“Oh no, I couldn’t do that,” she said softly. “I don’t have a credit card yet and I can’t get one because of my age and work history. I don’t have enough stability for anyone to give me credit.”
He made a mental note to add her to his credit cards and bank account. He hadn’t thought about her not having credit yet, but it made sense. He’d never intended for her to buy the accessories anyway.
“Kayla. Get the computer. You can give me cash if you want, or you can call it a wedding present and leave it at that.”
She hesitated. Then she walked over and stooped down where he was kneeling and working on the crib. She put her hands on either side of his face and pressed her mouth to his. It was the lightest of touches, and it ignited a hunger deep in his soul.
“You’re too good to me, Zach,” she said when she broke the kiss.
He caught her to him when she would have stood and tugged her across his lap. He wasn’t letting Dunn or Gentry get to her. He’d kill them both before they did.
“I’m not that good, beautiful. Because that one little kiss and I want to stop what I’m doing and eat your pussy so good you scream. Then I want to fuck you until I explode.”
She put her arms around his neck and lifted her face to his. “You don’t think I’m going to say no, do you? It won’t take long to make me scream, I promise you.”
He lifted her and carried her across the hall where they frantically stripped before falling to the bed together. It was crazy how much he wanted her, how much he needed to do this to her. Kayla matched him with her intensity in bed. For all that she seemed somewhat shy most of the time, she wasn’t shy when it came to sex with him. He had every intention of pushing her back on the bed and spreading her legs wide, but she stopped him with a suggestion.
“I want to do you too. Let me turn the other way.”
He wasn’t about to say no, which is how he found himself on his back, Kayla’s pussy in his face and her mouth and hands on his dick. Somehow, it turned into a contest about who would come first. Or so he thought because he was determined it would be her while she seemed to be attacking his cock with abandon, her tongue swirling over the head and down the sides before she put him in her mouth and took him as far as she could before doing it all again.
It took everything he had to stop the tingling at the base of his spine from turning into an inferno that raced through him and made him lose control. He licked the slick flesh of Kayla’s beautiful pussy, swirling around her clit and pressing two fingers inside to find her G-spot.
More than once, he thought he was going to lose the battle—but then Kayla stiffened, crying out as she continued to stroke him. He’d thought the loss of her mouth would ease the battle, but it didn’t. Especially when she licked the head while she was still whimpering from her orgasm.
Neo lost it then. He managed to warn her, but he didn’t know what she did because he nearly blacked out from the blinding pleasure. When he was done, he lay there blinking up at the ceiling and breathing hard.
What the hell?
Kayla rolled over, laughing softly. Her chest was covered with his semen. The sight made him nearly growl with male pride and possessiveness. What was it about marking a woman with cum that turned guys on so much? He didn’t know, but damn if he didn’t like it.
“I think I’m going to need a shower,” she said. “That was amazing.”
“Fuck yeah, it was,” he agreed. “Shower with a pal?”
She climbed up to the head of the bed and sprawled on top of him, spreading semen on his skin as well. “I think we both need it. I’m a dirty girl and you’re a dirty boy.”
Fuck, and there was another turn on. Kayla saying the word dirty.
“So dirty. We need to get clean.”
Her eyes sparkled. “I like getting dirty with you. You make me want to get dirty.”
“How dirty?”
“Very dirty. As dirty as it takes to come like that every time.”
He rolled them to the side of the bed. She stood and he followed. The bed was rumpled and the room smelled like sex. He liked it. He took her hand.
“Come on, beautiful. I want to run my soapy hands all over your pretty body.”
“What a coincidence. I want to do the same to you.”
They stepped into a hot shower together. By the time they got out, the water was running cold.
Chapter Nineteen
Kayla was relaxed and happy. Her limbs were loose and languid, and her heart was glad. She held the back of the crib while Zach screwed the slats down and attached the sides. They’d gotten a little side-tracked with sex and showering—and more sex while showering—but they were back to work now and Ana’s crib was coming along.
The crib would be done soon and then it was time for the dresser. The furniture that had originally been in this room had been moved downstairs to Zach’s old room to make way for the new stuff. It was so white and pretty, and it was going to look terrific when she finished decorating.
She’d gotten Zach’s computer and shopped Wayfair like he’d told her to do. She’d showed him her choices, and she’d made sure to choose things that were good quality but not pricey. He told her to add it all to a shopping cart and then they could check out when they’d finished with the furniture.
She’d picked a blush and white rug, white sheers for the windows with a black curtain rod, some sweet little prints with bunnies and kittens and puppies, and block letters that spelled Anastasia. She’d also picked out a small bookcase for children’s books when the time came and a wicker trunk where she could store blankets and pillows. Everything she’d picked was less than five-hundred dollars, and though she couldn’t afford it in one lump payment, she could give Zach money toward it.
Or not, since he’d said to consider it a wedding present. Maybe she’d do something nice for him instead. Buy him something, though she had no idea what he might want or need. He’d been a single guy with a healthy paycheck for so long that he’d pretty much bought himself whatever he wanted.
She thought about how much he loved the dessert Chloe had sent over. What if she learned how to make it? Chloe would teach her. Kayla fought a sudden flush of embarrassment. It wasn’t much of a present, really. Then again, as Chloe always said, her food was made with love and that’s why it tasted so good. Kayla could put a lot of love in a dessert for Zach.
He fitted the front of the crib onto the sides and screwed everything in, then grinned up at her. “All done. Let’s see what it looks like.”
Kayla walked around the front of the crib and over to the door so she could see the bigger picture. “It’s so pretty. I think she’ll love it. Later, I mean. I don’t think she much cares at her age.”
“Probably not. Where do you want it?”
“I think on the pink wall.”
They moved it together. She’d put the sheets into the washer earlier. They weren’t done yet, but they were in the dryer and soon would be.
“It’s going to be great,” Zach said. “Let’s get the dresser together, then maybe we can reheat some of Chloe’s food. Did you call Bailey yet?”
“Not yet. I got a little side-tracked.” And not by shopping.
He grinned. He knew what she meant. “Yeah, that was fun, wasn’t it?”
“Very. Just when I think you can’t make me come again, you do.”
He waggled his eyebrows. “You’re welcome, beautiful.”
Kayla laughed. “Full of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’d rather you were full of me.”
“I like being full of you. But I think we’d better wait until later or we’ll never get this furniture done. Or eat.”
He picked up one of the long sides of the dresser and started to put the wooden pegs into place. “Probably right. Let’s get this done, get some food, and get our little girl.”
Kayla’s skin prickled with hot emotion at how easily he claimed Ana and wanted her to be safe and happy. He said our little girl like he’d done
it every day of Ana’s life. She couldn’t love him more if she tried, even though it scared her senseless to care so much about a man who lived every bit as violent a life as James had. More so, actually. Even if Zach was one of the good guys who made sure the world was a safe place for people, it didn’t change the fact he might not come back one day.
She hadn’t wanted to think about it earlier when he’d said what he did about HOT and being a family, but she knew it wasn’t something she could completely ignore. It was something Bailey had to live with too. And Chloe. All the terrific women she’d met who were married or dating the men on Zach’s team.
“Can you hold this for me?” he asked.
She went over and gripped one of the sides of the dresser. Zach connected it to the back piece, then gave her a grin. Her heart throbbed so hard. It was scary to love someone other than her sister and her baby so much.
“Thank you, Zach.”
“It’s no big deal. I’ve put stuff like this together before. But you’re welcome.”
“That’s not what I meant. I was talking about Ana.”
He tilted his head. “I’m not sure I follow.”
Her throat was tight. “You called her our little girl. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”
“Aw, baby, don’t cry.”
He put an arm around her and hugged her to his side. That’s when she realized a tear had spilled down her cheek. She swiped it away.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to cry. It’s just that Ana’s never had a dad. Not really. James never cared a thing about her, other than how much money she could bring on the black market. Alexei is the closest thing she’s had to a dad, but of course he can’t be more than a really great uncle. And now you’ve called her ours, and it makes me happy. That’s all.”
“I told you it was my plan to make you happy.”
“You’re doing a great job of it.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s finish the dresser. I’ve worked up an appetite between sex and this.”
They finished putting everything together, placed the furniture and cleaned up the mess. Kayla retrieved the sheets from the dryer. Zach helped her put them on the mattress and they retreated to the kitchen to heat up Chloe’s casserole.
Kayla called Bailey while the food was heating so she could arrange to pick up Ana. They were also going to get the rest of her things while they were there. Kayla didn’t have much so it wasn’t like she needed a moving van. She’d spent most of her life without a lot of stuff, and other than living in the in-law apartment for the past few months, she’d never had her own home before. As grateful as she was to Bailey and Alexei for providing that space for her, it had never felt like hers.
It was slowly sinking in that living here with Zach, as his wife, meant this was her home too. Sure, it was a rental, but she could put up pictures and decorate the way she liked. She’d done a little of that in the apartment, but the furniture wasn’t hers and she’d only done stuff like buy a few accessories here and there when she had money.
Here—and even when they moved—she had an entire house to play with. And a full kitchen in which to learn how to cook more dishes than she knew how to make right now.
“You’re smiling, Kayla. I’m happy to see that.”
Kayla met his gaze. “Was I? I didn’t realize. I was just thinking about Ana’s room, and about living here with you.” She felt shy but she also knew she could say things to him. He understood. “I’ve never had a home where I didn’t feel like I might have to leave it at any minute. I mean I didn’t feel that way over at Bailey and Alexei’s, but it’s their house, not mine. And while this isn’t my house either, it’s the first time it feels like it is. Does that make sense?”
He nodded. “It’s ours together. The house came furnished, but when we move on base we’ll need our own furniture. You’ll get to pick everything that you want because decorating’s not my thing. All I want is a couch that feels substantial and not like I have to be careful sitting on it. Oh, and maybe it’d be nice if it’s not pink. Not sure I’d like a pink couch.”
Kayla laughed. “No pink. Got it. What about blush?”
“Blush?”
He looked adorably confused for a moment and she giggled. “It’s another word for pink. I’m joking. We’ll save the blush for Ana’s room. And maybe our sheets.”
He blinked.
“Kidding, Zach.”
He laughed. “Damn, beautiful. I think you’re actually relaxing a bit. For the record, I like it when you aren’t worrying about everything.”
She put her hand on his where it rested on the table and squeezed. “I like it too.”
She hadn’t stopped worrying, probably never would, but for now she felt safe and content. It was an amazing thing to feel. She only hoped it lasted.
Neo liked seeing Kayla at ease. Her smiles were quicker, and there was a looseness to the way she moved that wasn’t usually there. Kayla was always nervous, always uptight. She lived with one eye over her shoulder. He wanted to ease those storm clouds for her. Make her feel secure.
It was her insecurity that had made her run from him after the night they’d shared together a couple of months ago. And it wasn’t all her fault. He knew that too.
He’d treated her carefully, like a friend more than someone he wanted to get naked with. He’d been attracted to her from the first moment he’d seen her at Camel’s place back when Bailey’d been kidnapped by the Kings of Doom. She’d been haunted, and he’d wanted to erase that fear from her eyes. He’d wanted to protect her. Fiercely.
But she’d had an infant, she’d been through a lot of trauma, and there was no way in hell he could date her like he would any other woman. So he’d treated her like a friend because it didn’t raise any alarm bells for Camel or Bailey. He’d also known she wasn’t ready for more back then.
As time went on and he saw her more often, they got comfortable together as pals, but always with that attraction simmering beneath the surface. Until the night it blew up and they got down and dirty together. God, what a night that had been. When he’d awakened and she was gone, a knot formed in his stomach that hadn’t eased until the night she’d sat on his couch and told him why she’d run away from him.
One week ago and now they were married. It defied explanation, but there it was. He’d married her and he’d claimed her as his own. He wasn’t done claiming her, either. Sex with Kayla was fantastic, better than anything he recalled with any other woman. He was twenty-seven, almost twenty-eight, and he’d had his share of sexual encounters, but none had ever moved him at a deeper level the way being with Kayla did.
He thought of Dirty and Chloe, the way his pal had gone from single and prowling to focused and committed seemingly overnight. Dirty had fallen hard for Chloe and they were still going strong.
After Kayla heated the food and they ate, Neo did the dishes. Then they went to get Ana, as well as the rest of Kayla and Ana’s belongings. They spent time with Camel and Bailey first, sitting on the patio and chatting about how their day had been. Kayla showed Bailey pictures of Ana’s room, with the furniture in boxes and then put together, and Bailey put her hand to her chest and sighed.
“That’s so sweet. Perfect for our little Ana-Banana.”
“It was Zach’s idea to do it today,” Kayla said.
Bailey’s gaze swung to him. “That’s wonderful.”
“It was a good time to do it,” he said. “She was here with you and we could get it done faster. Every little girl deserves a pretty pink room.”
Bailey’s eyes misted. She glanced at Kayla, and he knew she must be thinking about their childhood.
“Yes, they do,” she said softly.
At one point, when Kayla and Bailey went inside to look at a new dress in Bailey’s closet, Neo and Camel discussed what Shade had told him.
“Fuck,” Camel said softly, keeping an eye on the door and his voice down. “Dunn’s working this from prison?”
>
“Seems like it. He expects to get out soon, so now’s the time to go after Kayla. Before he can be blamed for it.”
“Yeah. I don’t like it.”
“Neither do I.”
“Fucking bikers. Shouldn’t be so goddamn hard to find. They wear distinctive jackets and ride noisy-ass Harleys.” Camel blew out an angry breath. “But if they don’t have a known clubhouse yet and they’re laying low, then what’s one more damned Harley in the metro area?”
Pretty much what Neo had been thinking. The Kings of Doom were keeping clean for the moment. If they hadn’t been, there’d be some recent arrest records. They probably didn’t have enough members left to support criminal activity just yet. If Dunn got out and took over, that would change.
“We need to find them before Wednesday.”
Camel pinched the bridge of his nose. “Yeah. We still have a backup plan to deliver the cash and track them, but I’d rather find them first.”
“Me too. If it comes to giving them cash, I’m not letting Kayla deliver it. That’s a dealbreaker.”
“Agreed.”
They didn’t get to say anything else because Kayla and Bailey came back outside. Bailey had Ana on her hip and the sisters were chattering about silk and sandals and some other load of feminine crap Neo didn’t really care about. But Kayla looked happy and carefree, and he wanted more than anything to let her stay that way.
They were there for another hour, then they loaded up the SUV, put Ana into her car seat, and said their goodbyes. It was a chatty trip back home. Not between him and Kayla, but between Kayla and Ana. Kayla said something, and Ana responded with babbling. It was adorable as hell which was why he didn’t interrupt.
He thought about his life just over a week ago when he’d been going home alone, carrying takeout, and eating in front of the television while watching Netflix or YouTube. He’d looked forward to the nights when the team went to Buddy’s so he could eat with other people he liked instead of by himself. He and Shade had prowled the bars a couple of times, but Neo never connected with anyone he wanted to take home.
HOT SEAL Devotion Page 18
