could be any time now.
A nurse bustled in and said, “Make way, people, I’m just going to see where we’re at here.” She adjusted the covers at Riley’s feet and asked, “How are you feeling, hun?”
“I’m good.” Riley smiled bravely at her and said, “They’re getting closer and harder, though.”
The nurse did her thing and readjusted the covers. “I think it’s time I get the doc in here. Anybody who is not planning to be here for delivery should head out to the waiting room now.”
“That’s our cue.” Brice leaned in and gave her a quick kiss and the exodus began. Kisses and hugs and promises of, “We’ll be right here,” were passed around, and Zoe found herself out in the hall.
Zoe was just about to head into the waiting room when Gage grabbed her arm and yanked her into a linen closet.
“I’m not even going to pretend I don’t know what you have in mind,” she said, amusement rich in her voice. “I’ve missed you too. But, no. No way.”
She turned and reached for the knob.
“Open that door if you dare.” Gage flattened her front to the door, his body big and hard behind her. His rough, calloused hands molded over her breasts, squeezing and kneading and causing her insides to tremble. “I haven’t felt you for weeks. We are doin’ this here and now, darlin’, it’s up to you how many people get to watch.” Then his mouth scorched a path of fire across her neck, and one of his hands cupped between her legs.
Her resolve crumbled as pleasure rushed through her organs like high octane fuel. She moaned and undulated against him in answer.
“Fuck.” It was more growl than word and Gage said it as he tugged open her jeans and wrenched them to the tops of her thighs. He dropped behind her and Zoe muffled her cry in her arm when he spread the cheeks of her ass and fused his mouth to her core. He bent her forward by yanking her hips back so he could get better access and Zoe bit down on her arm to keep from screaming. His mouth was heaven. It had been so long that within seconds she felt the onslaught of an orgasm coming her way.
Gage pulled back with a growl. “No. Not without me this first time.” He surged to his feet behind her and she felt him fumbling with his belt. “This time we go together.”
“Yes, Sir.” She nodded, crazy to have him inside her. The smell of sex mingled with the smell
of bleach and fabric softener, and Zoe thought she wouldn’t ever be able to do laundry again without getting aroused. Then Gage fisted one hand in her hair, wrapped his other arm around her hips, and drove into her.
“Yes. Fuuuuck, yesss.” Gage groaned as he tugged her back into his thrusts. Zoe braced both hands on the door for balance. Her back was arched, with Gage’s tight grip on her hair and her ass so high her feet barely touched the floor. The jeans that were still tangled around her thighs kept her legs close together, which made him feel huge inside her.
The pace he set was frantic, the sounds they made were animalistic, and Zoe lost it. No chance to ask for permission, no warning tingle that it was coming, just between one thrust and the next she flew apart in a blinding climax that tore a scream past her guard to echo around the closet.
“Oh! Shiiiit!” Gage swore, his arms turned to steel around her and she felt him swell and pump inside as his release followed hers. Throbbing pulses of delight flooded her as they rocked back and forth in the throes.
With a grunt, Gage toppled forward and caught himself with one arm against the door between where hers were still braced. She smiled like a drunk as she felt his panting breath on the side of her face.
“Hmmm.” She breathed. “Thank you, Sir. I needed that.” Then she turned her face and kissed him.
“Don’t think I didn’t notice you didn’t wait for permission to come. But we’ll deal with that later.” He was still inside her, so she knew he felt the way that threat made her body clench and he chuckled.
“Stay still. Don’t move.” He slid out and it was hard not to move. That slow, wet glide re-awoke nerves that wanted him to start all over again.
His hands molded over her ass, and he made noises like a man faced with a mouthwatering meal in front of him. “Darlin’, you have got the best damn ass I have ever seen.” Then, with a heartfelt sigh of reluctance, he tugged up her clothes and helped her stand.
For a long moment they just stood among sheets and towels with their arms wrapped around each other, savoring the lingering tingles and quivers.
