“Um, just saying, Graham left me with enough that I never have to work again, and also set up a college fund up for Luca. And as far as that bike goes...that’s a no-go.”
“Well, he’s going to get that other money, so maybe you let what he got from Graham grow and put this aside to take care of whatever else he might need. And, just saying, once I adopt him, he becomes the oldest son and my successor to the club so yeah, there’s gonna be a bike in his future. Now, let’s get you and Luca something to eat, you two must be starving.”
“I’s is, Daddy,” Luca says. Every time he’s called me daddy I feel my heart beat a little faster.
“Let me go grab Lily from Nan and I’ll be right back and get my family fed.”
“Yay! I wanna see my sister.” This kid!
* * *
Caraleigh
* * *
When Braxton leaves to go get Lily, I pepper my son with kisses and go to give DJ a call. She and Hatchet are finally at her place to get her belongings to move here.
“Yo, bitch, what’s this I hear about the in-laws from hell making an appearance at the hospital?”
“Well, hello to you too.”
“Cut the crap and tell me what happened.” And this is why she’s my best friend. I lay it all out for her, their threats and accusations.
“You're fucking kidding me! I wanted to call as soon as I heard, but Hatch wouldn’t let me. He told me...do you hear me, told me, I had to wait for you to call me when you were ready. What’s up with that shit? You know me, no one tells me when I can and can’t call my bestest. As soon as I told him that he took my phone from me! Are you listening to me? Why are you laughing?”
I hold my stomach as I’m doubled over laughing, tears are running down my cheeks. That’s some funny shit right there, just what I needed right now. “I can’t believe he took your phone!”
“I know, right? What does he think he is, my daddy or something?”
I hear Hatchet in the background saying, “I got your daddy right here...do I need to prove something to you again gorgeous?” Uh-oh, shit, I better get off the phone before I overhear world war three happening.
“I know you did not just…eeekkk, put me down you neanderthal!” I hear as the line suddenly disconnects. I start laughing even harder, so hard in fact I’m having a hard time catching my breath and that’s how Braxton finds me. At the kitchen table, doubled over trying to draw as much oxygen into my lungs as I possibly can.
“What happened? Cara, are you alright? Talk to me sweetheart.” I hear the concern in his voice, and I try to tell him, but I can’t get the words out.
“Is Momma gonnas be okay?” I hear Lily say and that brings my oxygen-deprived brain back on drive.
“I’m...o... okay, Lily, I promise. Your aunt DJ just made me laugh really hard,” I say while drawing in a breath with each word that leaves my mouth.
Ralynn comes over to me, she had been staying with Nan, and wraps her arms around my shoulders and says as seriously as a six-year old can, “What’s shes done now?”
“Nothing drastic, sweetie, your mom is just silly.” With that she nods her head once, gives me a hug, then Lily does the same. Only Lily gives me a kiss on my cheek before they scurry away to sit with Luca. Once they're out of ear-shot, I tell Braxton about my phone call with DJ. By the end he’s laughing as hard as I was.
“Mom made a lasagna and garlic bread and she has made a side salad to go with the meal, she is bringing it over in a few minutes. So, lucky y’all that you don’t have to suffer through my cooking.” I know he’s joking with me, because he’s a wonderful cook.
“I think we would’ve managed just fine,” I tell him with a yawn.
“Why don’t you go rest for awhile? Mom and I can handle the kids while you get a couple of hours of shuteye.”
“I really need to be here for Luca,” I tell him.
“Please, for me—for the baby.” I put my hands over my stomach and his join me as he pulls me in close for a hug. I can’t wait until we can feel the baby move.
“Alright, Braxton,” I yawn again and realize he’s right, I do need to lay down. He follows me upstairs, giving me the excuse that he needs to tuck me in and once we’re in my room, he closes the door.
“We need to talk, sweetheart.” Fuck, I hate those four words ‘we need to talk’!
“About?” I ask even though I know I may dread asking the question.
“I spoke with Law and he’s going to check into Graham’s parents, and he also wants a copy of Graham’s will so he can see exactly what’s what.”
“Oh, I have that in my lockbox stored in the closet!”
“Great, I’ll grab it, get Twisted over here, and hand it off to him so he can deliver it to Law for us today. Did you call your parents and your brother?”
“DJ called them. Mom and Dad are out of the country until next week, but Chandler’s on his way and should be here today. My parents will come as soon as they get back, which knowing Mom, means they could show up today as well.”
I’m about to lay down when he pulls my shirt up. “What are you doing? I thought I was resting?”
“You are sweetheart, but you need to be comfortable,” he says as he unclasps my bra. “Mmmm, like how these look,” he murmurs as his fingers ghost over my overly-sensitive nipples.
“Whose version of comfortable are we talking about here, Braxton?” I tease him with a moan.
“Mine, of course, what else would there be, woman?” he states.
I’m lost in the sensation of his hands on me when I hear Lily yell, “Daddy! Someone’s at the door!”
“Fuck,” he mutters.
“Duty calls,” I tell him.
“Yeah, yeah woman, get some rest. I’ll come back up and get the Will and check on you soon,” he says as he turns to walk out the door after giving me a kiss on my forehead. I watch him go out the door, then turn over, grab my huggy pillow to take his place, and fall into dreamland.
* * *
Braxton
* * *
This past week has been...hectic. Yeah, that’s the word I’m going with because complete and utter chaos makes me sound like a pussy. Chandler arrived and then not twenty-four hours later, Cara’s parents showed up on her doorstep. Between our two houses, everyone has someplace to sleep, but I’m realizing that I need to find a house for us—me, Cara, Lily and Luca. Mom has already told me that she plans to stay at the complex. When I pressed her, she said it was time. So, I put Mom and Paisley on the house hunt, telling them what I am looking for but stressing that they need to take Cara’s wants into consideration as well. Today? We’re going to look at a farmhouse they found about ten miles away. It’s got about ten acres, so plenty of room for the kids to play, which is a must, especially since we’re going to be adding to the family in about seven months or so.
“You good, sweetheart?” I ask, glancing over at her.
“Hmm? Yeah, just thinking about how crazy it’s been all week long. I’m grateful for the grands though, because I got some peace and quiet yesterday at the office so I could keep shit caught up.”
“Honey, we made do before you started and would have muddled along until you got back.”
“Um, no. I’ve worked my ass off to get the office organized so the invoices are paid timely and shit. Y’all had a hot mess going on!”
“We’re so fucking glad you’re there,” I tell her.
“Yeah, yeah...you just like the perks of me being close to you on a daily basis.” Shit, not just a daily basis, I like her near me on a minute by minute basis.
Well, she’s got me there—I managed to coax her into my office yesterday for a ‘business meeting’. Twice. Granted, it involved us being naked with her sprawled across my desk and then bent over my chair, but whatever. “I’ll never complain about wanting you, sweetheart.”
We pull up to the address I was given and I’m already impressed—a freshly-painted fence surrounds the property and older trees grace the dri
veway that I’m now pulling down. I hear her gasp when we finally see the house. It’s a rambling farmhouse with what looks like a wraparound porch that’s deep-set with a swing on one end and comfortable looking rocking chairs and a table on the other. I see a car there and realize that the real estate agent is waiting. Putting the truck in park, I get out then go and help Cara down. I’m a little surprised that she’s showing already given that she’s only a little over two months along, but she’s got a small belly bump that has me worrying that she’ll lose her balance and fall. So, I pull her close and walk up the porch.
The front door opens and we’re greeted by a woman who is maybe five-foot tall and by the looks of it is probably as big around. “Hi, I’m Marie,” she says, holding out her hand.
“I’m Caraleigh and this is Braxton, my fiancée,” Cara replies, holding out her hand. “Thanks for meeting us here today.”
“Your friends were rather insistent,” Marie states.
“I’ll just bet they were,” I mutter knowing exactly how Mom and Paisley are when they set their minds to something. You get the two of them together, and watch out or they’d run you over before they even realized you were standing in their path of destruction.
“I’m going to sit out here and let y’all look at the house by yourselves. Let you get the feel for it, I find that people can tell if it's for them or not if they are alone with their significant other. If you have any questions, just let me know and I’ll do my best to get them answered.”
I nod to let her know we understand then lead my woman into the foyer. A living room and formal looking dining room are at the front of the open floor plan. There’s a hallway that leads off to both the left and the right and when we explore, we find a full bath and three bedrooms. Damn, how big is this place again? The kitchen looks newly renovated, not that the rest of the house isn’t top-notch, with hardwood floors throughout. French doors are off to one side and we walk out onto a deck that is screened in, with an outdoor grilling area on the other side of the screening. The backyard is fenced in and my mind immediately starts thinking of a dog for the kids, something I need to clear with Cara first in case she or Luca are allergic.
“Let’s go check out the upstairs, sweetheart.”
“I’m liking what I’ve seen so far, Braxton.”
“Me too.”
Back inside, we go to the staircase that’s next to the entrance of the family room that has a beautiful stone fireplace. Already my mind has a fire going and my delectable minx laying in front of it, on a bare skinned rug, naked and waiting. Feeling my dick harden, I grab her hand and lead her up the stairs. “You okay, Braxton?”
“Gotta find some privacy, sweetheart.” Her sideways glance at me as the blush starts up her face has me laughing.
“Are you serious?” she hisses out. “That woman is out on the porch! She’ll be able to hear us Braxton!”
“Trust me, this won’t take long,” I tell her, going to the door furthest down the hallway. Awesome, it’s the master suite. Pulling her in and closing the door, I slide my hands up the dress she has on until I reach her panties. “And from the feel of things, you’re onboard,” I whisper before kissing her. Unzipping my jeans, I pull out my dick while slipping her panties off and down her legs. I slip my hands under her ass and lift her against the door so I can slip my steel hard cock inside of her. “You’re gonna have to be quiet, minx,” I whisper as I thrust myself deeply inside of her tight, wet heat. Being inside her is what I imagine heaven must be like and as cheesy as it would sound if I said it out loud, every time feels like the first.
“I’ll try,” she says before moaning. Her sexy noises and moans whenever we’re together are another fucking turn-on for me, and I find myself picking up my pace, rolling my hips each time I thrust inside.
“Touch yourself, sweetheart,” I command before I nip and nuzzle at that spot on her neck that turns her into a wildcat. When I feel her fingers there at her entrance, managing to stroking her own clit while she slides her hand up my dick every time I pull out, I nearly lose it then and there.
“Oh God, Braxton, I’m so close,” she whisper-shouts. “I need more...harder...faster.”
Whatever my woman wants, my woman gets. I’ll do whatever it takes to give her as much pleasure as I’m capable of, her satisfaction is my number one priority. I increase my pace and thrusts harder and faster, until my rhythm becomes sporadic and demanding. I feel her pussy begin to flutter, “C’mon, baby, give it to me beautiful,” I say before capturing her lips with mine. My woman’s a bit of a screamer and there’s no way I want Marie to hear or know what we’re doing, although I suspect she’ll figure it out when we finally manage to get ourselves downstairs again.
My mouth captures her screams and four...five...six thrusts later, she captures my moans. Breathlessly, I let her legs down, keeping hold of her until she catches her balance. “Shit, baby, I didn’t think about the fact you have no way to clean up.”
“I’ve got it,” she says, leaning down to pick up the purse she dropped, “just give me a second to get my land legs back.”
Her comment catches me off guard—my woman doesn’t realize how fucking funny she is at times—and I burst out laughing. I guess what they say is true, mothers are always prepared for anything and everything that could possibly happen.
“What? You know what you do to me!” she retorts before going over to the bathroom. “Oh thank goodness,” she says before closing the door. I have no idea what she’s found, but hopefully it’ll help her clean up. Normally I do that for her because I can’t help but want to take care of her.
When she comes out, her hair tamed and dress back in place, I grin. She still has that well-loved, thoroughly-fucked look I like seeing on her. “Thinking we just christened one room,” I tell her, taking her hand and leading her out, “let’s go see the other bedrooms, shall we?” She rolls her eyes at me and I can’t help but smile at the action.
I’m fucking impressed with the girls. They found a house that will be absolutely perfect. In addition to the three bedrooms downstairs, there’s a master suite upstairs, a ‘sitting area’ in the hall by the stairs where I can envision a television and comfortable chairs for the kids, five more bedrooms with two having a Jack and Jill bathroom set-up, and an attic door. The attic is finished with regular flooring and walls which could always be finished out into bedrooms if we have more kids. For the time being, we can make it into a playroom for Lily and Luca. Plus, there is plenty of room left for storing all that shit that families seem to accumulate.
We go back downstairs and I find another door in the kitchen. Opening it, I see it goes to a basement and we head down to see what there is down there. Holy shit—it’s fully finished and I can picture a pool table and a mini-bar for those times when the guys want to come and watch the game. I’m excited at the possibility of having my very own man-cave, fully stocked and waiting for me to fill it with my brothers, beer, dartboard and a flat screen television set.
“Sweetheart? What do you think?”
“Braxton, I absolutely love it. I mean, it’s got everything we wanted, including a mudroom off the laundry room.” Yeah, that little hallway off the kitchen goes to the garage. There’s even a bathroom there complete with a stand-up shower! Her voice breaks into my thoughts when she says, “Can we afford this?”
I think about what she said. It’s somewhat pricey, but I’ve got money saved and I know she does as well. “Honestly? I think between what you and I both have tucked away, we can pay for it outright and we’ll still have a nest egg.”
“Do you know how many Christmas trees we’re going to need?” Christmas trees? What the fuck? Where...how...when did Christmas trees enter this conversation?
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, we’ll need one in that front room so it can be seen from the street, one in the family room where we’ll probably put the presents, one upstairs in that sitting room for the kids to decorate, and one down in th
e basement in that awesome game room I can see you plotting,” she replies.
Fuck. My. Life. Four trees? Then again, we both have stuff we’ll be bringing from both of our households, so I’m sure it won’t be too bad. “If that’s what you want, sweetheart. Let’s go talk to Marie, okay? Then we have another appointment.”
“What other appointment?”
“We need to go see about our marriage license.”
Thirteen
Caraleigh
Marriage license? But I don’t wanna be a fat pregnant woman when I marry him! “Uh, Braxton? I don’t want to be all poofy when we get married. I thought we would wait until after the baby was born.”
“Not happening, sweetheart. You’ll have my rings and my last name before that sweet addition comes into this world.”
I glare at him and he leans down and kisses me. “I figured we get the license and take the kids and go to the courthouse, unless you want something fancy. Then, we can have a cut ceremony at the clubhouse. I told you—I won’t be happy until the woman I love is wearing my ring, my cut and my ink. We might have to wait on the ink until after the baby is born, but two outta three ain’t bad.”
Oh this alpha man of mine! He makes me smile even when I want to be mad. “I see.”
“Glad we’re on the same page now. Then, I figured since the kids are squared away, we can go to the clubhouse, maybe get in a nap in my room.”
Nap. Ha! I know that man has sex on the brain. Again. Of course, with the pregnancy hormones kicking in, the minute he said nap, my nipples pebbled and I could feel myself getting wet again. I had no idea until he came along that I had such a sex drive! Then again, I’m finding out that even though I was married before, I had no clue how much fun could be had, either! “Yeah, I probably will need a... nap by then,” I tell him, a grin playing on my lips.
Braxton Page 17
