Tricking the Souls

by Annabella Michaels

  “As much fun as that was, I can’t wait to get away for a few days with you guys,” Isaac said.

  Hudson nodded. “Think about it. A whole week with nothing but fresh Tennessee air, fall leaves, and sex. Lots and lots of sex.” Isaac and I laughed at the devious grin on his face.

  “Sounds like the perfect plan to me,” I agreed.

  “Me too. It’s really nice of Kathy and Rick to let us use their family cabin for a getaway. Hey, do you realize this is the first trip we’ve taken since we exchanged our vows? I guess that makes this a honeymoon of sorts,” Isaac mused.

  “And you know what that means...” Hudson said with a grin.

  “Sex. Lots and lots of sex,” Isaac and I finished with a laugh. Feeling happy, we turned out the lights and crawled under the covers of our California king bed, all of us snuggled together in a tangle of arms and legs. At the end of the day, that was my favorite place to be; with the two men who held my heart.

  Chapter Two

  LANDON

  I felt the sheet slide down my back, replaced by a trail of soft kisses that cut a path down the center of my spine. I moaned as Micah’s warm hands smoothed over my bare skin, his strong fingers kneading the stiff muscles in my neck and shoulders. I sighed happily as the tension bled out of my body, leaving me feeling relaxed and happy.

  “I think we should start every morning like this,” I teased, arching my back like a cat as he brushed his lips along my neck.

  “I agree.” His voice was still a little rough from sleep and it sent a ripple of anticipation throughout my body. “Although, I wouldn’t be able to stop there.”

  “No?”

  “Nope. I can never get enough of this delectable body. Every touch leaves me wanting more and every kiss leaves me yearning to taste you. Every. Single. Inch. Of. You.” My breath hitched as his tongue traced the shell of my ear and I nearly flew off the bed as he bit down on the earlobe, sucking it into his hot, wet mouth.

  “So, who’s stopping you?” Despite my labored breathing, the challenge was clear.

  “Not a fucking soul,” he growled. “You are mine and no one will ever keep me from you.” The promise in those words, the conviction in which he said them, made me feel safe, secure, desired, and loved all at once. No one had ever loved me the way Micah Hamilton did, and I loved him just as much in return.

  “Micah, please,” I begged.

  “Tell me what you need,” he demanded.

  “I... I need...” My desire for him was all-consuming, making it impossible to string even a few simple words together. Micah had always done that to me though, turning my brain into mush with the touch of his lips and making me trip all over myself with just one smoldering look.

  My hips pressed into the bed, causing a delicious friction as my leaking cock brushed against the mattress but it wasn’t enough. I needed more. More heat, more touch, more him. I moved my hand to slide it under me, but Micah caught my wrist, stopping me.

  “Uh, uh, uh. This is all mine. Only I get to touch it.” I stilled immediately as I recognized the firm command in his voice. “Tell me it’s mine, Landon. Tell me that I’m the only one who will ever touch you.”

  “God, yes. Only you, Micah. Your touch is the only one I will ever need.” His deep, satisfied laugh sent a jolt of lust straight to my balls and I rocked my hips, desperate for any small amount of friction to relieve the ache.

  “Don’t worry baby, I’ve got you. All you have to do is lay there and feel.”

  I let out a strangled cry as his hand closed around my cock. I was already so close that I knew it wasn’t going to take much to send me over the edge. Micah lowered his body over mine, his warmth and his scent surrounding me until all I could feel, all I could think about was this man; my lover, my best friend, my husband.

  His own rigid length slid against my ass, dipping between my cheeks to rub against my hole and I propped myself up on my elbows, pushing my hips back, yearning for more. He kept up a steady stream of filthy words in my ear as his hand worked over my stiff rod, the amount of precum leaking from the tip making the glide slick and easy.

  “God, you feel so good, Landon. Love your body. Love everything about you. Come for me, baby. Show me how good I make you feel,” Micah said.

  Biting down on the pillow to muffle my scream, I came, hard, spraying the sheets and his hand with my seed. Micah followed a moment later, teeth biting into the soft flesh of my shoulder, his come hot and wet as it landed on my naked ass and dripped down between my legs.

  I felt thoroughly sated, but even better, I felt loved and cherished beyond words. Sex with Micah had always been incredible, but after adopting our three children, the stolen moments between the two of us were even more precious than ever. As he landed next to me on the bed, I rolled onto my side, scooting over to avoid the wet spot.

  “Morning,” he said with a self-satisfied grin.

  “Good morning to you too,” I responded, leaning over to give him a proper kiss. His fingers brushed through my hair and he pulled back to look in my eyes.

  “Now, that’s how we should start each da—” His words were cut off by a happy gurgling sound. We turned at the same time to look at the baby monitor sitting on the bedside table then look back at each other with a grin.

  “Sounds like our son is ready to get up and I’m sure his sister and brother will be waking up soon too.”

  “Rock, paper, scissors on who has to make breakfast?” Micah asked, giving me a hopeful look.

  “Nope. This time, it’s definitely your turn,” I informed him.

  “And why is that?”

  “Because someone decided to wake up and ravage me, and left me sticky in unmentionable places,” I answered.

  Micah’s eyes darkened at the reminder. “I couldn’t help myself. You were just lying there, looking all sleepy and sexy, and all I could think about was how you were naked under the sheets. Besides, I like it when you’re covered in my come,” he said as he reached for my ass, slipping a finger between my crease and rubbing the tip around my entrance.

  “Is that so?” Desire shot through me once again and my eyelids fluttered shut as he captured my mouth with his own, our tongues dipping and swirling, and tasting each other as his hand continued its tantalizing exploration.

  Another happy sound from our son broke us from our lust-filled daze and we both groaned. “I guess I have to go be a good dad now, but don’t you dare think this is over. We have a whole week together with no kids and I intend to use that time very wisely.”

  The promise in his eyes sent a happy thrill through me and I grinned at him. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

  With a soft slap on my ass, he climbed out of bed and went to the bathroom to clean up. I was still lying in the same position when he returned, and he raised his eyebrows. “I thought you were going to get a shower.”

  “Oh, I will. But first, I want to enjoy watching you get dressed,” I answered, wagging my eyebrows at him.

  “Do you now?” he said with a smirk.

  I stretched across the bed, propping myself up on the pillows and placing my hands under my head. I gave him a single nod. “You may begin.”

  He laughed, shaking his head at me as he pulled his jeans on and then picked up his shirt. I only got a few moments before Marcus decided he was done waiting and let out a frustrated cry. Seconds later, we heard Spencer and the Lilyana’s giggles as they ran through the house. Micah hurried to finish pulling the shirt over his head then leaned down to give me a kiss.

  “Shake a leg. You have to take a shower and finish packing.”

  “But I’m so comfy,” I pouted.

  “The sooner we get going on our trip, the sooner we can get back to what we started here,” he reminded me.

  I sat up in bed as he headed toward the door. “Have I ever told you, I like the way you think, Mr. Hamilton?”

  “I’m the man with a plan, baby,” he called out over his shoulder.

  I was smiling as I cli
mbed out of bed and gathered the clothes I would wear that day. I’d already packed everything we would need besides our toiletries which I would toss in after my shower. Micah had packed the kids’ suitcases the day before and my parents had a key to the house in case there was anything we’d forgotten.

  After a quick shower, I threw everything into our bag then zipped it up and carried it down the hallway. As I got closer to the kitchen, I could hear Micah saying something to the kids. I couldn’t tell what it was, but whatever it was must have been funny because it made the twins laugh.

  I leaned against the doorway, my heart filled with love at the sight of my family. I used to dream that one day I would meet a man who I could share my life with, but never did I imagine that I could end up this happy. Micah had managed to make every one of my dreams come true, even the ones I hadn’t dared to dream, like becoming a father to three of the most wonderful children in the world. Micah looked up just then, his eyes warm and full of love as if he’d been thinking the exact same thing.

  “I love you,” I mouthed. His answering smile said it all, he loved me too.

  An hour later, we arrived at my parents’ house, looking more like we were moving in than just leaving our kids there for a week. The twins took off running toward the front door as soon as they were set free and after watching to make sure they got inside safely, I reached in to unbuckle Marcus from his car seat.

  We looked up as a car turned into the driveway and we waved as Caleb and Giovanni got out, helping Sarah out of her booster seat. “Lan-lan,” she yelled, running toward me. Laughing, I scooped my niece up, holding both her and Marcus in my arms.

  “Hey, baby girl. How are you?”

  “Not baby,” she stated firmly. I looked over at my brother and raised a questioning eyebrow.

  “She’s a big girl now, Uncle Landon,” Caleb explained.

  “Aw, I see. Yes, you are a big girl, but you’ll always be my super-sweet girl too.” That seemed to make Sarah happy and she squished my cheeks together which made my lips pucker and then she gave me a big kiss.

  The honking of a horn had us all turning as Carter and Ryan pulled in and parked their car. “Man, I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t wait to get this vacation started,” Carter exclaimed as he climbed out of the passenger seat.

  “I just hope your parents know what they’ve gotten themselves into. Joseph’s been teething, so he’s been a little fussy lately,” Ryan said, his face drawn up in concern.

  “Don’t worry, Mom’s a pro at that kind of stuff. Besides, she’ll have tons of help between Dad, our sisters, and their husbands,” Caleb assured him.

  “Yeah, well, according to Dad, Mom’s been counting down the minutes until the kids got here. I’m surprised she wasn’t standing in the front yard waiting for us.” Carter had been joking, but as the front door opened and Mom came running out, I wondered just how accurate his statement had been. She swooped in, pulling the kids from our arms and showering them with kisses.

  “Uh, hello? I’m here too. Where’s my love?” Carter asked.

  “Aww, don’t be sad. I have plenty enough love to go around,” Mom said, leaning over to give him a peck on the cheek then with a quick nod to the rest of us, she ushered all the kids into the house. We stared after them silently.

  “Do you think she’d even notice if we just left?” I joked.

  “Not a chance,” Micah answered.

  With a laugh, we gathered all the stuff from the car and carried it into the house. A half hour later, with the kids waving us off as if they couldn’t care less if we were there or not, and our parents practically shoving us out the door, we were on our way. The other guys were all waiting for us at Agape House and they smiled and waved as we pulled in. After a round of hugs and discussing who was going to ride with who, we finally left the city, driving along in three separate cars.

  As the city faded away into open fields and tree-lined roads, I reached for Micah’s hand, linking our fingers together. He lifted them to his mouth and kissed my knuckles. I sighed contentedly beside him. With our friends behind us and my husband beside me, life couldn’t get any better.

  Chapter Three

  CALEB

  By the time we reached Tennessee and pulled into the little town close to where our family cabin was located, it was late afternoon and we were all anxious to be out of the car so we could start our vacation. We stopped at the local grocery store, splitting up once we got inside to get everything we needed faster.

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea to have Carter and Rylie going off together. There’s a very strong possibility that they’ll come back with five hundred dollars’ worth of candy,” I said, watching as the pair of them took off down the aisle, laughing like loons and bumping into each other with their shopping carts. Rylie gave his cart a strong push, then hopped onto the back of it, nearly taking out a display of soup cans in the process.

  “I know what you mean. One time when I was traveling with them on tour, I got sick,” Landon said, shaking his head at the memory. “The two of them volunteered to stop at a drugstore to get me some cold medicine. They came back about a half hour later with all kinds of chips, soda, and cookies, but can you guess what they didn’t have? That’s right, they had to go back to the store because they’d forgotten my medicine, which was the whole reason they went in there in the first place.”

  Ryan started to laugh but then pretended to cough when Landon shot him a glare. “Come on, Lachlan. Let’s go keep an eye on our guys,” he said.

  “Yeah, why don’t you do that?” Landon called out after them. I chuckled at Ryan’s answering laugh.

  “Okay, the other guys are picking out lunch items lunches. Why don’t you and I go get the stuff for dinner while Micah and Gio choose some breakfast items,” I suggested to my older brother.

  “Sounds good,” Landon agreed.

  Fifteen minutes later, we headed back out to the parking lot with our purchases. Lachlan and Ryan had somehow convinced Carter and Rylie to limit their junk food choices to only two grocery bags full, an impressive feat considering the number of items they’d started out with. After getting everything loaded into the cars, we set out on the last leg of our journey.

  Tennessee was a beautiful state, any time of the year, but Tennessee in the fall, was simply breathtaking. The leaves on the trees had started to change, creating vibrant splashes of yellow, orange, and red against the clear blue sky. The Great Smoky Mountains could be seen in the distance and a large herd of elk were resting in a field along the side of the road, unbothered by the cars full of people who had stopped to look at them.

  We turned onto a one-lane road that wound its way deeper into the woods until eventually, it opened up into a clearing for a house. Not just any house, but my family’s cabin. We parked the car and I climbed out, stretching my legs. I closed my eyes, and took a deep breath, letting my lungs fill with the crisp, clean mountain air. Around me, I could hear the rustling of leaves and the scurrying of squirrels as they rushed around, gathering acorns for the winter.

  The cabin was gorgeous with large wooden beams, vaulted ceilings and original hardwood floors. But the most special thing about it, was the memories it held. Summer vacations, weekend getaways, Easters and Christmases, weddings and new babies, laughter and tears. You name it, and that cabin had seen it. As a kid, I’d loved playing in the woods with my sisters and brothers and Morgan. We’d spend all day out there building forts, playing tag and climbing trees until our mothers called us in for dinner.

  I jumped as a pair of arms wound around me, but then I relaxed as I recognized Gio’s delicious scent. He pulled me against him, and I leaned into his embrace. “I love it here. It’s so gorgeous and peaceful. Do you remember the first time you brought me here?” he asked.

  “Of course. It was Easter,” I replied.

  “And your family made me play all those insane games,” he mused.

  I laughed. “You were just as competitive as the rest of
us, admit it.”

  “True,” he conceded. “But you know what I remember the most about that trip?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “Realizing that I was falling in love with you. I was still pretty stubborn back then, insisting that I was never going to trust anyone ever again. But then you came along and it was like I didn’t even have a choice. My heart decided you were the one for me and that was all there was to it.”

  My head dropped back onto his shoulder with a sigh and he nuzzled his face into the side of my neck. “I’m thankful everyday that you decided to give the two of us a chance. Your heart is much too big to not be shared.”

  His arms tightened around me. “I can’t imagine what my life would be like without you and Sarah. The two of you are my whole world.”

  “You’ll never have to find out,” I promised, turning in his arms so I could kiss him.

  Someone cleared their throat loudly. “Can you two take that somewhere else? I’m starting to...feel things.” Carter arched an eyebrow at me. As twins, we often shared the same strong emotions, a fact that had come in handy when one of us was injured or in danger but could be quite embarrassing when it came to being turned on by our husbands.

  “Yeah, get a room, you two,” Landon jumped in, shooting me a teasing grin.

  I looked at Gio, giving him a sly wink as I took hold of his hand then I looked back at my brothers. “That reminds me...dibs on the biggest room,” I shouted.

  I took off running toward the house with Gio right behind me as I quickly grabbed the keys from my pocket. I heard someone curse and then feet pounding along the gravel as the rest of the guys tried to catch up, but by the time they made it to the bottom porch steps, we were already inside and racing toward the biggest bedroom, the one with the en suite bathroom. Throwing my hands in the air, I let out a triumphant cry, laughing as my brothers came sliding around the corner.