Because Forever (The Avenue Book 2)

by B. Cranford

  Odie wouldn’t want it any other way.

  Closing the door behind her as she walked into her apartment behind Austin, Odie sagged against the wood. “I’m so tired. Why am I so tired?”

  “Probably a sugar let down after all those cupcakes.” He turned toward her, winking as he mocked her for eating two—okay, three. And a half—cupcakes at the baby shower.

  “It’s not my fault they were so good. But man, I feel”—she poked her tongue out and scrunched her face, making an exaggerated yuck noise—“so gross. And like I want to sleep for a month.”

  Austin stepped closer. “If it helps, you look anything but gross.”

  “It does help, tell me more.” She quirked her eyebrow, tracking his every move back to where she still used the door for support.

  “Well, this has distracted me all damn day,” he started, stopping in front of her and flicking the hem of her skirt. “And these, I just want to kiss them and see if they taste like those cupcakes,” he added, running a finger along her lips.

  She opened her mouth just enough to draw the digit inside, sucking gently and lowering her eyelids in an approximation of bedroom eyes.

  It felt like they were bedroom eyes, but somehow she thought that if she looked in the mirror she’d look more like she’d forgotten her prescription sunglasses on a bright summer day.

  Oh well, he likes it anyway, she thought fleetingly, before he groaned, drawing his finger from between her lips and instead kissed her until his arm had to slip around her waist, giving the door an assist in keeping her upright.

  “Fuck, Odie,” he muttered against her mouth, his hardening cock pressing against her center. The flimsy material of her flirty skirt did nothing to hide his arousal, and suddenly she wanted him more than she wanted that final half a cupcake that had tipped her over the edge.

  “Please?” she asked, blinking up at him, hoping he would take her simple plea and play no games—she didn’t want heightened anticipation or endless foreplay.

  She wanted him to spin her around, flip her skirt up, pull his jeans down and fuck her against the door.

  At least they were on the right side of the door this time.

  But he didn’t do that. Instead, he pulled back, grabbed hold of her hand and dragged her behind him all the way to her bedroom, until she was beside her bed.

  And then, she was falling. Not in love with him—no, that had probably happened the first day they met, when he was eight and she was seven and they had no clue how important they would become to one another.

  She was actually falling onto her bed, his palm flat between her breasts as he pushed her back onto her mattress and climbed up over her until she was pinned beneath him and her breaths were shorter than they’d ever been.

  “I have to head into the bar, Garfield.” His eyes reflected remorse that they didn’t have much time, but the way his hips were grinding on her, pressing his dick against her thigh, then angling it so it hit that spot between her legs that made her entire body twitch, said that he wasn’t done yet.

  He wasn’t leaving yet.

  “But before I go, I’m going to make you feel so fucking good, okay? So when you go to sleep without me tonight, you’re still thinking about me.”

  Her voice was nothing more than a whisper when she responded. “I’m always thinking about you.”

  That earned her a long stare, one that said so much in the hushed quiet of her bedroom, other than the rustle of material and their mingled labored breaths breaking the silence.

  “Same, Odie. Same.”

  Their lips crashed together, and she thrust one hand up into his hair, yanking on the strands to pull him down further onto her. If it wasn’t for the heat, the adrenaline of the moment, he’d be crushing her, because he was so much bigger than her, but instead of his weight all she felt was the safety, the rightness of his body on hers.

  “Please,” she said again, using her free hand to slip between them and loosening the button on his jeans before grasping the tab on his zipper and drawing it down. “Hard and fast.”

  He nodded, his hand joining hers as they shoved his jeans down, then he batted her hand to the side so he could lift the light, flowery material of her skirt and yank her panties to the side.

  It wasn’t the most comfortable feeling in the world, the way the cotton and lace of her underwear stretched to the side, but in the moment, she didn’t care. It added to the sensation—and oh, there was a lot of sensation.

  Especially when he slid home, pushing himself into her body like he belonged there.

  He does, she thought wildly, he does belong there.

  “Odie, Odie,” he said in a strained voice, his hips pistoning in and out of her entrance, making what was already so wet just from the brief foreplay they’d had even wetter, even hotter. “Fuck, I need to get a—”

  “I’m on the pill,” she cut him off, “and if that chick you slept with last summer didn’t give you gonorrhea, then I know you’re safe. Right?”

  “Oh, my God, Odie. Why would you bring that up now?”

  “Well, I mean, it’s a discussion we have to have eventually.”

  She watched as his face slipped from pleasure to surprise to amusement, and waited for him to confirm what she already knew—he was clean and she had nothing to worry about. “Admittedly, last summer I made some questionable choices, but I swear, I’d never put you at risk.”

  “Then you may proceed.” She winked as she rolled her hips, making sure to bring him deeper into her body.

  He rewarded her with a guttural groan. “God, I’ll never get enough.”

  She shook her head from side to side, lost in the moment once more. It was as if the feeling swelling within was trying to escape her body, and she bit her lip to keep from saying “please” again. And again. And again.

  God, she’d beg for this man—the one who knew her better than anyone, but somehow didn’t even know that she’d wanted him too. That she’d needed him too.

  How had they been so blind to it?

  “Touch yourself for me,” he whispered, his lips against her ear, his hips moving faster and faster. “Make yourself come while I fuck you, babe.”

  She nodded, distracted momentarily when his lips moved from her ear to the sensitive spot below, then to her cheek, leaving soft-but-sexy kisses in their wake.

  “Odie, touch yourself. Right. Fucking. Now.” He gritted out the last three words, his control seemingly close to snapping, and she hurried to obey.

  She’d barely laid a finger on herself, her body so primed to come, when her back bowed—the movement blocked by Austin’s larger body—and her eyes snapped closed.

  The pleasure that scattered her thoughts and set her body on fire seemed endless, and she barely registered Aussie’s body slowing, then stopping, the full weight of his body landing on hers as his own climax caused him to sag with release.

  “My girl. My perfect girl.”

  She smiled, loving hearing herself described not just as perfect, but as his.

  She was his.

  She’d always been his.

  And she hoped she always would be.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The phone rang early enough that Austin’s first thought was of disaster.

  Death. Disease.

  But it wasn’t any of those things—though it was something else starting with D.

  “Duncan?”

  “She’s been in labor for hours, and I couldn’t wait any longer to call.”

  “She–wait–what?” Austin pulled himself up into a sitting position, his head heavy and the sleepy fog of pre-dawn still clouding his mind.

  “Ashton, in labor, dude. Come on.” Duncan’s voice was one of mild exasperation.

  “Oh,” he said dumbly, as it hit him what Andrew was going on about. “Oh, fuck! I’m going to be an uncle!”

  “Yep.”

  “Is she okay? Is the baby here yet? Do I have time to shower?” The questions were occurring to him one right after
the other, and his mind was whirring with more. “What about Odie? And oh, Odie’s parents? Oh, shit. Do you think they’ll hate me if I postpone dinner?”

  “Aus—”

  “Do I need to bring anything? Do you need anything? Has she been yelling at you? Why am I panicking? I feel like maybe I’m panicking.” He forcibly stopped more questions from slipping forth, sliding from his bed and making his way toward the kitchen. He needed to eat, and then . . .

  Something. He’d figure it out much faster with food in his belly.

  “No maybe about it,” Andrew muttered in his ear, “you’re definitely panicking.”

  “Sorry, man. I didn’t get in ’til late and I think maybe this is a dream or we’re sleep-talking.”

  “It’s not a dream, and I’m certainly not sleep-talking. In fact, this is the most talking I’ve done since just after midnight, which incidentally, was the last time I was sleeping, too.” Andrew yawned in his ear, a timely reminder that he’d been up for hours with Ashton. “To answer some, not all, of your questions. She’s doing fine, but she’s tired and uncomfortable, and no, the baby isn’t here yet. I’ve been forbidden from speaking, more or less, and also instructed to call you and Aaron and let you know what’s happening. Yes, you have time to shower, and unless Odie’s parents are capital-A assholes, I don’t think they’ll mind you skipping dinner to meet your niece.”

  Your niece. Austin couldn’t quite wrap his head around the words, the idea of his big sister having a little baby girl. “Will you tell Little I love her? And that we’ll be there soon?”

  “Yeah, man. And hey, could you do me a favor?”

  “Anything, name it,” he offered immediately, wanting to feel useful.

  “I tried Aaron first but he didn’t answer. I left a message but can you try again for me? I need to get back in there. Don’t want to miss it.” Andrew sounded excited but weary, something Austin suspected he’d have to get used to in the coming months.

  “You got it.”

  After promising to be at the hospital soon and saying goodbye, Aussie immediately sent Aaron at text.

  Tiny: Dude. Wake up.

  Tiny: I just spoke to Dunk. Ash is in labor.

  Tiny: Could you just once get off your husband’s dick and answer the phone?

  Tiny: Call me when you get this. And remember, if I get to the hospital first, I get to hold Ashton Jr. first.

  Tiny: Which totally solidifies me as favorite uncle.

  Chuckling to himself—mostly because he knew the jab about being favorite uncle would light a fire until his brother—Aaron tipped some cereal into a bowl and debated calling Odie. It was early, but he wanted her to know.

  She’d want to know, too, he reasoned.

  Decision made, he quickly tapped on her name—at the very top of his favorites list, her name bracketed by boxing glove emojis—and waited for her to answer.

  It rang. And rang. And rang.

  He was beginning to think he was about to hear her voicemail, something he dreaded even now she’d forgiven him for the whole Meatball McGee disaster and was regularly answering his calls. “Come on, Garfield,” he encouraged her, as if his words spoken aloud at his place would somehow make her answer the phone at her own.

  It worked.

  “Is she having the baby? I’m ready!” Odie answered the call, alert and far too chipper for so early in the morning.

  “You are? And yes, she’s in labor.”

  “I knew it! I had a feeling, and also, I got up early because I forgot to reset my alarm to the usual time from the other day.” Her smile was so obvious in her voice that Austin couldn’t help but return it. “But we didn’t get to change the present over. Shit.”

  “They’ll keep her in the hospital for at least a day. We can knock it out before they spring her.”

  “I hope so. Maybe I can grab something small to take to the hospital with us today. Oh,” she paused, as if something had just occurred to her.

  “Oh?” Austin repeated, encouraging her to share her thoughts.

  “It’s just–is it . . . okay if I come along?” Her voice was uncertain, which confused him. Because not only was it okay, he was counting on it.

  “You’d better be coming with me. I have no fucking clue about babies. What if they ask me to hold it?” It was a joke—mostly. He was a touch nervous. After all, it wasn’t every day that a man became an uncle.

  Well, it was. What with all the billions of people in the world, it literally was every day that a man became an uncle.

  Just not him.

  Semantics.

  “If they want you to hold it, warn me,” Odie said, completely unaware of his mental tangent.

  “Why?”

  “You holding a baby? I need a picture before my ovaries explode.” She followed up her words with a cute little giggle and though Austin was a little at a loss—do ovaries really explode? I need to Google that shit—he laughed along with her.

  Suddenly remembering one of the many questions he’d asked Andrew, he asked, “Hey, before I forget. Do you think your parents will mind if we put off dinner?”

  “Nah, they’ll be fine. But they’re going to be away for a few weeks after today though. Cruise.”

  He shook his head, trying to work out if he knew that or not. “Ah, right,” he said instead, hoping it was a suitably vague response, so she didn’t know he’d forgotten—if he’d forgotten at all.

  He was too hyped up by the whole uncle thing to really put his mind to remembering.

  “I might still go but without you, to say bye and stuff. But they’ll understand. And want baby pictures, I’m sure.”

  Before he could respond, his phone vibrated against his palm, and he quickly pulled the screen away from his ear to check it.

  Aaron. As he’d suspected.

  A: There is no way you’re going to be favorite uncle.

  A: And for the record, Si was on MY dick, not vice versa.

  Stifling a snicker-slash-groan, he turned his attention back to his girl. “Garfield? I have to go, Aaron’s awake and apparently getting my messages.” He did a quick calculation in his head—time to shower for them both, to finish eating, and then get on the road. “If I come get you in an hour, will you be ready? I have to shower.”

  “I already told you I was ready. I literally just need to put clothes on,” she replied, making Austin’s mind grind to a halt.

  “Come again?” She’s naked and we aren’t phone-sexing.

  This isn’t right.

  “I haven’t even come once yet, how can I come again?”

  He groaned. “Odie, you little tease.”

  “You started it.”

  “And I’m going to have to finish it later. Seriously, you’ll be ready?”

  “Seriously, I was in the shower when you called, which is why I didn’t answer right away, and once I’m dressed, I’m ready.” Her voice dropped to a husky whisper, making her even more the tease he’d just called her. “And when you ‘finish it’ later, I’ll be ready for you then, too.”

  Austin looked at the little girl snuggled up in his brother’s arms. “Holy crap, that is the cutest baby I have ever seen in my life.”

  “Aussie, how many babies have you seen?” Aaron asked, staring down at his niece with a look of awe.

  Touché. But still, Austin wasn’t going to admit that he had very limited experience with babies. “A few, and this one is the cutest.”

  “Thanks, Aussie,” Ashton said quietly.

  “How are you feeling?” Austin asked, moving so he could sit on the edge of her bed. She looked exhausted, and that was being polite. “No offense, but you look, like, seriously bad.”

  “Austin, I cannot believe you just said that to me,” she said, laughing at his tease.

  “Made you laugh, Little. That was my goal.”

  “To answer your question, I’m tired. I probably feel as bad as I look.”

  Austin was gearing up to lay an ornate, over-the-top compliment on his
sister—something that was equal parts true and ridiculous, because if there was one thing his family expected of him, it was drama—when Andrew spoke instead. “You’re beautiful.”

  “You’re biased,” she replied, her lips reaching for a kiss that Andrew returned in kind.

  Ew, Aussie thought jokingly, adding aloud so the room knew what he was feeling, “You’re both grossing me out.” And then, crossing back over to have another look at his little niece, he asked, “So, what’s her name?”

  “Kennedy. Her name is Kennedy Marie Duncan.”

  Aaron’s head snapped up to look at Andrew, who looked like he was swallowing back tears, and Austin had to admit—to himself—that he was borderline close to crying as well.

  Kennedy had been the name of Andrew’s younger sister, who had passed away after a long illness. As her primary caregiver, Andrew had been left rudderless and, ultimately, that was what had brought him back into Ashton’s life—and made him a father.

  The borderline tears welled up in his eyes, and it was only Odie walking into the room, holding the hand of Finn, that stopped him from making a fool of himself.

  “Aawon, I got ice cream,” the little boy said, stepping up beside Aaron and smiling. “Chocowate.”

  Shit, maybe I’m still gonna cry, Austin thought, feeling Odie’s hand slip into his. Aaron and Simon had met them at the hospital, Finn in tow.

  Finn had greeted him like a rock star, showing him the Superman figure he’d brought along and asking him all kinds of questions. He seemed to be taking the big move in stride, but Aussie couldn’t help but notice the way Simon and Aaron both seemed to keep eyes on him at all times.

  Like they were waiting for something to happen.

  “Did you like visiting with Aunt Odie?”

  “Yeah,” he replied, turning toward Austin, “she can be Wonder Woman, right?” Clearly, the kid remembered the good parts of their previous conversation, and Austin was thankful that no sadness seemed to appear in his eyes.

  “Absolutely.”