by Anna Brooks
“Does this feel wrong?” I dive in again, and she shakes her head.
“No, it feels good.”
I fold myself over her and align my throbbing head to the one place she hasn’t let me have yet. “Tell me if you want me to stop.” Slowly, I push, and she starts to crawl away. “Gotta stay still, baby.”
I hold her around the waist and try again, this time popping the tip all the way in. She holds her breath, and I kiss the dimples right above her ass. “Relax.”
A breath rushes out of her, and I push in a little farther. “Look at me.”
She shakes her head, and I stop moving. “Look at me.”
When she twists her neck and looks up at me, tears are in her eyes, and I can feel my boner going away. I can’t fuck her when she’s crying. “Want me to stop?”
“No. It doesn’t hurt.”
“You’re crying.”
“It’s different, uncomfortable…”
“Then why are you crying?”
“Because it’s emotional, okay? Jesus, you wanna talk or do you wanna fuck me in the ass?”
I laugh, laugh while my dick is halfway inside my woman’s ass, and she smiles before dropping her head again. “God, I love you.”
“I know. I love you too,” she grunts.
I squirt a little more lube and slide all the way inside. “Fuck. You’re so tight.”
“Well, it’s my ass, what did you expect?” She grits her teeth.
“Can I move yet?”
“Yeah.”
I slide almost all the way out, and then push back in. By the time I do it four times, her body has relaxed. “Feel good yet?”
“Yeah.”
“Good.”
I continue slowly fucking her, watching my cock disappear inside her. I throw my head back when my balls tighten embarrassingly fast. “Rub your clit, honey. Make yourself come.”
She shifts beneath me, and I lean down and slide my index finger into her wet pussy. “Fuck! Oh my God, D. I’m gonna come.” She screams and pushes back against me as we both fall over the edge.
I collapse on the bed next to her and kiss the tip of her nose. “You okay?”
“I’m okay.” She kisses my chin. “We’re okay.”
“Yeah, honey. We’re okay.”
Chapter 24
Amie
“I REALLY FEEL LIKE I should be sorry I did that, but I’m not.”
The rumble of his voice against my chest rouses me from my slumber, and I sit up abruptly, looking at the clock. “Shit, I’m going to be late!” I jump out of the bed then run to the bathroom to clean up and get dressed as fast as I can. As I’m grabbing my clothes from yesterday, Declan appears in the bathroom.
“You have clean clothes, ya know?”
“No, I don’t.”
“Amie. Did you look in the closet? Or the drawers?”
I pause in the middle of sliding my bra on. “I took everything with me.”
“I brought it back.”
“When?”
“Yesterday. After Nik had texted me that you were there, I knew why, so I ran to your parents and got your stuff. Because even if I was wrong, I wasn’t letting you go again.”
With a quick peck on his cheek, I rush to the closet and grab some clothes. “Can you take me since my car is still at the pub?”
“Course.”
In record time, I’m running out of the door and manage to make it to work in time.
“Hi, Ms. Dotty!”
“Morning, Gus. How are you?”
“I’m great. How are you?”
His dimples and freckled cheeks pop with his smile as he looks at me with such innocence. This is part of why I love working with children. They’re still naïve. They see the good in everything. Nothing has tainted their lives yet.
And today, right now, for the first time in a long while, I can smile back at him and say, “I’m great, too. Everything is just great.”
* * *
The morning has gone by as normally as it could, but when lunchtime comes, I realize I forgot to pack my lunch with all the rush. I head to the teacher’s lounge to see what I can steal from everyone else.
I say a silent thank you to God when I see a box of donuts on the table. I rush in and grab one then sit down and begin to eat it. The door swings open and Brett walks in. “Hey.”
“Hey.”
“You took off last night.”
“Yeah. My…” What do I call him? Boyfriend? Jesus, I’m thirty-five years old. Can you have a boyfriend at my age? “Ugh, I had to leave.”
He sits next to me and tosses an apple in the air before he catches it. “I like that bar.”
“Me too.”
“I like that I had a good time with you.”
I bite the inside of my cheek, not sure what to say. I mean, I had fun too, but I was hanging out with a bunch of people I work with. I was happy because I’d made up my mind that I was going to make up with Declan. I was nervously but excitedly awaiting his call. What I wasn’t doing was looking at a game of darts as anything other than a game of darts.
“We should go back another time. I can get a rematch.” He interrupts my thoughts.
“Oh… well, I’m kind of seeing someone.”
“Really?” He sits up a little straighter. “Didn’t seem like it.”
I snap my head back at his accusatory tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means you were all over me.”
“I was not,” I whisper.
“All by yourself at a bar. Out prowling. What would you call that?”
I open my mouth to defend myself, but snap it shut. He has me questioning my behavior. All I did was play darts and have a couple of beers. Is that leading someone on? I don’t even know. “How was…? I mean, I was having a beer with some co-workers.”
“You were the only pussy there, Amie.”
I find myself standing and ready to back away. “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression.”
“Don’t you dare apologize to him.” Declan’s voice slices through the room, and I whip my head around to see him eyeing Brett. “I know you want her, man. I saw the way you were looking at her, but she’s mine. And you’re not gonna speak to her that way. It’s best you remember that.”
“Maybe she shouldn’t lead people on.”
“Maybe you should shut your fuckin’ mouth about my girl before—”
“Maybe you both should stop talking about me like I’m not here.” I take a deep breath and face Brett. “Stay the hell away from me, and I’ll be sure to do the same to you.”
“Fine by me.” He nods and sits down, and I turn on my heels and grab Declan’s hand to lead him out the door.
I drag him past the front office and out of the building. “What was that? I have to work with him!” I’m not a damsel in distress. I was dealing with him. The last thing I want is conflict at my job.
“You weren’t leading him on.”
“I know.”
“He ain’t gonna sit there and say you were, especially when I’m standing right there.”
“What are you doing here anyway?”
“Brought you lunch.”
“Thanks.” Of course, he did. Because be noticed. He notices everything.
“Do you know how long he’s wanted you for?” he asks me softly.
That question catches me off guard, and my brain is still a mess from the confrontation. I’m not a fan of it and even though I may have acted tough, I’m still worked up. “What?”
“The way he was looking at you yesterday was more than just the look of a man who wanted a quick fuck.” He grips my shoulders. “You have no idea how fucking beautiful you are, Amie. You never did. But I see it. I saw it when I was sixteen, and I see it now. I see it all the damn time.”
“See what?”
“The way men look at you. I dealt with it then, but it’s worse now.”
I shake my head. “No. Men don’t—”
“They d
o. But you’re mine, right? Always have been.”
“Yeah, I am.”
“And I’m yours. Always have been.”
“Yup.”
“So they can look all they want—I know you’re hot. I like looking at you, too. But the second they try to touch or spew some shit like he just did, I’ll step in. Nobody’s gonna talk to you like that, okay?”
“Okay.” I rub my thumb along his lower lip. “Where’s my food?”
He nips at my finger and entwines our fingers as he leads me to his vehicle. The trunk pops and he pulls out a small cooler. “Sub, chips, and a cookie.”
“Just one?”
“No, there are three in there.” He slams the lid. “I know you, honey.”
“That you do.”
“Can you sit with me or do you have to go?”
“I can stay. I’m just hanging out with Meara until I have to get you again.”
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s not a big deal. I’d rather drive back and get you than have let you drive last night.”
I sit on the curb, open my sandwich, and take a bite. “Mmm. Thanks,” I say through a mouthful. I was starved and didn’t have a chance to finish my donut.
“No problem.”
As I eat in silence, Declan’s hands roam all over my body, rubbing my back, massaging my neck, tickling my arms as he trails his fingers up and down them. It’s amazing how just a touch can convey so many feelings.
His light and gentle touch was what solidified the fact that I was falling in love with him. We were at a small party, and I was exhausted after having a migraine the night before.
“Do you want to go?” Declan slides the hair away from my ear as he whispers.
He’s sitting on the couch, and I’m lying on it using his lap as a pillow. “No. It’s okay.”
“Honey, if you don’t feel good, we’ll leave.”
“I feel fine. Just tired. I want to be with you, so let’s stay.”
“If you’re sure.” He kisses my temple.
“I’m sure.”
I close my eyes and listen to him and Nik trash talk each other over a video game. He sits still, but every once in a while, the movements from his arms jostle me. In the background, other people talk and laugh while a radio’s static signal muffles their words.
“Ha, fucker. Told you I’d whoop your ass.” Declan jokes with Nik and the sound of a controller dropping to the floor makes me jump.
“She sleeping?” Nik asks.
I’m about to answer him that I’m awake, but Declan’s fingers gently slide against my jaw. “Yeah.”
A few moments of silence pass but Dec continues to rub the tips of his fingers along my face. Even though they’re closed, my eyes become heavy, and I sink deeper into his body.
“She sick?” Nik’s voice gets louder. “Never seen her passed out like that.”
“She had a migraine last night. It wears her out the next day.”
“Sucks.”
“Yeah.” Dec swallows whatever he’s drinking. “Hate seeing her in pain like that and there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Does she have meds?”
“They don’t always help.”
As he’s talking, his fingers begin running the length of my hair. The soft pattern comforts me. I squeeze my eyes harder together, so I don’t embarrass myself and cry like a baby at how much I love this guy.
“Hmm,” Nik replies. “Dude.”
“What?”
“You’re staring at her. Kinda creepy.” Humor laces his words, and Dec chuckles beneath me.
“I can’t help it. If she’s near me, I have to touch her or look at her. I love watching her.”
“You’re so whipped.”
“Nah. Not whipped. I love her, man.”
“For real?” Nik coughs and clears his throat. “You love her?”
“Yeah.” His fingers change direction, and he traces the seam of my lips. “I do.”
I shake my head and hand him a cookie while I take a bite out of my own. “Do you know the moment I fell in love with you?” I ask him.
He smirks. “It wasn’t love at first sight?”
“Well, I mean I was intrigued by you, and I thought you were gorgeous—still do—but the moment I knew, I really knew that it was you, was when you thought I was asleep.”
“When was that?” He bends his knees and rests his forearms on them.
“That party at… I can’t remember whose house. Nik’s maybe. Anyway, you guys were playing video games and thought I had fallen asleep on your lap.”
He scrunches his brows together in contemplation, and I let my eyes wander over his features. Even in his mid-thirties, he’s smoking hot. I love that his hair has a tinge of red in it. I love that I never know if he’ll have stubble or not. I love that his hazel eyes darken or lighten depending on his mood.
“Oh, yeah”—he nods his head—“I remember that.”
“You told Nik you loved me.”
There go those eyes, a shade lighter. “Yeah, honey. I did.”
“If I’m being honest, though, it wasn’t even those words that did it for me.”
“What was it?”
“It was because even though you thought I was asleep, you kept touching me.”
“I like touching you.” His voice lowers, and he runs a single digit down from my knee to my ankle, back up again, and then to the hem of my skirt. “I love touching you.”
My body heats up, and I playfully shove his hand away. “Stop. I have to go back to work.”
He helps me up, and I brush the crumbs off myself while he gathers the garbage and tosses it to the front passenger seat. When he comes back around, he takes my hand, and we walk to the front door of the school.
“Ya know when I knew I loved you?”
“When?”
“When that little boy ran up to you at the Y and wrapped his arms around your leg. The way he looked up at you, causing your face to soften. I just knew from that moment that I had to have you. I had to marry you and make you the mother of my children.”
I try not to show it, but I can feel my face fall.
“And I couldn’t ask for a better mother for my baby girl.”
My eyes blur beneath the layer of freshly formed tears, and my breath hitches in my throat. “Dec…”
“I love you, so damn much. Seventeen years’ worth of love built up, and I’m gonna use every last second until the day I die making up for what we lost. All that love will fill the emptiness inside you until you’re so full you can barely breathe.”
Chapter 25
Declan
AS I DRIVE BACK from Amie’s school, I stop at the jewelry store to pick up the ring I ordered. It’s simple. A round, two-carat diamond on a white gold band. If I know my girl as I think I do, she’s going to want to use the band I gave her when we were eighteen as her wedding band, so I didn’t buy anything other than the engagement ring.
I tuck the box into my front jeans pocket and smile. The weight of my surprise for her is finally tangible. When I arrive back at Meara and Liam’s, I jog inside.
“Hey,” Meara greets me and locks the door behind me. “What’s that look for?”
“What look?”
“You have a weird, smirky look on your face.”
I pull out the box, and Meara gasps when she sees what’s inside. “Oh my God, it’s beautiful, Dec. She’s gonna love it.”
“Think so? I didn’t want to go too fancy, but I was kind of worried it’d be too plain, but she likes plain… not that she’s plain—she’s extraordinary—but she prefers understated jewelry and I didn’t—”
“I’ve never seen you nervous before.”
She hands me back the box. “I’m not nervous.”
“Yeah, you are.”
The fear bubbling in my gut flies out of my mouth. “What if she says no?”
“She won’t. She loves you. As much as I hated her for what she did, I understand why now.” I fol
low her to the kitchen and sit at the island while she stirs some shit on the stove. “You guys are a lot like Liam and me.”
“How so?”
“Fell in love young. Tore apart. Now, you’re back together.”
“Yeah, but you and Lee were only apart for a few months before you got back together.”
“True. But that time apart was probably the best thing for our relationship. I know that seventeen years is a long time, and I can’t imagine or pretend to know what you’ve gone through, but if absence makes the heart grow fonder, then you two are going to live in bliss for the rest of your lives.”
“When did you get so smart?”
“I’ve always been smart.”
“You’ve always been a smartass.”
“I have not.”
“Yeah, princess, you have.” Liam walks into the room with a baby in each arm.
I take Clover from him and kiss the top of her head. “Hey, baby girl,” I whisper. She smiles at me, all gummy, and I smile back.
“Don’t come in here and take his side.” She points a spatula at her husband and raises a pierced eyebrow at him.
“I’m not taking sides. I’m agreeing.” Liam walks over to Meara and kisses her pouty lips.
“You’re lucky you’re hot.”
“I know.” He laughs.
“Now, who’s a smartass?”
I hold my daughter and laugh to myself as I listen to the banter between them. It’s good seeing my little sister so happy. She always was, though, but now, she’s peaceful.
We hang around for the afternoon, and when it’s time for me to get Amie, Meara asks if she can tag along. “I haven’t left the house for two days. I need some fresh air.”
“Yeah, of course. I’ll drop you off after I get Amie.”
I say goodbye to little Melody, who is the prettiest baby next to my Clover, and Liam and I make plans to get together for a beer soon. After buckling Clover in her seat, I drive off to Amie’s school with Meara riding shotgun.
Amie waves and I get out to open the back door for her. “Hey, honey.” I kiss her before she gets in and reaches for Clover, baby talking to her immediately.
“Guess I know where I stand,” I mumble to myself as I go back around to my side and put the car in drive.
