Beautiful Broken Promises

- FIFTEEN -

 

RAEGAN -

 

So Audrey was beautiful. Not like your everyday beautiful—if there was such a thing—but like she should be on the cover of some high-fashion magazine beautiful. Her legs were about as long as my entire body, so I instantly felt squatty standing next to her. I shouldn’t have worn flats today. And didn’t she just have a baby? Where was the post- pregnancy belly I thought we were all blessed with?

 

I still didn’t understand how she and Lane hadn’t ended up together. I had a hard time believing that they lived together for years and yet nothing had happened. How is that possible? They were both gorgeous. Gorgeous people migrated to other gorgeous people.

 

But speaking of gorgeous… Audrey’s husband, Jace, was out of this world. He was tall—like crazy tall. He had at least three inches on Lane, but he wasn’t built the same. I don’t think anyone was built like Lane.

 

I was beginning to feel inferior in comparison to all of these tall, attractive people around me. I hated that feeling and I used to roll my eyes at girls like that. I needed to straighten my spine and get over it.

 

Jace moved around the front of the car and grabbed Audrey around the middle. I didn’t know if it was intentional, but he moved her away from Lane by a good two feet. Audrey melted into his touch, and the smile she gave him over her shoulder should have removed all doubts about her and Lane from my head. Jace whispered into her ear and she nodded in return, smirking at him.

 

Just then, a large truck came flying down the dirt road and we all turned to see it approaching the house. I felt Lane pull me in tighter.

 

“You know I’m not upset with you, right?” I felt his words whispered against my ear.

 

“I didn’t do anything so you better not be mad at me,” I replied.

 

I smiled when I felt him chuckle behind me. “I just want to get us back to the house soon,” he continued to whisper.

 

“Me too.”

 

“You nervous about meeting my friends?” he asked.

 

“No,” I replied quickly. Then I backtracked. “Yes.”

 

The truck that pulled up near Jace’s SUV was drenched in mud. Not just little splashes here and there, but full-on covered in filth. I couldn’t say what color it actually was if I tried. The windshield was only clean where the wipers had smeared the mud away.

 

Then Jace got out of the truck. Huh? But it wasn’t Jace, because he was standing behind us, still holding onto Audrey.

 

“Whoa…” I whispered. Jace had an identical twin. I knew Jace and Jaxon were brothers, but I hadn’t heard anything about twins.

 

“Crazy, huh?” Audrey said from beside me.

 

“Whoa, what?” Lane growled into my ear. I shivered against him and moved further into his chest. Kate squirmed down from his arms and reclaimed Braden’s hand.

 

“Umm….” I didn’t know what to say. I still thought Lane was the most beautiful person I had ever seen, but… seeing two of these guys side-by-side would take me a minute to grasp. They were dreamy.

 

“Rae…” Lane continued and now he fully held onto me from behind.

 

He and I had done fairly well at keeping our displays of affection away from the kids. We hadn’t kissed or made any advances in front of them. They didn’t seem to catch on to his current possessive actions, so I let him continue to hold me.

 

“Give her a break, Lane. Seeing Jax and Jace for the first time is a lot to take in… for any girl.”

 

He grasped me a little bit tighter and I went willingly. We all watched as Jaxon, who was covered in as much mud as his truck, ran around the front and opened the passenger-side door. He reached inside and scooped out a girl with long, blonde hair. This must have been Emerson. She kicked and giggled as he carried her away from the truck. His smile was blinding as he looked at her squirming in his arms. They each laughed loudly at one another, probably because they were both caked in dried mud.

 

Surprise, surprise, she was a knockout too… even dirty. “What the hell is in the water here?” I whispered, mostly to myself.

 

“Why do you say that, babe?” Lane asked.

 

“It’s nothing.” Or it wasn’t really anything to get worked up over, at least. Maybe in the past four years while I’d been locked away, people just got better-looking for some reason. Although, come to think of it, I didn’t remember seeing this many beautiful people in New York.

 

“Jaxon!” Em gasped. “Put me down!” She managed to escape his arms and I was happy to see that even though she was gorgeous, she wasn’t another long-legged supermodel. She was my height and seemed to have all the same proportions as me.

 

“You two are ridiculous,” Jace laughed beside us.

 

“It’s her fault!” Jaxon laughed.

 

“Oh, like you’re really going to complain.” Em looked at him mischievously and he grabbed her again, pulling her into his body.

 

“What the hell happened?” Jace asked.

 

“Dude,” I heard Lane growl as he elbowed Jace.

 

“Sorry, little ears,” Jace responded softly.

 

That caught Jaxon and Em’s attention, and they both looked down at the two kids standing next to us.

 

“Oh my God!” Emerson cried. “You two are the most adorable little things I have ever seen!”

 

“Wow, she’s like your clone, man,” Jaxon added.

 

“You know, you guys are all pretty overwhelming,” Lane said to the crowd around us. He reached down and easily scooped up both Braden and Kate in a protective gesture. They held onto his shoulders to balance themselves. It was quick, but Braden looked down at me with an arresting smile. Lane had just made him feel special in front of everyone. I rubbed his back, excited for him.

 

“I’m sorry,” Emerson cooed up at them.

 

“No, no. I don’t like that tone, beautiful,” Jaxon said to Em. “I just got you over your last bout of baby-fever.”

 

“So, watching Quinn and Cole’s baby actually worked?” Jace laughed.

 

“That baby doesn’t sleep. She’s one years old, shouldn’t she be sleeping by now?” Emerson grumbled.

 

“Some babies are just like that. Braden’s almost five and he still gets up in the middle of the night. At least now I can tell him to go back to sleep,” I interjected.

 

Jaxon smiled wide at me. “I like you already.”

 

“Umm... thanks,” I responded.

 

“Jaxon’s been trying to talk Em out of having a kid since before they were engaged,” Lane informed me.

 

“Not completely. Just not for at least five years… or something.” Jaxon scooped Em back up into his arms and kissed her quickly. They were really adorable together.

 

“You could always watch Jocelyn,” Audrey added.

 

“No thanks,” Jaxon quickly replied, setting Em back down.

 

“Got something against my daughter? Your niece, by the way?” Jace questioned his brother.

 

Em laughed and said, “No, she’s just too good of a baby. Audrey told us she’s already started sleeping through the night. He only lets me watch the more… challenging ones.”

 

“You caught that, huh?” Jaxon asked coyly.

 

“You’re not that sneaky, babe,” she laughed.

 

This group was a lot of fun. I didn’t know them at all, but the dynamic between them was awesome. They teased each other playfully, but anyone would be able to tell that they truly cared for one another. I couldn’t help but smile just standing around them.

 

“It’s good to see everyone. Now, you’ve all met so we’re gonna head back to my place,” Lane announced to the crowd.

 

“Wait!” We all turned as a pretty little brunette raced across the street, and following behind her was yet another handsome man. Cole and Quinn, I was assuming. Hopefully, this was the end of the welcome wagon. I was surprised I even remembered everyone’s names from the late-night talks with Lane back in New York. “Are they here? Is she blonde? Did I win the bet?”

 

“Oh God, the bet…” I heard Em whisper to Audrey. They both looked at me and when I caught them, they quickly averted their gazes.

 

“What’s going on?” Lane asked.

 

Quinn ran up to us and scanned the crowd of faces before her eyes finally landed on mine. She visibly deflated, then realized her actions before quickly smiling up at me. “Oh, you’re not blonde, but dang… you are gorgeous!”

 

“Why would I be blonde?” I asked.

 

“What bet?” Lane questioned.

 

“We were just being silly,” Audrey offered. Lane looked over at her and she shrank back into Jace.

 

“Welcome back, man,” Cole said and held out his hand for Lane. Lane set the kids down, Cole pulled him into a man hug, and they patted each other’s backs. Lane quickly moved back to my side, before claiming both Braden and Kate’s hands.

 

I continued to look at Quinn, wondering if she would reply to my question. She finally answered slowly, “We just… thought you’d be… blonde. It was dumb.” She waved her hand, attempting to dismiss the entire thing.

 

“Shut it, Quinn,” Em mumbled, but not quiet enough.

 

“Mommy, what is blonde?” Kate asked.

 

“Your hair is blonde, sweetie,” I replied.

 

I glanced up at Lane and saw him glaring at Audrey. “Do you have a thing for blondes?” I asked. His eyes moved to each of our audience members. “You know I’m a brunette, right?” I smiled.

 

His hand curled around the length of my hair and gave it a gentle tug so I was forced to look straight up into his eyes. “Of course I know,” he grumbled onto my lips. My heart beat wildly in my chest, not only because this was our first show of affection in front of the kids, but in front of his friends as well.

 

Finally, I couldn’t hold it in any longer and I burst out laughing. He looked so uncomfortable with everyone talking about him in front of me and now the way he was squirming around, it was hilarious. I just couldn’t hold back. The laugh was loud and deep and cleansing. Why did I care who Lane liked or who he usually went after? I had never been that kind of girl. So I laughed off the stress that I had placed on myself.

 

“I like her,” Cole said with humor in his voice.

 

“I do too,” Jaxon added.

 

“Of course you like her,” Quinn said. “She’s practically the brunette version of Em.”

 

Em and I stared at one another and finally just started laughing together. Yeah, this group was fun.

 

“Finally, someone I can share clothes with,” Em cheered.

 

“Well, sorry I won’t be much fun. The only clothes I own can fit into a small duffel bag.” I shrugged.

 

“We’ll fix that!” Quinn announced excitedly.

 

“Shit,” Lane whispered, and I elbowed him for his language.

 

“Say goodbye to your credit cards now, man,” Jace laughed.

 

I instantly sobered. “Oh no, I wouldn’t use his money.”

 

“Alright,” Lane interrupted. “This has been fun, but I’m hungry, they’re hungry, and we’re going home before anyone else shows up.”

 

“Everything’s ready for you guys,” Audrey said, smiling widely.

 

“Thanks, doll. We’ll see you guys around.”

 

 

 

LANE -

 

“Lane, your house is huge!” Raegan smiled widely at me from the passenger seat.

 

I laughed because my house wasn’t even close to huge. “You’re just used to New York City apartments. You saw Jace, Jaxon, and Cole’s places, right?” I never really cared about how much money I didn’t make. It was always enough to do what I wanted and still pay my bills. But when compared to those guys with their families’ trust funds, I was sorely lacking.

 

“Oh, pfft.” She waved her hand at me. “Don’t get me started on their houses. Beautiful? Yes. Completely unnecessary? Absolutely. They don’t need those gigantic things. This house though, it’s perfect.”

 

I’d rented out a small, one-story red brick home with three bedrooms that were definitely excessive; at least they were when I’d put down the deposit. Now they’ll be useful. The only reason I chose this one was because it had a big backyard for the dog I hoped to have one day, and it was literally five minutes away from everyone else.

 

I pulled into the driveway and shifted into park, then glanced back at Kate and Braden in my tiny backseat. Now that I looking at carting around kids, it was probably stupid of me to buy this car.

 

“Man, I think I’ll need to trade this car back in.”

 

“Why? It’s nice,” Raegan said, running her hand across the leather seats.

 

“It seems ridiculous now that they’re sitting in the back.”

 

“It’s a hot car and they fit.” She shrugged her shoulders as if it were as simple as that.

 

I actually used to drive an old black SUV in California that would have been perfect, but then I moved to Texas and got a new job. I felt like I needed to splurge a little on my new two-door Challenger and hell, I’d be the first to admit it helped me pick up women… fast. But now there were two booster seats latched in the backseat and it just seemed absurd.

 

“We’ll figure it out later. Besides, we have to get you a car too. Everyone drives here,” I told her.

 

“No, no. I can’t drive. No car-buying for me,” she announced nervously.

 

“Babe, you can’t drive?”

 

“I lived in New York, why would I need to know how to drive?” she asked.

 

I smirked at her and replied, “This’ll be fun. I’ll teach you. Not in this car though. You can learn on an automatic first.”

 

She rolled her eyes and stepped out, but not before I could check out her tight ass. Even better, she turned around to pull the seat forward so she could help Braden from the back, and I got a full-on show of her tits in that V-neck shirt. My jaw may have dropped, but I would never get enough of those.

 

“Daddy! I want out too!” Kate bellowed from behind me.

 

“Yeah daddy, get her out of the car,” Raegan said cheekily, all while she looked over at me with an intense burning heat in her eyes. She’d caught me, but she didn’t mind. F*ck, I was in deep with this girl.

 

As I pushed open the front door, I wondered if Audrey had thought to buy more pillows and blankets for us. I had one bed in my house with two sets of sheets and a comforter… that was it. That was all I’d needed. I could tell right away that Audrey had come in like a crazy lady and dusted all the surfaces of my living room. There was no way in hell it had sat for weeks and looked like this.

 

Apparently, she’d done more than that. My beige couch now had a huge, light blue blanket draped over the back and little brightly-colored pillows at each end. There was a f*cking painting hanging over my fireplace that I had never seen before and a huge tree in the corner. I wasn’t going to be able to keep that shit alive, so I hoped Audrey planned on coming back regularly to take care of that thing.

 

“This is so nice, Lane,” Rae said quietly as she walked in behind me. “It’s very homey.” As long as Rae approved, the damn tree could stay. I was probably going to toss the little, annoying pillows on the couch though.

 

“Let’s go drop our bags in the room.”

 

“This is your house, daddy?” Kate called from behind.

 

“This is your house now too, Kit Kat. Do you like it?” I asked, suddenly feeling nervous.

 

“Will mommy and Braden live here too?” Her voice had gone quiet and I could tell she wasn’t feeling sure about her surroundings. I dropped my bags and scooped her up tightly against my chest.

 

“Of course they’ll live here too.” The moment the words left my mouth, she instantly brightened and the Kate I had been falling in love with again wiggled out of my arms.

 

“Yay! Okay, lets go!” she called out to the house. “Can Braden and I get our own bed? You and mommy take all the covers.”

 

I laughed uproariously and grabbed my bag from the ground. “Absolutely. You guys should get your own beds. There’s no need to share anymore.”

 

“Really?” Braden asked with surprise in his voice.

 

“Yeah, buddy. There is plenty of room for you to have your own,” I said, patting his shoulder.

 

“That. Is. Awesome!” he exclaimed. I smiled at his enthusiasm because I hadn’t expected him to be so thrilled about something so simple.

 

“Whoa!” Kate yelled from down the hall. Rae, Braden, and I turned to see her looking into one of the guest bedrooms, and we quickly followed to see what she was so animated about. I didn’t remember there being anything in that room, except maybe a few stray boxes that had never been unpacked.

 

Raegan gasped as she turned the corner, and when I finally peered inside, I called out, “Holy —” Thankfully, Rae slapped her hand over my mouth before anything else could come out.

 

Two twin beds with drawers underneath sat against two opposing walls. At the head of each bed sat a bookshelf teeming with books and various personalized items for each child. A giant metal “K” hung on the wall above the pink bed and a coordinating letter “B” hung above the blue bed.

 

A tall wire basket rested at the end of Braden’s bed with basketballs, footballs, baseballs, and more. At the end of Kate’s was a smaller shelf that she could sit on if she wanted, but the space below was occupied by dolls and stuffed animals. We had packed up a few items in New York to ship out here, but it looked as if they wouldn’t really need anything.

 

Braden immediately zoned in on a small terrarium on the shelf at the head of his bed. He climbed up and began observing the tiny plants inside with a look of wonder on his face. Thank God I had shared that bit of information with Audrey about him loving the greenhouse at the museum in Brooklyn.

 

On the shelf at the head of Kate’s bed was a small, antique birdcage that appeared to have a pretend bird perched on a stick inside. I was relieved to see it wasn't a real bird—I don’t do birds.

 

“How?” Rae whispered.

 

“Audrey,” I replied quietly.

 

She stepped out of the room and I followed behind. The kids would be occupied with their new things for at least a little bit. Raegan instinctively moved toward the master bedroom and I reached in front of her to turn the knob. She stepped in first and turned toward me.

 

“Audrey’s just a friend, right?” I saw her wince and then add, “I shouldn't be jealous. I don't have a right, but you guys seem so… close.” This girl could never let anything go for too long. I f*cking loved it.

 

“We are close.”

 

“Close like two people who are very familiar with one another…” she trailed off.

 

“We are very familiar with one another.” She let out a sigh and I knew I was torturing her, but I wanted this to stick. “I love Audrey like a sister. It’s never been anything more or anything less. If we were going to get together, it would have already happened.”

 

“That’s all I needed. You won’t hear any more from me about it.” She’d conceded a little too easily for me.

 

“That easy?” I asked.

 

“Would you lie to me?”

 

“Never.” The word slipped out of my mouth before I had time to evaluate it, but it was the absolute truth.

 

“Then it’s that easy, because I believe you.”

 

I moved to set our bags down by the closet, and we both turned to inspect the bedroom. My bed had the same navy blue comforter and the same white pillows, but I noticed a few new little additions.

 

“More of those damned throw pillows,” I grumbled, while fumbling with the small, colorful pillows. “What the hell would we do with all these?”

 

“They’re supposed to be for decoration,” she muttered from behind me. I started tossing them off the bed, but then Rae added, “But I’m sure we could get into some pretty good sex positions with them.”

 

I quickly scooped those things back up and tossed them right back on. Well, okay then. The tiny pillows could stay.

 

Yet another potted plant sat in the corner by the vast window, which looked out to the backyard patio. Two wingback chairs were placed on an opposite wall with a small table in between them.

 

“I’m pretty damn sure I told her not to go overboard.”

 

“It’s nice.” She shrugged casually, though it was obvious she was still stressing. Over what I didn’t know, but I was about to find out.

 

I softly nudged the door shut and walked up behind her. My lips found the area below her ear that always gave her goose bumps up her arms. My hands grazed across her hips underneath her t-shirt. Slowly, her body eased back into mine and I pulled her in tighter.

 

“What’s going on, love?” I whispered in between kisses along her jaw.

 

She shivered and I liked to assume it was from my new term of endearment. “It’s a lot to take in.”

 

“Tell me about it, my house is definitely not how I left it. I have f*cking throw pillows on my bed. Trust me, I would have never have made that purchase, and I can’t keep a plant alive to save my life.”

 

“No, I mean just being here. And you told Kate that Braden and I would be living here. Now that they have a real bedroom with their own beds and belongings, it’ll be even harder to pry Braden away from that.”

 

My body locked up, and I spun her around and tossed her onto the bed. Her eyes were saucers as she glared at me for my actions. I ignored it.

 

“What are you talking about? Pry him away? Why?” I growled while hovering over her prone body.

 

“We don't live here.”

 

“Of course you do, Rae.”

 

“You and Kate live here.”

 

“Along with you and Braden,” I quickly added.

 

“We can’t live together.”

 

“I don’t see why not. You like me, and I sure as hell like you. We get along great. Kate needs you. Braden and Kate need each other. Hell, Braden could use a guy like me. Why rock the boat?”

 

“It’s moving a little fast, don’t you think? I mean, a little over two weeks ago, you hated me,” she said, looking up at my face.

 

I flinched from her words and explained, “You know that I never hated you. We’ve been through this.”

 

“You know what I meant. Regardless, it’s only been a few weeks.”

 

“I never hated you,” I whispered back. I needed her to understand that right now.

 

“Okay.” She stared into my eyes, but I just didn't understand that word.

 

“I needed someone to blame. I was a dick. I’ve told you this, babe. Please, I need you to understand how sorry I am for accusing you like that. ”

 

“I’m not trying to rehash that, I promise. I’m just telling you that while Braden and I do need a place to stay right now and we need to be gentle with the two of them, I will eventually find my own place.”

 

“No,” I responded quickly.

 

“No?” She arched an eyebrow above those beautiful, green eyes.

 

“There wouldn’t be a point. If you got your own place, Kate and I would be over there every day. Where you sleep, I sleep. Why would we bother paying rent at two separate places?”

 

She sighed as she thought over my words. I smiled when she didn't have anything to say to that.

 

“You and me, we work, babe. Simple as that.”

 

“A man of few words,” she replied, but her grin told me I was breaking her down.

 

“I’m taking lessons from Braden,” I responded. That pulled a bigger smirk from her, and I moved closer to her body below mine. My hands grazed up her ribs until I had her shirt up over her head. Her bra was held together with one of those made-for-this-moment front clasps, so only a flick was needed to release her perfect breasts.

 

I crawled away from her body and off the bed before reaching for her ankles and yanking her closer to me. She squeaked as her ass met the edge of the mattress and I stood between her open legs. With two fingers, I flicked the metal button open on her jeans and kissed the skin just above her waistline. Her fingers threaded into my hair while her eyelids fluttered. I slid her jeans down the curve of her hips with ease.

 

“Lane…” she said on a husky breath.

 

“Right here, babe.” My lips nipped up the inside of her right leg, while my fingers ran up the inside of her left.

 

“Lane… you can’t seduce me into…” A moan slipped from between her lips. “Moving in with you.”

 

“Give me a chance to at least try.”

 

My eyes locked onto the small swath of fabric that barely covered her folds and absolutely none of her tight ass. I growled at the beautiful sight. I had never been more turned on to see a simple little thong.

 

“I didn't know you had one of these,” I groaned against the skin of her thigh. It was true. I thought I had seen all of Raegan’s belongings because there hadn’t been much. This was the kind of surprise I sure as hell thrived on.

 

My knees hit the carpet and my face was in prime real estate. Her head hit the bed when I grabbed the triangle of fabric and pulled it up toward her hip. The string down the crease of her ass pulled tight.

 

My breaths skated across the area between her thighs and I could feel her body vibrating with need. My inner caveman was banging the shit out of his chest at the sight of her desire for me. I wanted to breathe her in and memorize her sweet scent. She moaned as she squeezed my hair tighter between her fingers.

 

I ran my nose up each side of her bare skin, and her hands fell to the sheets as she clenched them in a death grip.

 

“Lane…” she breathed.

 

“Move in with me,” I said into her folds.

 

My tongue danced lightly across her as her back arched dramatically off the bed. I craved making her body curve like that because it forced her tits high, and I just couldn’t resist them. It’s as if they were shouting ‘Me, too! Pay attention to me, too!’ I could never tell them no.

 

I hooked her legs over my shoulders and dove in mouth first, while my hands lightly twisted her nipples until they were at their fullest peaks. Her heavy breasts filled my large hands, and I was a king devouring my feast.

 

My tongue flicked faster over the area where I seemed to get the most moans out of her. Side to side, up and down. Her body was now thrashing beneath my mouth and hands. My fingers dug into her thighs and I wasn’t gentle. Once I had tried to be gentle with the scars on the back of her leg, but she handed me my ass for treating her like porcelain. I finally relented once she assured that me they honestly didn’t cause her any discomfort.

 

And who was I to treat her that way? Nothing was more of a turn-on than a woman who was unapologetically comfortable in her skin while tumbling across the sheets with me. A woman like her was rare and beautiful.

 

“Lane, oh God, Lane, Lane…” she chanted. I pulled back and held her hips to the bed. Her eyes flew open and she regarded me as if she were a wild animal that couldn’t decide whether to fight or take flight. Her breaths came in ragged and harsh, just as her eyes told me everything she was feeling. Lust. Desire. Anger.

 

We stared hard at one another. She was wondering why I had stopped, and I was wondering why she hadn’t answered me.

 

“Move in with me,” I repeated, gripping her thighs again. She held her lips tightly together, as if she didn't trust what would fly out of her mouth. That just meant I was on the right path.

 

I always tried hard not to gloat, but if there was one thing I had mastered, it was kissing. I could bring Rae to her knees with my lips alone. I used those talents to my advantage when I shifted my mouth back between her legs. I moved my lips and tongue against her as if it were her mouth and she started to let out a scream, but she slapped her hand over herself to cover the noise. Right as her toes dug into my shoulders, I pulled back again.

 

“NO!” she shouted. We both froze, waiting to see if we could hear the sound of little feet coming down the hall. After a few silent beats, I smiled up at her.

 

“Ready to move in with me yet?”

 

“This isn’t fair,” she moaned, while trying to move her hips up toward my face.

 

“I just need a yes,” I said into her wet skin. I pushed two fingers inside and hooked them at just the right angle. Her eyes rolled to the top of her head and she fell back against the sheets again. The movements of my fingers were slow and sluggish. She would definitely need more to reach the point she was begging for.

 

“Raegan, you are beautiful, both inside and out. My only regret is that I didn't find you guys sooner. I need you in my life. Kate and I need you. And if you go, Braden goes too and I can’t handle that. I need all three of you. I don’t know how and I don't know why it’s all come so fast, but you three are under my skin. Please, don’t take that away from me.” All of my vulnerability slipped through in that sentence and I wouldn't be surprised if she laughed in my face.

 

She scrambled up, causing my fingers to slip from inside her. Before I could comprehend her movements, her mouth was on mine and her hands were in my hair.

 

“This is crazy. This isn’t normal,” she frantically whispered against my lips. I had my pants off and a condom on in the next few beats. She tugged my shirt up over my head and ran her hands down my chest with adoration in her eyes.

 

Her back hit the bed and my body followed, desperate with want. Everything inside of me was on fire, and I wanted to touch all of her at the same exact time. I needed her skin against my own.

 

“Hate to break it to you, but nothing about this situation has been normal. Let’s roll with the punches because I’ve damn sure never been this happy,” I said into the crook of her neck.

 

When she lifted her hips up to mine, I couldn't stand it any longer. I pushed off the bed a second time and pulled her body across the sheets. She didn't fight the movement or even appear surprised at my actions, and when I flipped her over onto her stomach, I watched a hint of excitement ignite in her eyes. I tugged her thong down over her legs until it hit the floor beneath my feet.

 

With her stomach on the bed she was too low, so I tapped her knees, indicating for her to get up on them and she instantly complied. I grabbed my erection and slid into her with as much ease as I could, especially since I felt as if I would explode on contact. Her body sagged in relief and she kept her face on the bed with her hands above her head.

 

She pushed back on me with a speed I didn't think she could possess in her current position, but I got her point—loud and f*cking clear. I rocked out of her and slammed back in, my balls tightening in pleasure.

 

“Oh God!” she moaned into the bed.

 

My hand came down between her shoulder blades so I could gain more leverage. I brought the opposite hand around to her breast and pinched her nipple while driving into her from behind. Nirvana. Bliss. She was my paradise.

 

Her walls began to squeeze tightly around me, and I finally let her fall into ecstasy beneath me. What I wasn’t expecting was the loud scream that ripped from her mouth. I couldn't stop my thrusts—they were on autopilot now—but I moved my hand over her lips. My dick would never forget the sound of her finally letting go.

 

The doorknob on the bedroom door began to jiggle. “Shit!” I whispered, while pulling out of Raegan quickly and diving for the opposite side of the bed, away from the door. I heard Raegan scramble for the sheets as she ripped them away from the bed.

 

“Mommy?” I heard Braden say, once he had the door fully open.

 

There was absolutely nothing for me to use to cover myself up with except for my own two hands. Thankfully, I was hidden on the ground, but if he decided to come around the bed, he was bound to get an eyeful. My dick screamed for relief and I tried to calm my ragged breaths.

 

“Braden, sweetie, give mommy a few minutes….” She was still breathing just as heavy as I was.

 

“Mama, what happened? You screamed… loud,” he informed her. I tried to stifle a chuckle because she really had let loose. And we were apparently idiots for not locking the door with kids in the house. Another parenting lesson learned.

 

“Oh, I just… I’m okay… I just stubbed my toe. It hurt so bad, but I’m okay now,” she breathed out. I heard the sheets rustle and I could imagine her fidgeting nervously in front of him, while trying to cover her body.

 

“Mommy, why are you naked? It’s not bath time.”

 

“I’m just going to take a shower; it’s been a long day. Can you make sure Kate is having fun in your new room?” God, if I wasn't so uncomfortable right now, I would be busting my ass laughing at her obvious discomfort. I guess this is what having a kid was like.

 

“Mama…” he began.

 

“Braden, please,” she interrupted. “Ten minutes and I’ll be right out.”

 

“Okay,” he replied, and I sighed in relief when I heard the door click closed.

 

“Oh my God! I think he knows!” I heard her click the lock on the door right before she scrambled across the bed and looked down at me on the floor. Her eyes flared when she saw me lying there, holding my condom-sheathed erection firmly in my hands. “God, you look so hot down there…” The speed at which her tone became sultry caused my dick to throb painfully.

 

“Get. Your. Ass. Down. Here,” I said through clenched teeth.

 

“So bossy, Mr. Parker,” she replied cheekily, while throwing the sheet away from her body and climbing down off the side of the bed. She stood above me as her legs straddled each side of my body. She continued to peruse my flesh, which was locked up in every possible way because I was trying to hold back my impending orgasm. Another shudder ran through me and I ground my molars to ward it off.

 

When she didn't make a move to lower her sweet body onto mine, I growled. “Raegan, I’m about to f*cking explode. Get. Down. Here.” I gripped her calves and tried to get her to bend. I didn't care about the hardwood floor under my back. All I needed was her inside of me—now. “Sit down, Rae.” My words were stilted because I was a time bomb about to detonate. I could see how wet she was between her legs and I groaned in pain. I couldn't get up because even the air rushing past me would have caused me to come just then. Plus, I didn’t want up, I wanted in.

 

Mercifully, she began to seductively lower herself, although it was the slowest I had ever seen her move. My eyes watched the bend of her legs and took in every inch of her breasts as she came closer to home. She didn't make me wait much longer though, because she lowered herself right onto my throbbing erection.

 

This wasn’t going to take long. I had already been right on the cusp when she found her release earlier. She moaned as I thrust inside of her and I forced my teeth to stay clamped shut.

 

I grabbed her hand and shoved it between our bodies, right over her sensitive bundle of nerves. Moving her finger in circles, I showed her exactly what I wanted from her.

 

“I can’t come again, Lane,” she breathed heavily. “That last one was too much.”

 

“You’ll go again. With me,” I growled. Call me insane but half of my pleasure these last few days had been derived from watching her fall to pieces under my touch.

 

She started to protest, but I grabbed her hips and moved her up so I could rocket in and out of her. Her breasts bounced above me and her inner walls hugged me tightly. Yeah, I definitely needed to feel her explode again before I could go.

 

“Shit!” she squeaked and I continued relentlessly. “Lane, it’s too much, it’s too much! Too much,” she begged, but her fingers didn't stop circling.

 

“F*ck babe, I need you! I’m close,” I called up to her as I felt the all-too-familiar rush. My hand circled around the back of her neck and I pulled her down so we were chest to chest, and I pumped into her with both need and force. I couldn't hold back anymore. Not with her. She brought out the beast inside of me and all he wanted to do was pleasure her.

 

I whispered her name, as if it were a prayer rolling off my tongue, “Raegan.”

 

I felt the sharp bite of her teeth in my shoulder and knew she was shattering on top of me. She muffled her cries into my skin this time.

 

Dear God, she was amazing. I couldn’t ever lose this girl. She meant the world to me at this point and never had I felt a connection to the very depth of my soul for a woman before. She had buried herself in every fiber of my being.

 

I thrust my hips once, twice, three more times until I felt a thrill racing up my spine, and then I was coming long and hard inside of her. It was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. There had never been anything better than this. My hands wrapped around her back and I held her body against mine. I let my legs fall and my head rested against the wood floor as we tried to catch our breaths, neither of us moving to separate.

 

“Baby… shit… damn, that was amazing,” I whispered into her hair.

 

“I don’t think I’ll be able to get up,” she mumbled lazily into my neck. Unfortunately, she did slowly push off my chest and sat back fully on my thighs after I slipped from her body. We both sucked in air at the loss of our connection. Her fingers ran across my chest and down over my stomach, all while her eyes followed the path.

 

“Lane, you’re the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.” Her whisper was almost inaudible, almost as if her words weren't meant for me to hear. “I think this is my new favorite position, by the way.”

 

“Baby, far be it for me to ever stop you from climbing on.” I grinned like the Cheshire cat, which made her laugh. I needed to be closer to her. Gently pulling off the condom, I tied the end and tossed it into a nearby trashcan. I sat up with her seductive ass still in my lap and pressed my lips against hers in a demanding rhythm. She melted against me as I pulled her lower lip in between my teeth and sucked.

 

“We live together now,” I mumbled against her lips. The cocky grin on my face was forcing its way out.

 

“You’re evil, you know that, right?” She smiled back in defeat.

 

“I know how to get what I want, baby, and I have a feeling that will always be you.” I kissed the scar stretching over her eyebrow and then moved back down to her lips.