by V. Vaughn
Chapter 30
ALEC
Her tongue teases mine, and I can barely control myself. I’m trying to hold back, but it’s pointless. I’m beyond turned on.
I grip her legs and pull her closer, up into my lap. My hands race along her back then down to cup the firm round cheeks of her ass. No one has a better ass than Hillary.
Our kiss is so long and wet and hot that it makes every muscle in my body hard. She pulls back and peppers kisses to my chin then down my neck. Slowly, she slips off the sofa until she’s on her knees in front of me, nudging my legs open so she can nestle in between them. The demure look on her face nearly does me in as she slowly, so very slowly, pulls down the zipper on my jeans. She tugs my briefs down and my cock springs free. She gazes up at me, and I groan when she drags her warm, wet tongue up my shaft. “Baby.”
I fall back on the couch to give her better access, and when she wraps her lips around my dick, I comb my fingers through her hair. She sucks me as I fuck her mouth, and the pressure that builds in my balls is a dull ache that grows with my need for release.
She fondles my balls gently, and I tense up, ready to explode. I remember how she didn’t ever want me to come in her mouth and croak out, “I’m gonna come.”
She releases my cock with a pop and gives me an evil smile. “That’s the idea.” When she takes me in her mouth again, I only need a couple of thrusts before I shoot my hot seed down her throat. She swallows it down, and it’s so damn sexy I’d come again if I could.
Hillary sits back on her knees and licks her lips as if I was a hot fudge sundae. I shudder with an aftershock. “Jesus, Hill. That was amazing.”
She stands up and holds out her hand. “We’re not even close to being done.”
I find the energy to get to my feet and let her lead me into my bedroom where I strip out of my clothes. I climb on the bed before I realize Hillary is taking her time to undress. She gives me a smoldering look as she unbuttons her shirt slowly. I lean back on my elbows, and my cock twitches at the sight of her. “Are you about to show me your moves?”
She grins. “I can.”
“Let me see them.”
“I might need some music for this.”
“I know just the song.” I pick up my pants from the floor to retrieve my phone and find an oldie sung by a guy with a scratchy voice, and he’s telling his girl to take it all off but to leave her hat on.
Hillary laughs when the song starts, but she listens to the words and gives me a sexy, hip-swaying dance as she follows his directions, right down to shaking her boobs when he suggests it, and I just about die.
“Do you have any idea what that does to me?”
She glances at my groin to see my cock has found a way to wake up. “As a matter of fact…”
I chuckle and hook my finger at her. “C’mere. I’ve got plans for you.”
Hillary crawls over my prone body and lies on top of me. “I sure hope so, because stripping for you has me horny as hell.”
“Hot damn!” I flip her over so that I’m on top, and I kiss my woman with the kind of heat that could start a forest fire. But I plan on taking my time so I can savor every inch of my sexy bunny, and I move my kisses slowly down her body until she’s a quivering mess.
She jerks when I slide two fingers along her slick sex, and then rocks her hips as I thrust them inside her. She’s dripping wet with desire when she says, “Oh, Alec. I need so much more than your hand.”
I rise up to guide my dick into her, seating myself balls deep, and she moans with the fullness. I bury my face in the side of her neck, as I move my hips, my cock slowly sliding in and out of her. I lick the spot right under her ear that I know she loves. She bows her back and moans in response.
“I’ve missed you so much,” I whisper into her ear.
“I’ve missed you too.” She gasps, once, twice, three times, as her orgasm draws near.
I nip at her ear lobe. “I promise I won’t ever leave again.”
She digs her nails into my back as I ram into her, bringing us both to blissful release.
Once we both can move again, we cuddle together. She’s the little spoon, and I’m the big one. I stroke my fingers through her hair as I listen to her breathing. Right now, in this moment, everything is perfect. I can’t think of a better moment, and I know I’ve never stopped loving her. I don’t think I ever could stop no matter what happens.
“Did you leave because you fell out of love me?” Her voice is barely a whisper, and I know it costs her to ask.
“God, no. It hurt to leave you.”
“Then why did you? Why didn’t you think to take me with you?”
I sigh, having beaten myself up over the same question time and time again. “I was so excited about going pro. It was all I could think about. All that was in my head. It was all anyone else talked about. My family, my friends.” I draw my fingers through her hair, although I know I can’t caress away the pain I caused her. “I didn’t stop to think about what you wanted. I was selfish and a jerk.” I nuzzle my face into her hair and close my eyes as I breathe her in. “I’ve never stopped loving you, Hillary.”
Because I can’t see her face, I don’t know her reaction to my confession. She’s hasn’t pulled away from me, so I take that as a good sign.
“Can you ever forgive me?” I ask, knowing the answer might devastate me. But I need to know where I stand with her. She doesn’t answer immediately, which makes me nervous.
Then in a tiny voice she says, “I don’t know. I’m trying to get over you walking away from me once. You loved me, and you knew how much I loved you. And still—” Her voice cracks, and she doesn’t finish her sentence.
I know she’s crying, and I tighten my hold as I press my lips to the back of her head.
She sniffs. “What’s to stop you from doing it again?”
She turns in my arms and lets me see her tears. Pain slices through my heart at how much I’m hurting her again. I lean forward and kiss the tears away, and then I hug her close. I’m at a loss for words. What can I say to make her trust me again? I’ve told her I won’t leave. I’m trying to make it up to her and prove I’m going to stay. But maybe in the end, it won’t be enough.
Chapter 31
HILLARY
I’m exhausted when I go to work. Alec and I had morning sex, and we both tried to act as if everything is okay, but it’s not. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get past my fear that Alec is going to leave me again. But I still have hope that with time, I’ll find a way.
While Mandy and I do our usual opening routine, I’m anxious to get a minute to talk to her and get her advice on something other than my relationship. I can’t stop thinking about what Alec said about my blanket business doing so well and about my idea about going part-time at the diner.
But I don’t get a chance because Mandy lets one of our regulars in early, and before we know it, the breakfast rush is upon us.
I walk over with coffee for Delilah and Jane, who are sitting at the breakfast counter today. Delilah, who runs the book store, asks, “Did you hear that C. J. Oliver is coming to town?”
“Who?” I ask. Delilah and Jane stare at me with wide eyes.
Jane asks, “You seriously don’t know the most famous shifter romance author of all time? My god, girl. Do you live under a rock?”
“Oh,” I say as it comes to me. “She’s a dog shifter, right? I keep meaning to read her books.”
“She’s doing a reading and book signing at the bookstore this weekend. It’s going to be great PR for the town.
“I think we’ll even get shifters from other towns coming once we advertise on the shifter network,” Jane says. “I’m going to encourage all the downtown businesses to pull out all the stops and show visitors how great Heartland is.”
“I mean, even your beau came back to Heartland,” Delilah says to me. “He knows how great a town this is.”
I don’t correct her about why Alec returned. I don’t want to ruin
the sales pitch she’s obviously rehearsed. I smile because this is the kind of stuff that makes working here so great. I quickly fill up their coffee cups and leave them to go check on my other customers.
I don’t think I could ever quit working at the diner entirely. Not only is it a fun place to work, but I’m not foolish enough to rely on a knitting business with only one product. I need the stability of at least a part-time income from waitressing, and I’m glad I don’t have to choose one over the other.
It occurs to me that Alec had to choose between a relationship with me and his career. While I told him I’d have followed him anywhere, it would have been difficult to focus on football if he was worried about me being in a strange town with him gone all the time.
Once our rush is over, I find Mandy drinking coffee in the kitchen. I pour myself a mug too, and when I lift the hot liquid to my mouth, I say, “Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”
“Shoot.”
“I’m thinking about going part-time here so I can concentrate more on my baby blanket business. It’s doing a lot better than I ever thought it would, and I don’t have enough time to keep up with demand.”
“That’s awesome. You really love it, don’t you?”
“I do, and I make more money at it for my time than here. But gosh, I love working here so much, and I can’t imagine letting it go completely.”
“Then I think going part-time is a great idea.”
“You do?”
“Most definitely.” She smiles. “Although I’ll be sad about spending less time with you, I wouldn’t dream of doing anything to hold you back. You’ve got to do what is best for you, and it sounds like having more time for knitting is it.”
Guilt tugs at my heart, because I wasn’t able to see that Alec leaving Heartland to play football was what was best for him at the time. If he’d stayed for me, I’d have held him back from his dream. And considering how successful he was, that would have been a shame.
“Did you tell Alec about your business?”
“Yeah, he thinks it’s great. He’s actually encouraging me to do it more.” I smile. “He thinks the blankets are pretty.”
“Have you told him why you knitted so many of them to begin with?”
“I told him I liked it and—”
“And about how much you want kids?”
Mandy is the only person who knows about my deepest desire. She pretty much figured it out when I was chin deep in knitted blankets and was still knitting more.
“I haven’t mentioned it,” I say with a wince.
“You should tell him. If you’re not on the same page when it comes to kids, then your relationship is doomed no matter if you forgive him or not.” She sets her coffee down with a thump and goes to the dining room.
It never occurred to me that Alec might not want children, and frankly if he doesn’t, then there’s no point for us to be together no matter how much I love him. My biological clock is beyond ticking; it’s ding-donging like heavy church bells.
I think back and try to remember a time when we may have talked about having children, but we were still in high school, and I don’t think we ever did. I know Alec and I need to have the conversation and that if he can commit to kids with me, he’s really planning to stay.
Chapter 32
ALEC
I remove the bottle of wine I have chilling in the fridge, and it’s cold in my hand as Bruce raises an eyebrow at me. “You’re spending a lot of time with Hillary.”
“Yes.” Movie night at Hillary’s this evening is going to consist of wine, Chinese take-out, and lots of cuddling on the couch. This is the third night in a row that we’ve spent together, and I love it.
I expect Bruce to say something flippant or bust my balls about it, but instead he says, “Good. Does that mean you’re moving out soon and getting your own place?”
“Well, technically, this is my house too. Mom and Dad left it to both of us,” I say.
He gives me his stoic poker-face look. “You forfeited it when you left, baby brother.”
“Oh, c’mon, that’s not fair.” I slip the wine into my overnight duffle bag.
“Hey, life’s not fair. Besides, didn’t you make millions playing ball? Did you spend it all?”
“No, I have a good chunk left.”
He shrugs, indicating that this is the end of the conversation. “There you go.”
I slam the screen door shut behind me as I leave, but I’m not really mad. I’m fine with Bruce having the house. It’s not like I’d want to move Hillary in here with him anyway. I guess I should look for my own place. When I first came home it was temporary. A rest area to chill out, heal, and think. I’ve done that. And now that my football career is over and I’ve decided to stay in Heartland, I should buy my own house.
When I get to Hillary’s, she’s already ordered the Chinese food, and it arrives within minutes. As we eat, I wonder if I should talk to her about me buying a house, but I decide I’d rather tell her by taking her with me to tour prospective homes. I think she needs me to do more than talk about our life together.
“Earth to Alec,” Hillary says to capture my attention.
I set my chopsticks down when I realize I was holding them midair. “Sorry. What were you saying?”
“Nothing. I was eating. What are you thinking about?”
“That you need more wine.” I lift the bottle to top off our glasses in an effort to avoid the question.
Hillary lets me and asks, “Do you remember Hanna from high school?”
“I think so. Redhead, played volleyball?”
“Yeah that’s her. She came into the diner yesterday with her new babies. Twin boys.”
“Cool. Did you sell her some blankets?”
She frowns. “No. I don’t pressure anyone to buy my stuff.”
I can tell I’ve hit a nerve, but I don’t know why. “I know, baby. I wasn’t saying that.”
Her expression relaxes, and she takes a sip of wine. “They were really cute. She named them Joshua and Jake.”
“Good names,” I say, because I’m sure I’m still walking on thin ice here, even if I don’t know why. “Maybe they’ll be football players, and I can coach them when they get to high school.”
Hillary nods as she chews her ginger beef. Once she swallows her mouthful, she says, “Oh, also I got a call from my cousin Beth, and she wants to know if we can babysit next weekend.”
“She’s got four kids, right?”
Hillary nods.
“That’s a lot of little tykes running around.”
“Is that going to be a problem?” Her stare is serious, and I’m definitely in the dog house for something.
“Ah—” I’m not sure what I’m dealing with, but I give it my best shot. “No. No problem at all. I like kids. It’ll be fun. We can take them to the park or maybe out to the falls. That’s not too dangerous for them, is it?”
She smiles as if I gave the right answer. “That’s not too dangerous.”
It hits me what’s going on. She’s trying to gauge whether I like children or not. Or maybe figure out if I want to have them. I like the idea of kids, especially with her. I want my mate to know that if she takes me back, I’m into the relationship one hundred percent.
I reach for her hand and squeeze her fingers. “If you’re trying to figure out if I want kids, the answer is I do. I would love to have a whole litter of children with you.”
Her eyes brighten. “You do? Honestly?”
“Absolutely. I can see us with at least four. Maybe even five. Show Cousin Beth how we do things around here.”
She giggles and lifts up from her chair to give me a quick kiss. “I was worried you might not want them. We never talked about it, you know.”
I smile. “To be fair, we were just kids ourselves when we were together before. Although now that I think of it, your mother did say something about me being a good father someday.”
Hillary chuckles. “Yes, my mom, the subtle one
.”
I laugh and get up to clear our plates. As they clatter in the sink, it occurs to me I should find a way to show Hillary that I’m fully committed to her, to this relationship, and to whatever comes next. I need to do something big and grand. A gesture to show her she can trust me. Maybe I can decorate a whole nursery in the spare room in my house to prove my love for her.
Bruce will kill me. But once I tell him why, he might be okay with it. He might even want to help me with it, or he might call me an idiot. I grin at myself, pleased with my idea, and I decide I’m going to do it.
Chapter 33
HILLARY
The diner is packed with townspeople today. It seems like everyone is here to celebrate Marvin and Ida getting hitched. I can’t believe it myself. A week after he joked about her being a fox, he’s in here with Ida to celebrate their marriage. They’re both in their seventies but still full of life, and I think it’s sweet.
People tap forks and spoons against their glasses to hush the crowd, and a pretty blond girl stands up to speak. She glances around the room. “For those of you who might not know, I’m Lily, Marv’s oldest granddaughter. And his best man. Who knew shifters could change gender too?” she asks, getting the crowd to laugh. When they stop, she continues. “Now that you know I have Marv’s sense of humor, you should also know there is no way I can give a toast without using a bad pun. So…” She looks at Ida. “The day this foxy lady agreed to marry Marvin is the day she gave him a new reason to live, and we’re so glad you’ve joined our crazy family.” She lifts her soda glass. “To another thirty years!”
“Here, here!” shouts more than one guest, and my eyes fill with tears when Marv and Ida kiss.
